Only with the support of our employers can we better prepare our students to make a successful transition into work, contributing to a motivated, ambitious and capable workforce. At Kirklees College, we are committed to supporting our students to develop their knowledge in the classroom and apply it in the workplace. Gaining valuable experience through a quality placement is key to achieving this.
Placements are tailored to fit around employer needs, they should be beneficial to the business and seen by the student as ‘real work’. Placements range in length, and students are matched to placements relevant to the qualification they are studying and the qualities required for the role. A dedicated Placement Officer is allocated to support employers and students to make the most of the placement opportunity offered.
Work Placements are 30+ hours and give an insight in to working in that industry. Industry Placements offer an elite programme of 315+ hours of extensive qualification relevant experience to selected students.
A Placement Declaration must be completed prior to planning a placement, which your Placement Officer will support you to complete. The declaration confirms that the appropriate health and safety checks are in place and the employer can support the student during their placement.
On completion of the placement, employers are asked to confirm the hours attended and give the student feedback on their overall performance, highlighting any areas for development.
No, there is no requirement to pay students working on a placement as it is a required part of their UK-based further education. The focus of a placement is for students to have an opportunity to experience and develop their skills and confidence working in a real-life environment.
By law employers are responsible for health and safety in the workplace. Any young person on placement is treated as an employee, employers are therefore responsible for providing a safe working environment, appropriate supervision and making sure that the student receives an adequate induction.
Kirklees College will carry out Health and Safety compliance checks as the safety of our learners is paramount.
There is no requirement to undertake an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check on members of staff supervising young people aged 16 or 17 on placement. If a DBS is required for the student to attend a placement, then Kirklees College will arrange.
An existing employer’s liability insurance policy will cover a student on a placement provided the insurer is a member of the Association of British Insurers or Lloyds. If your student will be working for you for more than 10 days, you may need to inform your insurer of the student’s presence.
Students are instructed to inform their placement employer immediately if they are going to be absent, late or need to leave early. You should contact college if a student does not arrive, is late without a satisfactory explanation, or you are in any doubt about a student’s reason for attendance.
Full contact information will be provided when planning a student’s placement.
If you can’t support a placement but still want to get involved, contact us on 0800 781 3020 to discuss other ways you can help our students to become work ready.
Our dedicated Business Development Team work with employers to find apprenticeships, set up work experience and support employers with all their training needs.
