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Why are work placements important for study abroad experience

Why are work placements important for study abroad experience

By stepping out of the classroom, students gain invaluable real-world experience that enhances their CV and prepares them for successful careers.
By stepping out of the classroom, students gain invaluable real-world experience that enhances their CV and prepares them for successful careers. (Representational Image)

— Kerry Hyde

When one enters the UK universities to pursue higher studies, it is usually with the aim of bagging a job immediately after completing their degree. However, this is not an easy dream and students should remember that western universities do not guarantee placements like Indian universities. So it becomes important for students to realise that merely getting a degree from a UK university will not get them a job, and they will have to work hard to attain that dream.

One important point to remember is that students should start gaining work placements from the first year of their degree. In the UK, work placements are often an integral part of many university courses. By stepping out of the classroom and into the workplace, students gain invaluable real-world experience that not only enhances their CV but also prepares them for successful careers. Some major benefits of having work experience are:

Why are work placements important for study abroad experience

All work experience can be good work experience. Whether part-time work whilst studying, a summer internship or year-long work placement, all work experience develops skills and facilitates career exploration — increasing awareness of what roles and industries exist, and giving a platform for students to discover their own strengths and work preferences.

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Real-world application and learning from industry

Applying learning in a real-world context also brings an added dimension to academic study. Many UK universities embed work-related learning in programmes. Examples include: industrial case studies and employer guest speakers in lectures, ‘live’ projects where groups of students act as consultants to an organisation and present their solutions to a particular real issue, or longer, individual work placements undertaking a specific role with an employer.

The gold standard is often seen as an integrated year-long work placement, and this option — available at many UK universities — is a very effective way to boost employability and put students in the best position to secure a graduate role after university.

Developing skills and growing your network

An integrated work placement is usually of nine to 12 months duration, and takes place after the penultimate year of study, after which students return to undertake their final year of study. It is usually an accredited part of a course and will be recognised on a degree certificate.

Work placements are a golden opportunity both for students and employers. For students, it is a chance to consolidate academic learning; further developing technical skills and applying knowledge. Placements also build a host of transferable skills, such as communication, collaboration and commercial awareness, as well as self confidence and understanding of the hiring process. They provide an insight into UK workplace culture, and an amazing opportunity to build a professional network. The development of professional skills, like time management, also means students often demonstrate better academic performance on their return to university.

For graduate employers, placements offer a chance to engage talent early and promote their career opportunities. Many UK employers use year-long placements as a pipeline into graduate roles — some offering completing  placement students a job with the company after graduation, others accelerating them through early stages of the graduate recruitment process.

Shaping Careers from Day One

UK universities offer excellent support for students wanting to pursue work placements. At the University of Sheffield for example, where it is possible for nearly all undergraduate students to add a placement year to their course of study, advice and support is available from the moment a student registers on campus. Qualified advisers are available to discuss any aspect of the process and offer individual guidance; there are workshops on how to find, secure, and maximise a placement; careers fairs allow students to meet employers on campus; online tools offer 24 hour CV support and practice interviews; and mock assessment centres allow students to practise before the real thing. Students can also meet returning placement students to get practical tips and learn from their experiences.

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Support continues throughout the placement year with regular check-ins, and encouragement to reflect on and record achievements, and skills developed, to help with future job applications. Students are then supported through the transition back into university to complete their studies.

Finance and return on investment

A major benefit of undertaking a placement year in the UK is that these roles are often paid positions with employee benefits. According to a recent survey by the Institute of Student Employers, who represent the biggest graduate recruiters in the UK, the average salary for a placement year role is £23,000. The same survey found 40% of respondents hire their placement students into permanent graduate jobs, and all reported that students who had done a placement or internship were more work-ready than other candidates.

Why are work placements important for study abroad experience

Most scholars wish to see a return on their investment in international education. Standing on stage at a graduation ceremony with not only a degree certificate, but also professional experience and a host of professional contacts, offers significant added value, making you stand out whatever your choice of future career.

(The author is Head of Careers & Employability at University of Sheffield, UK)

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