University College Birmingham

With many businesses citing a lack of real-world experience as one of their biggest challenges when trying to recruit, work placements offer students a powerful opportunity to get ahead.
They offer a great way to gain valuable hands-on experience in a chosen field, helping you to develop skills and knowledge, learn about different work environments, and to make lasting and meaningful connections with potential employers.

As a result, all of our higher education courses provide the option for students to gain work experience or complete a placement - with some courses having compulsory work placements – and even some of our college students spend between 70 to 350 hours gaining work experience over a year.

What are the benefits of a work placement?
There are numerous benefits for a work placement.

• Gaining practical experience. Work placements give you the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge you have learned in the classroom to a real-world setting. This can be a great way to improve your confidence and competence in your chosen field.
• Learning about different work environments. Work placements give you the chance to experience different types of work environments, such as corporate, non-profit, charity, or government. This can help you to decide what type of work environment you prefer, and what kind of career you want to pursue.
• Making connections with potential employers. Work placements offer an opportunity to network with potential employers and learn more about possible job opportunities. Building a network of contacts can give you a head start in the job market when you graduate, and help you achieve your career goals.
• Developing transferable skills. Work placements can help you to develop vital transferable skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. These skills are essential for success in any career.

• 2 Years PSW is applicable after completing a minimum duration of 9 months course (like- Undergraduate, Postgraduate Level)
• 3 Years PSW is applicable after completing PhD level courses.

English Requirements accepted at the application stage:

IELTS -overall score of 6.5 in reading, listening and speaking and a minimum of 6.0 in writing

Occupational English Test (OET): with a minimum of grade C+ (330-340) in listening, reading and speaking and a C in the writing section (this must be between 250-290)

NMC English Requirements on completion of year two:

To achieve NMC approval and successfully graduate, students must achieve the following.

IELTS score of 7.0 – a minimum of 7.0 in reading, listening and speaking, and a minimum of 6.5 in writing.

Occupational English Test (OET): an OET examination certificate – a minimum of grade C+ in the writing section and grade B in the reading, listening and speaking sections.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council updated this requirement in January 2020.

Combining OET test scores – you can achieve the required mark across two test sittings if:

You sit the tests within six months of each other
You are tested in all four sections at the same time
All grades in both sittings are above grade C+, and you achieve at least a grade C+ in the writing section and at least a grade B in the reading, listening and speaking sections in either of the two test sittings
Further information regarding accepted English language tests can be found here.

Alternatively, if you do not have IELTS, you can take University College Birmingham's Online Proficiency Test – An overall score of C1 – a minimum of C1 in reading, listening and speaking, and a minimum of B2+ in writing