o A Year in Employment Placement is suitable for full-time undergraduate students on eligible courses.
o Full-time undergraduates on eligible courses studying on a Tier 4 visa can undertake a Year in Employment Placement, but there are significant additional costs associated due to visa requirements. Please contact the Visa and Immigration Student Advice Service for further information and guidance
o Students must pass their year 2 exams at the first attempt to undertake a Year in Employment Placement.
o Placement roles must provide students with the opportunity to fulfil the learning outcomes. Placements must be 9-12 months of full-time work. Students may apply for roles under 9 months but to pass the assessment an additional placement must be undertaken to complete the minimum 9 months of full-time work.
Students are responsible for securing their own placements, however support from the Careers & Employability Service is available throughout this process. All placements are undertaken after the second year of study (this applies to students on both 3 and 4 year degree programmes). We recommend that you begin considering where you'd like to complete a placement in the summer before your second year as many placement vacancies open in the autumn of your second year.
Year in Employment Placement opportunities are advertised on MyCareer or you can source your own placements elsewhere (see 'Apply here' tab)
If you are considering or searching for a placement, you can contact our Work Experience Advisors for further guidance and support: workexp@southampton.ac.uk
The process for the Year in Employment Placements:
Step 1: Find and secure a suitable placement. Please ensure that placements fulfil the learning outcomes, which can be checked by examining the job description. We cannot approve placements that do not offer the opportunity to fulfil these requirements. Contact the Work Experience Team if you are unsure of a role’s suitability
Step 2: Notify the Work Experience Team of your role, job description and offer letter. You will then be invited to an Induction, where you will be guided through completing a Risk Assessment
Step 3: Once your role is confirmed, the Work Experience Team will notify your Faculty and change your course to include "with a Year in Employment". After this point you will be advised to apply to student finance
Step 4: You begin your placement after your second year semester 2 exams. You must pass these exams at the first attempt to continue with your placement
During your placement, the University will be in regular contact to ensure everything runs smoothly. In order to successfully complete your Year in Employment Placement, you will need to complete the following:
o Return an induction checklist to us within your first 2 weeks – this helps us to ensure you have received the appropriate health & safety training for your role
o Liaise with the Work Experience Team and your placement supervisor to organise your placement visit within the first 3 months
o Six optional blogs, tracking your progress throughout the year in relation to the learning outcomes
o Update us if there are any changes to your placement or personal circumstances
o Submit a reflective report of up to 3500 words, evidencing your fulfilment of the learning outcomes
o Complete our feedback forms upon completion of your placement to help improve the programme for future students.
Before your placement:
o Help finding suitable placements
o Support for making successful applications
o Access to our Drop-in Service
o Year in Employment Placements Support Sessions organised by the Work Experience Team
o A Year in Employment Preparation Session to guide you through completing your risk assessment and assignment
During your placement:
o As an enrolled student you will be able to access all University services remotely or in person if you remain in Southampton
o Ongoing contact and support throughout your placement with the Work Experience Team including two check in calls and a visit
o Additional contact with the University as desired
o Help with your Year in Employment Placement assessment through a Blackboard module
After your placement:
o A reunion event for you to catch up with other students and staff before you return for your next year of studying
o Continued support and access to opportunities through the Careers & Employability Service
Placement opportunities are listed on MyCareer, but you can source your own placements from elsewhere. Some useful sites are:
