Work experience

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust offers work experience placements to students from local schools and colleges who are considering a career within a health and social care setting.

The aims of our placements are to provide students with an opportunity to gain experience of working within a healthcare environment, giving them a valuable introduction to the ‘world of work’ including expected behaviours and attitudes. We are also able to offer work experience shadowing doctors. Work experience is unpaid and is subject to eligibility and relevant clearances prior to any placement commencing.

Please note, our application process usually takes between 6-8 weeks but, during periods of peak demand, this may be considerably longer. Please ensure that you leave sufficient time for your application to be processed. The numbers of placements we can accommodate are limited and are offered on a first come, first served basis. When all placements are full the work experience programme for that area will be closed until the following academic year.

In the interests of widening participation and equality of opportunity, we will only process one placement application per student at a time. Should your placement request be declined, you are eligible to ask for feedback on why your request was declined if not already stated.

Work experience placements at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust are usually structured around a one-week placement. However, other departments may only be able to facilitate one or two days placement. Placement duration is non-negotiable. Placement requests for longer than one week or for weekend placements cannot be accommodated.

If you are offered a placement and one of your scheduled placement days falls on a bank holiday, you should not attend this day. Should your application be accepted, you must attend a mandatory induction workshop in order to prepare you for your work experience placement. The induction workshop will last approximately 1 hour, usually between 3.30 – 4.30pm on a working day. Failure to attend induction will result in your placement offer being withdrawn and rescheduled for an alternative week following on from the next induction. Proof of attendance on a work experience placement can only be offered in the form of a certificate.

Due to the nature of the placements, there are some restrictions based on age:

• Years 10 and 11: Clerical placements only
• Years 12 and 13: Clerical and some clinical shadowing placements

We cannot offer clinical placements to applicants under the age of 16.

• Please note during your placement you will not be giving direct patient care.
• Placements may be changed at short notice wherever possible we will offer you an alternative date/placement however this cannot be guaranteed
• You may be asked to leave the work experience programme at any time if your behaviour is considered to be unsuitable.
• Failure to provide evidence of immunisation will result in any placement offer being withdrawn.

Applying for work experience

Please complete a Work Experience form below

Please note it does take a number of weeks to arrange a work experience placement. You will be notified of your application progress as soon as possible.

Please refer to the table below for information as to when you should be applying for your requested dates:

For example, if you would like a placement in October please apply no later than July.

Long-term placements

We regret that we are currently unable to offer long-term placements.