Frequently Asked Questions

To employ a placement student from the University of Brighton it is a legal requirement that your organisation has Employers Liability Insurance and Public Liability Insurance. We also require every organisation to have an up to date written health and safety policy, and to provide the placement student with a full induction, offer a safe working environment and give appropriate and adequate training throughout the 12 month placement.

Students can commence their placement any time between July and September after completion of their second year of study. They have to be employed full time and for a 12 month period.

No, the service provided by the Faculty Placements Office including advertising your organisation's placement opportunity on our placements student intranet site is completely free of charge.

The average salary is £14,500; however it is up to you to offer what you feel is relevant for the type of position, and taking the company’s geographical location into account.

1. A contract. When a confirmed offer is made to a student a short term fixed contract needs to be given which must cover the usual specified topics of; job title, place of work, salary, hours, holiday and sickness pay, probationary period, staff appraisals and development, disciplinary procedures, grievance procedures, and any other areas which you would normally include in a short term fixed contract.
2. Reviews and supervision. It is essential for the employer to identify training requirements which the student may have during the placement. Therefore it is recommended that there is time set for regular supervision and reviews throughout the probationary period, and thereafter. Furthermore, a tutor is assigned to visit the student and supervisor during the year, usually in the first semester.
3. Student call back day. During the second semester the student will have to attend a call back day, where they are expected to come to the university for the day. Letters will be sent to you regarding this day and we would wish for the student to be excluded from work.
4. At the end of the placement. We would ask that if appropriate the student be given a reference to support their search for employment once they have completed their final year.

The University of Brighton has extensive experience of working with companies to make placements successful and is firmly committed to developing every opportunity to enable student’s practical skills and confidence to grow. The university sees the high employability of its students as a key indicator of the success of its courses. The Faculty of Science and Engineering allocates considerable resources to its placements scheme; a dedicated team ensures that a high quality service is provided to both placement providers and students throughout the entire placement process. The Faculty Placements Unit has established an excellent reputation with employers throughout the UK for its scheme, service and students.

Many students choose to study at the University of Brighton because of the opportunity to undertake a placement year. In addition to the employer benefits, the placement scheme aims to enable students to gain through:

• Enhancing their employability and career prospects.

• Having the chance to apply their theoretical knowledge in real world situations.

• Developing their business, vocational, technical and personal skills.

• A successful placement potentially leads to a job offer on graduation and if this is not the case, having a placement on a CV certainly benefits the student in an extremely competitive graduate market.

• The placement year is assessed and consequently impacts on a student's overall degree classification.

• Obtaining a well rounded degree.

• Creating an excellent base of contacts.