What is the difference between work placement and work experience

Some internships may take place as part of a UK-based Higher Education course, for less than a year. If you are undertaking an internship as part of a UK-based Higher Education course, an employer is not required to pay you. In a nutshell: internships are great for candidates looking to gain a deeper insight into a specific industry or career. Unlike interns, a worker in the UK is not entitled to the National Minimum Wage if they are working for a charity, voluntary organisation, associated fundraising body or a statutory body, and is receiving limited expenses for food and travel.

You can obtain an insight into a certain charity or organisation, pick up essential skills in communication and organisation, and do your bit for a good cause. And, given that volunteers are not entitled to a wage, volunteers are afforded a greater deal of flexibility, which can be useful for students with busy schedules. In a nutshell: volunteering is a flexible way to gain professional experience and soft skills, especially if you want to pursue a career in charity work.

Ready to start applying? First, learn how to establish your online brand. Newsletter Sign up for our newsletter. Placements and internships are the most extensive work experience schemes available to students. Often, the two programmes get mixed up. So in this short blog, we will breakdown the differences between internships and placements, how they work, and where you can find them. Placements are also known as placement years, a year in industry, an industrial placement and even sandwich placements.

A placement is a year-long programme that takes place in between the penultimate and final year of a degree. Candidates take a year out of their degree, and work for a company as a full-time employee for those 12 months.

Then they return to university to finish their degree. For most students, doing a placement is an optional part of their degree. The majority of students who choose to take a year out of their studies to do a placement do so to gain employability skills and get first-hand experience of a particular job role or sector.

Most universities have a placement tutor to help you arrange your year with an employer. If the work placement is a compulsory part of your course, it's likely that it will be formally assessed or accredited. Assessments vary and might include the completion of specific tasks or projects, writing a report or reflective log, or using the learning from a work placement in another assignment or course activity.

This will help you if you need to call upon your experience later to answer interview questions. Whether you receive a wage during your work placement will depend on the type of placement you undertake and the length of time you work for.

It's unlikely that you'll be paid for short-term work placements and for placements that you have arranged yourself. As 'sandwich placements' last longer and are a requirement of your course, they usually come with a reasonable wage. Always discuss matters of payment with the organisation you'll be working for and be clear where both parties stand before starting your placement.

Small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs can provide students with fantastic practical experience; so don't discount them when it comes to work placements. They're often overlooked, but small businesses are great for allowing you to act on your own initiative and develop your own way of working. What's more, they provide superb opportunities for networking.

If you're a confident, creative and motivated team player, you could quickly become an asset at an SME. Jobs and work experience Search graduate jobs Job profiles Work experience and internships Employer profiles What job would suit me? Job sectors Apprenticeships Working abroad Gap year Self-employment.

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