Work & Industry placements for students

Click below to discover how a Runshaw student can help your business.

Our employer partners are essential in making sure our curriculum offer gets our students #futureready for their next steps. We meet regularly with our partner employers through our Employer Partnership boards. In addition, many of our partner employers offer our students the chance to see what real work is really like, essential in helping students gain vital knowledge and employability skills that can only be obtained from working in a real-life working environment. Depending upon a student’s course, they will participate in a Work or Industry Placement.

Click the links below to find out more and get in touch today.

Contact the Employer Relationships Team below or find us on social media.

01772 642014

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What is an Industry Placement?

Industry Placements are for a minimum of 45 days, hosting students on a relevant course who will have the time, technical skills and knowledge to add value to your business, by supporting with long term tasks or projects and taking a more active role.

Immediate benefits

Extra resources for your projects and day-to-day operations, from students gaining knowledge and skills in a course relevant to your business and industry.

Gives your employees the opportunity to develop management skills through student mentoring.

Brings fresh ideas, talent and a new perspective into your business.

Corporate Social Responsibility impact: share with stakeholders how your business has supported local young people into Industry Placements.

Long-term benefits

Inspire the next generation to work in your industry.

Address current and future skills shortages in your industry.

Strengthen your recruiting pipeline and increase diversity.

What do I need to do?

Provide a 45-day minimum Industry Placement for a student on a relevant course.

Ensure there is a safe work environment and opportunities for the student to develop their technical skills within your industry.

Provide a mentor for the student.

Complete a workplace induction and set a work plan for the student, this should include details of tasks/activities that a student will be undertaking during their time with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to pay the student?

It is your choice. You can decide whether or not to pay the learner, and how much.

How are industry placements different to work experience?

Work experience usually involves a student observing for one or two weeks, who may not have studied a relevant course.

Industry Placements are for a minimum of 45 days, hosting students on a relevant course who will have the time, technical skills and knowledge to add value to your business.

Will there be lots of paperwork?

No. Templates will be provided for all legal, health and safety, insurance and other documents, and will be pre-populated where possible to minimise your workload.

How can I balance this with core business activities?

Students will be assessed to ensure they are of a suitable standard before coming to you on an Industry Placement.

We recommend you agree their goals and responsibilities for the placement at the start and monitor their progress towards these.

We are confident that given the opportunity, they will add value to your business!

Colleagues will be on hand to support if challenges arise, to ensure both parties get the greatest value from the placement.

What support will I receive?

The college will support you to set up the placement, from dealing with administration to helping you find the right student.

Once a placement begins, the college will continue to provide support to both the learner and line manager, where necessary, and will seek to learn and improve the process over the course of the placement.

How can I make sure I get suitable students?

All learners will be joining you from a course relevant to your industry and we will work together to find the best student for your organisation.

If you would like to, you can hold a CV screening and/or interview process.

What is a Work Placement?

Your opportunity to engage, inspire and inform young people about what working life is really like.

Work placements provide students with an opportunity to gain relevant experience working with a company, in a particular area of work, while developing the practical skills needed to carry out the job.

Depending upon a student’s course, placements can be two weeks, one week or a single day per week over a specific period of time.

Could you offer a valuable work experience opportunity to our students?

Benefits for employers

By helping young people to gain work experience,
your business can reap real benefits, such as:

Additional resources at no extra cost	Accessing a pool of hidden talent – bringing new ideas, talent and perspective	Mentoring/ supervisory opportunities for current employees
Providing young people with the opportunity to strengthen their CVs, gain transferable skills and improve their confidence and professional behaviour

Our Employer Partners

Meet the Team