The annual Placement Awards, showcasing the remarkable achievements of students and placement providers within the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, took place last week. The evening highlighted the success stories and lasting professional relationships built through the university’s placement programme.

Hosted by Martin Gore, Head of Employability and Victoria Maskell, Partnerships Manager, with a welcome from Faculty Dean Professor Deborah Wilson, the awards recognised exceptional contributions across the placement year. With more than 150 nominations submitted, 41 awards, voted for by students, employers, and staff, were presented. The event was a testament to the high calibre of students and the vital role that placement providers play in offering real-world experience.

An opportunity to shine

Placements offer students more than just a year in industry - they provide a transformative opportunity to gain practical skills, expand professional networks, and discover direction and purpose for life beyond university. These experiences equip students with invaluable insights into the workplace, helping them build a solid foundation for a fulfilling career. Ananda Karo Karo, the Education Placement Student of the Year, commented, "The placement opened my eyes to a whole world out there and really demonstrated the impact I can make".

For employers, placements are a powerful way to engage with new talent. Throughout their placement year, students bring their curiosity, enthusiasm, and academic knowledge to real projects, contributing to the development of their host organisations. This two-way collaboration allows employers to tap into new ideas while building connections with talented individuals who may join their teams in the future. Dr Catherine Ross from the Met Office nominated the winner of the Going Above and Beyond Award, Emily Inganni, saying “Emily did groundbreaking and transformational work on a project that would have taken 4-5 years without her.” The 1,000+ placements this year have been in a wide range of employers and organisations, from YouGov to Precision Fuel and Hydration, from EY to Barnardo’s.

Celebrating successes and impacts

The Placement Awards not only celebrate individual and collective success but also reflect the growing impact of the placement programme. As the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences manages over 1,000 placements annually, this collaborative endeavour continues to grow, being seen as a valued part of a student’s journey and laying foundations for their future direction.

Martin Gore, said:

It’s always wonderful to hear all the incredible success stories of our students who have completed placements. The awards provide an opportunity to recognise some of them and also to thank employers, managers and staff who give so much to make these experiences possible. Tonight’s awards truly showed the transformational impact that a placement can have and I hope that they will inspire future students to consider taking that option.

Helen Stringer, Director of Employability, sent a message to all the students nominated:

You all demonstrate and exemplify what it means to be a University of Bath student – energy, drive, enthusiasm, professionalism and commitment. You have met challenges and opportunities head on, and had experiences to last a lifetime. You can start your final year with confidence, knowing what a bright future awaits.

We extend our congratulations to all this year’s award winners and invite everyone to continue building on these successful partnerships.

Testimonials

Social Work placement of the year - Wilshire Council Adult Mental Health Social Care Team

Nominated by Bethan Amy Hellard-Gair

Bethan Amy Hellard-Gair:

This experience has transformed my perspective of mental health, it showed me that if the right support is there then the images and conversation around mental health that we regularly see across the media is not always accurate.”

Helen Collins and Esmee Samara from Wilshire Council Adult Mental Health Social Care Team said:

Bethan brought so much to the table, curiosity, commitment to the learning process and always ready to step forward to support all of the team members.

Charity placement of the year winner - Locate International and SafeLives (joint winners)

Locate International nominated by Lucy Rice and Portia Anderson

Lucy Rice:

It’s really given me direction for after graduation, it’s meant that I’ve been able to narrow down the sort of roles that I would like to do, in leadership, in research; I’m really thankful to Locate for being able to do this placement.

Portia Anderson:

Doing my placement at Locate International has provided me with an insight into how working can be and also how to develop connections for future opportunities.

Dave Grimstead from Locate International

We would not have been able to get the charity to where it is today without the contributions of Lucy and Portia and other students

SafeLives nominated by Gina Nkwah

Gina Nkwah:

I felt as though every day the work we were doing was having a real impact to vulnerable groups whose voice is not often heard. Liz helped me understand the pioneering spirit that SafeLives brings to the area of domestic abuse, bringing prevention to the table for instance.

Liz Thompson Director of External Relations at SafeLives:

It has been fantastic working with Gina. If we’re worried about the future of the world we should stop, having seen the talent on display here at the placement awards I feel like we’re going to be ok! Gina has been a star, shown commitment, intellectual rigour and has been a really important part of the public affairs team at SafeLives. She’s contributed to everything from consultation papers going into government through to events in the houses of parliament celebrating a grant scheme that we run.

Department of Social & Policy Sciences (SPS) placement student of the year - Bailey Kent

Placement at the Department of Work and Pensions

Bailey Kent:

It has been an endlessly rewarding experience.