1. Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures
  2. School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
  3. Undergraduate
  4. Italian
  5. Work placements

Work placements

Two students using audio and translation technology.

On your year abroad you may have the opportunity to undertake a work placement. 

If you choose to take a work placement year you will spend 9 to 12 months in Italy.

Internships

You can secure a work placement by identifying your own opportunities or using our network of contacts. We’ll provide details of current placement opportunities and provide you with the details of companies that have provided placements for our students in the past.

You’ll receive support and guidance to find a suitable placement from the School’s Work Placement Officer, the Residence Abroad team and the University Careers Centre. You'll also be able to network with returning fourth-year students to ask about opportunities, their experiences and general advice for finding the right placement.

Some of the companies where our students have completed work placements in the past include:

  • Globally Speaking (Rome)
  • Intrawelt (Porto Sant'Elpidio)
  • Studio Moretto Group Srl (Brescia)
  • Università degli Studi di Pavia (Pavia)
  • Studio Legale (Milan)

British Council Foreign Language Assistant

This highly popular opportunity allows you to spend 9 months in Italy or Switzerland as a British Council Language Assistant teaching English as a foreign language to secondary school students under the supervision of the resident English language teacher. You'll be fully immersed in the Italian language, acquire vital work experience and become integrated into an established teaching community. 

The British Council scheme is also open to final year students after graduation.

Work experience as you study

You can work during the University holidays or part-time during the year to gain valuable experience. The University offers a range of exclusive short-term internships with a range of employers and there are often opportunities on campus too. 

Volunteering is another way to develop valuable skills alongside your language degree. At Leeds there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in, including being on the committee for your halls of residence, working on a Leeds University Union community project and volunteering for a charity in the Leeds vicinity.