Manchester University to offer work placements to all undergraduates

Russell Group university promises students, from chemical engineering to classics, ‘meaningful real-world experience’ A leading UK university is promising work placements to all undergraduates regardless of their degree, to better equip them for the challenges of the job market. In what appears to be a first for a large Russell Group institution, the University of Manchester is planning to offer “meaningful real-world experience” to all students, in subjects from classics to chemical engineering. Manchester’s vice-chancellor, Duncan Ivison, said no student should graduate having done three years of just academic study. Instead, “every single student [should] have a chance to put their learning into context – an internship, a placement, a joint project or an exchange”, he told the Times. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a history student or a chemical engineer.” Graduates are increasingly struggling to find work after leaving university, some with debts of more than £50,000. Those who do get work are often in low-paid roles in hospitality or retail rather than traditional graduate jobs. Nick Hillman, the director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, welcomed the initiative but rais