Do you get paid for the placement year?

Hi. For anyone doing a placement year or has any information, do you get paid or is it only for experience?

There definitely are placements where you get paid, but I'm not sure if every placement year is paid - it's worth checking the uni website for your course.

Reply 2

natninja

I think most are paid, the company I'm currently working for pays 17,500 for YINI placements

Reply 3

Svenjamin

Some are, some aren't. Whether or not the placement is paid is usually up to the discretion of the employer rather than the university - the employer would like a university student, they send ads out to the universities, the universities pass this info onto the students. The university themselves don't usually have much to do with the years in industry, past making sure it abides by their standards. Of course some universities may have partnership links with certain companies for "exclusive" posts (i.e. saved for that university, not offered round to everyone), so there's no hard and fast rule.

They usually work like any other job though: you see a list of placements, you apply, they interview a shortlist, and then they choose who they want. So you can avoid applying for unpaid posts, although this can risk you not getting a placement at all (in some universities if you can't get a placement, you are automatically put onto the "standard" course without a year in the industry). The number of placements can often be quite limited, especially when the economy is down and companies are cutting back.

I say "usually" and "sometimes" because every course/university is different - some may guarantee a placement, others may not, some may guarantee placements are paid, others don't. So you either need to ask the university directly about your particular course, or give a bit more detail on what your course/university is so someone who's been through the process can tell you.

From anecdotal evidence, I know a lot of people who have done paid placements (not great pay, but enough to live on), but our lab takes on unpaid placements (in the NHS). A lot of the time it depends on what the employer can afford - big pharmaceutical/legal/etc companies may have a special budget for placement students wages, others offer placements as free labour because their budget is stretched enough as it is.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

OJM32

I'm currently on placement too studying civil engineering.
Everyone I know on placement especially on my course are being paid.
However some are on low wages or being paid just virtually expenses.

Reply 5

1235

Thanks to everyone for the advice so far! one question, before you apply do you know whether they pay you or not? or when you apply and you get picked you find out then?

Reply 6

Svenjamin

Original post by 1235

Thanks to everyone for the advice so far! one question, before you apply do you know whether they pay you or not? or when you apply and you get picked you find out then?

They'll tell you beforehand. Most are like a job advert - information on location, pay, expected work hours and a rough rundown on what the placement will involve and what they expect. It may be different though.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 7

1235

Original post by Svenjamin

Thanks.

Reply 8

Colour Me Pretty

I'm pretty sure it's illegal for employers not to pay you at least the national minimum wage.

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Reply 9

jelly1000

Original post by Colour Me Pretty

I'm pretty sure it's illegal for employers not to pay you at least the national minimum wage.

Posted from TSR Mobile

yes but your a student on the placement therefore the law doesn;t apply

Reply 10

SlowlorisIncognito

It depends on the type of placement. My course has an optional placement year, and due to the nature of the course, most people I know are on placement with charities or NGOs. They are not paid (although some get expenses). Some placements do offer accomadation on site, though. As the university ask them to complete some projects whilst on placement, and still charge fees, most of them are still eligable for student loans, or have worked to save up some money, and can therefore afford to do the placement for free.

So basically it depends on what sort of sector you get a placement in. Big companies will usually pay at least something, NGOs and charities won't. Also, highly saught after placements, e.g. in media companies probably won't pay much, if at all.

Reply 11

Charles Baker

It can actually apply, a placement is different to an internship which are normally unpaidMost placements mean your regarded as a worker and as soon as you are regarded as a worker tyen you are entitiled to minimum wage