Cost of Program

The cost of the program is £375 for regular sectors and £425 for more difficult sectors (Science / engineering / law, if available). For placements of over 4 months there is a supplementary cost of £100. Students also have to pay for their own accommodation, Professionals UK and Select English can help provide them with accommodation should they wish at the usual cost applicable to that area.

Length of study and work placement

• Minimum length of English language course: 4 weeks
• Minimum length of work placement: 4 weeks
• Candidates from non-EU countries must study at least the same amount of weeks as their internship. (i.e. if the candidate enrols for an English language course at Select English for one month the maximum length for a work placement would be one month).
• Please note that the English language course has to be prior to the work experience not parallel!

Sectors of placements

Most areas of business are covered, everything form Marketing to Architecture. It is always best to complete the application form and send it along with the C.V. We will need to evaluate the English level and experience of the applicant, and then advise on what would be suitable for their experience and qualifications.

Popular Sectors

• Marketing
• Business Administration
• Advertising
• Fashion
• Engineering
• Architecture

• Hotels
• Museums
• Import/ Export
• Charities
• Law
• PR

Application Procedure

We require that the Application Form is completed and sent to us along with the Curriculum Vitae for the student. It should be emailed to us at least 6 weeks in advance. The student must then call for an interview with a Placement Coordinator. The Placement coordinator will then evaluate and contact the agent or school to advise on how we can place them.

Level of English

Students who speak no English will not be accepted and they must have at least a Level 5 IELTS English language level. If the language level is only the minimum required they should not expect to do anything but the most basic tasks. Whilst they don’t have to undertake the IELTS examination, it is used as a rough guide so we can advise our companies. We are able to place students at shorter notice, but please check first before submitting documents.

Placing details

We submit their details to our agreed companies in the sector or area the candidate wants. Most students will be required to go for an interview before they begin their placement. This is a good opportunity to assess what the placement is like, and to see whether or not it is what the student is looking for. The interviews can range from very formal to completely informal and we will advise on this and all other details about the company prior to the interview. Some companies will notify the result of the interview at the end of the interview, some may take a couple of days. Professionals UK contacts the company after the interview to check how they got on and then advises the agent/school of the result. If the student was unsuccessful, then we will advise the candidate on the reasons why and give them some tips on how to have a better interview the second time, however we will only find a maximum of 3 interviews for them in exceptional circumstances, if the chosen sector allows for it.

Successful Interviews

If the student was successful, we confirm this directly with the agent/school and give full details of exactly what the student will do and what is expected of them. If the student was unhappy with the company, we will find them an alternative placement. A second interview is only arranged if the first is not suitable. In this case the student loses the right to take the first placement if they choose to reject it. The student must accept a placement if it complies with the area requested on the application form. Generally the student will have to work full time hours and behave as any other employee in the company would. The placements are unpaid but some companies do pay reasonable expenses. This is however a bonus and should not be expected. The student should not discuss payment with the company.

Placement Location

The placement is located in the city requested unless mutually agreed otherwise. A student must expect to travel to work as other city dwellers do, via public transport for distances up to 1 hour from their accommodation.
If the work placement is in London, Select English is happy for the students to continue living with their host family or in the hall of residence.

Assistance and basic rules whilst placed.

Whilst the student is at the placement, Professionals UK monitors and assesses the candidate and informs the agent/school of their progress. If the student is unhappy with the placement, they must discuss this with Professionals UK before they leave the placement. If a student leaves the placement without the consent of Professionals UK, we will not find them an alternative. We are happy to move people if we feel they are not getting the right experience, as was previously agreed. Most problems can be ironed out by Professionals UK. The student must also expect to be doing very basic jobs to start and then they will be given more responsibility as they prove themselves. If a student gets sacked because of their own poor behaviour, Professionals UK will not replace them. The student will be employed under UK Employment Law and must adhere to this. They must also follow the host company’s rules and regulations.

Cancellations and payments

The following cancellation fees apply – based on the fact that when the placement starts the majority of the services have already been carried out by Professionals UK: £50 for any accepted booking up to 2 weeks prior to placement commence date and £100 cancellation thereafter. Once an interview has been arranged but not yet attended the cancellation fee will be £150. Cancellation after a successful interview will require full payment. Payment in full after 2 suitable interviews have been attended, whatever the outcome.
Payment of a reduced fee of £150 if a 1st suitable interview was not successful and a further interview is not available within the chosen field (In the case of more specialised fields).

For any further information contact Select English, London