Among the winners were Microsoft, who were named ‘best placement & internship employer’, Barclays Capital for their diversity and research in motion, who scooped the prize for ‘best new provider of work experience’. Aston university and Brunel university were also recognised for the outstanding opportunities and commitment shown to their students, while £2,000 in prize money was shared between the UCL economics & finance society and a student from Aston university for his outstanding achievements whilst on placement.“We are delighted to have won the award for ‘best new provider of work experience’ as RateMyPlacement are such a well recognised and established provider in the UK’s placement industry. We are confident that being recognised in this way will help us grow our program further in the coming years and attract top talent to our business.”
Research in motion, EMEA campus recruitmentWork placements and internships have never been more important than in the current graduate job market, which has the highest level of graduate unemployment for over a decade. There is an increasing need for students to graduate from university with skills and experiences that make them employable. The national placement & internship awards are a timely occasion to reward not only the leading providers of work experience, but also those universities that offer the best support to their students and to the students themselves.

RateMyPlacement.co.uk co-founder, Ali Lindsay, explains:

“Desire among students for work experience has never been greater and our awards have showcased the outstanding work that goes on within organisations, universities and by students involved in placements and internships. With the current explosion in student work placements, driven by the need to gain relevant skills and increase employability, it’s essential that there are ways for students to find out which schemes are worth applying for and the awards and the RateMyPlacement website are the first place to start.”

For more information, visit www.RateMyPlacement.co.uk/awards