Other Work placements and Job Training schemes

Whether you’ve just graduated from university and are taking your first tentative steps into the job market, are an experienced career professional looking for a new challenge, have recently finished training and are looking to take the next step toward a long and rewarding career, or are going along an entirely different job search path altogether…seeking out the various work placement and job training schemes that can help you do this so you can achieve your career goals is a very sensible and worthwhile thing to do indeed

We’ve already looked at other types of schemes such as internships, returnships, and help into schemes in previous sections, that’s why here we will focus on the other types of work placement schemes not mentioned in those sections. Remember that being accepted into any one of these will give you a huge advantage over the competition when you go for your next interview – that’s because no matter the scheme in question, the one thing they all have in common is that they each provide a great way to get the experience you need, increasing your eligibility and boosting you’re chances of landing the role long before you’ve even stepped into the interview room

For those who are lucky enough to be eligible for them, these types of schemes can be invaluable when it comes to enhancing your future job prospects, helping you get your foot in the door and giving you a huge boost when it comes to getting to where you want to go in your career. After reading through this list, you’ll find that most of the other work placement and job training schemes tend to be aimed at those in higher or further education. If you are not in a college or university, there is still help out there, although it is less common, and tends to be limited to first time job seekers and those who have been out of work for some time. You may find it more useful to read the Help Into Work section here, https://interview-professional.com/help-into-work/. to see if there is a scheme closeby that is right for you

Next, let’s look at the rest of the most common types of work placement and job training schemes found throughout the mainstream economies of today

Externships

Externships are available to students attending college or university

Although similar in concept to an internship, externships have a great deal of focus on training as opposed to the more hands-on approach an internship takes. While the experience is different, it is still very similar in terms of the advantages it provides to your C.V, and the opportunity it affords you to learn so you can find out whether or not a particular vocation or industry is right for you

Externships are offered throughout a wide range of different industries and vocations. They are more training orientated, and focus on learning that involves a one-on-one shadowing experience with someone from the organisation in question. This enables those who participate in externships not only to consolidate their existing learning, but to pick up new skills and expertise from those they are shadowing too

Just like the range of vocations and industries themselves, the types of shadowing involved will vary drastically depending on the externship in question. For instance, an extern shadowing someone from the hospitality industry will observe a vastly different range of duties than someone externing a professional in a science related field

In any externship you may expect to perform duties that include the following:

Observing your mentor as they perform their everyday duties

Assisting your mentor as they perform certain duties

Sitting in on team meetings

Learning about the company’s history, its current products, and services

Externships are unpaid, and can last anywhere from a few days to a few months. The upshot of an externship is that aside from the experience they provide and the huge boost listing one on your C.V can bring, you can oftentimes get college or university credit for completing them too. On top of this, like most other types of work placement schemes, they can also lead to great employment opportunities upon their successful completion as well…

Cooperative education (Co-op Programs)

Cooperative education programs are another type of scheme available for those attending university

Employers normally prefer graduates who have work experience, that’s why for certain types of roles, co-op arrangements work very well indeed. A coop is an arrangement where a person alternates actual employment with higher education. As such, their degree path involves aspects of both study and paid work, requiring the participant to alternate their time between the two accordingly. The result of this means that a degree that would normally take 4 years to complete may take 5 years instead

Co-op programs offer advantages both for employees and employers alike

For employers, they provide the opportunity to establish long term relationships with promising candidates, developing them for important roles within their organisations from the entry level upwards. For students, co-ops provide an amazing opportunity to establish a strong background with a solid employer and add valuable work experience to their C.V’s, all while earning a wage and working towards an invaluable degree qualification they will be able to use throughout the course of their careers. There are various types of co-op schemes available, and these may involve either full or part-time employment, depending on the type of co-op scheme in question

When all is said and done, Co-ops are a great way to build lasting relationships with employers, enabling you to both gain invaluable experience and an essential qualification in the form of a degree that you can use throughout the course of your professional career – on top of being able to earn a working wage while you do it

Co-op placements are sourced through universities and colleges directly

The companies and organisations that participate in these schemes include businesses, governmental institutions, and non-profit organisations. While you may find variances in the types of co-op schemes you encounter based on the college or university in question – the great thing about them is that they are all directly vetted by the institution you are enrolled with, and that means you can be sure you are signing up with a good and reliable employer. If you are interested in signing up to a co-op scheme, you should make enquiries prior to course enrolment to see if there are places available for you

Work Placements

Work placements are another type of scheme also commonly available for university students

Work placements offer students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience ahead of entering the workplace. The work placements themselves are usually available between the penultimate and last years of a degree, (sometimes referred to as a ‘year in industry’ or ‘placement year’). This is because the placements themselves are usually quite long – lasting anywhere from several months up to a full year

During a work placement, a student will apply what they have learned over the course of their degree, working in a full-time role with a company in the industry they are gaining their qualification in. This gives graduates a huge advantage once they enter the workplace – and significantly bolsters the strength of their C.V’s when applying for jobs

Like any of the other schemes we’ve covered here, work placements can be found throughout a wide variety of different industries. What sets them apart is that (in certain courses), work placements can either be taken as an optional or compulsory part of that qualification. Where they are required as a compulsory component, credit is normally always given toward the degree, which is doubly advantageous, because on top of the experience and boost it gives to your C.V, it also helps you progress quicker toward the end of your qualification too

Optional work placements can also be arranged by students in some cases too. Depending on the institution and the nature of the degree in question, where a student wants to arrange an optional work placement, they will often receive credit upon the completion of it. While mandatory work placements can last upwards of a year and need to be completed before graduation, optional work placements are usually completed over a much shorter period, normally anywhere from a number of weeks to a few months at most. Those who participate in optional work placements are also not obligated to complete them in order to complete their degrees in the same way that those who undertake mandatory work placements are, (although it is of course always very helpful to their career prospects if they do!)

Graduate Schemes

As the name suggests, graduate schemes are for students who have successfully completed their university degree

Graduate schemes are most commonly used by employers who want to develop talent for future leadership roles within their organisations

Those accepted into graduate schemes normally start off from entry level positions. This is because the whole purpose of a graduate scheme is to acclimatize the candidate with all aspects of life in the company, starting at its lowest levels. Candidates enrolled in a graduate scheme are regarded as working in a formal job, and during their time there they will be paid a working wage. Employers are looking for the candidates enrolled in such schemes to learn the company from the ground up. When the graduate scheme is over, in the vast number of cases, the majority of these candidates will be offered formal roles within the company

In this way, graduate schemes are likened to the probationary period people go through when they first start employment. This is the reason those enrolled in graduate schemes will often work in various departments and perform various duties during their time there, as it allows them to get a feel for each department and how it works. In this way, graduate schemes are designed to provide a strong foundation for candidates and groom them for future leadership at the higher levels within an organisation

A graduate scheme provides no guarantee of permanent employment upon its completion. Remember that you may not be offered a job once the scheme ends if you haven’t impressed enough, or if circumstances within the company change during that time and downsizing occurs

Graduate schemes are a long-term investment by an employer looking to develop future talent for higher level leadership roles within their organisation. Such schemes can last anywhere from 2 months to a couple of years. In a graduate scheme, a candidate can expect to learn industry specific skills and even add additional qualifications that they can use throughout the course of their career

While most graduate schemes are geared towards those recently out of university, and many employers will specify set times after graduating for eligibility into them (0 months – 2 years after graduating, etc) other schemes will be open to anyone with the relevant degree

Graduate schemes can be found throughout numerous different industries and professions, encompassing each of the private, public, and non-profit sectors accordingly

Even if you graduate, you need to have strong grades to get into a graduate scheme. Employers will normally look for a first-class honours (70% percentile or above) or upper second class honours (2:1) (60-70% percentile), with similarly corresponding percentile scores based on the country in question.
(Although depending on the employer occasionally lower scores will be accepted too)

Applying for graduate schemes
It is advised you do this in the summer before your final year of study as those who do so are normally the most successful when it comes to getting accepted into them

Apprenticeships and Traineeships

An apprenticeship is a form of paid training that enables candidates to learn valuable workplace skills and experience while earning an actual wage

Apprenticeships (those that are UK based) require that at least 20% of a candidate’s working hours are spent in a learning environment such as a college, university, or other type of training environment. This ensures that those who participate in any apprenticeship gain valuable skills and certifications relevant to the industry or vocation they are training for

Apprenticeships are vocational work-based training programs that combine training with actual paid work. While the pay for apprentices is often low, many times, successful completion of an apprenticeship can lead to permanent employment with the company you are apprenticing for. An apprenticeship can last anywhere from 3 months to 2 years, and apprentices are entitled to a paid holiday with leave during their time in the apprenticeship too!

While many apprenticeships are available for those with no prior experience, some may require prior qualifications or specific school grades

All in all, apprenticeships are a great way for those while little or no skills to get both the training and experience they need to enter the workplace. Allowing them to add something truly invaluable to their CV’s, all while enabling them to build a meaningful relationship with an employer that can oftentimes lead to a permanent offer of employment after the apprenticeship has finished

Traineeships are very similar to Apprenticeships

Traineeships are useful for people who may be looking for apprenticeships but have yet to find the right one, or are ineligible for the specific types of apprenticeships they want

Traineeships differ from apprenticeships in that while they consist of a work placement component and a learning based component in much the same way that an apprenticeship does, unlike an apprenticeship, the work placement component is unpaid. Traineeships are usually shorter too, lasting anywhere from 3 months to a year

Traineeships and apprenticeships are normally available for people aged between 16 and 24. Both types of schemes are used as a way to prepare those with limited skills and experience so they can enter the workplace. Such schemes not only include a work placement and training, but can also include other things like C.V and application support, and an exit interview upon successful completion of the program that gives a candidate feedback on their performance during their time in the placement itself

Expenses and Incentives

If you receive benefits these will usually be paid during a traineeship, while those participating in apprenticeships may be eligible for certain types of government assistance too, depending on their circumstances and income

During these types of schemes some employers may also provide additional help with expenses like travel costs, (as well as with other related costs that may be incurred as a result of participating in the scheme – such as lunches etc), although this will be at the discretion of employer in question

When it comes to apprenticeships and traineeships there can be additional benefits for employers too. That’s because employers can sometimes claim what are known as employer incentives for taking on a new trainee or apprentice – this can be as much as £1000 per person

Work placements and job training schemes hold many benefits for both candidates and employers alike

Just like other schemes we’ve covered in previous sections, the types of schemes listed here give employers a great way to source new hires, providing them with a reliable means of bringing new and promising talent into their organisations

International Students

The good news is that international students can also participate in most of the schemes outlined here as well such as externships, cooperative education (Co-op Programs), work placements, and graduate schemes

Remember that you will need to convince an employer of the strong desire you have to work in that profession in order to be offered a place in these types of schemes in the first place. However, for those who have the tenacity and persistence to pursue them, they are a great way to get a headstart as you begin your way along your career, giving you the skills and experience you need, and providing you with the opportunity to network alongside other experienced professionals within your chosen vocation

Interview experts advise that participating in such schemes gives you a huge advantage over others when it comes to interviewing for and landing the roles you want – it’s a proven fact that those who participate in these schemes have significantly higher employment success rates over those who don’t. In the surveys that have been performed, (depending on the scheme in question), success rates have been found to be as much as 40% higher when compared against those who have not had the opportunity enough to participate in the types of schemes outlined here

These schemes can be hugely beneficial when starting out on your career, as such, there can be intense competition for them. That’s also why, just like the other schemes we’ve covered in previous sections, there are things you can do that can be really beneficial when applying to get into them

Some of the main things are outlined below:

Remember that for those who are lucky enough to be accepted into them, the types of schemes listed above can be invaluable when it comes to enhancing your job prospects, helping you get your foot in the door and giving you a huge boost when it comes to getting to where you want to go in your career