Student stories

Every project I did on placement involved an element of collaboration, and the leadership, communication and teamworking skills I gained have really supported my group project work.

University is great for gaining a whole range of knowledge you need, but a placement year gives you the chance to develop on a personal level and use that knowledge to create real world impact. At its core, engineering is about solving problems, and a placement year gives you the perfect opportunity to do that.

My placement experience was great overall: it taught me plenty and helped me make some really good professional connections. I was given a lot more responsibility than I expected as a placement student.

I do enjoy the salary, but the best part is definitely the people I’ve met – everyone has been so pleasant, welcoming and helpful.

The people and the history of this team are unique and what they’ve achieved as a small family business is incredible. I felt like a part of the team from the first day.

I would absolutely recommend doing a Professional Training Year, not just to enhance technical skills and knowledge but to develop soft skills, which at times can be more important.

My placement year really helped me to grow as an engineer and become more confident in my ability to solve engineering problems in industry. I’ve also gained invaluable teamworking experience and greatly improved my communication and time management skills.

I was responsible for the full design process of parts such as moulds, joints, brackets and mechanisms, which were then manufactured, tested and integrated into a range of boat models.