On Friday 20th January 2023 we caught up with the majority of our 14 Year in Industry students on the Canterbury campus.
It was a delight to meet up in person with our placement students, as usual our students are excelling and making the most of their experiences. Each one of them is working very hard, receiving training, and improving their soft-transferable skills, which will prove invaluable on their return to their final year at uni. Currently, placement students are working at a variety of organisations including HM Treasury, Government Social Research Scheme-College of Policing, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, IBM and Aldi.
“It’s an opportunity for the placement students to network together, to re-connect them with our campus community and for us to witness that they are accomplishing demanding duties,” explained Director of Placements Dr Penélope Pacheco-López, who discussed the placement assessments with the students during the session. Katie Marshall (Placements and Employability Officer) reminded them about the various services available to them on campus, things to think about before returning to university and options for them to interact with new students interested in enrolling in a Year in Industry programme. Also, Jess Ryder (Student Support Officer) highlighted the variety of pastoral/mental health services that the university has on offer.
Already at this stage, a few of the students revealed that they have been offered to extend their contracts beyond their initial contract. This is an indication of the commitment demonstrated by this cohort of students, and illustrates how a Year In Industry can not only be a significant part of your overall degree but a springboard into your graduate employment.
If you are interested in learning more about the Year in Industry programme, there will be an opportunity to hear from returning placement students in the Summer term for stage 1 students and the Autumn term for stage 2. You can also contact us at hssplacements@kent.ac.uk