Schemes for GCSE and A-level Students

The Year in Industry

The Year in Industry is a national scheme, providing paid, degree relevant work placements for talented students in the gap year before or during their degree course. Companies taking part also benefit by gaining a highly cost-effective workforce and early access to potential graduate recruits.

Each year, around 600 students are placed with over 250 companies throughout the UK.

‘The Year in Industry scheme, part of The Academy's Best Programme, plays a vital role in identifying and developing the abilities of young engineers.’
Sir David Davies CBE FREng FRS
President, The Royal Academy of Engineering, 1996–2001

‘These students are among our brightest and best. They have achieved a remarkable track record over many years in the Council's Young Engineers for Britain competition.’
Sir John Fairclough FREng
Chairman, The Engineering Council

‘Given the urgent and compelling need for Britain to establish itself as a world-class industrial force, I see programmes like The Year in Industry as the best possible preparation for the challenging task which faces us.’
Lord Sainsbury of Turville HonFREng
Minister for Science and Innovation

‘For the youngsters, it gives some appreciation of what industry is about. For industrialists it allows them to benefit from some of the best innovative young brains that there are in this country.’
Sir William Stuart FRS
Formerly Chief Scientific Adviser, Office of Science and Technology

Benefits to companies

The Year in Industry provides immediate, tangible benefits to companies of all types and sizes. These include;

• Save money and increase profits

  ‘Nicholas demonstrated that the styrene plant was losing £68,000 a year... his device will allow us to improve energy utilisation.’
  BP Chemicals

• Get extra help with important projects

  ‘The scheme enabled us to introduce a product in a much shorter time scale than would have been possible without the student's assistance.’
  Hattersley Heaton

• Capitalise on new techniques

  ‘The equipment developed by the student is much better than the old method and is working really well.’
  Nuclear Electric

• Improve graduate recruitment

  ‘This scheme saves us a lot of time and money and it takes the gamble out of student sponsorship.’
  Northern Telecom

[Case studies of the scheme in practice]

How does it work?

1. Company contacts The Year in Industry regional office to discuss business requirement for the project/placement

2. The Year in Industry provides details on a carefully selected range of students that match the companies requirements

3. Selected candidates are invited for interview/assessment at specific recruitment events throughout the UK or at the company’s premises. These are all arranged by The Year in Industry office

4. Successful candidate(s) are offered a placement and employed by the company for 9-12 months.

The student agrees to:

• Observe the company's terms and conditions of employment;

• Be self-motivated, a self-starter and display initiative;

• Attend management training organised by The Year in Industry

The company agrees to:

• Offer employment to the student for the academic year - the actual period can be flexible;

• Identify real, meaningful and challenging work for the student;

• Allow the student to attend scheme training sessions;

• Pay a wage to the student. Salaries range between £8.000 and £12.000, but some companies may pay more;

• Contribute £1683 per student to The Year in Industry towards training and other operating costs;

• Encourage the student to enter the Engineering Employers' Federation competition (open to all disciplines) which provides the company with positive publicity.

Further information

For further details, please contact your nearest Regional Centre

	South West of England Chris Ward Charity Watkins 01752 762109 [E-mail South West]	London Jennifer Watts 01865 484717 [E-mail Thames Valley]
	East Midlands Geoff Jellis 0115 951 6688 [E-mail East Midlands]	South Maria Taylor 02380 596 886 [E-mail South Region]
	Eastern Alan Gibbons 01707 871504 [E-mail Eastern Region]	Scotland Duncan McSporran 0141 548 2845 [E-mail Scotland]
	Northern David Robinson 0191 334 2476 [E-mail Northern Region]	West Midlands & South Wales Estelle Rowe 0121 414 8116 [E-mail West Midlands]
	North West & North Wales Chris Harris 0161 278 2497 [E-mail North West]	Yorkshire Barbara Gomersall 0161 278 2497 [E-mail Yorkshire]

or contact:

Roy Bromley
National Director
The Year In Industry
Tel: 023 8059 2430
[www.yini.org.uk]

The Year in Industry is administered by the Engineering Development Trust Registered Charity No 1002459