Work experience

We are excited to launch the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust Work Experience Programme for 2026!

A Work Experience placement is a fantastic way to gain insight into careers in the NHS. There are so many different roles in the NHS which contribute to care for our patients.

Some jobs are ‘clinical’ which means directly related to patients and their treatment, such as nursing or physiotherapy. Others are ‘non-clinical’, such as communications, IT services or office work. We offer Work Experience placements in both clinical and non-clinical settings.

Work Experience can also be a valuable way of gaining experience of working in a team and developing skills useful for further study and work, for example communication and organisational skills.

In 2025, we were delighted to be awarded with the Silver Accreditation from NHS England, marking the quality of our Work Experience programme. Read more about this on the news section.

Applications for Work Experience for in 2026 are open throughout January 2026 for placements during 2026. This will be the only opportunity to apply until 2027. Due to resources places are limited, so please do take time on your application.

We have prepared a Guide for Work Experience Applicants which will help you through the application process. Please read through it very carefully before applying.

Who is eligble for Work Experience with Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust?

You MUST be aged between 15 and 19. 15 year olds can only undertake placements in non-clinical areas however.
You MUST attend school/college in the Wakefield Council or North Kirklees areas AND/OR reside in the Wakefield Council or North Kirklees areas AND/OR have a family member who works for the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust AND/OR be a Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust volunteer.
You MUST be able to provide evidence of MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccinations.

If you cannot meet Criteria 1,2 and 3, unfortunately we cannot offer you a placement with MYTT.

When do the placements take place?

A Work Experience placement with MYTT is for one week.

The Trust’s Work Experience programme for 2026 will offer placements during the following weeks:

w/c 30 March 2026 (Easter school/college holiday)
w/c 29 June 2026
w/c 6 July 2026
w/c 13 July 2026

We recommend you choose as many weeks as possible to maximise your chances of securing a place. However, please ensure you are available and that your education provider will allow you to attend. We cannot transfer places once allocated.

Where do placements take place?

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust (MYTT) is based around three hospitals, Dewsbury Hospital, Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, and Pontefract Hospital. Some teams also work in the community.

You are applying for a placement with the Trust – your placement could take place at one or more of our hospitals or in the community, depending on the work of the department. Students can use the Trust’s free 113 bus service to move between the three hospitals.

Placements are available in a variety of specialisms and departments across the Trust, both clinical and non-clinical. Please see our Guide for Work Experience Applicants for further information about each placement.

During each placement, students will spend two days on personal development, exploring NHS careers and receiving support for college and university applications. This includes spending time in our very own Health Care Academy. Students will spend three days shadowing Trust staff. All five days are equally important parts of your experience.

Occupational Health checks

All students wishing to participate in a Work Experience placement with the Trust must complete a pre-placement Occupational Health questionnaire. This is processed by the Trust's Occupational Health Department. They may contact you if further information is required or if extra support needs to be put in place. This is to protect both students and our vulnerable patient groups.

You will be required to provide evidence of your MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccinations as part of this process. Clearance from the Occupational Health Department is required for a placement to go ahead.

Applying for a placement

Work Experience with the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust is very popular and demand outstrips the number of placements which we can offer. We try to accommodate as many students as possible, but we have to go through a selection process to allocate placements.

Our Guide for Work Experience Applicants includes ‘top tips’ to help you to complete your application. We read every single application very carefully during the selection process so what you write really matters.

To apply for a placement, please fill in the MYTT Work Experience Application Form.

The closing date for applications is Saturday 31 January 2026.

Access into Medicine Course (AIM)

MYTT is passionate about inspiring the next generation of doctors and healthcare professionals. For the past few years, the MYTT Medical Education team have hosted Access into Medicine courses for Year 11 and Sixth Form students who are interested in a future career in Medicine.

AIM is a one-day course at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield. Courses will take place on the following dates in 2026:
• Monday 22 June
• Tuesday 23 June
• Wednesday 24 June

Read more details in the Guide to the Access into Medicine Course.

You can register your interest in attending the AIM course on your Work Experience application form.

Hear from cardiology work experience students at MYTT

We asked some of our 2025 work experience students how they found working at our Trust!

Aliyyah said: I’ve found this experience insightful and it’s given me more of an idea of what a career in medicine would be like if I specialised in cardiology. I really liked observing the echo as it’s so interesting to see the different mechanisms and structures of the heart. The team were really nice and answered all our questions about the images.

Ruby said: This week has been really insightful and helped me to find out a lot about what I want to do going forward. I’ve had a wide range of opportunities and shadowed lots of different areas, allowing me to see what goes on behind the scenes and ask lots of questions - which has helped me a lot!

Aliyyah and Ruby sitting in cardiology

Hear from medical work experience students at MYTT

We asked some of our 2025 work experience students how they found working at our Trust!

Kesiya said: "It's been great! I have been fascinated to see how everything works together in the hospital, especially between different departments. Emergency care is definitely a career route I'm interested in as I found the variety of work suited me."

Ibraheem said: "I have found the work experience really interesting. It has helped me discover that I'd like to work in emergency medicine in the future. I have managed to spend time across quite a few of the medical teams, spending time in same day emergency care (SDEC), shadowed a few GPs, and spent some time in ophthalmology, which was the area I found most interesting."

James said: “I have rather enjoyed my work experience. I’ve really enjoyed the patients and being on the wards. I think it’s really useful to know about what goes on inside the NHS and how it all works as well, particularly since I do want to become an Occupational Therapist.”

Kesja and Ibrheem on work experience

NHS Cadets and volunteering opportunities

NHS Cadets programme

The NHS Cadets Programme is a national initiative designed to help develop the future NHS workforce. We are proud to partner with this program at both our Dewsbury and Pinderfields Hospital sites. For more information on how you can join, visit: NHS Cadets | St John Ambulance

Volunteering opportunities

If you can commit 3-4 hours a week for six months, volunteering with us is a fantastic way to develop new skills and gain exposure to health and social care settings.

Ages 16-17: You can apply to volunteer during our specific recruitment windows. Our next window opens in February. Visit our volunteering page for details.
Ages 18+: You can apply to volunteer anytime via our volunteering page.

Unlike work experience, volunteering offers the chance to take on an autonomous role, working directly with staff and patients. All volunteer roles are non-clinical and provide a valuable way to build experience in a healthcare setting. Visit: Volunteering | Mid Yorks

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact us at: midyorks.workexperience@nhs.net