Engineering is all about applying solutions to diverse problems. Reinforcing our teaching, work experience gives a student the opportunity to experience real-life problems and a company an opportunity to sample from the best students. Here at the School of Civil Engineering we encourage our students to gain industrial experience during their summer vacations and in year-long placements.
Opportunities
We offer an integrated degree, MEng Civil Engineering with Industrial Experience, where your experience in two summer placements is recognised formally, and you can take the first of these placement modules as a 3rd year option in BEng and MEng Civil Engineering. This gives you extra flexibility for your options whilst still gaining and formalising your work experiences.
If you don’t want to combine your experience with academic learning, however, you can simply choose to work for a civil engineering company during your summer vacation or take a year’s absence at any point. We encourage all of our students to take these opportunities (student visa conditions apply for year-long placements) a number of students work for a company, usually after the 2nd or 3rd year and thoroughly enjoy their time.
Benefits of industrial placements
Industrial placements help you to consider the experience gained during a placement and encourages you to apply this to their learning. Many students with experience find the subsequent academic year’s learning more meaningful and they tend to perform better as a result. Companies are also looking to develop students during placements, with a view to giving them a better chance for graduate employment with them, so a placement gives you a chance to check out a company as well as gaining valuable experience.
Graduates already with industrial experience, e.g. through summer placements and sponsorships, are more likely to gain graduate employment more easily. This is one such opportunity.
Contact
Please contact Jenny Illingsworth (Industrial Liaison Manager, School of Civil Engineering) on 0121 414 4165 or via email at j.s.illingsworth@bham.ac.uk
for further information on placements.