Person Specification

Students under 16 can apply for a weeks placement in the summer, or a non-clinical placement can be arranged for this age group. People 16+ can apply for a clinical observational placement for 1-5 days. There are over 350 different job roles within the NHS and work experience offers an opportunity to have an insight into those roles.

Work Experience Details

Work experience is available to anyone over the age of 14 as work shadowing or classroom based sessions who would like to get first hand experience of working in the sector. Work shadowing placements are observational placements only. 

Who is this for?

Anyone who wants to train in a speciality role but wants to see what a working day would look like. It may be that you are undecided about the exact role you would like to do so want to observe 2 or 3 different specialities. You may be thinking of applying to college or university or maybe are contemplating a change in career. 

What is available?

If you are under 16, we can’t offer you a clinical placement, but we can offer a classroom-based work experience week. This will involve people with different roles coming in to talk to you about their job and answer any questions you may have. For example, we will invite roles such as a junior doctor, a midwife, a pharmacist, a paramedic etc. You will also experience a half day in the skills lab with a student nurse university lecturer who will offer you the chance to complete scenario based practical training in a ward type setting, as well as a couple of tours of areas in the hospital. 

Over 16’s can apply for 1 to 3 days observational shadowing of a member of staff in the role of your choice e.g. a doctor or physiotherapist. 

For some roles where it is difficult to arrange an observational placement, we may offer a day’s classroom training in the speciality of your choosing e.g. midwifery or paramedic.

Where are the placements?

Any acute or community hospital.

How often do the programmes run?

Placements are individually organised so can be at any time. 

Year 10 work experience weeks generally run from May to July. 

How do I apply? 

To apply you must go onto the ‘Get into Health and Careers’ website and complete the Work Experience application form. (The website is attached at the top of this post).

The placements may take some time to organise so please apply in plenty of time if you need it to apply for university or any other course.