Work Experience Bursary Terms and Conditions 2023

The Terms and Conditions set out in this document govern the award of Work Experience Bursaries (as defined below) and must be complied with.

What is a Work Experience Bursary?

The University knows how vitally important it is for students to gain work experience to build up experience, skills and confidence in the workplace. Work experience includes all forms of paid or unpaid experience in the workplace, other than placements which form part of a degree programme (“Work Experience”). A limited bursary fund has therefore been established to help support current, registered, full-time undergraduate students (“Relevant Students”) of The University of Manchester (“University”) with some of the costs associated with undertaking Work Experience that has been secured on an individual basis. (“Work Experience Bursary”)

If you are a Relevant Student, you are entitled to apply for a Work Experience Bursary of up to a maximum of £250 in each academic year. If you are a Relevant Student and are already in receipt of the full non-repayable financial grant from the UK government to support your studies and/or a bursary or other financial support from the university you are also eligible to apply for an additional £750, and therefore up to a maximum of £1,000, in each academic year. If you are unsure of your financial status please refer to the student support funding pages.

The Work Experience Bursary will be awarded on a competitive, first come first served basis, assessed against the strength of the information provided in the application form (see “How to Apply” below), until the allocated funding for the Work Experience Bursary has been exhausted. There is no guarantee that an application will be successful or that you will receive the full amount requested.

The Work Experience

You must secure your own Work Experience, which can either be full-time or part-time. The Work Experience must be conducted with a reputable organisation, company or individual within the UK, and must comply with, amongst others, the following conditions.
The Work Experience must not:
  • form part of a degree programme, e.g. industrial placements; and
  • exceed 15 hours per week if undertaken during term time, or 40 hours per week if undertaken during vacations;
  • be completed during an intercalation year;
  • promote or endorse illegal activity;
  • be immoral, unethical, offensive, or otherwise detrimental to the University’s reputation or interests;
  • be connected with a pyramid, multi-level marketing or similar style selling scheme;
  • represent an undue health and safety risk;
  • be connected with the adult/sex industry or be associated with adult content;
  • involve writing or sharing academic related material for use by other students; and/or
  • be connected with the tobacco industry; and/or
The Work Experience must:
  • contribute to your personal development, your skills development and/or support your future career aspirations; and
  • be completed by the end of June in the case of final year Relevant Students.

The University reserves the right to assess the suitability of the Work Experience as part of the application process and its decision is final.The University accepts no responsibility for the Work Experience or any other matters relating to, or arising out of, it and excludes its liability for all matters (including without limitation any employment-related issues) related to, or arising out of, the Work Experience.

What can a Work Experience Bursary cover?

A Work Experience Bursary can cover travel, accommodation or dependent care costs incurred by a Relevant Student as a result of undertaking Work Experience in the UK (“Expenses”). Please note, "dependent care costs” refers to the costs of childcare or a dependent relative incurred whilst undertaking work experience.

How to apply

You must complete an application form online via CareerConnect and upload proof of the work experience opportunity that you will be undertaking. You will also be required to upload a copy of your CV.

To find the application form, use the link above or click on the “Managed Opportunities” tab on your CareerConnect homepage. If you click on “Managed Opportunities Scheme List” you should be able to select “Work Experience Bursary 2023”.

Applications will be considered on the basis of the information provided on the Application Form, in monthly rounds, for as long as the fund exists, so early submissions are advisable where possible.

Each application may cover multiple instances of Work Experience in one academic year and you may apply more than once in each academic year. Regardless of the number of instances of Work Experience undertaken or number of applications made, a maximum of £250, or £1,000 for those in receipt of Means Tested Support, will be awarded to any one Relevant Student in one academic year. The application process:

  • Complete the online Application Form via CareerConnect and upload;

A copy of the Work Experience offer details (including the dates of work experience); job description of the role being undertaken; current CV; evidence of estimated travel, accommodation, and or dependent care costings for the duration of the work experience.

  • Evidence needs to be submitted by 5.00pm on the last working day of each month
  • All applicants will be notified whether they have been successful or unsuccessful in being awarded a Work Experience Bursary within seven working days of the relevant closing date

In considering the Application Form, the University will be looking for evidence, from the information provided in your Application Form that the Work Experience:

  • Complies with the conditions for Work Experience as outlined above; and
  • Contributes to your personal development; and/or
  • Enhances your skills development; and/or
  • Supports your future career aspirations; and/or
  • Enhances your workplace skills in the eyes of future employers

The University reserves the right to interview applicants, either by telephone or in person should it wish to do so. In addition, the University may take steps to verify the information provided in the “Your Details” section of the Application Form. Applications will be considered on a first come first served basis until such time as the allocated funding has been exhausted, and there is no guarantee that an application will be successful or will receive the full amount requested. By submitting an application for a Work Experience Bursary, you acknowledge and agree:

  • that the University reserves the right to decide at its absolute discretion how it allocates Work Experience Bursaries to applicants; and
  • any personal data submitted as part of an application will be held securely and used only for the purposes of participating in, administering and awarding the Work Experience Bursaries.

Before submitting an application applicants are advised to check the bursary information page on the Careers Service website regularly to ensure that applications for the Work Experience Bursary are still open.

Successful applications

If your application is successful, the University shall notify you of the maximum amount which can be claimed.

  • You will be required to evidence, with original receipts, the Expenses incurred as part of the Work Experience. No other sums shall be payable to you by the University as a result of the Work Experience Bursaries scheme.

  • The University reserves the right to terminate and, where appropriate, claw back the Work Experience Bursary at any stage should it become apparent that the Work Experience is not being carried out by the recipient or there is a failure to produce the relevant original receipts.

Contact following receipt of a Work Experience Bursary

Once you have completed your Work Experience, you will be required to provide feedback at different stages during the remainder of your time at the University to determine if/how the Work Experience has supported, influenced or made a difference to your career choices and decisions. You will also be sent details of the support that the University’s Careers Service can provide to help you with next steps in your career planning.

If you have any questions or queries about the bursaries or the application process please contact the team via CareersBursary@manchester.ac.uk

Key Information about COVID-19/Illnesses and the Work Experience Bursary

COVID-19 and Overseas Travel: Key Information

When making an application you must ensure that any travel you have arranged in connection with your work experience adheres to the most up to date government guidelines in relation to COVID-19 and any other travel restrictions that apply to the country you are travelling to. Foreign travel advice is available via: Foreign travel advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) where you can get the latest updates on coronavirus, safety, security and travel warnings. If there is a gap between when you organise your work experience and the start date of the experience, it is important that you re-check the latest government and travel guidelines prior to travelling and commencing your work experience.