CECA Southern is looking to increase connectivity between our regional educational organisations and CECA members to help develop the collaboration and co-operation needed in our sector to support and signpost ways for the next generation to enter our industry.

Brunel University (London) has a range of students that are looking for that invaluable work experience or employment with contractors within our region. The placement / employment types include:

  • Summer placements/internship for 1st and 2nd year students
  • 1-year placements after the 2nd year (sandwich course)
  • Graduate jobs for BSc/MEng/MSc graduates – These can be short or long-term (e.g. on a temporary basis if companies have an influx of work).

Further details about Placements can be found in the brochure here.

Shorter Term Internship Initiatives

  • Kick Start: Kick Start is a 7-week internship (full-time) or 245 hours (part-time) open to recent graduates. This is partially funded, 50% for London Living Wage, meaning the employer would need to contribute the other 50%.  The programme can start between May-July.
  • PG Certification scheme: As part of this programme Brunel covers 50% of the student’s salary at London Living Wage for 4 months/16 weeks (max £3010 per student) with the remaining being covered by the organisation. Open to recent graduates. The programme runs between May – July and is open to organisations based in West London.

(There is potential to combine Kick Start and PG Certification Scheme – meaning some of the internship will be fully funded.)

  • Brunel Summer Internship Programme (BSIP): BSIP is open to 1st year students from widening access groups and offers students the opportunity to participate in 8-week internships across the summer (fully funded).

More detail can be found by contacting the University’s Employer Engagement Team who can advise on how to promote adverts for the students to engage with employer.engagement@brunel.ac.uk

Brunel’s Jobs Board

  • Members are welcome to advertise on the University’s jobs board to promote all paid opportunities.
  • The jobs board is open to both current students and recent graduates (up to three years after graduation).
  • It is free of charge to use.
  • Please reach out to engagement@brunel.ac.uk for more details on how to register.

The University is also looking for industry related dissertation topics for their 3rd year and MSc (civil/structural/infrastructure engineering) students that contractors consider would bring a benefit to the sector and are able to support. Equally, the University is able to support the industry focus on R&D for product development by setting up research projects that might attract funding from Innovate UK or the Research Council EPSRC.

Brunel University also supports the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) initiative so if your organisation has a specific development idea in mind and a capable employee the University can apply for grants to cover the majority of development costs through  KTPs.

On a technical theme, the University have developed a system of structural monitoring that can identify changes in condition to minimise risks for civil engineering structures, e.g. bridges, tunnelling. They are also exploring the use of new masonry construction with super-low environmental impact for housing and bridges. If this is of interest to your organisation please contact Adrienn Tomor.


“At Osborne we have found Industrial Placements to be very beneficial to both the students and our business. The students gain a valuable head start to their careers, and the skills and work attributes that they learn benefits them during their remaining time at University. Our business benefits from the injection of energy and enthusiasm, and in the longer term several have returned to us as full-time employees and are now valuable and established team members.” – Malcolm Attrill BSc MSc CEng FICE, Engineering Manager, Osborne


“Industrial placements are a fantastic way of bringing multiple benefits to the civil engineering industry. Not only do the placements provide the student with practical hands on experience and personal growth, but they also enable our businesses to reap the rewards of modern learning, blue sky thinking and provide a creative platform for innovative solutions to be formed. At a time where there is a skills shortage and a cry out for diversification within our industry, the opportunity to engage with universities is not only an opportunity but is essential to continue on our quest to raise the profile, invest in the next generation and to continually improve our engagement.” – Samantha Barratt, Business Development & Communications Director, Barhale Ltd.