University News Last updated 07 February
Birmingham City University (BCU) has been voted the best university in the West Midlands for providing meaningful work experience placements to students.
Some 4,300 students from across the UK provided feedback to RateMyPlacement.co.uk on the internships, placements and vacation schemes they had completed as part of their undergraduate degree.
The University ranked eighth overall in the UK, surpassing household names including the University of Cambridge and Cardiff University.
BCU Vice-Chancellor Professor David Mba said: “I am incredibly proud that the work of our faculties and placement teams has been recognised by our students.
“A key objective of BCU’s 2030 Strategy is to collaborate with companies to address skills gaps, empower our students to become world-ready citizens, and develop the talent for tomorrow.
"High-quality work experience placements encourage the uptake of key innovations and help drive industry excellence, benefitting both students and businesses.”
The 2025 winners of the RateMyPlacement Awards were announced at a virtual awards ceremony. 500 of the industry’s finest came together to celebrate the outstanding achievements of employers and universities in undergraduate work experience.
Julie Stonall, Director of Careers and Employability at BCU, said she was "thrilled" to be recognised as one of the top ten universities for providing work experience to students.
"This achievement reflects our dedicated efforts to provide diverse paid work experience opportunities across campus," she said. "The positive feedback from our students is a testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone involved.”
In previous years, BCU students have undertook work experience placements with companies including the BBC, Cisco, IBM, NHS, Microsoft, Dolby, Selfridges and ASOS.
BCU Alumni are also able to access support from a dedicated Careers+ team for at least three years following graduation.
They offer support with placements, internships and projects, as well as employment opportunities.