Financial services firms have taken the first three slots in a league table ranking the UK’s best employers for work experience placements and internships, with professional services organisations dominating the top 10 overall.
Number one in the survey compiled by RateMyPlacement.co.uk, a student review website, was Barclays Investment Banking arm, which leapt up 13 places from last year’s ranking of 14.
Jane Clark, head of Barclay’s campus recruitment, corporate and investment banking, said that the firm attempted to offer “constructive experiences for both internship and placement students through programmes that provide a real insight into the organisation and allow students to develop their skills and knowledge of the industry”.
Therefore, to be rated number one by the students “who have ‘been here and done it’” was a “great accolade”, she added.
Accountancy firm Grant Thornton was next on the list after having dropped down from last year’s poll position, while PwC came in third, rising one place from number four in 2011.
Fourth position was taken by law firm Linklaters, which moved from fifth last year, while Ernst & Young jumped 14 places to take the number five slot. Then came accountants BDO, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, professional services firms KPMG and Deloitte, followed by financial services firm Morgan Stanley.
Oliver Sidwell, co-founder of RateMyPlacement.com, said: “In today’s climate with rising tuition fees, relevant work experience is now a ‘must have’ for employers, so given their increasing significance, we think it is important to recognise and showcase the companies that offer the best schemes.”
New entries that broke into the top 50 for the first time, meanwhile, came from the entertainment and fashion sectors. They included film companies, Warner Brothers and The Walt Disney Co, which came in at 37 and 46 respectively, while fashion retailer ASOS also made its debut at 44.
