Industry placements

Industry placements are a great way to get to grips with the career field you are interested in. Our dedicated team will support you to find a placement which is interesting and engaging as well as relevant to your future profession.

What is industry placement?

Industry placements (formally known as work experience) are a mandatory element of your study programme. They are designed to bridge the gap between education and the world of work. It can help inform career choices, provide the opportunity for you to prove your suitability to an employer, and help instil the attitudes and behaviours expected at work.

How many hours do I need to do?

These placements are a compulsory element of your studies at City of Bristol College. Undertaking an industry placement will make a significant difference to your future employment prospects, giving you a valuable opportunity to improve your learning and to help you practice and develop technical skills and ensuring the completion of your study programme with the skills, knowledge and expertise employers are looking for. You should expect to complete a minimum of 30 hours and a maximum of 345 hours with an employer in a role directly relevant to your course of study. The amount you will need to perform varies from course to course and your work placement officer will advise you of this.

Why do I need to do an industry placement?

The benefits of these placements include:

Potentially securing employment or apprenticeship with an employer on completion of the study programme.

Build a valuable working relationship with an employer resulting in a more meaningful reference to use for future job applications. Grow their network in the industry – helping to identify new job roles. Able to learn the relevant technical skills and professional behaviours for the industry.

How do I find industry placements?

We will support each student in finding the right placement, and our work experience team will monitor your progress, visit the workplace to carry out regular progress reviews and support your completion of the placement.

You can, of course, get your own work experience through your own contacts but please liaise with your designated work placement officers for next steps and confirming the placement. In order to succeed on your placement, it is important to have the full support and backing from your parent/carer.

How will this fit in around my course?

Industry placements take place outside the college’s normal learning hours and within usual working hours to give you a realistic experience.

Contact your Work Placement Officer, workexperience@cityofbristol.ac.uk,

for further information.