Placement students
Key information:
Qualifications: 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 12 months (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
Our Engineering Placement Programme gives students the opportunity to gain real, hands-on experience and bridge the gap between university learning and real-world engineering by working alongside our engineering teams in a live operational environment.
Placements are typically 12 months long and are designed for students currently studying a relevant engineering or technical degree, usually as part of their course. As a placement student, you will be based within one of our engineering teams, contributing to real work and learning from experienced colleagues to develop practical skills that complement your academic studies and support your future career.
Placement opportunities are available across our Mechanical, Electrical and Process Engineering teams, depending on business need for each intake. No prior nuclear experience is required, just a willingness to learn, ask questions and apply your knowledge in practice.
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.
Applying and registering your interest
Placement opportunities are advertised in line with business need, so application windows my vary throughout the year. When roles are available, you will need to apply directly via our careers site.
If applications aren’t currently open, we recommend registering your interest using the form on this page. This allows us to keep you informed about future placement opportunities and relevant early careers events.
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.
Ahmed
Engineering Placement Student
Hello, I'm Ahmed and I'm currently completing a placement year with the Mechanical Plant-Facing team at Urenco’s Tails Management Facility in Capenhurst.
I chose Urenco for my placement because I wanted to work in an industry that really matters; being part of the nuclear sector and supporting a safe and reliable fuel supply means the work links directly to low carbon electricity and energy security.
In my role, I support day to day plant activities by helping identify and address mechanical vulnerabilities, working through problems with practical solutions, and supporting operations. This involves developing engineering fixes, updating documentation and working closely with different teams on site to keep things moving safely and efficiently.
One of the best parts of my placement has been how much I've been able to get involved. The team has been really supportive, and I have a mentor to support my professional development. This has made it easy to ask questions, learn and build my confidence throughout my placement.
My advice for any future applicants is to be curious, be proactive and be willing to learn!
Joanna
Engineering Placement Student
I am a placement process and project engineer working on a kiln expansion project at Capenhurst, UK.
I had an interest in the nuclear industry, particularly nuclear new builds, and Urenco stood out as a unique company with a diverse range of projects. It plays a key role in the green transition within the low-carbon energy sector, which aligned with my values.
In my role, I have the opportunity to work within a dynamic multi-disciplinary engineering team. One of my process engineering projects involved analysing the performance of a typical industrial process, allowing me to develop and apply my university chemical engineering skills. This has helped me test my foundation of knowledge and see it applied in real, practical scenarios. As a Project Engineer, I support efficient project execution by helping with team coordination, continuous improvement, and managing contractor delivery across engineering activities.
I received all essential training to support me in my role, along with being assigned mentors within my team to ensure I settled in well. I’ve felt fully integrated into the team from the start, with my contributions genuinely valued and trusted as part of real project delivery. A placement at Urenco is a great step from university studies, giving you real engineering responsibility, a supportive team, and the chance to contribute to meaningful projects from day one.
Nathan
Engineering Placement Student
Process Engineering Placement Student I'm a process engineering placement student at Urenco’s Capenhurst site, working at the Tails Management Facility (TMF).
The energy industry has always appealed to me, and within it, the nuclear sector stood out as particularly fascinating. During my second year of university, while applying for placement opportunities, I focused heavily on energy companies - that’s when I came across Urenco.
The application process itself was straightforward, and I was quick to receive an interview, where the team came down to my university (Loughborough) to conduct a personal and technical interview. The whole process was very encouraging, and I felt confident in accepting the offer.
My role is a part of the Plant-Facing Engineering team at the TMF, where I have been given the responsibility and opportunity to be involved in general plant-facing work, such as investigating faults and troubleshooting issues using data analysis and design work, progressing engineering improvements, and being a part of concept design projects.
I am only halfway through my placement here and already I feel that I have been involved in a breadth of work which has significantly improved my engineering understanding and skills.
All my colleagues are extremely supportive, with a wide range of experience – helping us placement students to contribute better work.
There is also plenty of exposure with other teams, not just within engineering, but within operations too. This is invaluable, as being able to speak with people in different disciplines and roles, helps give a broader understanding of what’s happening on plant and what people's priorities are.
This placement has been very encouraging so far; I feel like a valued member of the team, and I would highly suggest applying.