About work experience

Investing in students during the summer

Having difficulty recruiting the appropriate graduate for your company or organisation? Why not think about offering them a period of work experience first when they are still at university? More and more employers are now recruiting their graduate intake from those they have had on work experience, as this enables them to 'try before you buy' and as a result take on someone who is already familiar with your organisation.

Taking on a student is just like employing any new member of staff. It is important to ensure that there is job description for the work you want them to do, thought has been given to how long you need them for and that there is an evaluation at the end. This is to ensure they have the opportunity to understand the skills they have acquired which are relevant to the world of work.

NCWE has just produced a publication titled 'Red Hot Talent', which is a guide to recruiting and managing students while on work experience. Copies are available by completing the order form at a cost of £17.00 in P&P

What does the term 'work experience' mean?

Because employers are looking to recruit graduates who have some knowledge of the world of work, work-related learning can be gained from a variety of work experience opportunities, which can variously be described as:

Sandwich placements: assessed paid work which is part of a student's course. It is often of one year's duration.

Work-based project: A specific piece of assessed work for a course, undertaken at an employer's premises.

Work placement: A period of work experience, which can be paid or unpaid, and is part of a course of study. This can be arranged through your university with an employer or by yourself and is for an agreed period of time.

Voluntary work: Any type of work undertaken for no payment, usually outside of your course and in your spare time.

For a good publication on how to make the most from doing voluntary work look at 'The Art of Crazy Paving' published by Student Volunteering UK

Part-time work: Paid or unpaid work undertaken during term-time.

For a project that is providing assessment and accreditation of part-time work see the CRAC Insight Plus programme 

Work shadowing: Where a student observes a member of staff working in an organisation, and so gains an understanding of what a particular job entails.

Internships: A phrase that is increasingly used by large companies and refers to a placement within their organisation.

Vacation work: This could be paid part-time or temporary work for students or full time work for graduates looking to enhance their CVs or improve job prospects.

The benefits

Whatever the size or capabilities of your organisation you could reap the benefits from taking students on work experience. Students can offer many qualities to your organisation and can offer fresh new ideas or develop projects that the company just hasn’t had time to carry out. Students asking for work experience are looking for the opportunity to develop the skills they need for the world of work. They are enthusiastic, hardworking and are increasingly computer literate which is becoming essential in the world of business. Overall, by offering students a period of work experience, your business will gain new ideas and fresh enthusiasm, as well as a cost-effective flexible solution to your recruitment needs.

A student can help you:

• be more profitable;
• reduce costs;
• make better use of time.

A student can help develop your business by bringing:

• new ideas and fresh enthusiasm;
• an extra resource;
• additional skills to tackle projects otherwise put on the backburner;
• IT skills and knowledge of new technologies;
• a cost effective and flexible solution to your recruitment needs;

Today's university students:

• can focus on business issues and solutions;
• resolve business problems effectively;
• are good teamworkers;
• can think for themselves and get on with it.

Typical projects undertaken by students include:

• marketing and market research;
• developing IT systems;
• design and implementation of databases;
• creating a website;
• research and development;
• writing new software;
• reviewing work processes and efficiency.

Employ a student and see your business benefit as a result. You can profit from their skills!

How to get the right person

• Think through what you need the student to do. This will normally be a task requiring specialist knowledge or skills which are not currently present within your organisation. A student can work on a project which has been left on the backburner due to a lack of time or resources.
• State your needs upfront.
• Be clear about the objectives of the job you want them to do and use them to discuss the job.
• Put them through the same selection process as any other prospective employee.

This recruit may become a permanent employee in the future. An investment of your time now will be worth it.

Employing students: what to do when a placement student joins your company

When employing students, you should treat them no differently to any other employee.

Do I need to pay students who come on work experience?

Government legislation in respect of the National Minimum Wage means that UK employers can no longer offer unpaid work experience, unless they are doing it as part of their course. Specifically, the legislation states:

Students doing work experience as part of a higher education course

Students who are studying on higher education courses at UK universities or colleges are sometimes placed with an employer as part of their course. Such students need not be paid the national minimum wage for the work that they do while with the employer, up to a maximum period of one year. Of course, most students are not placed with employers as part of their course. The national minimum wage is not relevant to them unless they get a job outside their studies, in which case the minimum wage applies in the same way as it does to other workers.

Students aged 18 and above who are taking a “gap” year between school and higher education must be paid at least the national minimum wage for any work they do.

Students doing voluntary work for a registered charity and those doing work-shadowing are exempt from being paid the national minimum wage.

For further information go to a useful website which includes a helpline number (0845 6000 678). You can chat to an adviser who will be able to help you in regarding the rules and how best to recruit/advertise within the legislation.

For more information on the national minimum wage see the BERR - Department for Businesss, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform  

What supervision will they need?

If you are running a small business your time is obviously precious. If you need a self starter who can get stuck in from day one then make this clear when you are recruiting.

The level of supervision needs to be related to the level of responsibility you give them. Whatever they are doing, you will get better quality out of them if you give some early support.

Ideally, the student should have a mentor within the company who they can turn to for advice and support. This has the added advantage of developing your own staff at the same time.

Organisational Issues

Insurance, health and safety, holidays, sickness etc.

All students on a work placement should be treated as a normal employee with regard to the terms and conditions of employment. A student should have a formal contract of employment outlining basic terms and conditions.

It is an employer's responsibility to ensure adequate insurance cover and provision of health and safety procedures. In instances where the student may be unpaid, or employed via a third party, the host company is still responsible for basic insurance under its public liability cover.

Political neutrality

It is important for an employer to provide a politically neutral environment initially for a student. It can be very destructive for an impressionable student to be dragged into political battles early on in the placement. It may also damage the chances of the student being able to successfully integrate into an organisation.

Employers should give students a reasonable chance of making a name for themselves initially. This will increase everybody's confidence in the student.

Member of a team

Employers should provide students with tasks that integrate them with the rest of the organisation. Even a small amount of fairly mundane responsibility can be important in helping the student to, 'feel at home'.

Job title

If a position involves working with external organisations, a job title can be especially important. It is not always easy to gain the necessary respect if their job title is, 'placement student'.

Types of placement opportunities for graduates

Shell Technology Enterprise Programme (STEP)

Vacation work experience for students to undertake a specific project within a small-medium sized business for eight weeks during the summer.

Graduate Opportunities Wales Programme

Go Wales provide a wide range of services to students and graduates that live and/or study in Wales. Services available include:

• Work placements: 10-week, project-based placements, currently attracting a wage of £180 per week. This will add some excellent experience to your cv.

• Work tasters: These are unpaid, temporary placements designed to allow students and graduates to gain a little experience in a particular career or job. A work taster can help you decide what you want (or don't want) to do.

• Job shops: All Go Wales Careers Services operate a job shop designed to help students find some work whilst they study.

For more information and to register see Go Wales or 'phone the helpline on 0800 917 7403.

Teaching Company Scheme (TCS)

A fixed term appointment of a graduate, employed by a University to work on a specific business development project for two years.

Postgraduate projects

Usually for three months, involves introducing specialist skills and knowledge. Also investigating produce process or system development.

Graduate schemes

Many regions have initiatives to place locally based graduates in small-medium sized business to work on specific projects with support from the university.

Making yourself accessible to students with disabilities

– Information from Skill: National Bureau for students with disabilities’

Has your organisation ever considered the benefits of taking on a disabled person for work experience? For example it can raise disability awareness, help you monitor and review your diversity policy and help you learn more about your own resources and what improvements you could be making in the workplace.

For more information see the Skill website or order a copy of the 'Into Work Experience' booklet  from the Skill Bookshop .

Codes of Practice for Disabled Students

Relevant for all students:

• The student must be treated with the same respect as any other employees.
• The student is taught by the HEI to identify and recognise potential learning outcomes, including key skills development and subject related areas.
• Learning objectives are set (by the HEI, employer and student) within an agreed structure or framework i.e. a Learning Agreement or Learning Contract
• Supervision is by an employer supervisor who understands the objectives, benefits and learning outcomes of work experience
• Academic supervision and visits take place at an agreed frequency
• Regular feedback is given
• An appraisal is given during and at the end of the work experience by the employer supervisor
• A project undertaken, and a report is written
• Learning, development and achievements are articulated by the student in written form
• A presentation is given of results, achievements and personal development
• Guidance is provided to integrate this learning into longer term career planning
• An assessment is made of skills development (by HEI, employer and student)
• The student integrates the learning into a career management plan
• Recognition, credit or a certificate is awarded

Plus for disabled students:

• The organisation must adhere to relevant legislation e.g. health and safety. When taking on a student with disabilities you must be aware of the extra laws, which are connected with disabled students. Such laws as the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) introduced by the Special Education Needs and Disability Act 2001.
• The organisation site must be accessible to the employee and have the relevant technology and equipment for the student to be able to do the work they are there to do.

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