Explore placements on targetjobs
Placements are similar to internships in that they are structured work experience schemes through which university students enter the workplace, discover what it is like to work in a particular career sector and to develop useful skills. The term placement, rather than internship, has traditionally been used when a student had to undertake the work experience as part of their degree course – but these days some employers use the terms placement and internship interchangeably.
What kinds of placement are there? A placement year (otherwise known as a year-in-industry or a sandwich year) typically lasts between 24 and 50 weeks and is held between your penultimate and final year of studies. Summer placements, unsurprisingly, run during the university summer holidays; they are typically aimed at penultimate-year students, but some might be open to other year groups.
If you make a good impression as a placement student, many employers will either offer you a job for after graduation or put you straight through to the final stages of their graduate recruitment process; in some cases, they may also sponsor (AKA cover some of the costs of) your final year.
Network Rail
Mechanical Engineering Year in Industry
Glasgow, Melton Mowbray, Milton Keynes, York
£19,383
Cummins Inc
Placement Student - E-Mobility Engineer
Cwmbran
Network Rail
Finance Year In Industry
Manchester, Milton Keynes, Rugby, York
£19,383
Cummins Inc
Placement Student - Supplier Quality
Daventry
Network Rail
IT and Business Services Year in Industry
Milton Keynes
£19,383
Network Rail
Project Management Year In Industry
Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, London - North, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Rugby
£19,383
Network Rail
Electrical Engineering Year in Industry
London - East, London - North, Milton Keynes, Rugby, York
£19,383
Network Rail
Networking Strategy, Planning & Analysis Year in Industry
Swindon
£19,999
Network Rail
Operations Management Year in Industry
Birmingham, Bristol, London - North, Rugby
£19,383
Network Rail
Civil Engineering Year in Industry
Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Stafford, York
£19,383
ASMPT
Electric Engineering Undergraduate Placement
Weymouth
Azets
Audit 12 Month Placement, Wynyard (Teesside), Autumn 2025
Wynyard (Teesside)