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