Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: As a non-EU student do I need a working visa in order to take the work placement programme?

A1: In many cases your student visa will cover the work placement of your course.

Q2: Will I be paid during my work placement?

A2: A work placement can be either paid or unpaid, depending on your skills, the type of experience you are looking for, the nature of the business sector and the length of the placement - few organisations offer paid work for less than six months (24 weeks). So it is possible that you will be paid a salary (at least the national minimum wage) during your work placement period, but in many cases Oxford House College will not be able to arrange this as it is entirely up to the organisations themselves. We will explain just what we can do for you, and in order to stay in this programme we expect you to accept our advice.

Please note that the main objective of the work placement programme is to allow you to gain invaluable work experience, so please make sure that you choose to take the programme on this basis and not on the basis of the salary (if any) during your work placement period.

Q3: Will my day-to-day living expenses be paid for?

In many cases organisations offer to provide some sort of a subsidy to cover your daily travel and/or lunch expenses etc. during your work placement period, but we cannot guarantee this as they are under no obligation to do so.

Q4: Will accommodation be arranged for me or will I have to arrange this myself?

Oxford House College will be able to find suitable accommodation for you, usually through your employer. However, please make sure that you have sufficient funds available to you to pay for advance rents and security deposits, which are often required in the UK.

Q5: Will I have to pay for my accommodation?

In most cases accommodation costs must be paid by the student. On a few rare occasions employers have provided students with free accommodation in staff residences. We advise you to be prepared to cover your own accommodation costs.

Q6: What are the fees for the work placement and do these include the registration fee?

If you are doing the work placement as part of a course, the relevant course fees mentioned in the “Fees and Dates” leaflet are for the full programme (including the fee for the work placement).
The total course fees include the registration fee. However if your visa is refused we will deduct £50- to cover our administration costs.

Q7: What is the duration of the work placement and will it make a difference if I do a longer work placement?

Placements can last for a minimum of 4 weeks and a maximum of 12 months. If you undertake a short placement you may be given less challenging tasks than if you stay with the organisation for a longer period. Also, larger and more prestigious organisations are less likely to host you for a short placement.

Q8: How many hours per week will I have to work?

You will usually be required to work around 40 hours per week. However this may vary according to the nature of your work placement. Some work placements require you to work flexible hours (shifts) wile others may offer you scheduled working hours.
We recommend you to be prepared to accept any type of working hours, as the greater the flexibility on your side, the greater the chance that we can satisfy your needs.

Q9: Will the work placement be in London?

Work Placements can be either within or outside London. We will try our best to arrange you a work placement in your desired location but we are unable to guarantee this. Particularly if the work placement is outside London, we will provide assistance (usually through your host organisation) to find you a suitable accommodation.

Q10: Can I choose where to do my work placement and can I refuse an offer of a work placement if I do not find the location to be suitable?

You must specify two different work areas in your application and you will not be allowed to refuse a placement which clearly falls into one of these areas. In any case we are more likely to find what you are looking for if you are willing to relocate. Work placements are usually in large towns and cities, so you should be prepared to travel for an hour or more to get to work. Please note that once you have accepted a job offer you cannot change your mind later on.

Q11: What can I request for my work placement on the application form? For example, can I specify which company or the size of the company I would like to work for?

You cannot specify the name or size of the company you will work for. However, you may specify the industry that you are willing to work for, though you still need to be flexible and realistic in your requests. For example, we cannot find placements as airline cabin crew, or in legal firms, as such positions require interns to have specific knowledge and/or experience.

Q12: Can I make changes to my application after I have sent it?

Once you have sent us your application, it is not possible to make changes, so please make sure everything is correct before you send us your documents.

Q13: Will I get a certificate at the end of my work placement?

All host organisations will provide you with a work reference letter at the end of your work placement, which can be used to certify your work experience. However, please note that you may need to request this letter at the end of your work placement as you are responsible for arranging it.

If you would like to receive the University of Cambridge Certificate of Work Experience, we will also be able to organise this at an extra cost (usually around £150). However, we need to know this when you enrol on the course, so that we can arrange it with the Work Placements Company.

Q14: What level of English do I need to have in order to do a work placement?

In order to be suitable for this programme you must feel comfortable in an English-speaking working environment. This means you will need to have a level of English of at least Upper-Intermediate.

Q15: What happens if my level of English is not high enough?

If you are not at this level (i.e. Upper-Intermediate) Oxford House College can arrange a period of General English study for you until you reach this level. If this is the case, then you will be required to pay additional fees for these extra English language classes.

Q16: If the work placement is part of my course, can I start it earlier or finish it later than scheduled by my course?

You will not be allowed to start your work placement earlier than scheduled by your chosen course. For example, BA (Hons) in Business Studies students will not be allowed to begin their work placement before they complete the International Advanced Diploma in Business. Nor will you be allowed to extend your work placement beyond your agreed term, even if your employer suggests/agrees to this.

Q17: Will I have to attend an interview for my work placement?

Oxford House College will interview you before you are accepted onto the programme and it is likely that you will also be interviewed (either face-to-face or over the telephone) by the organisation offering to host you.

Q18: What happens if I don’t attend the interview for my work placement with the organisation?

If you fail to attend your interview without a valid reason and without letting OHC/the organisation know beforehand, you will be excluded from the programme and the fees you have paid will not be refunded.

Q19: What should I do if I can’t attend the interview for my work placement with the organisation or if I am going to be late?

If you can no longer attend the interview on the agreed date/at the agreed time or if you are going to be late for your interview you must contact OHC/the organisation to notify us/them in advance.

Q20: What can I ask the company during the interview? Is there anything I shouldn’t ask?

You should not discuss salary during your interview, unless the person who is interviewing you mentions it first. Apart from this, any questions should be acceptable, but please ask Oxford House College or the Work Placements Company if you are unsure about whether or not to ask a particular question.

Q21: How should I behave during my work placement?

You must behave during the work placement as though you were an actual employee of the organisation. You will also need to be patient, as most organisations have very busy schedules and staff members will not usually be able to stay with you at all times. You should learn from others in the workplace and you should not expect your organisation to give you a training programme.

Q22: Will everyone in the company be from the UK?

The UK is a multicultural society and your colleagues, while they will be English speakers, may be from any national or cultural background. It goes without saying that you must treat all people with respect at all times regardless of sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, social background etc.

Q23: Will I have a personal tutor during my work placement?

If you take BTEC – Level 3 in Hospitality Management course, you will have a personal tutor appointed to you. In all other courses, you should contact the Work Placements Company should you require any assistance during your placement.

Q24: Will Oxford House College stay in touch with me after I start my work placement?

We at Oxford House College will stay in touch with you (through the Work Placements Company) throughout your work placement period to offer you support and assistance should you need it. Note also that all communications are carried out via email – so please make sure that you check your email inbox regularly.

Q25: What should I do if I have any problems during my work placement and will Oxford House College be able to help me?

We at Oxford House College undertake to do our best to resolve any problems that you might have during your placement and you are of course free to contact us at any time. For example, if your host organisation is not honouring the terms of our agreement we will try to resolve this problem for you and if, after we have talked to them, we feel that you are still being treated unfairly we will, if necessary, find you another placement.

Q26: What happens if I am dismissed by my host organisation during the work placement period?

If you are dismissed during the period of your work placement (and you feel you have been dismissed unfairly) we at Oxford House College will investigate the problem and, if we find that the host organisation has been unreasonable and that you have indeed been treated unfairly, we will find you another placement. However, if you misbehave and are dismissed from your placement, we shall not accept any further responsibility for you. This means that you will not be transferred to an alternative organisation and your fees will not be refunded.
Please refer to our Terms & Conditions for further details.

Q27: What happens if I leave my work placement before the end of the agreed period?

If you leave your placement without notifying your host organisation/Oxford House College/the Work Placements Company we shall not accept any further responsibility for you. This means that you will not be transferred to an alternative organisation and your fees will not be refunded.