Industrial placement year at university

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Students heading to university have more degree options to choose from than ever before. As well as there being a greater range of subjects, degrees are now customisable in ways they've never been before.

A growing number of courses now offer an optional industrial placement year, sometimes also known as a 'sandwich' year. Doing an industrial placement year will usually turn a three year course into a four year one - you'll spend the extra year working in your chosen industry, learning 'on the job' so to speak.

If you’re wondering what an industrial placement exactly involves, or if a year in industry is for you, read on for our comprehensive guide.

What's an industrial placement year?

An industrial placement year is one year of your course – usually the third year – where instead of going to lectures you go to work, where you’ll learn practical skills relevant to your course.

You’ll still be considered a full-time student during your placement year, and will complete an additional year of university-based study afterwards, making the average three-year course four years in duration.

Some courses in which hands-on experience is vital to learning – like medicine, nursing and teaching – have always included compulsory placements; placement years have also long been highly encouraged, if not always mandatory, with other 'hands on' courses like engineering as well.

Now, more courses are offering students the option of getting some real work experience while still studying for their degree. Business studies, marketing, pharmacology and even music are just some of the subjects you can study at degree level with the option of a year of practical training included.

Why should you do an industrial placement year?

Leaving aside courses for which it’s necessary in order to pass (would you like to be treated by a doctor who’d never seen a real patient before?), there are lots of reasons to do an industrial placement year.

First of all, putting all the theory you’ve learned into practice can really help you get to grips with your course. Actually using the skills you’ve learned will help solidify the knowledge in your mind, as well as helping you understand why they’re important, and what they’re used for in the real world. All that theory work will begin to make a lot more sense.

Secondly, placement years look great on your CV. It’s a tough job market for graduates where any work experience is a boost, so a whole year spent getting practical experience in your chosen field could be what it takes to catch an employer’s eye.

You could even line up a job while you’re still studying – it’s not at all uncommon for companies to offer students on placement a permanent role once they graduate, if they do a good job.

Plus, if you’re unsure about exactly what you want to do once you graduate, a placement can help make up your mind – you’ll soon decide whether or not you like a job once you’re doing it every day.

If you work with a big enough company, there might also be the opportunity to explore different roles within the sector, helping you choose which job you enjoy the most and where your skills most naturally lie, so you know where to target your applications after you finish your course.

You’ll continue to reap the benefits once you’ve secured a graduate job too, as a placement will prepare you for coping in a real working environment in a way that a degree on its own can’t, so you should find the transition from student to employee much easier.

Did we mention the money?

The good news is yes, when on your industrial placement year, you'll earn a salary (yay!). It won't be as much as you'd probably earn in your field one you've graduated but it should still be a decent wage. How much you get will depend on the size of company you work for and what industry you're in.

Even better, you'll still be eligible to get some student loan money during your placement year. For 2023/24, the tuition fee rate is £1,250 for UK/EU students on a placement year and you can apply for a loan from Student Finance the same way you would for other years of your course.

For students on paid or unpaid placements in the UK, you can get a reduced maintenance loan of £2,940 for those living at home, or £4,524 for those living in London. These are not means-tested. For those on unpaid service placements, you can get the normal rate of maintenance loan.

Any downsides?

Although you won’t be attending uni for the duration of your placement year you’ll still have to pay fees, though these are usually largely discounted and will hopefully be offset by your earnings for the year. Taking a sandwich year will typically extend the duration of your course by one year, so it may not be ideal for those who want to qualify quickly.

Real-life student experience

Still not convinced? We spoke to Jules, who told us she’s very glad she did a placement in a research lab as part of her biochemistry BSc in London.

“The working environment is very different from a university studying environment, so it really helped me prepare for work,” she said.

“The specific differences were working with other people, working on long term projects rather than say, doing one essay them moving on to the next one, and having to plan my time over a working week instead of being able to stay up till midnight to finish something. Also doing things for real was fun and made me decide I really did want to work in that area.”

In conclusion

Optional industrial placement years are just that – optional. If you’d rather finish your degree quickly or don’t want to pay fees for an additional year there are other ways you can get great practical work experience, like a summer internship or part-time job.

Plus, if you’re enrolled on a more theory-based arts course there’s far less emphasis on practical skills and work experience. However, if you don’t mind devoting another year to your studies, a placement year could be a brilliant experience that gives you a better understanding of your course and helps you get a job at the end of it – what’s not to like?

Next:

- Start searching for courses with placement years

Industrial placement year at university - should you do one?