Placements, internships and work experience

You may already be enrolled on a course with a year in industry and this is a fantastic way to move forward with your career and to gain the knowledge, experience and skills that will make you employable. Many graduate employers use the placement schemes as a year-long interview and if you do well, there is a very high chance you will be employed by that organisation. Even if you are not enrolled on a course with a year in industry you can normally switch to this option in your second year, spending a year on placement following completion of your second year.

Register your interest in 12-month placements More about industrial placements

You will be considering a number of options as part of your course which include external internships based on the employer's premises (these are usually unpaid), employer-based projects where you will be based in the University, and research projects connected to your course. These last for three months at the start of your second year on the course. Because of the large numbers of students looking for external employer internships and the competition for places, you need to be flexible, very organised, seek advice early in your first year and be clear about what you are looking for and what you are offering employers.

View the Welcome Guide

These run for eight weeks every summer, primarily aimed at penultimate and final year students and mainly undertaken with small and medium sized employers in Teesside. The great thing about these opportunities is not only will you get really useful experience but you will also get paid, and they are available in a wide range of different sectors.

Watch the Student Futures website for full details

These run for 11 weeks during the summer and are available to all graduates and final year students who are looking to get established in the jobs market. These internships are offered with a range of organisations, are paid and are part of the ongoing support that is available to our students who have completed their studies.

You may be undertaking a module as part of your course that requires you to secure work experience, do volunteering or undertake an employer project. This is a great way to combine academic study with the development of skills and experience that contribute to employability. You will meet careers advisers and work experience officers as part of these modules, or they will be available at other times to help you make full use of what you are learning and with relevant aspects your assignments. This may include understanding the job market, researching a business problem, reflecting on your skills, how to present yourself to employers, writing CVs etc.

Another fantastic way of gaining experience, developing skills, gaining insight into different careers and having fun. The Student Futures team has an established service for volunteering (Volun-tees), with a wide range of local organisations.
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