Recruit Placement Students

Looking for extra support on your projects? Want to bring core workplace skills and a fresh outlook to your team?

Bringing a university student into your organisation is an excellent way to access tomorrow’s workforce. Student Employment Services has been supporting employers do exactly that since 1991.

Student Placement Guide

What is a Student Placement?

A student placement is when a university student chooses to take a year out of their degree (usually after their second year) to gain industry experience. This period, also known as an industrial placement, sandwich placement, undergraduate placement or year in industry allows placement students to work full time before returning to complete their final year of study. Students are open to working in a wide range of sectors, from marketing and finance to engineering, IT, HR, tourism and many more.

How long does the student placement last?

Many of the university degrees have a 10 – 12 month period of employment built into the structure of the course and this is an integral part of a student’s education.

When does the placement year commence?

Placement students are typically available from June to September, once they have completed their university exams.

When should you start advertising placements?

You can start the process as early as October, when students are in their second year of studies, once job descriptions and salary details have been finalised.

When is it too late to hire Placement students?

Employers can hire placement students throughout the academic year. However, we recommend not leaving recruitment until late summer, as many students will have already secured placements or be preparing to return to university. Employers can still advertise roles into spring and early summer, but earlier advertising generally provides access to a wider pool of candidates.

Benefits on hiring Placement students:

• Gain fresh ideas, enthusiasm, and up-to-date knowledge from the next generation of talent.
• View the placement as an extended interview – a valuable opportunity to train and assess potential future graduate employees. *
• Drive projects forward that might otherwise be delayed due to day-to-day pressures.
• Access a low-risk, cost-effective, and flexible hiring option.
• Enhance productivity and profitability through motivated students.
• Showcase your organisation’s commitment to developing and supporting future young professionals.

* Many of our clients have been so impressed with their placement students that they’ve offered them graduate positions after they completed their studies.

Benefits for placement Students:

Understanding what students gain from placements helps employers recognise the wider value of hosting placement students.

• Gain valuable hands-on industry experience.
• Build confidence and improve interpersonal skills.
• Learn while earning in a real-world working environment.
• Explore potential career paths in their chosen field.
• Develop practical, job-specific skills.
• Connect work experience with academic learning.

How We Help Hire Placement Students For Your Business

SES provides tailored support in sourcing placement students and can also offer a fully managed payroll service. With experience supporting organisations of all sizes and across a range of sectors, we tailor our approach to meet your needs and provide ongoing support throughout the placement for both you and the student.
Read more information on our services >

→ If you’re looking to hire an undergraduate or postgraduate for a shorter period, such as over the summer, we also support internships opportunities. Get in touch for more details.

Ready to hire a placement student? Get in touch with our team today.