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           Year out placement trainee route 

Enhance your career prospects with our year out placement trainee programme.

Join us on a one-year, fixed term placement as an opportunity to gain real life industry experience and put what you’ve learned at university into practice.

Please note: we do not have any year out placement roles as part of our 2026 trainee intake.  

Unlock your potential

What we're looking for...

 To apply, you should be a student in your penultimate year of university, on track for a 2:2 degree in a built environment related subject.

 A year out placement is a great way to learn and experience our industry before completing your degree. Many of our year-out placement students often return as a graduate trainee to continue their career journey.

 

Technical and behavioural development

During the fixed-year programme, we will give you the tools, guidance, and support to begin to develop your technical knowledge in your role.  Our aim is to give you the confidence and know-how to perform the best you can in your role.

Behaviours, attitudes, and values are equally important. You will attend fun and engaging workshops throughout the programme, focused on providing you with powerful insights, to align with our professional standards. 

You will complete several placements as part of our programme to get a well-rounded view of a project’s life cycle. Placements will last a few weeks at a time, so they are a great way to meet new people, ask lots of questions and develop your knowledge.

Pathways available

We have a range of roles in our year out placement trainee programme to start your career in the built environment.

Building services engineering management
Our Building Services teams focus on how the design, installation and maintenance of services and equipment can support a great building.  For this discipline, you will play an important role in a project’s life cycle.  You will focus on developing your technical on-site knowledge, as well as your commercial and project management skills.

Business management
In this programme, you'll rotate across key business functions including Commercial, Production, Bid, Finance and IT.  This will give you a broad overview of the business, so once you've finished the programme, you can decide which discipline to work in.

Commercial management
This programme helps you build an understanding of the commercial function within a project, for example, cost, profit and risk management. You will also build relationships with external customers and our supply chain, and will actively monitor the financial status of projects.

Design management
In this programme, you’ll be helping design a project in order to reduce risk and maximise return.  You will engage with a variety of stakeholders, from architects to sub-contractors. You’ll maintain good relationships throughout as you collaborate, review and analyse information around the design.  

Development management
For this programme, you will support the Project and Land team. You will focus on finding new land opportunities, as well as consultant and stakeholder management and planning.

Bid/estimating management
You will have a commercial focus and be involved in work-winning during the bidding / pre-construction phase of projects. Your tasks will include preparing cost estimates, completing tender documents and producing cost plans, while building key stakeholder relationships.

Planning management
In this programme, you will play a vital role in both the pre-construction and construction phases of a project.  You will develop plans, schedules and programmes to ensure projects run to timescales and to the highest standards.  You will closely monitor the project’s life cycle, and collaborate across teams to identify potential risks and opportunities.  

Social value management
In this programme, you will help our Social Value team to organise and run projects and activities that support our local communities. For example, supporting pre-employment programmes and working with social enterprises. You will build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, and support the team with reporting to monitor impact.

Our rewards and benefits

Apply now and get hands-on experience, technical knowledge, career skills, and support from some of the industry’s best.

  • Volunteering days
  • Competitive industry salary
  • Private medical insurance
  • Employer pension contribution
  • Car allowance
  • Health & wellness programme
  • 26 days holiday + bank holidays
  • Family leave policies

 

Application process

  • We do not have any Year Out Placement vacancies as part of our 2025 Trainee intake.
  • We can only accept your first application and will automatically withdraw any additional applications.  
  • As part of the process, you must complete an application form and answer several Situational Application questions.
  • The next stage is a recorded video interview.
  • The final stage of the process will be the Assessment Centre.
  • We will let you know the outcome of your application within a week of attending the Assessment Centre.
  • If we offer you a place, we will keep in touch with you through events and networking opportunities.
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Flexible working 

We provide an environment that encourages flexible working through working arrangements and benefits.

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Reward and benefits 

We offer competitive pay, flexible benefits, 26 days’ holiday and generous family leave.

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Learning and development

We empower our colleagues to excel and thrive through comprehensive learning and development opportunities.

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