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Work experience

We currently offer two work experience programmes:

King's Work Experience

King’s Work Experience

King’s supports local young people who are interested in pursuing healthcare careers by offering one-to-five-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.

Upcoming placements

Placement dates Applications due Decision emails sent
 Tuesday 28 May to Friday 31 May 2024  Tuesday 16 Apr 2024  Friday 26 Apr 2024
 Monday 29 Jul to Friday 2 Aug 2024  Monday 17 Jun 2024  Friday 28 Jun 2024
 Monday 28 Oct to Friday 1 Nov 2024  Monday 16 Sept 2024  Friday 27 Sept 2024

Eligibility (all criteria must be met)

  • Between the ages of 16 and 19 years.
  • Lives in Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Orpington or Bromley.
  • Current secondary school student, with priority to those not attending a private school.

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
  • Finance
  • Human resources
  • International and private patient services
  • Learning and organisational development
  • Occupational health
  • Project management
  • Quality improvement

Clinical teams

  • Acute medicine
  • Anaesthesiology
  • Cardiology
  • Child health
  • Gastroenterology
  • Haematology
  • Hepatology
  • Histopathology
  • Liver care
  • Nursing
  • Occupational therapy
  • Orthopaedics
  • Orthoptics, optometry and ophthalmic imaging
  • Surgery
  • Radiography
  • Pharmacy
  • Urology

How to apply

If you meet all eligibility requirements, please complete and submit this participant application form to [email protected] at least 6 weeks before your chosen placement week begins.

DFN Project SEARCH

DFN Project Search

For the 2023-24 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 2023.

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 2024.

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.

Other opportunities

There are also other ways you can get involved with the Trust, including:

For all other work experience enquiries, please email [email protected]

NHS Careers Untapped

NHS Careers Untapped is a series of podcasts and webinars developed by 10 London Trusts working in partnership and supported by the Talent for Care and Widening Participation programme. They showcase NHS staff working in various roles, finding out exactly what they do, how they came to be working in that job and what they love the most about it.

The podcasts and webinars are for all young people aged between 13 and 18 and careers advisors. They cover careers including an audiologist, an operating department practitioner, a peer experience manager, a pharmacy technician and many more.

The podcasts are accessible via this link and streaming platforms such as Apple and Spotify.