Students set to make a splash at Northumbrian Water
Eleven undergraduate students are set to gain a year of valuable on-the-job experience with Northumbrian Water as they work towards their industry qualifications.
This month (September), the water company has welcomed the new starters from a number of UK universities, including Durham University College, Newcastle University, and even Loughborough University, for year-long industrial placements.
They’ll be working in different specialisms across the business, such as engineering, data modelling, laboratory science, communications and technical support roles.
The placement programme is designed to give them meaningful, real-world projects that support their transition into the workplace, while also helping them grow personally and professionally.
Many students are in the third year of their degree and will be with Northumbrian Water until September 2026.
Helen Smith, Northumbrian Water’s Early Years Career Specialist, said: “We’re delighted to welcome this year’s cohort to the company and look forward to supporting them on their journey.
“It’s fantastic to give them real insight into the water industry, an area many of them might not have considered before. In turn, we benefit from their skills as they deliver really important projects for us over the course of the year, bringing tonnes of energy and enthusiasm to our teams.
“More often than not we find that they leave with a newfound passion for the sector, and we’ve seen several successful conversions from placement to permanent roles which speaks volumes about the impact of their experience.”
Content Creator, Scarlett Davidson from Northumbria University, is spending the year’s placement with the company’s Communications Team. She said: “I really enjoyed my first week at Northumbrian Water because I was able to meet almost every member of my team in person and everyone has been so welcoming. The placement is already giving me hands-on experience and I’m learning skills I know will help me in my future career.”
Ange Li, who is spending the year with the Wastewater team said: “I’ve already learned so much about how our sewerage systems work and I’m really looking forward to gaining hands-on experience. I’m excited to keep building new skills, meeting new people and making connections along the way.”
Recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces, Northumbrian Water will be recruiting for the next lot of students in January and February next year. For more information on a career with the company, visit www.nwg.co.uk/careers.