Discover student placements

Make your placement year mean more with FCDO Services

You’re at university and looking for the perfect placement year. The opportunity that will launch your future career and give you the grounding you need to put everything you’ve learnt into practice.

Whether you want to get to grips with the practical side of project management or are ready to put your building services engineering skills to the test, we’re FCDO Services – and we’ve got the placement for you.

Get stuck into global work as a Project Manager

Let’s take a look at both routes, and the meaningful work you could be involved in. Starting with Project Management.

Over 12 months, you won’t just build your skills; you’ll help deliver mission-critical services to government-level customers around the world. Whether you’re in the UK or travelling overseas, no two days will be the same, but don’t just take it from us:

“As a Project Manager, students can expect to work on real-world projects. One month they might be helping build an embassy overseas, and the next they could be supporting the teams working to repair buildings that are centuries old.” – Project Management Placement Manager.

Whatever you do, you’ll provide vital support for projects around the world that are protecting the UK’s interests, at home and globally. And you’ll get exposure to everything from engineering a new secure government site to repairing an embassy hit by flooding. With such a wide range of projects, you’ll take on numerous responsibilities that’ll see you work with industry experts and put your skills to the test.

And you’ll get all the support to succeed, as well as the tailored training needed to launch your future career. Because, by the end of your placement, you’ll have built up enough knowledge and skills to seize any opportunity that comes your way. Want to know more about this placement?

Start your future as a Building Services Engineer

Onto our placement in Building Services Engineering – a 12-month opportunity for you to do work that’ll benefit both your career and our planet. What exactly does this unique opportunity have to offer? Here’s what the hiring manager has to say:

“Our Building Services Engineering programme will see you reach new heights, all while you get practical, worldwide experience working on buildings from embassies to high commissions. In short, you’ll get a competitive salary and the kind of experience that will turn you into a respected professional in your field. This placement year provides the perfect launchpad for a successful career, all before graduation.” – Building Services Engineering Placement Manager.

You’ll get a step ahead of your peers with this exceptional opportunity, as you pick up key technical and soft skills that’ll boost your graduate application. What’s more, with varied projects to sink your teeth into, you’ll play a part in maintaining and protecting secure buildings across the globe. So, travel is on the cards in this placement too. And you’ll do all of this while learning how to collaborate with all sorts of teams across our organisation.

On this placement, you’ll take an active role in solving problems alongside your team, and each new opportunity will help you grow as an individual. Whether you’re designing world-class electrical boards that’ll keep secure buildings up and running, retro fitting solar panels or designing air conditioning units for government sever rooms, you’ll experience the ins and outs of an engineering career at FCDO Services.

Put your skills to the test and launch your career before graduation

If you’re looking for a placement year that’ll push you out of your comfort zone, while simultaneously receiving world-class support and training, then FCDO Services is the place for you. Plus, if you do well over the year, there’s a chance we’ll offer you a permanent position, so you can come back to us after graduation. Just as this previous placement student plans to:

“I’m so glad I found this opportunity. The placement allowed me to take the theoretical knowledge I’d learnt in the first two years of my degree and apply this to real life projects and situations. FCDO Services gave me the opportunity to gain a lot of experience in a short space of time – all through working on a diverse range of projects and as a result of their robust training programme.” – FCDO Services Project Management placement student.

Whichever programme’s right for you, you’ll find a unique opportunity to get stuck into life at FCDO Services, develop your skills and work on government-level clients – all while getting a head start on your future career. Ready to apply? For Project Management, click here – and for Building Services Engineering, click here.