How industry placements work
You'll get support at each stage of your industry placement journey - from selecting the right student through to managing their contribution to your business, and maybe even hiring a new employee.
10 steps to an industry placement
1Express an interest
Tell us if you want more information or you’re thinking about hosting a placement student.
Talk to our industry placement team:
- telephone: 08000 150 600 (choose option 4)
- filling in our industry placement contact form
2Connect with local colleges and schools
When you’re ready, find a college or school that might have suitable students.
How we can help you connect with colleges and schools
Our industry placement team can find colleges and schools with suitable industry placement students near you.
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.
3Select a student
Get the right student for your business.
How the college or school can help you find a student
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.
4Make sure you’re compliant
Get your workplace and staff ready to host the placement.
How the college or school can help you be compliant
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.
5Decide when and how you’ll deliver the placement
Agree dates and times that work best for everyone.
How the college or school can help you decide how to deliver the placement
The college or school will make sure that the schedule for the placement is right for you and fits around the student’s studies.
6Decide on whether 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.
7Agree on work objectives for the student
Decide what your student will do, and how you’ll manage them.
How the college or school can help you set objectives for the student
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.
8Manage 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.
How the college or school can help you manage the student
The college or school will always be constantly available to help the line manager with any questions or issues they have.
9Write a reference
At the end of the placement, let the student know how they did.
How the college or school can help you write the reference
The college or school will initiate the end-of-placement discussions with you, supply you with the review templates and help you complete them.
10Decide 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.