Employability
Employability is at the core of all our courses. Our degrees have a defined route into work and we increasingly operate a day-one approach to finding our graduates employment. We make sure that everything we teach applies to real life and gives our students the best chance of getting the career they dream of.
We have strong connections with employers across the region and regularly consult with heads of business to ensure that what we are teaching accurately reflects - and is relevant to - the fast-changing world of work. We also welcome industry leaders as guest lecturers. These talks are always fascinating and valuable as they give you a first-hand insight into what it is like to work in your chosen subject area, and what it takes to build a successful career in the field.
One of the most effective ways to develop employment skills and learn how your subject applies to the real world is to spend time in the workplace. Many of our courses allow you the opportunity to gain experience through work placements and internships at leading companies and organisations. It is the ideal chance to put your academic learning and new skills into practice, while at the same time picking up transferable skills and work experience to give you the edge when you apply for jobs after graduation.
Work Placements
Work experience is a broad term encompassing many opportunities including short visits to employers, involvement in live projects, volunteering in roles relevant to your field/career path, internships, longer/regular periods of work experience, and more formal work placements. We can even think of employer engagement in terms of guest speaker talks and lectures too. These are all great ways of ensuring that students can benefit from industry experience and insights within professional surroundings. Crucially, they improve the chances of gaining relevant and meaningful employment at the end of your course.
Our Work Placement Officers (WPOs) support students with connecting them with employers and placement guidance. They are also responsible for Health and Safety assessments of workplaces and provide training on how to log placements using Grofar, the online portal. WPOs also seek out work related live projects and support academic staff to embed employability into all University Studies courses. University Studies at West Suffolk College has a dedicated Work Placement team here to help you as you engage with employers during your course. You can usually find us in the student hub, although we are also external facing and frequently visit employers. You can contact your work placement officers by emailing heworkplacements@wsc.ac.uk. You can also find more information about the current work placements we have available via the student portal on Canvas.
Careers
At University Studies, you have access to a careers advisor who is available to give you guidance on your career options and provide you with access to relevant employment opportunities. We offer, one-to-one sessions in which students can talk about what their career path might look like and discover the best way to achieve their career goals. We also provide guest speakers and workshops from various different industry professionals to give an insight into different sectors.
The Job Shop is a free service exclusive to West Suffolk College and University Studies students, as an additional service provided by the Careers and Connections Team. We work in partnership with local employers to provide you with direct access to employment opportunities in the local area. If you are looking for part-time work alongside your studies or aiming to progress into an apprenticeship, gain work experience to build your skills or find full-time opportunities in your chosen profession upon graduating we are here to help. You can find out more and access Job Shop via the careers page on the student portal on Canvas. Meet our careers advisor: