How industry placements work

This article gives you an overview of the industry placements process.

1. Express an interest

Tell us if you want more information or you’re thinking about hosting a placement student.

Contact to our industry placement team:

  • online
  • on the phone: 08000 150 600 (choose option 4)

2. Connect with local colleges and schools

When you’re ready, find a college or school that might have suitable students.

Our industry placement team can find colleges and schools with suitable industry placement students near you. Contact us if you need help with this. 

Once you’re connected, the college or school’s industry placement manager can lead the conversation to see if you’re a good fit for each other.

Find out more about working with the right school, college or other provider 

3. Select a student

Pick the right student for your business. The college or school will lead the process and identify suitable students for you. If you want to interview them, the college or school can help schedule the interviews.

Find out more about selecting students for industry placements

4. Make sure you're compliant

Get your workplace and staff ready to host the placement. The college or school will guide you through any policies you need in place or paperwork you need to complete - a health and safety policy or employer liability insurance, for example.

Find out more about legal compliance for industry placements

5. Decide when and how you'll deliver the placement

Agree dates and times that work best for everyone. The college or school will make sure that the schedule for the placement is right for you and fits around the student’s studies. 

6. Decide whether - and how - you want to pay the student

There’s no legal requirement or expectation that students will be paid, as it is part of a course. Some employers prefer to pay their students at least the National Minimum Wage while they are working.

Find out more about making payments to industry placement students

7. Agree on work objectives for the student

Decide what your student will do, and how you’ll manage them. The college or school will lead the conversation to set objectives for the placement. They’ll include these on an industry placement agreement, and send this to you for signing. 

Find out more about planning industry placement projects and tasks

8. Manage the student

Assign someone to line manage the student during their placement, track progress against their objectives and give regular feedback to their college or school. 

Find out more about effective mentoring for industry placement students

9. Write a reference

At the end of the placement, let the student know how they did. The college or school will initiate the end-of-placement discussions with you, supply you with the review templates and help you complete them.

Find out more about end-of-placement reviews

10. Decide if you want to make a job offer

At the end of the placement, you can talk to the college or school about hiring the student after they finish their course. And you might want to take on another student for an industry placement.

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