Year in Industry

• An opportunity to engage with motivated and enthusiastic students who will offer fresh perspectives and add value to your organisation.
• A chance to invest in the next generation of engineering talent by upskilling placement students with the technical and non-technical skills industry requires.
• An opportunity to review placement students performance and potential for future sponsorship and / or recruitment.
• A chance to raise your organisation's profile on campus among future engineering talent.
• Cost effective additional staff resource.
• Access to a potential future collaboration opportunities with a leading University (e.g., mentoring,  embedded industry projects, research, and access to research facilities).

Students on the following degree programmes can complete a Year in Industry:

• Aerospace Engineering 
• Civil Engineering 
• Design Engineering
• Engineering Mathematics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering 
• Mechanical and Electrical Engineering 
• Mechanical Engineering

Students will apply for placements during their second year of study and start their Year in Industry after successfully passing their second year exams.

The Year in Industry team in the Industrial Liaison Office will provide support before, during and after the Year in Industry.

This includes: 

• Advertising and promoting your placement opportunities to engineering students.
  • Contact the Year in Industry team with details of your placement opportunity.
  • We can also provide our Placement Opportunities Form which you can complete with details of your placement roles.
• Providing your organisation with opportunities to engage with engineering students through Talks, Professional Skills workshops (e.g., mock interviews), Technical Challenges and Networking Events (including Careers Fairs). 
• Coordinating the approvals process for placement opportunities and secured placements.
• Ensuring placement students receive training on professional behaviours and Health and Safety before their placements start.
• Support placement students and organisations during the Year in Industry:
  • Provide an Academic Supervisor who will assess the students Year in Industry university reports and presentations.
  • Schedule regular drop-in sessions to check in with placement students during their Year in Industry.

To satisfy the University of Bristol and Faculty of Science and Engineering requirements, a Year in Industry MUST:

• Be between 9 and 12 months in duration and meet working time regulations. 
• Be salaried at a minimum rate of the National Living Wage
  
  • We strongly advocate for students to receive a placement salary set at the respective National Living Wage.
  • For reference, the average salary for our 2026/2027 placement students is £25, 000 per annum.
• Ensure the students are classed as full-time employees and subject to the terms and conditions of the company, and related Employment legislation and Health & Safety legislation (see ACAS guidance).
• Provide the student with technically challenging work that allows them to meet the Intended Learning Outcomes for the Year in Industry and the associated assessments.
• Provide the student with opportunities for professional developement that allows them to meet the Intended Learning Outcomes for the Year in Industry, and the UK-SPEC Competences.
• Allocate the student a suitably trained and competent line manager (Industrial Supervisor), who is responsible for the student's work, professional mentoring and wellbeing during their placement.
• Meet University of Bristol requirements for placements on taught programmes.

All placement opportunities and secured placements will be reviewed and approved by our team to ensure they meet the criteria indicated above.

• Email the Year in Industry team at engf-yearinindustry@bristol.ac.uk with details of your placement opportunity.
  • We can provide you with our Placement Opportunities Form to complete.
• We will review and approve your Year in Industry placement opportunity before advertising it to our students.
  • All placement opportunities must meet our minimum requirements (shown above).
• Students directly apply to your organisation and you will arrange relevant assessments and interviews.
• Once a student has accepted a placement offer, you will issue them with a contract of employment. The student will inform the university that they have accepted a placement job offer.
• The University MUST then conduct due diligence checks for each placement offered. This will involve:
  • Academic approval to ensure the placement meets our intended learning outcomes and UK-SPEC competences.
  • Health & Safety approval to confirm relevant insurance and H&S practices are in place. Additional documentation (liability insurance, compliance with Equality Act 2010) will be requested to complete the Health & Safety approval.
  • Confirmation that the placement is in line with the university's Guidance for Student Placements on Taught Programmes.
  • Issuing a Letter of Engagement (which sets expectations and responsibilities during the placement) for you to sign. 

Email us at engf-yearinindustry@bristol.ac.uk to discuss your placements opportunities and for support with any questions.

Before the placement begins:

• Return the required details and paperwork in a timely manner. This will include:
  • Detailed job description and professional mentoring/ line management statement confirming that the Year in Industry placement meets the University's placement criteria.
  • Health and Safety information.
  • Copy of Public Liability and Employer's Liability insurance.
  • Confirmation that the company operates in accordance with employer's statutory responsibilities on equality and wellbeing.
  • Signed and dated Letter of Engagement (issued by the University).
• Allocate the student a line manager (industrial supervisor).
  • The line manager is responsible for the student's work, professional development and wellbeing during their placement.
• If recruiting student visa holders, please refer to our Student Visas website and UKCISA website for additional guidance.

During the placement:

• Read guidance provided by the university for the Year in Industry.
• Provide clear onboarding and induction to the student.
• Provide the student with technically challenging work and opportunities for professional development.
• The university will assign the student an Academic Supervisor (a University of Bristol academic).
• The Academic Supervisor will visit the student and their line manager at least twice during the placement. These visits will be either virtual or in-person and are linked to the student's Year in Industry assessments.
• Students will complete three assessments during their Year in Industry. These will be assessed by their Academic Supervisor, with feedback required from the student's line manager:
  • Initial Assessment report and presentation (due in November/ December)
  • Mid-Placement review and Professional Development Plan (due in March)
  • Final Assessment report and presentation (due in May/ June)
• As the placement provider, you are required to undertake a review of the students' progress on a regular basis throughout the placement, and support their professional development.
• Both the student and company maintain contact with the university during the placement, and provide feedback at the end of the Year in Industry.

After the placement:

• Provide feedback to the student on their Year in Industry.
• Provide feedback to the university and Year in Industry team. 
• Engage with the Year in Industry team to recruit future placement students.