Microsoft were named the “Best Placement and Internship Employer” at the inaugural national placement and internship awards. 

The awards, designed to celebrate excellence within student work placements and internships, were launched by the undergraduate recruitment website RateMyPlacement.co.uk and were sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Well over 100 representatives from leading UK recruiters and universities attended the ceremony at Oxford Brookes. 

Barclays Capital won an award for diversity whilst the prize for the “Best New Provider of Work Experience” went to Research in Motion. Aston and Brunel universities were also recognised for the services provided to their students, whilst £2,000 in prize money was shared between the UCL Economics & Finance Society and a student from Aston University for his outstanding achievements whilst on placement. 

RateMyPlacement.co.uk co-founder, Ali Lindsay, said: “Desire amongst students for work experience has never been greater and our awards have showcased the outstanding work that goes on within organisations, universities and by students involved in placements and internships. With the current explosion in student work placements, driven by the need to gain relevant skills and increase employability, it’s essential that there are ways for students to find out which schemes are worth applying for and the awards and the RateMyPlacement website are the first place to start.” 

RateMyPlacement.co.uk allows students to rate and review their experiences with employers and from this database of unique, student-generated reviews we are able to establish the leading providers. These reviews determined the RateMyPlacement Top 20 Employers which can be seen below. Other Award categories were open to entries and nominations. 

The top 20 best placements & internship employers