18 | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY
Work Placement Opportunities
and Employability
Ensuring graduate employability is a major focus of our programmes. In a competitive job
market, understanding how the professional work place functions and having well-developed
employability skills are key to a graduate securing employment.
In addition to the work placement module in the second year,
which is a core module for Environment and Sustainability
students and an optional module for Environmental Science
Single Honours students, all students have the option to
undertake an environmentally-focussed work-based learning
placement between the second and final year of their degree
programme. This is a four-year degree with ‘with work
placement year’ appearing on the degree title. Students spend
a minimum of six months on placement. They are supported in
finding a suitable placement and are given training in generic
and subject-specific employability skills. Examples of work
placements that students have recently undertaken include:
working with local councils and environmental consultancies,
biodiversity and conservation work with local Park Rangers,
investigating waste issues with Alstom, and working with water
companies such as Thames Water and Severn Trent Water.
We’re committed in helping you realise your career aspirations,
BSC ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE STUDENT
“I undertook my work placement at
the Devon Association of Renewable
Energy (DARE), a small Renewable
energy consultancy in Devon. I
worked there for around three
months during the summer and
thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
I accompanied staff on a number
of site visits, meeting with clients
and performing biomass viability
surveys. I also gained a wealth of
contacts in the renewables sector by
networking with clients and partners
of the company”.
keele.ac.uk/gge
which is why we offer the following support:
• Online and Physical career resources
• Skills development and employer events
• Live and monitored jobs board
• Career planning
• Expert advice and guidance
• Work place module in the second year*
Past students have progressed into Environmental and
sustainability consultancy and regulation, science writing,
conservation, environmental chairty work, teaching, research
and policy-oriented government careers.
* the work placement module in the second year is a core
module for Environment and Sustainability, and an optional
module for Environmental Science single honors students.
BSC ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
STUDENT
“My current position [as Sustainability
Advisor] is the direct result of the work
placement module within my degree course.
I was offered a 6 month research contract
with The Clancy Group, the company I
completed my work placement with during
my course. Off the back of this work I
was offered a permanent position within
the company. These courses offer a huge
opportunity to join a quickly emerging field.
The work placement module proved to be
invaluable for me, so I would recommend
that students really make the most of it”.