The longer people can spend doing work experience in the UK the better for both employers and individuals, it has been claimed.

Harvey Francis, executive vice-president of HR at Skanska UK, told PM Online that from a business' perspective, the more time a person has had exposed to a commercial environment, the more employable they may be.

He stated that an eight-week work experience in the UK placement will give prospective candidates exposure to more real-life situations and see them receive more training, both of which will be highly valued by employers.

"We would hope that individuals had developed more competence in eight weeks than they would have in two. In eight weeks, the amount of training you are getting is much greater, so there's a lot of value in it," Mr Francis told the news provider.

Universities minister David Willetts recently said that research from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Higher Education Careers Services Unit which showed those who study part-time have helped a third of employers take a more positive view of combining employment with a course highlights the importance of combining experience with academic attainment.
 

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