Work placement opportunities
Work placements in social work and shadowing placements in our specialist applied social science degree courses are core parts of the degree programme. In addition, we also offer shadowing placement opportunities for all our social policy and flexible applied social science courses.
Social work placements
As part of the BA Social Work and in order to become a qualified social worker you will undertake approximately 200 days work placement, split into two periods of placement during your degree course. These placements provide you with direct experience of being a social worker, drawing on the theory and skills you develop through the programme. On the BA Social Work we have placement coordinators who will arrange the placement opportunities for you. Working with our partnership agencies, on placement you will have first-hand experience of being a social worker under the guidance of trained practice teachers.
Applied Social Science and Social Policy shadowing placements
At York we recognise the additional learning value that experience in the workplace can bring to your social science degree course. We have developed work shadowing placements as an integral and core part of our BA Applied Social Science - Children and Young People and BA Applied Social Science - Crime and Criminal Justice degree courses. From 2012 we will also be offering the opportunity to undertake a shadowing placement as an optional part of the BA Social Policy and BA Applied Social Science degree programmes. Shadowing placements are organised by you under guidance from academic staff.
At the start of your third year you will undertake a work shadowing placement lasting for around 80 hours. By going on placement, you will see first hand the policy-practice releationship in a variety of contexts. Watching and talking to professional workers will offer you a completely different form of learning experience. You may go on to incorporate the real-world issues you have experienced within your dissertation or follow through in the development of your own career.
Placements are arranged by students or the Department. Previous placements have included:
- Shadowing a criminal barrister
- Work in a Sure Start Children’s Centre
- Out-reach Youth Work
- Residential home in Uganda
- Shadowing workers in a drug rehabilitation unit