Offer a placement or work-based learning opportunity

Working in partnership with employers to provide our students with a unique education which is connected to the external requirements of the labour market is a fundamental function of what we offer at Leeds Beckett.

As such we are always on the lookout for quality employers to provide placements or work-based learning opportunities for our students.

Work-based learning can be anything from insight days, to employer led consultancy projects, to short term employment, internships, vacation schemes or a traditional ‘work placement’ opportunity. The purpose of any of these activities is to ensure that our students gain an insight into the realities of working practice and the opportunities available to them, whilst offering our employer partners a flexible model to explore the talent we have.

Our courses have a range of placements and work-based learning opportunities embedded within their curriculum, whilst our Beckett Careers team provide opportunities for employers to engage with students across all of our disciplines.

In some areas, such as health, social care and education, placements are a statutory part of training to become a professional. In other courses, placements may be of a year’s duration, or shorter work-based learning elements, offering the flexibility to adapt to our employers’ capacity. 

  1. What are the benefits?

    • A placement student can bring fresh ideas and new approaches to your workplace
    • Our students are developed to be work-ready graduates, informed by the latest insights, and can make an immediate contribution to your business
    • A placement or work experience can be a cost effective way of managing a project or filling a resource gap
    • A work placement has been proven to be an extremely cost effective way of managing a project or filling a resource gap
    • Smart employers know this is a great way to ‘try before buy’ and select the very best students to work with their company on a long term basis
  2. What's involved?

    A student on placement receives the support of the university and works for an employer, delivering an agreed programme of work. During year-long placements, the student is effectively an employee of the organisation, doing a regular job alongside colleagues. Employers know this is a great way to ‘try before buy’ and select the very best students to work with their company on a long-term basis. The student has the chance to develop their existing skills and learn valuable new ones.

    On shorter placements, students often work to a project brief (which we call learning outcomes). This is often specified by the employer, to be a project that makes a difference to the organisation and gives our students the opportunity to do graduate level work.

    Broader ‘light touch’ work-based learning opportunities such as insight days or consultancy projects/ challenges, can also be delivered alongside students' studies, providing them with the opportunity to apply their academic skills within a real-life work environment.  

Want to explore a placement / work-based learning with our students?

If you would like to explore the options we have and the value that a fresh injection of skills and ideas can bring your organisation, we have a wide range of options available to you and would be delighted to talk to you about your requirements.

For placements in the following areas, please telephone 0113 812 7510 or email cityplacements@leedsbeckett.ac.uk:

  • Accounting
  • Architectural Technology
  • Art and Design 
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Civil Engineering 
  • Economics
  • Fashion and Fashion Marketing 
  • Film
  • Finance
  • Geography
  • Graphics
  • Humanities
  • Journalism
  • Law 
  • Management 
  • Marketing and PR
  • Social Sciences
  • Surveying

For placements in the following areas, please telephone 0113 812 6718 or email headingleyplacements@leedsbeckett.ac.uk:

  • Computing, Creative Technologies and Engineering
  • Events, Tourism and Hospitality
  • Music Technology and Entertainment
  • Sports

If you would like to discuss a placement opportunity that is suitable for a number of areas, please contact us via either of the numbers or email addresses shown above and we would be happy to help.

Education Placements

For placements in the following areas please telephone 0113 812 1761 or email carnegie.partnerships@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

  • Education and Childhood
  • Teacher Training

Health and Social Care Practice Learning

The Health and Social Care Practice Learning Team (HSCPLT) advises students and practice partners on placements and professional practice requirements and assessment. Please follow the link to the HSCPLT page for further details of your professional area support.

For placements in the following areas, please telephone 0113 812 5649 or email healthplacements@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.

  • Clinical Nutrition
  • Counselling
  • Dietetics
  • Nursing - Pre and Post Registration
  • Nutrition
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Playwork
  • Social Work
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Sport and Exercise Therapy
  • Youth and Community

For any Professional Practice Requirements questions or issues, please telephone 0113 812 5649 or email hssfitforpractice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.