Careerwise is a ground breaking placement scheme exclusively for women studying STEM subjects at Scottish Universities and Colleges.
Our paid placements last between 8 – 12 weeks and 6 months and generally take place between June and August each year.
Careerwise provides high quality paid placements that develop both the technical and soft skills desired by recruiting employers such as self-management, organisational and communication skills.
Careerwise works with industry and academia to encourage them to take positive action to increase the participation of women in STEM by offering paid internships to:
Improve access to STEM industry for women via work placements.
Increase women’s awareness of STEM occupations as viable career options.
Increase women’s employability skills in participation for entry for STEM employment.
Support STEM employers to take positive action to increase opportunities for women considering STEM careers
Universities take positive action to increase opportunities for girls and young women considering STEM further education
In today’s competitive job market, having a degree isn’t enough and gaining work experience during your degree is so important for your future career success. An summer placement is the chance to apply the significant knowledge and skills you have gained during your studies in the real working environment. Employers are looking for applicants to have that added extra and work experience is a great way to get the added extra, ultimately making you stand out! It’s never too early to apply for a work placement and the Careerwise summer placements are open to 1st-4th year students.
Access to high quality work placements can significantly impact on the career intentions of women undergraduates studying STEM subjects. Placements increase the career confidence of women, and when combined with good careers advice, they increase the likelihood of them applying successfully for STEM roles.
One of the key aims of the CareerWISE project is to improve employability through the provision of high quality placements that develop both the technical and soft skills desired by recruiting employers. The top 3 skills gained by Careerwise placementees are technical, effective communication/self-presentation and self-management/organisational skills. These are the top 3 skills reported by employers as lacking among job applicants
Outcomes
Through Careerwise, students have greater access to STEM industry opportunities, increased awareness of STEM occupations and increased employability skills in preparation for entry to STEM employment.
Careers Support
Careerwise is not just a placement scheme, it provides additional careers support and advice to all placementees pre and post placement to safeguard the transition.
Students who successfully obtain a Careerwise placement will also receive excellent careers advice to safeguard their transition to fruitful STEM professions. This includes mandatory attendance at our pre and post placement workshops where students are given tools and techniques to make the most of their placement, and to capture and translate new learning to your CV and at future job interviews. Students are also offered a 1-2-1 one hour career session and the opportunity to develop a bespoke Career Action Plan.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply for a Careerwise work placement students must be:
Female/identify as a woman
Matriculated at a Scottish University
Studying a science, technology, engineering or maths related subject
Eligible to work in the UK – Tier 4 Visa
How to Apply:
Complete our short online application
Attach your cover letter
Attach your CV – it’s that simple!
Students who wish to be notified when the 2020 placements are open for applications should join the Equate Student Network. Students registered with our student network will be notified first when the Careerwise placements open for applications.
Placements with an * are relevant to college students studying an HNC/HND.
Applications Timeline
Round 1 of applications for summer 2020 placement opportunities will open around 11th October 2019 and will close on 14th January 2020.
Round 2 of applications opens on 10th February 2020 and will close on 30th March 2020.
Employers will aim to make all placement offers to the successful students by end of April 2020.
Students who make one or two tailored applications are more successful at obtaining a placement, compared to those students who make numerous generic applications.
Download our student resource containing useful information on what you should include in your cover letter and CV.
Employers report that talent with STEM skills is becoming harder to recruit. With the current STEM skills shortage, an ageing workforce and the generational gap, placements are essential for building the talent pipeline and should be a significant part of your recruitment process.
23% of employers that have had internships within the previous 12 months report that they have recruited someone following an internship compared with 8% that have recruited someone after a graduate programme. (UKES Report on Youth Unemployment)
The benefits for your organisation are:
Access to an internship scheme aimed exclusively at undergraduate female STEM students
Build a talent pipeline and plug the skills shortage by widening your talent pool
Enhanced company profile among Scotland’s female STEM talent and their associated universities
Opportunity to pre-assess female STEM talent for potential future employment
Be recognised as a progressive employer and become an employer of choice for women in STEM
Organisations with a diverse workforce are ultimately more successful and more profitable.
Impact
192 female STEM students have completed Careerwise placements in the first 6 years
100% of employers stated that students had contributed in a meaningful way to their organisation
100% of employers stated that they would engage with Careerwise by offering one or more placements in future years
11 graduate job offers made to placement students on completion of the placement
2 employers have invited back 6 students for a 2nd summer placement in 2016
2 students have received paid extensions to their current placements
2 employers have employed 3 students on a part time basis after the placement.
2 HEIs have produced 4 research papers off the back of the placement.
How to participate
Engagement with Careerwise is light touch for employers. It’s a simple 3 step process:
Step 1
Employers identify a training/work experience opportunity (which can be part of a wider internship/work experience programme) which lasts up to 3 months. In the first instance, employers should contact Careerwise to discuss their placement opportunity on 0131 455 2267.
Step 2
The next step is to then provide a job advert, job description and person specification using the Equate Scotland templates for posting to the Equate Scotland website – it’s that easy!
Step 3
After the closing date, Careerwise will provide an applicant list including all CVs and cover letters. From there on, employers carry out their own recruitment and selection process, whatever that may include. We do not match you with a student – it is entirely the employer’s own choice which student they award their placement to.
All we ask is that employers complete our Confirmation of Appointment Form confirming who they have offered the placement to. We also ask that employers provide a list of all students they interview and provide feedback on each students application, CV and performance at interview.
Employer Fees
There is no fee other than the placement student salary that the employer pays.
Careerwise placements are paid placements meaning that the student salary is funded by the company. Employers who engage with Careerwise must commit to paying the national real living wage of £8.75 per hour for anyone aged 18 years or over.
Funding Towards Student Salaries for SMES
Funding of up to £1500 max per 3-month placement is available for SMEs but these funds are limited and are dependent on which University your chosen student comes from. Contact Careerwise to enquire if your company is eligible for this funding.
Funding towards Student Salaries for construction based placements
Funding of £30 per day per student is available for any Construction company who is registered with CiTB for employees paid through PAYE who are taking planned work experience which is essential or integral to a construction-related degree for between 4 weeks and 48 weeks. Other conditions apply. Visit https://www.citb.co.uk/grant/new-grants-scheme-2018/construction-work-experience-grants/
Read our FAQs to answer any other questions you may have about the scheme.
To discuss your placement opportunity please contact us on 0131 455 2267.
Careerwise is always looking for valuable STEM work experience opportunities for talented and able female STEM students. We are oversubscribed in applications and always actively looking for new partners to offer paid work experience opportunities – will that be you? Contact Careerwise:
Sep 2019
Placement details, including job advert, job descriptions and person specifications complete and provided to Careerwise by 04/10/19
Oct 2019
1st round of placement opportunities placed on application system by 11/10/19.
Nov 2019
Careerwise promote placement opportunities via various channels.
Dec 2019
Careerwise promote placement opportunities via various channels.
Jan 2020
Closing date for 1st round of placement applications 14/01/20.
Applicant lists, cover letters and CVS provided to employers by 31/01/20.
2nd round – Placement details, including job advert, job descriptions and person specifications complete and provided to Careerwise by 31/01/20.
