The GoUK.com Guide to visa and work information in the UK

Work Experience

A Work Experience placement arranged by a language school will normally consist of an English Language course followed by 4- 8 weeks' working in a company. This work will normally be unpaid. Students are normally awarded a Work Experience Certificate and a letter of recommendation from the company.

All kinds of Work Experience placements are possible - marketing and advertising, hotel work, banking, international trade, retail, information technology, etc. Schools will assess the students’ interests and qualifications and try to match them to suitable Work Experience placements. Students will be given a certain level of responsibility within the company depending on their level of English, education background and prior work experience. Some schools can only arrange Work Experience placements for European students.

The aim of Work Experience placements is for students to gain training and experience in an English work environment and to practice their language skills in the real world. The work may consist of challenging projects to routine tasks. Students should not have unrealistic expectations. Students are there to gain experience of working in an English environment. From the companies’ point of view, they are often taking on an inexperienced person with linguistic limitations for a relatively short period of time.

Schools usually charge a fee for placing the student on a Work Experience placement. The Work Experience placement fee is normally about £300 and it takes the school at least 4 weeks to arrange the placement.