At CWA, our "Careers, not Courses" approach means preparing for your future career is just as important as gaining your qualification. Work placement gives you the chance to experience the world of work, build confidence and develop skills for your future.
Why is work placement important?
Work placement is an important part of your study programme because it gives you the opportunity to experience the world of work first-hand, put your learning into practice and develop the skills and behaviours employers value.
It can also help you make more informed decisions about your future. Whether you already know what career you'd like to pursue or are still exploring your options, experiencing a real workplace can help you understand different roles, industries and opportunities.
Work placement as part of your course
As part of our full-time study programmes, students are expected to complete a meaningful work placement of at least 60 hours or participate in a work or higher education readiness programme, depending on their course. T Levels have separate industry placement requirements; students are expected to complete at least 315 hours of work placement to acheive their qualification.
What will you gain?
Work placement is about much more than gaining experience for your CV. It's an opportunity to develop personally and professionally, helping you prepare for your next steps.
Confidence and independence
Become more confident by experiencing new environments, people and responsibilities.
Employability skills
Develop communication, teamwork, resilience and problem-solving skills.
Workplace experience
Understand professional expectations, different job roles and how organisations work.
Stronger applications
Gain real examples of your skills and achievements to use in your CV and interviews.
Professional connections
Meet people in your chosen industry and learn from their experiences.
Clearer career choices
Find out what you enjoy, what you're good at and whether a career is right for you.
Remember: discovering that a particular career isn't right for you can be just as valuable as confirming that it is.
Finding and preparing for your placement
We encourage you to take an active role in finding your own work placement. Researching organisations and contacting employers helps build confidence, demonstrate initiative and develop professional communication skills.
What can you do?
- Research organisations in the industry you're interested in.
- Find out what they do and the roles they offer.
- Think about what you'd like to learn from a placement.
- Contact employers professionally and show enthusiasm.
How can we help?
Whilst we encourage students to take responsibility for identifying and securing their own work placement, our Work Placement & Careers Coordinators can provide advice, guidance and support with identifying suitable opportunities, approaching employers and preparing for your placement once you have started your course.
Developing work readiness through Unifrog
At CWA, we use Unifrog to help you develop the skills and confidence needed for the world of work. Through Unifrog, you can explore career opportunities, recognise your strengths and interests, develop employability skills and access resources to support your preparation for work placement.
You can also reflect on your workplace experiences, recognise the skills you've developed and consider how these will help you with your future career.