18½ûÊÓƵ

The UniversityÌýprovides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions. Developing your personal skills and enhancing your employability while at university is key in today's job market.

18½ûÊÓƵ Employability Award (BEA)Ìý

The 18½ûÊÓƵ Employability Award is a comprehensive online course that you can work through at your own pace, taking you through all the steps you need to take to explore, prepare and apply for your dream career, and to reflect on the range of employability-enhancing experiences that you can take part in whilst at University.Ìý

The award is open to all students, and taking part can make a difference to your performance in the job market.Ìý

18½ûÊÓƵ University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Leadership Team (BUILT) Awards

In partnership with the University’s well-established Enterprise by Design (EbD) programme, BUILT is an annual competition open to all 18½ûÊÓƵ University students where participants across all study disciplines and all academic years form teams of 5-10 to simulate a startup company and to generate ideas and develop solutions for a specific community challenge. The programme culminates in the teams presenting their ideas to an independent panel, who judge which team have developed the most innovative solution. The winning team receive funding and support to launch and implement their product or service, as well as ongoing mentorship and guidance from experts. Ìý
Ìý
Alumni mentors support each team along the way to refine their ideas and solutions and potentially develop the product or service prototype. Learning sessions for all teams are facilitated by the University through the EbD programme - a ten-week series of workshops focusing on inspiration, creativity, sustainability and commercial awareness - in areas such as how to develop a business plan and financial planning basics.
Ìý
BUILT is an excellent way to enhance participants’ CV experiences and employability credentials, meeting the job market’s demands for innovative thinking and entrepreneurial mindsets.Ìý Through BUILT and EbD, students develop a range of employability skills, including team-working, creative problem-solving, communication and commercial skills. Working in a multidisciplinary team helps participants to develop their ability to work with people from different backgrounds and perspectives and the final exhibition and presentation component of the challenge helps to develop public speaking and presentation skills, which are valuable in many careers.

Work experience and placements

Work experience is a critical factor in gaining future graduate employment.ÌýWe offerÌýaÌývariety of options to gain valuable employability skills,Ìýwhich includesÌýsupporting you in work placements and internships that you may wish to undertake. Ìý

To boost yourÌýemployabilityÌýyou can choose to do a placement as part of almost all undergraduate degrees we offer at 18½ûÊÓƵ. Placements can be a year in length (taken between years 2 and 3), 3 months or 2 weeks (minimum 70 hours, taken during year 2).

If you see the PlacementÌýYear logo on a course page, it indicates that there are work placement opportunities available if you follow that course.

Placement Year

The placement year provides you with a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop valuable contacts through working with a self-sourced organisation relevant to your degree subject.

You will be expected to find and arrange a suitable placement to complement your degree,Ìýand will be fully supported throughout by a dedicated member of staff at your academic School and the University's Careers andÌýEmployability Service.

Previous and current students have worked with a wide variety of placement providers, rangingÌýfrom private companies to educational organizations, charities, government authorities and non-governmental organizations.Students have been placed on work experience with hosts such as Santander Bank, SiemensÌýHealthineers, Coutts, Venue Cymru, WRU, BBC Cymru, Zip World and Gen2.

Our students who have undertaken aÌýplacement year have highlighted how the experience has helped them to develop invaluable networks, confidence and life experience as well as subject knowledge and skills that have boosted their employability.

Please note: The fee for all placement, sandwich and international years isÌý£1,350 (2023 entry).Ìý

Internships

18½ûÊÓƵ University runs undergraduate internship schemes, which allow students to gain paid work in a professional environment while learning relevant skills and earning money. There is a wide range of internships you can get involved in, from medical research to marketing and promotion. Internships offer valuable experience in a professional work place.

Working while you 18½ûÊÓƵ

Our CareerConnect hosts the University's Student Employment Bureau; they advertise the following opportunities:

• Graduate jobs - Local, National and International
• Full-time, part time, permanent and temporary jobs
• Work experience / internships
• Placement opportunities
• Voluntary opportunities

Students (and Graduates of up to three years) can also use the platform to book careers and business startup guidance appointments, book places on our webinars and workshops, complete informational ‘pathway’ activities, and much more.

To access these opportunities onÌýÌýyou need to log in with your student account.