UK Capenhurst
Placement Students
Key information:
As a placement student you will undertake an extended period of practical training at Urenco as a formal component of your educational curriculum, usually a degree.
Disciplines: Engineering, Computer Science, Safety Case.
Duration: Typically 1 year (but this can be flexible).
Entry requirements: Must be currently enrolled within an educational body to be considered. We will review courses, modules and grades on a case by case basis.
Placement students
Are you an aspiring engineering student looking to bridge the gap between theory and practice? Urenco invites dynamic individuals to join our Engineering Placement Programme, an annual recruitment initiative that opens doors to hands-on experiences in mechanical, electrical, and process engineering. In 2024 we are thrilled to expand our horizons by welcoming computer science enthusiasts to our scheme.
Immerse yourself in the real-world application of your studies as you learn on the job, gaining invaluable experience while providing front-line technical support for plant operations. Engage in the cutting-edge realm of designing new equipment and contributing to plant changes.
Placement programmes at Urenco are typically 12 months long, and are often integral to specific academic courses. These programmes offer students the unique opportunity to blend classroom learning with business applications in the nuclear industry, providing you with valuable insights and experiences before you graduate.
We also host placements from some of our specific third-party partners, through the Nuclear Graduate Programme via Energus and ETC, please click here for more information on these schemes.
Our recruitment for the next academic year is set to commence in winter 2024, but you can register you interest below before applications officially open.
Entry requirements
For our placement level roles, we require you to be currently enrolled onto a relevant university course, but in some cases we will accept your application if you are enrolled with another graduate programme and would like to join us on secondment. Please reach out to us in this instance.
We will review courses, modules and grades on a case by case basis. Predicted and achieved grades will need to be documented in your applications.
Application process
Applications for September 2025 open in November 2024. Available placements will appear on our vacancies page.
In December, if you are selected you’ll take part in an interview and technical task corresponding to your specific engineering discipline. Often, we will host these interviews at the universities. However, occasionally this will be online.
In January, successful candidates will be offered our intern positions, with us for the start of the academic year in September.
Please note that this timeline is subject to change based on the roles we have available. So we encourage you to keep an eye on the website as other positions may become available throughout the year.
We also offer secondment placement opportunities through companies such as Energus Nuclear Graduate Programme, please get in touch for any relevant opportunities we may have for your role.
Find out more
Meet our past and present placement students:
Zach
Process Engineer
I initially joined Urenco in 2020 for a 13-month industrial placement as part of my Chemical Engineering university course, working within the Process Team at the Tails Management Facility at our Capenhurst site. After graduating from the University of Birmingham in 2022, I returned to Urenco to resume working in the same team with a particular focus on digital systems and plant performance.
Throughout my short time at the Tails Management Facility, I have seen the plant move from active commissioning to receiving our first feed to, more recently, ramping up production as we enter steadier operation. It has been a great opportunity to be able to work within a highly regulated environment on a new build plant and contribute to progression through multiple early life stages.
My role is varied with each day presenting a new challenge or an opportunity to improve. From performing a traditional process engineering role: producing calculations, designing a new control scheme or on plant conducting a trial. This complements the software-based element of my work: using programming skills to automate paper-based processes and improving process monitoring and visibility.
Urenco is a unique and innovative company which makes it a rewarding place to work. We perform critical functions in enabling the production of low-carbon, nuclear energy. There are few companies where you can truly say you are playing a tangible role in driving the global effort to transition to net zero.
Patrick
Process Engineering Placement Student
Coming into a placement role after only three years of university and working full time was daunting at first, but I was able to find my feet quickly at Urenco, becoming involved in a wide range of tasks and activities. Not only have I been able to gain a key understanding of industrial processes but I have been able to reaffirm my interest in the nuclear industry.
I have found that I have been able to undertake projects that have a benefit to the company, whilst bolstering my skill set so that I can come back to university for my final year with a whole new understanding and outlook on engineering problems. My main project this year involved the optimisation of our Cylinder Washing Process. Leading this project gave me a wide breadth of experience in managing a process from start to finish and liaising with different operations teams and discipline leads helped me grow my communication skills. Seeing this project come to fruition was extremely rewarding and it was nice to know I had had a positive impact on the process.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement here at Urenco and would recommend applying for a placement role whilst you are at uni. When I graduate I hope to return to the nuclear industry – it is such a vital part of achieving a net-zero future and that is something I want to be a part of.
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