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UK Industrial Placements 2024

What is an Industrial Placement?
Sometimes also known as a sandwich placement, placement year or a year in industry, industrial placements are long term internships typically lasting between 6 and 12 months. They are generally run for students whose course has/allows a compulsory/voluntary third year work experience placement(s) at a company(ies) as part of their degree. The National Minimum Wage does not apply to work experience which is done as part of your studies, but the programmes listed below all pay at least the NMW.

What are the benefits of doing an industrial placement?
The main aim of an industrial placement is to put the theory that you learn as part of your course into a business context and to learn work based skills. The companies listed below who offer a placement year provide structured training so you should finish the year having learned a lot and developed new skills. Many companies use sandwich placements as a way of identifying future talent so often invite students who perform well on their placement to join their graduate entry scheme.

When are industrial placements available?
12 month industrial placements tend to run from August or September for 48-52 weeks, while 6 month placements tend to be more flexible in terms of start and end dates.

When can you apply for industrial placements?
You need to apply early for most schemes: 6-9 months in advance generally. We have listed application deadline dates below to help you plan your application schedule. Please apply early though because some companies fill their quotas before deadline day.

Are industrial placements compulsory?
The requirement to do a placement is dependant on your university, some universities allow students to decide if they wish to do one whereas some make you do one. Of course the aim is to benefit you as you gain valuable experience but be sure to check your university course requirements.

What sectors offer industrial placements?

The phrase “industrial placement” is often associated with engineering and manufacturing, but these placements are available in a wide range of sectors and business departments from sales, marketing, HR and business management to banking, accountancy and the public sector.


Check out some of the best industrial placements available in the UK for 2025 below.

Accenture

IT

6 or 12 month Industrial Placement

Deadline: Rolling

6 & 12 month consulting placements or a 12 month technology placement are available. Get stuck into hands on work on live projects and learn from a "buddy" who is there to give you advice where needed.

Airbus

Engineering

6-12 month Industrial Placement

Deadline: 31st December

Placements across the business including engineering, communications, finance, HR, IT and project management based at sites near Bristol and Chester.

Air Products

Engineering

12 month Industrial Placement

Deadline: Ongoing

Get real practical work experience, an insight of Air Products and the varied engineering work done, all of which will provide you with the opportunity to expand your knowledge of a career in engineering.

AkzoNobel

Engineering, R&D

12 month Industrial Placements

Deadline: 7th December

On top of its core paints and chemicals business, AkzoNobel is also famous for being sector leader in sustainability and an innovator in all sorts of industries, including consumer products, infrastructure, transport and aviation. Science or Engineering students can join them for a 12 month industrial placement in engineering or research and development. Relocation support is offered so apply wherever you are based.

Aldi

Retail

12 month Industrial Placement

Deadline: 30th April

Experience a range of roles within the business from store management to logistics and property, finishing with a project for your regional director. Placements available across the UK.

BAE Systems

Engineering / Defence

12 month Industrial Placements

Deadline: Ongoing

A range of placements available at BAE - throughout the UK. From finance placements to Business, Engineering and more - you will get the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of innovation. Excellent salaries provided!

Bank of America

Technology

6 & 12 month Industrial Placement

Deadline: 13th December

Industrial placements within Global Technology Infrastructure available between students' penultimate and final year of study. Find out what it really means to work with technology at a global investment bank.

Bank of England

Banking

13 month Industrial Placement

Deadline: 10th November

Spend 13 months at the Bank of England in London working as a project assistant, HR associate, or in IT. Open to undergraduate students studying any degree.

Celesio

Healthcare

1 year Industrial Placement

Deadline: 18th March

1 year paid HR (Human Resources) placement based in Coventry. A hands on placement which includes responsibility for social media accounts, managing recruitment technology and scheduling interviews. The placement year is supported by dedicated learning and development sessions to help maximise the time with Celesio UK.

Daimler Chrysler

Automotive

6 month Industrial Placement

Deadline: Ongoing

3 to 6 month placements at head office in Milton Keynes giving university students an introduction to Mercedes-Benz UK.

Deloitte

Professional Services

12 month Industrial Placement

Deadline: Rolling, so apply early

Find out what a career in Professional Services is really like with a year-long industrial placement in Audit & Assurance, Business & Financial Advisory, Governance, Risk & Regulation, Human Capital, Tax Consulting, or Technology. Help major clients solve fascinating problems.

Enterprise rent-a-car

Retail

3-12 month Placements

Deadline: Ongoing

Flexible management trainee placements available at 400 offices across the UK. Choose to work full time or part time alongside your studies. Flexible start and end dates can be arranged. Learn about marketing, sales, customer service, business management and administrative support with ongoing training and support.

EY

Professional Services

12 month Sandwich Placement

Deadline: Ongoing

Placements available at offices around the UK working similar roles to new graduates in most departments including: Audit, Tax, Corporate Finance, Technology and Fraud.

Fresh UK

Retail

12 month Placements

Deadline: Ongoing

Owned by LVMH, Fresh UK has 12 month retail placements across it's business including sales & operations, and customer relations. If you are interested in a career in luxury retail then a hands on placement with Fresh UK is a great opportunity. All placements are based in Oxford Circus, London.

GCHQ

Government

12 month Industrial Placement

Deadline: 30th November

51 week technology industrial placement based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Work on research and development projects in areas such as cyber security and software engineering.

ING Commercial Banking

Banking

9 Month Paid Internship

Deadline: Ongoing

ING, a global financial institution offering banking services, offers paid placements in London across numerous departments including: Human Resources, Legal, Information Security, Market Risk Management, HRIS & IT, and Corporate Communications.

KPMG

Professional Services

1 Year Business Placement

Deadline: Rolling, so apply early

1 year sandwich placement in audit, tax or technology consulting at offices across the UK offering both technical training and personal development opportunities.

Network Rail

Engineering

1 Year Industrial Placement

Deadline: 4th December

48 week industrial placements available across the business including business services, surveying, engineering, project management and finance. Placements available across the UK.

Peach Pubs

Hospitality

12 month Placement

Deadline: Rolling

Full or part time Commis Chef placement available at all Peach Pubs. As one of the UK's Top 25 Best Companies to work for, this is an amazing opportunity for hospitality students looking to complete their 48 week work placement. Work in an award-winning company, cooking awesome food with a chef team that will help springboard your career to new heights.

PwC

Professional Services

1 Year Business Placement

Deadline: Rolling, so apply early

11 month undergraduate work placements in assurance, HR, forensics, marketing, strategy, tax or technology at offices across the UK.

Rolls-Royce

Automotive

6-12 month Internships

Deadline: 8th January

Paid internships of 6-12 months available in Supply Chain Management, Project Management, Manufacturing Engineering, Purchasing and Materials Engineering. Spend your Industrial Placement finding out how Rolls-Royce deliver some of the most advanced engineering solutions in the world.

Screwfix

Retail

1 year undergraduate Placement

Deadline: 7th January

Screwfix is growing fast and has some great undergraduate placements across the business including Trade Counter & Property Development, Supply Chain, Retail, Marketing, International Trade, Digital Development, Customer Operations and Buying.

Sports Direct

retail

12 month Industrial Placements

Deadline: 16th December

1 year paid IT placements at sportsdirect.com. Choose from graphic design, web design, mobile app developer or digital marketing placements with one of the UK's largest sports retailers.

Tesco

Retail

10 week Industrial Placement

Deadline: Rolling

Industrial placements begin in July based at head office in Hertfordshire. Choose an area of the business such as merchandising, food science, buying, store design and retail planning.

Virgin Trains

Transport

12 month Industrial Placement

Deadline: 8th January

Business Analyst 12 month placement based in London Euston staring in July, ideal for an undergraduate student on a numerate degree such as maths, economics or operational research. This is a hands on placement with real analysis of the business and potential new projects and ideas.

Walt Disney World Resort

Catering / Hospitality / Leisure

Sandwich Placement / Internship

Deadline: Varies up to April depending on segment

As part of the International College Program J-1 Academic Exchange, students will travel to the United States and enroll in a U.S. institution, take courses recommended for credit by the American Council on Education, and work in the world-famous Walt Disney World Theme Parks and Resorts, gaining skills that will give them a competitive edge in today's job market.

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