Work experience

King’s Work Experience

King’s supports local young people who are interested in pursuing healthcare careers by offering 4-to-5-day clinical and non-clinical Work Experience placements. Participants are matched with passionate mentors based on their career interests. Participants gain invaluable experiences while learning about the work environment, job duties and skills necessary for success. Following their placement week, participants are invited to training sessions that cover standout CV writing and how to prepare for and communicate in job interviews.

“The kindness I’ve experienced at King’s College Hospital not only allowed me to observe surgery. It gave me the opportunity to talk to patients, shadow the clerical staff, nursing staff, plaster techs, and the doctors and surgeons. As someone who aspires to be a doctor and enter medical school next year, it has been nothing short of invaluable. It gives me the strength and motivation to push on, assuring me that medicine and a career in the NHS is best suited to me and my personality.”

King’s Work Experience Participant

Upcoming placement dates

• Monday 31 July to Friday 4 August 2023
• Monday 23 October to Friday 27 October 2023
• Monday 12 February to Friday 16 February 2024
• Monday 8 April to Friday 12 April 2024
• Tuesday 28 May to Friday 31 May 2024

Eligibility criteria for young people

• Current secondary school student not attending a private school.
• Between the ages of 16 and 18 years during the year of their placement.
• Lives in Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Orpington or Bromley.

Placement sites

Placements take place at our King’s College Hospital and Princess Royal University Hospital sites.

Types of placements offered

We have a growing base of professionals who are looking to support the next generation of healthcare workers. Roles vary per placement week and are dependent on the availability of mentors.

Non-clinical teams

• Equality, diversity and inclusion
• Learning and organisational development
• Project management
• Quality improvement

Clinical teams

• Cardiac physiology
• Child health
• Echocardiography
• Emergency medicine
• Hepatology
• Histopathology
• Liver care
• Neurophysiology
• Nursing
• Orthopaedics
• Orthoptics, optometry and ophthalmic imaging
• Pharmacy

How to apply

Download, complete and submit this participant application form to [email protected] at least 6 weeks before your chosen placement week begins.

DFN Project Search

For the 2022-23 academic year, the Trust has partnered with DFN Project SEARCH and local colleges to provide internships for young people with learning disabilities and/or autism at King’s College Hospital and the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH).

DFN Project SEARCH is a national programme for people aged 18 to 24 years old with learning disabilities and/or autism to gain work experience. The programme provides real life work experience combined with opportunities to develop life skills to help young people with learning difficulties make successful transitions from school to adult life. Project SEARCH is a collaboration with the DFN Foundation. The programme began in the UK in 2008 and today runs over 70 schemes throughout the UK and Europe. They have supported more than 1,500 young people into paid work.

We are working with DFN Project SEARCH, Lambeth College, London South East Colleges, Lambeth Council, Bromley Council, Unity Works and Mencap to facilitate placements for interns from September 2022.

Our interns

The interns will gain a year’s worth of experience in different departments of the hospital, including clinical areas, clinical support services and corporate services. The placements they undertake are assigned based on their skills, abilities and interests.

Each intern will spend 10 to 12 weeks in each of their three placements before graduating in July 2023.

A member of King’s staff will provide mentorship to each intern. The mentor will work alongside them during their placement, providing training and guidance. The interns also receive support to complete their final year of education from their on-site job coach and tutor.

Find out more

If you would like to find out more about the programme, please visit the Project SEARCH website.