News

December 11, 2009

Work experience awards deadline extended to 2010

Small firms that offer exceptional work experience placements to students now have an extra month to enter the 2009 National Council for Work Experience (NCWE) Awards.

The NCWE awards recognise businesses that offer work placement schemes that help undergraduates develop skills that make them more employable. To make it easier for firms to enter the awards, the deadline has been extended from 11 December to 8 January 2010.

Two of the 11 award categories are aimed specifically at small and medium-sized businesses — one is for firms with fewer than ten employees, and one is for firms with between ten and 250 employees.

Small firms are also eligible to enter the New Placement Schemes category, for businesses that have started their placement scheme within the last two years, and the Best Workplace Placement Diversity Scheme, if they have recruited international students for placements.

NCWE said that it had extended the deadline to give firms more time to apply during the busy Christmas period.

"Those who are passionate about their business and the placement, and those who can demonstrate they have thought a bit about the student's experience and the skills they will gain from it, are more likely to win," said NCWE director, Heather Collier.

"The ones that shine out are the firms that have gone over and above what you'd expect from work experience programme. They might have shown extra care for the student and given them support, or perhaps they've given them training opportunities and assessed how they are doing.

"The winners of the awards get coverage from both the national and the regional press," she added. "It can also be good for their reputation, as taking on students for work experience is a form of corporate social responsibility."

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 23 March 2010.

• For more information and to apply online, visit the NCWE website