This year the National Council for Work Experience (NCWE) Awards celebrate their 10th anniversary.
Over a decade we've watched work experience reach new heights with an abundance of opportunities available and soaring standards and expectations. Industry research now reports that around 40% of graduate vacancies are filled by applicants who have already worked for the organisation as an undergraduate.
It's widely recognised that to boost job prospects, students and graduates should consider work experience. But with the well publicised debate concerning the payment of interns and a myriad of opportunities available, how do you sort the wheat from the chaff?
This year's NCWE Awards shortlist has just been announced, naming those employers that are raising and exceeding work experience standards.
Entries are judged blind by an expert panel representing the full internship process including student, employer and careers advisors, and thanks to a rigorous judging process, standards are high. Considerations include how the intern and business have benefited, the level of support and payment for the intern, and what makes the scheme exceptional compared to the competition.
Employers that offer a high standard of placement aren't necessarily the blue chips. We've seen a huge rise in the number of SMEs entering. In 2011 Champions Life Academy was crowned overall winner after taking the 'Under 10 Employees' title.
The Awards aren't just reserved for private corporations either. Charities and public sector employers are also represented. Interns and careers advisors also have their say, with categories for nominations from university staff who have heard good feedback or interns who enjoyed their internship.
To mark the NCWE Awards 10th anniversary a category has been introduced for all previous overall winners to enter, including George at Asda, Intel Corporation UK and the BBC.
If you're keen to find an opportunity with a firm that meets high standards you can see all previous winners at work-experience.org. You can search for the latest available schemes at prospects.ac.uk
Here is the full shortlist. Winners will be announced on Tuesday 19 March at Merchant Taylors' Hall in London by Timpson chairman, John Timpson.
Work Placement of the Year 2013:
Best Large Organisation with More than 250 Employees:
Long-term Placements (20+ Students) - Sponsored by TUI UK & Ireland
- Fujitsu
- GlaxoSmithKline
- IBM UK Ltd
- Intel Corporation UK Ltd
- John Lewis Partnership
- Vauxhall Motors
Long-term Placements (Fewer than 20 Students) - Sponsored by Intel
- bp
- Lidl
- Panasonic
- PSA Peugeot Citroen
- The Co-operative Group
- TUI UK & Ireland
Short-term Placements (up to 3 months duration)
- bp
- Centrica Plc
- Emerald Group Publishing Limited
- Hymans Robertson
- Infosys Ltd
- Motability Operations
Best Organisation with Fewer than 250 Employees
- Ash Gaming Ltd
- Asidua
- Clock
- Petersens PR Ltd
- PPS Works Ltd
- ProspectSoft Ltd
Best Newcomer (for schemes set up within the last 2 years) - Sponsored by GSK
- FMC Technologies
- Shearman & Sterling (London) LLP
- Slater & Gordon
- Teach First
Best Public Sector Placement
- Career Zone (University of Exeter)
- Careers Network, University of Birmingham
- Civil Service Fast Stream
- South West College
- University of Aberdeen
- University of Leeds
Best Charitable Sector Placement
- Blackpool Advocacy
- Bryson Care/CareWest
- Cancer Research UK
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- Teach First
Best Law Firm
- Baker & McKenzie
- Bircham Dyson Bell
- Nabarro LLP
- Pinsent Masons
- Shearman & Sterling (London) LLP
- Simmons & Simmons
Graduate Internship of the Year 2013:
Best Organisation with More than 250 Employees - Sponsored by AGR
- BBC
- BP Class of 2012 Olympic Internship
- Citi
- Halma plc
- John Lewis Partnership
- Manchester Metropolitan University
Best Organisation with Fewer than 250 Employees
- Advertising Association
- Beverley Building Society
- Change Agents UK
Nomination categories:
Work Placement of the Year - as Nominated by a Careers Adviser, Jobshop or Placement Tutor - Sponsored by PlaceNet
- View From The Hill nominated by Sarah Goldstone, The University of Leeds
- East Coast Main Line Company nominated by Jennifer Mowat, University of York
- John Lewis Partnership nominated by Caroline Herz, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Merlin Entertainment Group (Madame Tussauds) nominated by Nicky Smith, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Stephenson Harwood nominated by Claire Smith, Whizz-Kidz
- Wunderman / Y&R Z Academy nominated by Karen Ephram, Bournemouth University
Best Employment Experience - as Nominated by a Student or Graduate Intern
- BBC Journalism Training Scheme nominated by Jasmine Coleman
- GlaxoSmithKline nominated by Martin Peeks
- IBM nominated by Charles Donnell
- Microsoft UK nominated by Olivia Roche
- Petersens PR nominated by Eira Jepson
- PPS Works Ltd nominated by Bavinder Chahal
- University of Edinburgh Careers Service nominated by Amelia Lloyd
- 123-reg nominated by Randal Whitmore
Best of the Best: A special award to mark 10 years for previous overall award winners
- BBC
- Best Kept Secrets
- Champions Life Academy - Life Party Ltd.
- Centrica Plc
- George at Asda
- Intel Corporation UK Ltd
- TUI UK & Ireland