Unlocking growth for businesses with work placements

Cardiff University and Business Wales have joined forces to showcase how work placements can benefit both businesses and students.

With 1 in 7 Welsh employers reporting skills gaps in 2022, work placements offer a powerful solution to future-proof the workforce and bridge these gaps.

Why work placements matter

Collaborating with universities gives businesses access to a pipeline of talented students eager to apply their knowledge and energy to real-world challenges.

Amanda Bordessa, Young Person Business Advisor from Business Wales is an advocate of work placements having undertaken one herself: “I am a huge advocate for work placements, as I can see the benefits for students and businesses. Businesses can access talented students who are eager and keen to implement their knowledge and skills developed throughout their studies. Businesses can reap the rewards of these talented individuals with the scope to hire them in the future.”

Alex Hicks, Placement Manager at Cardiff Business School, adds: “universities can help Welsh businesses grow, whether through short unpaid placements flexible around a student timetable, postgraduate research projects identifying an opportunity or addressing a challenge within the business, or our popular Professional Placement Year. These programmes are a win-win for students and businesses alike. There’s a wealth of talent right here in Wales ready to be tapped."

A host employer shares their experience: “we have taken placement students for the last 8 years and find them an invaluable addition to our small and specialised team. The students bring a fresh perspective that can help us approach and solve problems in a different way. Our interns are embraced as full members of the team and are involved in both regular work and special projects to give a realistic experience of working in a fast-paced business environment.”

Benefits for business

The numbers speak volumes: 98% of host employers rated their placement students’ work as “excellent” or “very good.”

Here are the top three benefits reported by host employers:

1. Increased capacity: Placement students can take on essential tasks, lightening the load for your current staff and helping your business run more efficiently.
2. New ideas and culture: Students bring new perspectives and innovative ideas to the table, helping to refresh and improve existing processes.
3. Talent spotting: Work placements are an excellent opportunity to identify future employees, with many businesses choosing to hire placement students after their internships.

Get involved

Is your business seeking expertise in marketing, logistics, finance, HR, or more? Or do you have a project perfect for a motivated undergraduate or postgraduate student? Cardiff University’s work placement programmes can help your business thrive.

Join our webinar to discover how you can benefit.

When: Thursday 16 January, 16:00 – 17:30
Where: Online

Don’t miss this opportunity to unlock growth, bring fresh ideas to your team, and access top talent ready to make an impact.

Email CarbsPlacements@cardiff.ac.uk to register.

Find out more about the variety of opportunities open to Welsh businesses.