Gain relevant work experience, explore a range of career opportunities, develop your employability skills and meet with a range of employers through our Career Insights Programme.
The Career Insights Programme is aimed at students from under-represented groups in higher education. The eligibility criteria is listed below.
The 2020-21 programme includes:
access to exclusive employer insight events
a team-based consultancy project
employability skills workshops
recruitment process practice
networking opportunities
support from Newcastle University's Careers Service
a £200 bursary awarded upon completion to support employability activities
completion of the ncl+ Award
The programme aims to support students with their personal and professional development by taking part in activities that provide an insight into different careers and work environments as well as building the skills that employers look for when hiring. All activities within the Career Insights programme seek to support students in gaining skills and experience in line with the Graduate Skills Framework.
To undertake the Career Insights Programme, you must be available to take part in all scheduled activities and you must register and complete all required assignments for the ncl+ Award.
A sample of employers taking part in the 2020/21 programme include:
BBC
KPMG
Teach First
Womble Bond Dickinson
Hallmark
W Communications
GlaxoSmithKleine
Jacobs
FDM
Accenture
Newcastle City Council
There are five streams of events and activities. You can choose the stream of activities and events that relates to thesector or career that you are interested in.
The 2020/21 sector streams are:
Business and Management
Marketing, Media & Arts
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)
Public Sector and Law
Entrepreneurial Development
Currently all Career Insights activities are planned to take place online, due to restrictions related to Covid-19. Activities will be reviewed throughout the year and if we can accommodate in-person activity within a safe environment we will update participants.
Costs of participating in activities that require travel or accommodation are covered by the Career Insights Programme.
Eligibility criteria
To qualify for a placeon the programme you must:
have UK-home tuition fee status
be an undergraduate student studying at the Newcastle or London Campus
complete the application form by the specified deadline
and meet at least one of the following criteria:
entered the University through the PARTNERS programme
entered the University through the Realising Opportunities programme
be in receipt of the Opportunity Scholarship from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Care Leaver Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Student Parent Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or DSA
be a Mature Student (you were aged 21 or over on your first day at university)
have declared a Disability or Specific Learning Difficulty to the university
have a home address representative of a Low HE Participation Neighbourhood
from a Black or Minority Ethnic group and prior to university attended a state school/college in the UK
be a Student Carer (with sole or shared responsibility for the care of a relative due to illness, a disability, mental distress or substance abuse)*
if either/both of your parents/carers are serving or have served in the armed forces at key educational times or you have previously served in the armed forces yourself*
estranged and living independently of your family/carers due to a relationship breakdown*
from a Gypsy Roma travelling community*
have refugee status*
have experienced extreme personal and extenuating circumstances*
*if you indicate one of these criteria in your application, you will be asked to provide additional evidence to support your selection.
The Summer School will be delivered entirely online, for one week, from 8 June to 11 June 2020. You will need access to Microsoft Teams and Zoom to be able to take part in the majority of the Summer School activities.
Successful applicants will take part in the following events and activities:
a team-based Sustainability Business Challenge
skills development workshops
employermentoring
online company insight visits
a practice recruitment processincluding an online interview, with feedback from an employer
To be eligible for a place on the programme you must be a current, undergraduate, UK Home Fee Paying student, studying at the Newcastle or London campus and you must meet at least one of the following criteria:
entered the University through the PARTNERS programme
entered the University through the Realising Opportunities programme
be in receipt of the Opportunity Scholarship from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Care Leaver Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Student Parent Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or DSA
be a Mature Student (you were aged 21 or over on your first day at university)
have declared a Disability or Specific Learning Difficulty to the university
have a home address representative of a Low HE Participation Neighbourhood
from a Black or Minority Ethnic group and prior to university attended a state school/college in the UK
be a Student Carer (with sole or shared responsibility for the care of a relative due to illness, a disability, mental distress or substance abuse)*
if either/both of your parents/carers are serving or have served in the armed forces at key educational times or you have previously served in the armed forces yourself*
estranged and living independently of your family/carers due to a relationship breakdown*
from a Gypsy Roma travelling community*
have refugee status*
have experienced extreme personal and extenuating circumstances*
*if you indicate one of these criteria in your application, you will be asked to provide additional evidence to support your selection.
Students who have already completed the Career Insights year-long programme will not be eligible to apply.
The schedule for the Summer School is still being confirmed.
Here are examples of employers that we have worked with on our annual Career Insights programme and we hope to have a similar range of companies participating in our Summer School:
My initial reason for applying was because I was in the final year of university and wanted to gain some work experience before becoming a graduate. The graduate job market is extremely competitive, and I knew I had to have something on my CV to make me stand out.
I visited numerous employers, including GlaxoSmithKline, where they presented to us about the skills and knowledge they look for when hiring. They provided hints and tips about their application process which I found extremely useful and applicable to all the applications I later sent to a range of employers.
Nicola Cheung, Chemical Engineering, Graduated 2019
Nicola Cheung, Chemical Engineering, Graduated 2019
Employment post-graduation: Graduate Engineer with Emerson Automation Solutions
I applied for the Career Insights programme to improve my CV and increase my confidence when speaking with employers. The programme allowed me to increase and develop my existing skills through the range of activities provided and by participating in the networking opportunities I became less nervous when visiting companies for interviews and assessment centres after the programme had finished.
John Crane, Computer Science
John Crane, Computer Science stage 2 (2018/19)
Placement: Leonardo - Aerospace, Defence and Security
I applied for the Career Insights programme to improve interview skills, meet potential employers and improve my CV. I realised what I had learned from the programme when I needed to put my skills to use in writing applications for industrial placements and attending interviews.
My interpersonal/communication and presentation skills, areas I have always lacked confidence in, were honed through the collaborative activities. The presentation on successful interview techniques was also very insightful and prepared me for my own interview and presentation at Leonardo, a defence company with whom I have been offered a paid industrial placement. They have also informed me that if I perform well on the placement, after I return and complete my final year, I will have a place on their graduate scheme. I feel that I wouldn't have achieved this without participating in the Career Insights programme.
Meghan Burn, Geography stage 2 (2020)
Meghan Burn, Geography stage 2 (2019/20)
Placement: Northumbrian Water
One of the main aspects that I will take away from this programme, is the ability to effectively communicate with employers. Through presenting in front of a panel at KPMG and through networking events, I feel much more confident. I am keen to attend more networking events, to further develop my confidence and networking skills.
Another aspect I will take away from this experience is confidently working with a group that I have never met before. For example, working in a team for the KPMG and Groningen events was challenging but also very rewarding. I was able to learn how to adapt my team work skills and communication skills to successfully create projects with a wide range of people.
After completing this programme, I am now able to confidently speak to employers, search for graduate jobs and speak about myself and the skills I have in an interview. I am a lot more confident working with a group of people and I am able to share my ideas in front of an audience but effectively.
Mark Clipperton, Marketing and Management stage 4 (2019/20)
Mark Clipperton, Marketing and Management stage 4 (2019/20)
Participating in the Careers Insight Programme has propelled me to step out of my comfort zone and use these opportunities to gain further experience in leadership and presenting which I had identified as my main weaknesses.
The chance to engage and network with employers from a wide variety of companies has empowered me to feel more confident in knowing how to present my skills to employers as well as advancing my confidence in approaching companies for speculative work opportunities.
As a marketing student, the chance to work within the Creative & Arts stream has been particularly interesting to me as not only have I been able to find potential job opportunities I wasn't aware existed but I have also worked collaboratively with students from different backgrounds to myself. Seeing firsthand the positive influence of combining a diverse set of skills within a team when working on a project has been enlightening and is something I will always remember.
Attending the ncl+ Award workshops enabled me to reflect upon the experiences I was having and the skills I was developing as well as share my personal and professional goals with like-minded students. These sessions supported me in planning strategically to ensure that I seek opportunities to build new skills and gain further expertise.
The Career Insights Bursary provides financial support to help you explore your career options and to apply for opportunities.
It aims to help you gain experience and develop graduate skills, by providing funding for unpaid opportunities. The bursary can also cover travel costs for an interview if the employer is unable to provide funding.
All current Newcastle University students can apply for a bursary of up to £250.
Undergraduate students who meet additional eligibility criteria can apply for a bursary of up to £500 for work experience opportunities. The amount you receive is dependent upon the length of your experience and the associated costs.
For interview costs, a maximum of £250 is available.
When applying for your bursary we ask you to provide an estimate of your travel and accommodation costs. This figure will be used to calculate the bursary amount you can receive. You will be required to provide receipts for all costs and we will provide funding up to the amount evidenced.
This means if your estimated costs are £250 you will be awarded a bursary up to this amount. If your receipts show you only incur costs of £220 this is the amount you will receive.
You will receive 50% of the bursary before your work experience or interview. To receive the remaining 50%, after the experience or interview, you will need to submit a reflective report (between 300-500 words) demonstrating what you have gained from the experience.
If you are applying for the bursary to cover interview expenses you will also be asked to tell us the outcome of the interview.
The work experience activity cannot be part of your degree course, for academic credit, a conference or an external qualification.
It also should not be part of a Careers Service work experience scheme, such as our term-time internships.
The activity should be within the UK.
Retrospective applications will not be considered and this must be the first time you have completed the work experience; funding can't be allocated to repeat activities.
The activity can take place during term time or vacations and must be completed within three months of graduation.
You may only receive one Career Insights Bursary per academic year.
It can take up to two weeks for us to process applications. If your insight takes place before a decision has been made, we can award payments retrospectively as long as your application has been successful and was submitted before the start of the activity.
2. Student criteria
All current Newcastle University students can apply for a bursary up to the amount of £250 for an unpaid work experience activity or interview. Funding is allocated on a first come, first served basis and each case is considered individually.
For a bursary up to the amount of £500, additional criteria apply.
You must be a current, undergraduate Newcastle University student who is paying UK Home tuition fees. You also must meet at least one of the following criteria:
entered the University through the PARTNERS programme
entered the University through the Realising Opportunities programme
be in receipt of the Opportunity Scholarship from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Care Leaver Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of the Student Parent Bursary from Newcastle University
be in receipt of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or DSA
be a Mature Student (you were aged 21 or over on your first day at university)
have declared a Disability or Specific Learning Difficulty to the university
have a home address representative of a Low HE Participation Neighbourhood
from a Black or Minority Ethnic group and prior to university attended a state school/college in the UK
be a Student Carer (with sole or shared responsibility for the care of a relative due to illness, a disability, mental distress or substance abuse)*
if either/both of your parents/carers are serving or have served in the armed forces at key educational times or you have previously served in the armed forces yourself*
estranged and living independently of your family/carers due to a relationship breakdown*
from a Gypsy Roma travelling community*
have refugee status*
have experienced extreme personal and extenuating circumstances*
*if you indicate one of these criteria in your application, you will be asked to provide additional evidence supporting your status.
Email us if you’re not sure whether you are eligible.
If you need help with finding relevant work experience, please submit a query via MyCareer and we’ll get back to you within 5 working days.
We can arrange online meetings via MS Teams or Zoom, or provide information and advice via email.
Please get in touch via MyCareer or at careers@ncl.ac.uk if you have any specific requirements, eg an alternative format, communication support, or other adjustment, to access our support.
2. Once you have secured a suitable work experience placement…
Request a copy of the company’s health and safety policy (you will need to upload this in the application form).
Ensure your host company has arranged an appropriate induction and will provide adequate supervision and guidance while you complete your experience.
Download and complete a General Risk Assessment Form (work with your contact at the company to complete it and upload it in your application).
Complete the Expected Costs Table confirming how much you will be claiming for (again you will be required to submit this in the application). We understand you may not know exact costs before the activity has been completed but please provide a realistic estimate.
While it is not compulsory and not applicable to everyone, we recommend having a chat with the Student Wellbeing Team at Newcastle University to ensure that the experience you have found will be appropriate for you and that you are confident the company will be able to accommodate any additional needs you may have.
Should an accident occur whilst you are completing your insight experience, the host company will be responsible for you but we encourage you to let us know about the situation and outcome within 7 days by emailing us at: careerinsights@ncl.ac.uk.
3. Complete the online application form
Once you have all the documentation you need, please complete the application form.
We aim to let you know if you have been successful within 14 working days. If you have been successful, we will request bank details in order to process the payment.
4. Submit a reflective report
To receive the 2nd payment of your bursary you will need to submit a reflective report (between 300-500 words) demonstrating what you have gained from your experience and how it has contributed to your understanding of career options and the development of your employability skills.
If you are applying for the bursary because you have been invited to an interview we will ask you to provide evidence of your invitation email/letter.
You will also need to provide evidence that the employer does not cover interview expenses. If you are not sure, you can confirm this with the employer before applying for the bursary.
2. Complete the Expected Costs Table
Complete the Expected Costs Table confirming how much you will be claiming for (you will be required to submit this in the application). We understand you may not know exact costs before the interview has been completed but please provide a realistic estimate.
3. Complete the online application form
Once you have all the documentation you need, please complete the application form.
We aim to let you know if you have been successful within 14 working days. If you have been successful, we will request bank details in order to process the payment.
4. Submit a reflective report
To receive the 2nd payment of your bursary you will need to submit a reflective report (between 300-500 words) demonstrating what you have gained from your experience and how it has contributed to your understanding of career options and the development of your employability skills.
Find out more
For more information about the Career Insights Bursary, email us.
For help with finding relevant work experience, visit the Careers Service.
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