In recent years, the competitiveness for graduate jobs has hit a new record-high. Following two years of a slump in new positions for fresh grads, new roles are being met with the highest average number of applicants than they ever have done. And as such, employers are looking for students who really stand out against the rest - usually those who have demonstrated experience and success within a given industry. 

Since the growing demand for employers looking for job candidates with work experience, placement years have become even more important for students to gain a competitive edge over their peers. In fact, a recent study shows that two thirds of employers look for candidates with relevant work experience. 

A placement year is a perfect opportunity for students to gain a year of work experience and demonstrate on their CV that they have gained a lot of relevant skills for the future workplace. For example, working in a team, networking with professionals and getting used to the office environment are all things that will give you a head-start on other applicants that don’t have this experience. 

A placement year is something that universities often incorporate into their degree program so students have the opportunity to build these skills and gain insight into what the future workplace could look like. If you are not a student at university or aren’t planning on going to university, you can still take a year to do work experience in an industry that you are interested in. Most jobs that students in their placement year do include internships and entry level positions and this is something that you can do even if you’re not at university.

What is a placement year?

A placement year, sometimes called a ‘year in industry,’ is an additional academic year that universities integrate into their undergraduate degree programs. The aim of this is to give students an opportunity to not only get work experience, but also help them decide what career they want to pursue after graduation. The placement year usually happens during students’ third year of study, and after having completed their placement, they return to university to finish their final year of academia. 

Some university programs have compulsory placement years in their degree; Aston University in Birmingham is an example of this. Many undergraduate degrees at Aston University include a year in industry which helps the students employment rate post graduation. The university helps students with this process through their links with various businesses and industries. Aston University believes that “knowledge is nothing without real world experience”. 

During a placement year, students usually work full time for the company, but will have work for their degree to complete during the year. This could be in the form of an end of year presentation or assignment. The work students will need to complete isn’t very time consuming as universities are aware they will be working full time. 

Do you get paid for a placement year?

Placement years give students the opportunity to experience a real-world workplace environment for an academic year, and as such, they will work full time hours and are usually paid like any other employee. The pay may not be as much as an entry level position, as many placement year roles are as interns, but it is usual for students to get paid for this year of work. There may be circumstances where you don’t get paid for the placement year, but the financial situation of such can be discussed with your university placement board for advice and guidance. 

It’s also important to remember that if you choose to do a placement year, you will still get a maintenance loan for that year. The loan will be at a reduced rate during the placement year as it’s usual for students to move back home to live with their family or caregivers during this time, but the loan should still help you with expenses during this year! 

Do you pay tuition fees for a placement year?

You do still need to pay tuition fees for your year in placement. Along with your maintenance loan, you are still entitled to your tuition loan for this year as well so you don’t need to worry about paying it back during the year. The tuition fees for a placement year are much lower than a regular study year at university and will not exceed 20% of the standard annual university tuition fee. 

You are still required to pay tuition fees because you will still be receiving guidance and some tutor support from your university and it will still count towards your final grade, and of course, look good on your future job applications! If your placement year doesn’t go to plan, or something unexpected happens, your university placement team will be there to offer support and guidance and, if need be, help you find a different placement. Some students opt to spend this year abroad, so it’s important you still remain in close contact with your university team.

When do placement years start?

As mentioned above, your placement year will take place during the third year of your four year undergraduate degree. You will get help and guidance from your university to help prepare for applications, but it’s a good idea to start applying as early as possible. If you are looking to do a placement with a big corporation it’s especially important to start preparing early as some places close their applications early due to so many applicants. 

Rate my placement is a good website to use to look for placement opportunities, and many of those get posted around August/September time of your second year at university. To start looking at jobs for your placement year then will give you enough time to apply to many places and perfect your application. During your second year at university, your careers team will help you to work on your CV and cover letter for placement applications.  

After you have decided upon a placement, these often will start during the summer of your third year, around July or August time. They will not start before your second year of university has ended, but it might be a good idea to discuss with your placement job the commitments you have to university before you agree upon a start date in case they want you to start before the summer. 

Why you should consider doing a placement year

There are many reasons why you should consider doing a placement year, but we have come up with the top three reasons to best help you understand the benefits. 

Work experience

The obvious benefit of a placement year is that you get an opportunity to experience the workplace for maybe the first time in your life, before actually entering the corporate world. Going from university to the working world might seem like a big jump (especially if you’re used to late nights and lie-ins!) but this practice will give you an insight into what your schedule could look like after you graduate. 

Decide on future career options

If you have always wanted to be a vet, doing a placement year at a veterinary practice is the perfect way to find out if you enjoy the environment! You might actually find that the day to day work isn’t as exciting as you first thought it might be and that you can’t see yourself becoming a veterinarian in a practice as a career. This will then help you have a closer look at where you want to be working in the future and what path to pursue. 

Equally, you might discover that you completely fall in love with the day to day tasks of a veterinarian, and it is much more interesting than you ever expected! Either way, the experience and conclusions you draw from this year are invaluable and will help you in choosing your next steps after university. 

A year out of university before your final year begins

Despite the fact you will be working hard during this year, and it definitely won’t be a ‘year off,’ many students find it really beneficial to have a year in placement before starting their final year of university. Working in industry is very different from doing university work (even without considering the different sleep schedules), so it can be a great chance to give yourself a bit of a reset and a break from university life before going back to do your final stretch.

Is a placement year worth it?

I suppose this is the million dollar question: is it actually worth doing a placement year? Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a simple answer. Some students will tell you it was the best year of their university experience, they got the chance to network in the industry they want to pursue, they found a job they love and it subsequently helped them get a job following graduation. 

However, other students may tell you it wasn’t worth it at all, that they didn’t enjoy their placement experience and it only prolonged their time at university and added more tuition fees to have to pay off. Whether you think your placement year is worth it is totally subjective and down to your own judgement. 

There are things that you can do to ensure you are in the best position to enjoy your placement year. For example, make sure you secure a placement in an industry you are interested in - there is no point spending a year at a law firm if you want to go into catering. Another great tip is to consider where your placement is located; will you be able to live at home? Is it an easy commute to the office? If you are choosing to study abroad then again consider where you are going to live and how you will get to the office. 

Any questions you have about placement year specifics you can direct to your university placement office as they are there to help make your placement year experience as positive as possible. 

Summary

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