Frequently Asked Questions for Employers

Click questions for answers.

Why do I need a placement undergraduate?

They are extremely good value. You will save well over 50% of your wage bill

We provide intelligent, enthusiastic, keen and hard working personnel

Our students can assist with management, administration and many other significant or routine job functions

Placement UK can fill entire job functions on a permanent or temporary basis

We minimise your training input - they train one another

We can help you to develop export markets with our students' language skills

Projects for which no-one else has time are perfect for placement undergraduates

Our students can research new markets and business opportunities

They will add an international flavour to your business

Its so flexible and convenient: no 'red tape' allows you to up- or down-size easily

How can I use a student in a permanent role?

Using our simple 'Rolling Programme' we can supply students to fill roles for as long as you require. Placement students have traditionally been used for temporary work or projects because a placement is typically around 6 months in duration . However, we have devised and developed a simple system that means they can be used for permanent positions. This is called our "Rolling Program". We recruit a second student for you to take over from the first with an overlap. This overlap allows for the 1st student to train the 2nd, and so on, providing continuity for as long as you require. It represents a very flexible employment resource. It also means that you could have, for example, a permanent graduate calibre office manager for as little as £600 per month.

Why do they want to work for you?

They MUST carry out a placement in order to obtain their qualifications

They want quality relevant business experience

They want to exercise and develop their language skills

They want to experience UK culture and methods

Is my company suitable?

Almost certainly YES. Some undergraduates want to work in small local business, others in large international corporations. Some will prefer services, whilst others may like engineering, or manufacturing, and so on. There are so many undergraduates looking for placements (approximately 200,000 every year) that we are confident we can find ones interested in working for you - whatever your business. All you need to do is provide a reasonable environment, and ask them to carry out tasks that are suited to their course, intellect and experience (and that are legal and decent!).

If you are looking for slaves or cheap sweatshop labour, we're sorry - we can't help you!

Placement UK has clients from many business sectors including:

Advertising

Call centres

Charities

Design Technology

E-commerce

Financial services

Furniture

Glass manufacture

Human Resources

Information Technology

Logistics

Management services

Marketing

Public Relations

Telecommunications

Tourism

Training

Waste management

etc. etc.

Placement UK staff fill a variety of posts including:

Administrator

Charity Fundraiser

Clerical Officer

Commercial Administrator

Computer Network Support

Database Developer

Export Sales Assistant

HR Officer

Marketing Assistant

Office Manager

Personal Assistant

Public Relations Executive

Purchasing Assistant

Quality Systems Administrator

Research Assistant

Sales Advisor

Sales Administrator

Trainer

Transport Assistant

Website Designer

etc. etc.

These lists are growing constantly, so whatever your industry or job vacancy, please contact us. We welcome all new opportunities.

What service does Placement UK provide?

We have many years of experience in dealing with placement undergraduates

We have established relationships with all the best universities and top private business schools throughout the UK & Europe

We personally interview and vet candidates prior to submitting their applications to you - saving you lots of time

We can ensure you have a seamless, year-round, and perpetual supply of students that are right for you, and that even train each other, so you don't have to train them

We fully understand the student's requirements, and can guide you

We will sort out all the administration and paperwork

We can advise you in all aspects of training, motivating and managing them

We will charge you just a tiny fraction of the cost of employing someone to do it in-house

In short, we have the experience and expertise to manage the whole recruitment process in the most professional, co-ordinated, and cost-effective way.

How does it work?

We find out the sort of work you need doing, and the essential facts about your company

We select the most suitable universities and private business schools to recruit from

We promote your opportunity to undergraduates (via our web site and email), and then select for you a choice of students who: A) have specifically applied, so are interested in working for you; and B) fit your requirements

We personally interview all candidates by telephone

We let YOU interview and choose the candidate that you want

We sort out all the paperwork and administration

We ensure the student knows where to go and who to contact at your company

We take care of everything in order to make life as simple as possible for you

We arrange for the recruitment of a replacement student to carry on the work of his predecessor if required

We can therefore ensure a perpetual supply of students who can train each other

What does it cost?

The training allowance is actually up to you. We recommend that you pay sufficient to allow the undergraduate to recover the cost of accommodation, subsistence and travel to and from work.

Typical training allowances are around £495 to £700. It depends on your requirements, the role, your location, and your generosity!

A placement fee is payable to Placement UK. This is spread over the term of the placement. The fee is £165 per month of the placement. There is an initial commitment deposit, which is refundable if we fail to find suitable candidates.

In all, one of our undergraduates costs just a fraction of the national average salary.

What do I pay the student?

You only have to pay a training allowance to the student, which covers their basic accommodation and living costs. This is up to you, but is typically around £495 to £700 per month.

Normally there are no NI, PAYE, or minimum wage considerations: Students of British Universities and EU students, students under the Leonardo Da Vinci scheme, and students on the Youth Inaction Programme, are outside the UK National minimum wage.

What if the student relationship isn't working?

You can simply terminate a placement at any time, without notice or penalty, and send them home. We will recruit a replacement for you.

Obviously we cannot guarantee that you will get on perfectly with your students! This is the same risk that you run with any other new member of staff. However, we are in the business of satisfying and retaining customers, so we will always take a 'goodwill' view wherever possible. Please be assured that over many years and with hundreds of students placed, problems are surprisingly seldom.

What are the timescales?

From your first instructions we could have an undergraduate with you in as little as 2-3 weeks, although 1-2 months is more common. Alternatively, we can time events to fit in with your requirements. The more notice we have the better for you, and for us.

I'm not receiving emails from you. What might be happening?

Make sure that our emails end up in your inbox and not in your bulk or junk folders by adding admin@placement-uk.com to your email address book or trusted-sender list.

What do I do next?

To specify the student that suits your exact requirements simply use our on-line enquiry form.

If you have any further questions, would like to discuss matters further, or would like to arrange a meeting, please contact us.

Placement UK: Student Internships and European Student Placement Opportunities

InterGrad - International Graduate Recruitment