Work Based Learning for Students

The graduate jobs market is competitive with more graduates entering the job market each year. This module is designed to boost your employability by giving you firsthand experience in a professional setting. A work placement helps you develop key skills and competencies that employers look for, enhance your CV, and explore potential career paths—giving you a real advantage when applying for graduate roles.

Previous placement providers have included: Cheshire Constabulary, Cuan Wildlife Rescue, Chester Zoo, National Museums Liverpool, StoryHouse, The Countess of Chester Hospital, Waterco, British Heart Foundation (Chester), Make It Happen Birkenhead, Community Windpower Ltd, PREMCO, Lyme Park National Trust, Cheshire Fire and Rescue and many more! You can self-source opportunities or apply for partnership placements through the University’s Work Placement Team based within the Careers and Employability service. 

Work Placements are scheduled for a minimum of 140 hours during the second year of study for your undergraduate degrees and can be undertaken full time or part-time, over a 10-week period. By undertaking the Work Placement module, you will undertake a university-level project and develop a portfolio of reflective learning resources, exploring your own personal and professional development, skill identification and articulation to enable you to compete in the future graduate job market. You should be able to develop your knowledge, skills and professional behaviours, while also meeting the workforce development needs of the employer.

My work placement has helped me decide what I would like to do with my career after I finish university.  I have had the opportunity to develop skills I learnt through my two years at Chester University and gain insight into working life.

- Lois Body, Geography and Natural Hazard Management: Community Windpower Ltd, Danger Point, Tomorrow’s Women Wirral, Chester Fair Trade

You will be equipped with subject-specific knowledge from your programme of and will be able to apply this in real-world settings, whether that is through undertaking a specific project or being involved in the day-to-day operations of a workplace. Work Placements do not have to specifically relate to your current programme of study, but you will need to meet the 140 hours minimum which can be undertaken full time or flexibly part-time over a 10-week period. 

You will attend a university-based induction programme designed to prepare you for your placement and any associated assessments/assignments. This helps you to increase your awareness of the skills and aptitudes that employers are looking for in potential employees.

You will be encouraged to work in conjunction with your Work Placement provider, in advance of your placement, to outline the structure and objectives for your placement, ensuring that it’s deemed to be university-level and that it’s mutually beneficial to both parties. This in turn will help to lay the foundations for any reflections on your achievements and skills development, during your placement, required for your assessments/assignments.

Your assessment/assignment will be designed to encourage reflection and critical thinking around your experiences, your employability and the next steps you need to take towards a career in the sector you aspire to work in.

You will be supported by our dedicated Work Placement and Employability Officers as well as Academic Placement Tutors prior, during and after your placement to optimise your learning. All placements are approved by the University of Chester, and the Work Placement Team check that insurances, health and safety considerations and risk assessments are in place.  

My placement has been a huge confidence boost in my own abilities and has helped me navigate the process of furthering my learning and future career”.

- BSc Forensic Biology placement student, Eleanor

The Work Placement module enables you to:

• Develop your skills and knowledge: by undertaking a Work Placement you can develop skills and knowledge valued by employers to add to your CV. These may include specialist and transferable skills to enhance your future employability.
• Boost innovation: offer your fresh perspectives and bring new ideas and approaches to projects, stimulating creativity and innovation within the organisation you are undertaking your placement in.
• Network: build relationships and connections with industry professionals, which may open doors to future employment opportunities and collaborations. Some placements may lead to part-time or full-time roles in the future.
• Gain project experience: you can gain exposure to specific projects, applying theoretical knowledge to real-life situations, in an industry sector/organisation of interest to you.
• Gain career insights and exploration: by undertaking a Work Placement, you can gain exposure to different industries and roles, which may help you to decide on your future career path.

Fully explore placement options as some placements may not seem relevant but you will learn that they can still be applied to your future”.

- Charlotte Wright, Forensic Psychology: Make It Happen Birkenhead