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If you’re looking to get the best out of your career then Aston University in Birmingham may be just the place to study at the moment. They are one of the universities who really realise just how important work placements and work experience can be if you want to secure the most rewarding jobs in future years.

This week, Aston University - along with Birmingham City Council - announced plans to establish a specialist engineering college for 14-19 year-olds concentrating on diplomas, work experience opportunities and apprenticeships.

It is thought that the £18 million Aston University Engineering Academy, expected to open in 2012 will look to accommodate between 600 and 800 young students each year.

Also this week, John Bailey - the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Business Partnerships and Knowledge Transfer at Aston University - won an award at the annual Lord Stafford Awards which recognised his work at the university over the last 30 years. He has spent the best part of his time at the university trying to improve the link between campus life and the world of business.

Bailey joined the university back in 1976 and has been instrumental in various initiatives which further the importance of work experience. Almost as soon as he took up residence at Aston he began an industrial placement programme which helped place over 400 students each year in work experience of various disciplines. Bailey’s model became a paradigm which is still used today by other institutes who wish to develop work experience programmes.

Lord Stafford, the Patron of the awards said that in the current economic climate, “it is more important than ever that companies look to the future and seek the support that is available from universities and other research institutions, in order to enable them to become stronger and better able to adapt.”

Bailey also worked closely with the Business Partnership Unit on various innovative initiatives securing over £30 million worth of funds. In the last five years the unit has contributed to over a hundred knowledge transfer partnerships. If you would like to take a step up the ladder today, then start by searching our internship pages for the latest work experience placements all over the country.