Work Placements

Work placements are such an important part of study programmes here at Kingston Maurward as they give students an opportunity to develop practical, technical and professional skills.

We encourage students to find their own work placements, and approach employers themselves, rather than getting a parent-guardian to do it for them. We have found that employers are more likely to consider students for work placements if they have contacted them directly. Acedemic staff are on hand to support students who may find this difficult.

Click here for a helpful guide to finding a work placement.

All students are required to keep a log of the tasks and activities completed on placement to track progress and development. Students also need to record placement hours and get these signed off by the employer and course tutor for them to count towards their final work placement hours.

Once a student has found a work placement, they must ask the employer to complete a Work Placement Confirmation Form, this is the first part of the College’s Health & Safety check process. Click here to download a copy.

The employer must also have valid Employers’ Liability insurance before the College can approve the work placement.

All students are required to keep a log of the tasks and activities completed on placement to track their individual progress and development. Employers are also asked to complete a feedback form at the end of the student’s placement, click here to see what the form looks like.

There are two types of work placement here at Kingston Maurward College; Work Experience and Industry Placements.

Work Experience

Work experience is typically between 30 to 150 hours and completed during one academic year. If you are struggling to find somewhere to do your work placement, please ask your course tutor for help. Work experience is a great opportunity to spend time in a real-life working environment, as it gives you a taste of what it might be like to work in that industry,

Activities may involve observing tasks, job shadowing or following instructions to complete important tasks. Make sure you get the most out of work experience by asking questions, being enthusiastic and working hard.

Industry Placements

If you are required to complete an industry placement as part of your course, you will be expected to gain a minimum of 315 hours, with an external employer, in a role directly relevant to your course. Industry placement hours can be gained over 2 academic years and are for some of our level 3 courses: Agriculture, Animal Welfare & Science, Horticulture and Wildlife Ecology & Conservation.

A longer duration ensures that you are given sufficient time to master essential skills and develop your technical abilities to industry standard. They allow you to put into practice the theory and skills you are learning in the classroom. Completing an industry placement will give you a competitive advantage to securing skilled employment in the future.