Gaining experience through placements

When it comes to graduate recruitment, employers aren't just looking for strong academic background. The graduates they employ will also be able to demonstrate relevant experience and transferable skills as well as an awareness of developments in the sector.

Northumbria's strong links with a wide range of organisations, from local to international, ensure that our students graduate with the skills recruiters are looking for. And that's why placements are included many of our degree courses. Whether its a short placement block or a full year in industry, a work placement offers a valuable opportunity to gain an insight into industry and prepare you for the realities of work. More than that, it will give your CV an edge and provide you with your own network of industry contacts.

We weave a work-based approach into many aspects of study to help bring your learning to life. The experiences you gain during the placement will give you new insights and skills that you can take back to your course and apply to final year modules.

Benefits of a Placement

•Relevant experience: The chance to apply knowledge and skills from your course to the world of work.

• Extend your network of contacts: A placement gives you the chance to build a network of industry contacts who may be able to help you take your first step into your chosen career.

• Improving your prospects: Northumbria is ranked Top 10 for graduates in employment only 6 months after graduation (DLHE 2014/15).

• An opportunity to earn money: Most of our year-long placements are salaried.

• Increased starting salary: Graduates from sandwich degree programmes earned an average £4,275* more than those from other full time programmes.

• A higher degree result: 95%* of sandwich degree graduates achieved a first or 2:1, compared to 74% of other full time students.

• A confidence boost: A placement will help you gain a better understanding of the sector you want to go into. You’ll quickly learn to solve industry-related problems, make decisions and meet deadlines. It's a big culture change, but you’ll gain from it.

What we offer

Northumbria‘s experienced team are here to offer support at every stage of the placement process.

• Employer-led presentations and recruitment events

• A two-day annual Placements and Careers Fair where hundreds of employers visit Northumbria to promote their placement and graduate schemes

• Access to local, national and international University-promoted placements

• A dedicated Placements Team that can help match you with the right opportunities

• Advice on the application and interview process

• Advice and support during the placement

• Access to university facilities, whether you’re on or off campus , for the duration of the placement

• Students on year-long placements will be supported by a dedicated academic placement tutor

• Feedback on placement assessment

• The opportunity to apply and develop placement findings to classroom based modules and case studies

What employers say

Elliott Group Ltd

"Placements really work for us and the students – we both get a ‘test drive’. We believe we provide students with the sort of experience they require and they certainly add enthusiasm and vitality to our team – everyone wins." - David Pearson, Managing Partner, Elliott Associates

Greggs

"We have four brilliant young people working for us who are a credit to themselves and Northumbria University. Thank you for providing them with such an excellent degree course which our business has reaped, and will continue to reap, the benefit of." - Kevin Haynes, Head of Learning and Development, Greggs

Prozomix Ltd

"The internships enabled us to do some development work that would otherwise not have taken place. Our interns were enthusiastic, always suggested new ideas, and enabled the production area to run more smoothly, due to the extra pairs of hands. They were clever, conscientious and very hardworking." - Dr Simon Charnock, Managing Director, Prozomix Ltd