The University of Aberdeen has been listed as one of the top three Universities in the UK for Work Experience in the 2025 Rate My Placement Awards.
Five hundred of the industry’s finest came together celebrate the outstanding achievements of Employers and Universities in providing work experience for students and to find out where they’d placed in the rankings.
Coming third in the top 50 Universities for Work Experience - the first Scottish univeristy to finish in the top three and a rise of 12 places since 2024 - is particularly special given the ranking is solely based on student feedback on the support provided by their University.
Tracey Innes, head of the University’s careers service, said: “We really do put our students at the heart of everything we do, so this is a terrific result for the careers and employability service team.
“In addition to supporting students to independently secure work experience, the team have work extremely hard to develop, launch and continually grow the now fully formed ABDN Internship Programme which provides high-quality, paid internships for students.
“In the short time since its inception, the programme has seen over 135 students interning with over 100 organisations. The programme provides a true win-win, as students bring the kinds of skills needed to make a real impact on projects in the host organisation, while students build evidence of the skills and experience needed for their own career success.”
Designed to be fully inclusive, the ABDN Internship Programme is open to all students across every discipline and all study levels. One student highlighted its accessibility, stating: “No previous work experience is required,” and praised the 10-hour-per-week structure as manageable alongside studies.
The team has worked tirelessly to develop efficient, fair and effective application and selection processes, using innovative shortlisting methods. The system and process minimises the time burden for employers in selecting the best candidates, while ensuring applicants can learn from the application experience through constructive feedback, and gain valuable insights to improve future applications.
The employer engagement team continues to expand partnerships to secure diverse opportunities that align with students’ aspirations. One employer praised the interns, saying: “The engagement and interest from the interns was amazing… the quality of the end result was better than expected.”
Commenting on the award, Gary Coull, employer engagement manager recognises the role employers play in supporting students: “I’d also like to give a special thank you to our brilliant employer partners for giving students such impactful and career-enhancing experiences. This is a true partnership and we share this success with you.”
Rate My Placement, founded in 2007, is the UK's leading jobs board for students seeking paid placements, internships and insight schemes. They work with over 100 universities, and over 200 employers, to help students from a variety of degrees find work experience and gain insight from real student reviews.
The University of Aberdeen provides students with a wide menu of internship opportunities in conjunction with partner organisations. Any employers interested in finding out how to get involved with the University’s ABDN Internship programme should contact employers@abdn.ac.uk