The United Kingdom is the top choice for international students for pursuing their higher studies. While studying at UK universities students need to go through a one-year-long placement year. In the UK, one of the biggest problems is after completing graduation students remain lacking work experience although most of them are academically highly qualified. University courses that include a year in the industry or real workplace can be an excellent solution for this problem.
What is a Placement Year?
A placement year is also known as the sandwich year in the United Kingdom. Also, this year is totally different from the work experience you did at/after secondary school. This year is usually an opportunity for the students to spend a year achieving valuable experience during their study period. It is highly essential for international students to pick a degree at UK universities having an opportunity of placement or sandwich year(s).
Differences between Placement and Internship
Students might get confused between placement and internship. However, these two types of work experience are totally different. In the UK placement year is considered as a part of a degree. On the other hand, internships usually take place on summer vacation or after completing graduation to gain experience in a particular field.
How to Arrange a Placement
If the courses require a placement year, the organizations will simply allocate it to them. However, if this is not the case the students need to arrange their own placement. In that case, the students need to ask the terms and conditions of the organization before starting their work, if they have to arrange placement on their own. In addition, if they have any doubt or confusion regarding the organization and their activities they should seek additional advice from their university career service.
How to Apply for Placement?
If the placement is a part of your course, usually the universities will organize your placement on your behalf. Additionally, others will guide you to identify and apply for the placement yourself. On the contrary, if the students are arranging their own placement the companies might ask you to complete a full and formal application, detailing what you may bring to the role.
Duration of Placement
The duration of the placement depends on the course and the type of placement you’re undertaking. In the UK, some placements may take place during the vacation period which lasts only two to three months. On the other hand, students might need to spend a year or more depending on their course and its duration. Such as degrees like Social Work, Health Work and Teaching take longer placement.
Benefits of a Placement Year
In the UK, if you’re a second-year undergraduate student either you’re going to begin to apply for your placement year or you’re in the middle of applying already. The placement year is becoming popular and acceptable for both local and international students in the UK. There are a lot of benefits of a placement year. Such as,
● Increase Your Career Prospects: The undergraduate students who want to gain some professional experience while studying placement years can be highly useful for them. Through this placement, undergraduate students not only gain specific technical expertise but also enhance their soft skills.
● Establish Industry Network Connection: In the 21st-century professional networking is hugely essential as you don’t know who you’re going to meet the next moment. Students might be offered a full-time job after successfully completing their placement year from the same organization.
● Experience the Real Working World: As students have to work in the industry in their placement year, they’ll get a real workplace environment. A placement year means the students will be given actual responsibilities and opportunities which will be both challenging and exciting.
● Connect Bookish and Practical Knowledge: A placement year doesn’t mean you’ll make tea/ coffee in the office. The placement year is a time where the students can apply their class lectures to the real world.
● New and Improved Academic Performance: A placement year can give students ideas about their final year’s dissertation paper or projects. It can also assist the students to develop their soft skills. For example, being able to work in a team and the ability to solve critical situations.
● Explore a New Place: There are chances that your placement may take place in another city that you can call home for 12 months. This is how the students can explore a new city.
At the time of searching for a UK university that offers a placement year, it is worth seeing whether the university organizes the placement, or whether the students are expected to find the placement themselves. Some of the top companies in the UK offer placements to university students and may even look to appoint them after graduation.