Opportunities to Build Skills and Work Experience
At the University of York Students' Union we offer various opportunities for students to develop themselves, and gain a whole host of skills and experience at the same time. Some of the opportunities include Sport, Volunteering and Societies. Across the University, there are also Placement and Entrepreneurial Opportunities that you can check out below.
Funding support is available through York Future Scholarships and Activities Access Grants.
You can navigate to relevant sections using the contents below:
YorkSU Opportunities
Academic Reps
Becoming an Academic Rep will not only give you a chance to improve the experience for students at the University, but you'll also gain some valuable skills. You'll be given full training and support from the YorkSU Student Voice team, as well as being part of a dynamic peer network of Reps across the University.
We have four levels of Academic Representation - our Academic Officer sits at the top, followed by:
Faculty Reps - there are 3 Faculty Reps (one for each Faculty), and they are elected in the Spring.
Department Reps - there are around 30 Department Reps, and they are recruited during late Spring.
Course Reps - there is at least one Course Rep for every course, so each year we have around 350-400 in total! They are elected during Semester 1.
You can read descriptions for all roles on this page.
Societies
The diverse types of societies at the University of York offer an array of opportunities for students to delve into fields such as media or to just start a new sport or hobby and socialise with students from your department.
Besides that, opportunities to become a rep is available through elections held every year during Semester 2.
The elected Societies Committee is made up of nine elected student Reps– one for each society category. They meet four times a semester to ratify new societies, allocate grants, and to report feedback and issues facing societies directly to the YorkSU Activities Officer.
Check out more information on Societies at the University of York here.
Sports Opportunities at YorkSU
College Sport
The college sport system at York offers all students the opportunity to get involved in sport at university in a fun and sociable environment.
There is a wide range of college sports, and you can choose to play as many or as little as you wish with your college sport membership.
You could also apply to be elected as a Sports Rep.
Sports Reps work within your respective college to help organise teams, support captains and run sports events throughout the year. These are an elected position within your college and elections take place in November each year.
For more information, follow this link to YorkSU's College Sport page.
Social Sport
Play for fun! No commitment, no pressure, no experience needed. Our social sport program gives you the opportunity to take part in a range of activities.
Turn Up and Play sessions - These are run by student volunteers, who are there to help with the basics and encourage everyone to take part. They can also advise you about further opportunities, if you find a love for a sport.
Social Sport Leagues - These are fun, semi-competitive opportunities for groups of friends, housemates or student groups to get together and play against others.
For more information, follow this link to YorkSU's Social Sport page.
University Sport
No matter your ability, you can choose from over 65 student clubs to join, from cheerleading to fencing, skydiving and triathlon. There is something for everyone!
Our sporting highlights include:
College Varsity (York versus Durham): The only inter-university college competition in the UK.
Roses (York versus Lancaster): The largest inter-university competition in Europe.
For more information, follow this link to the YorkSU's University Sport pages.
Leadership Opportunities
The opportunities within Sports, Societies and Volunteering at YorkSU are open to all, so if you just want to turn up and get involved each week, these are all open to you. However, if you are interested in gaining experience in a leadership capacity, and want to play a part in leading a group, and working alongside a committee in organising the activities that the group offers, you can also run in the group's election. If successful, on a committee you will be responsible for a certain part of the group, such as managing the group's finances, creating social media content or managing the group's emails.
Committee elections are held in Semester 2 each year, but positions become vacant throughout the academic year so do get in touch with the student group you're involved in if you are interested in a role on a committee.
Volunteering
Volunteering Opportunities with YorkSU
Volunteering Projects at University of York offer students the opportunity to build skills and give back to your community while making new friends. Whatever your reasoning for wanting to get involved, YorkSU provides a vast amount of opportunities for you to engage with through our Volunteering offer. From volunteering in the City Centre to support students during our club nights, or educating children in local schools, colleges and nurseries, there is something for everyone, no matter your interest.
Some volunteering projects also offer flexible opportunities for those looking for a low-commitment option, or those that have less time to give. Others may require more training which all provided as part of the volunteer role.
More information on volunteering at YorkSU can be found on the YorkSU Volunteering page.
York Students in Schools
York Students in Schools (YSIS) connects students with local schools and nurseries, so they can help make a difference to the lives of young people in York. The program is open to all students and helps to build skills and gain valuable work experience for any future career.
YSIS volunteers must dedicate half a day per week across a semester to support a school or nursery in York.
A typical placement will include pre-placement training during (Re-)Freshers week followed by 10 weeks on placement (including an initial visit).
YSIS offers a variety of roles, including Classroom and Language Assistants to English and Maths Tutoring.
To find out more about YSIS and how to get involved, click this link here.
Community Projects
Community projects are voluntary, team based and open to all University of York students. Build experience and gain new skills while giving back to the community.
Community projects offer a great opportunity to work in multi-disciplinary teams to tackle real-world challenges for local organisations, with a wide range of themes and topics.
Each project will support a community partner such as a school, museum or charity on a specific brief they have set to tackle a local challenge. Teams might conduct research, deliver an event or create a resource to make a positive impact in the community.
Projects are open to students from any academic discipline.
To find out more about Community Projects and how to get involved, click this link here.
Charity Volunteering
Each year hundreds of our students take on charity volunteering roles with a wide range of organisations in and around York who are looking for support from volunteers.
Students can volunteer with local charities to support a cause you care about, all while getting to know the community you’re studying in and enhancing their CV.
Roles are open to any student and the commitment varies between roles from a regular time each week to a one-off event.
To find out more about Community Projects and how to get involved, click this link here.
Placements
What is a Placement or Year in Industry?
The Placement Year program is open to almost all courses at the University of York. Some departments have their own programme, often called a Year in Industry. Check out the Year in Industry or Placement Year Guide (PDF , 79kb) to understand what your options are and contact the relevant coordinator for queries.
Get more information on the University of York's Placement programs site.
Entrepreneurial Opportunities
Resource and support
Check out the university resource and funding available for budding enterprises at University of York.
Programs and Networking
Where to start? (Book an appointment)
Expand Enterprise (3 day workshop)
Explore Enterprise (5 week course)
Year in enterprise (a year developing your business with support from the University and graduate with a "year in enterprise" as part of your degree)
Opportunities and partner programs (Apply for opportunities offered by partners and take advantage of significant support and investment)
Potential Funds
Proof of concept fund (Submit a developed commercial or social enterprise idea and you could receive up to £500 to test your idea out)
York Venture One (offers between £5,000 to £10,000 as either advance subscription or seed funding to help the development of an MVP)
Summer Accelerator (Spend the summer developing your business idea with access to £2,000, workspace and professional business coaching)
Part-Time Work
To find out more about working whilst you study, and what part-time jobs might be available during your time at York, visit the 'Working Whilst you Study' section of the Hub.
Funding Support
Funding is available from a range of different sources that can support you with the financial costs of getting involved in a range of different opportunities at York.
York Futures Scholarship
York Futures Scholarships are designed to support current students in improving their personal and professional development by allowing them to access experiences they would otherwise not be able to afford.
York Futures Scholarships are currently under review, and eligibility and application guidance will be updated on the University webpages from September 2024.
YorkSU Activities Access Grant
The YorkSU Activities Access Grant allows any members of sports clubs, societies, media groups or volunteering projects, to apply for reimbursement up to £80 of their membership fees AND a further £80 for other costs associated with participating in your activity (e.g. transport, equipment). Please note that this fund is subject to certain criteria focused on making participation more equitable and accessible.
BAME Development Fund
The BAME Student Development Fund is open to all BAME students at the University of York. This fund will allow BAME students to access financial support to engage in aspects of career development, skills training and local initiatives in York.
University of York Community Fund
The University Community Fund, supported by Portakabin, aims to encourage innovation and support volunteers/social entrepreneurs from the University to work with the community to address a community need.