Environmental Science fieldwork, Dartmoor
Work experience can come in many different forms: blocks of work related experience, a short two week work experience, a year-long industry placement, an internship, a volunteering experience linked to the curriculum, paid part-time employment linked to the curriculum, project/consultancy work. There are a varied range of experiences undergraduates and post graduates can participate in to develop their expertise. Staff may need to be creative when thinking about and supporting students to gain or recognise a wealth of experiences that enrich their employability. For example a student who is a school governor can be gaining a wide range of employability skills including committee working, strategic planning, chairing meetings, finance and budgeting, decision making to name a few.
The Work Experience diagram developed by the Employability Strategy Group identifies the diverse range of work experience opportunities in which students participate in and that academics can utilise within the curriculum.
Having work experience, particularly discipline-relevant experience, has been shown to make students more employable (Brooks and Youngson, 2016; Little and Harvey, 2006; Hall et al 2009, Lowden et al, 2011). Employers seek graduates with work experience (e.g. High Fliers, 2016; Wakeham, 2016) because it provides students with crucial exposure to the skills, attributes and experiences that employers require in the workplace e.g. commercial awareness, advanced problem-solving, interpersonal skills and resilience. Academics also report noticeable improvements in student motivation, attitude and attainment after students return from work experience (Jones et al, 2015); there is therefore a wider academic argument for the inclusion of work experience in the curriculum. 

Resources 

Dawes, F., Fox, S. and Gomez-Cash, O. (Undated). Developing a flexible framework for embedding work-based learning modules into the curriculum. Higher Education Academy with Lancaster University.

Graduate employability. Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching in association with Bond University, Curtin University and RMIT University Videos for Educators. 'Compulsory work experience?' 

Work experience abroad: the Prospects and Target websites carry regularly updated information about working in different countries, including: internships and work experience, volunteering, visas and immigration, working conditions, and how to explain your UK qualifications to employers. 

University of Middlesex 7 Benefits to Work Experience video. 

Student Stories audio and video resources. Search for 'Placement' and 'Work Experience'.