Placements within the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics
Develop your skills, knowledge and confidence and return better placed to meet the challenges of the final year
Simon Taylor
Placements & Employer Liaison Adviser
Pre-Placement module lead (Technology & Engineering)
Careers Service
Increasingly so, employers are actively recruiting graduates with actual work experience behind them. This makes for a competitive graduate job market, but there are some simple choices you can make throughout your university experience that can really help you. Deciding on completing a ‘placement year’ is an excellent way to gain that competitive edge, in time for when the graduation schemes launch.
What is a placement?
What are the key benefits of a placement year?
One year in duration, based normally within the UK (overseas is a possibility) and within a job role that has relevance to your programme of study. A placement will allow you to experience first-hand a professional working environment where you will be able to advance your knowledge of the internal working practices of a company, whilst developing as an individual.
What are the key benefits of a placement year?
- Get a taste of your chosen career and gain self-confidence
- Earn some money whilst gaining experience. Placements on average pay between £14,000 and £19,000 per year, depending on location
- Gain professional knowledge and skills that will help you towards the successful completion of your final year of study
- Start building your own network of contacts and connections in industry
- Gain key ‘employability skills’. Employers favour graduates with real and relevant work
- Experience who then evidence graduate attributes and skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving
- Various placements can lead to full-time employment at graduate level, with the same company.
What help will you receive from the University?
Plenty! In year one and year two, you have a dedicated ‘pre-placement module’ designed to help you with each stage of securing a placement. We also have a dedicated Careers Service, open five days a week, which can offer a number of services. While on placement you will be allocated a ‘placement tutor’ from your faculty team who will visit you and stay in regular contact.
For a number of years, our University students have seen the benefits of placements. We, therefore, have various employers/placement providers we work with year on year. We also look to expand upon this and we can also support you in approaching companies of your choice.
Civil and coastal engineering placements
Find out more about our students' inspiring placementsOur students talk about and share their experiences of industrial work placements
Computing placements
Find out more about our students' inspiring placementsThe computing degree students at the University of Plymouth have been highly successful in obtaining positions in top-class companies. The students have taken on placements at well-known multinational companies, such as: IBM, Intel, HP and Microsoft
Electronics placements
Find out more about our students' inspiring placementsOn your placement, you will find yourself working with a whole range of professionals, from new engineering graduates, right through to experts with years of experience
Mathematics placements
Find out more about our students' inspiring placementsA placement will help you develop across a wide range of mathematical and non-mathematical aspects of working life. In this context you can see the value of attention to detail, creative problem solving and abstraction in a whole host of areas
Careers Service
We offer students, graduates and employers quality and impartial information, advice and guidance. Whether you are a student looking for part-time work, a graduate wanting to kickstart your career or an employer looking to raise your profile or promote specific jobs, we can help.