A professional practice year is a year-long work experience opportunity that most Home and EU students can undertake and it will form part of their degree. The students undertake a year-long job in a company or an organisation and will equip them with useful skills that will help them stand out from the crowd when they graduate. The students as well as the employers are supported by the Student Development and Awards team throughout that year.   

A professional practice year can also be advertised as any of the following:

• placement or placement year
• sandwich year
• industrial placement
• internship
• fixed term contract
• year in industry

In essence, as an employer, you are seeking students who can fill a yearlong full time position that can count towards their professional practice year. Two out of three employers are using the professional practice year as an established talent pipeline to recruit the best talent. 

There are various benefits of making a professional practice year part of your resourcing strategy including: 

• Have a short term, low risk, cost effective method to source exceptional talent
• Have access to an employee with interest and knowledge within their subject area who could contribute to your company through the work they carry out 
• Have potential to carry out project or other work which you would like done but have no-one currently available to do so 
• Be able to promote your company to the students through that student you employ upon their return for final year
• Have an opportunity to consider the student as a potential employee upon graduation 
• Have the opportunity to contribute to the skills development of young talent entering the labour market.