Sandwich Years

What is a sandwich year?

A sandwich year is a 9-12 month full-time placement in industry. You’ll usually take the sandwich year after two years of study with us on your degree course. You’ll need to find and successfully apply to a suitable placement provider to complete your sandwich year and our Careers Team and course teams can help you with this. You’ll then become a full-time employee of the organisation you’re joining, giving you direct experience of your possible future career.

You’ll gain hands-on experience in a work environment for around a year, before returning to university to complete your degree in your final year. You may also complete some course assignments which will enable you to connect your sandwich year with your academic work.

Our brilliant Careers Team can help support you through the process, preparing your application for a placement and for any interviews.

Key Benefits

Practical Experience

Gain hands-on Experience of a specific role, company, industry or sector relevant to your chosen area of study.

Enhanced Employability

Boost your CV with relevant work experience, making you more attractive to future employers.

Transferrable Skills

Develop valuable soft and hard skills such as communication, problem-solving, and industry-specific technical expertise.

Confidence Building

Increase your self-confidence by tackling real-world challenges in a professional environment learning from others.

Career Path Insights

Get a clearer understanding of potential career directions and industries you might want to pursue.

Making the most out of a sandwich year

A sandwich year enables you to apply the knowledge gained during your degree to real-world work situations. You’ll equip yourself with a transferable skillset and gain invaluable work experience that will help you to stand out to potential employers in future job applications.

A sandwich year also provides a fantastic opportunity to network and, if you impress your employer, you may even find you have a job waiting for you when you graduate. Many employers like to take on dedicated employees as showcased via a sandwich year placement scheme.

You’ll also learn valuable skills as you apply for sandwich year placements, for example, you can expect to gain experience in preparing applications, writing a CV and covering letter, and preparing for interviews and assessments.

Employability and Careers

How much is a sandwich year?

A sandwich year costs £1,000, however this amount is discounted from your final fee amount when you return for your final year. We are committed to encouraging and supporting students who wish to take up valuable sandwich year opportunities. We appreciate that the skills developed can make the difference to your future career path.

Funding your studies

How to find degree courses with sandwich years?

To discover all the courses available with sandwich year placements, visit www.southwales.ac.uk/courses and use the study mode search filter to select sandwich years.

Find your course

THE INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE. I’VE GAINED HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH ITV ON PROPS AND ASSISTING WITH A BBC’S INITIATIVE.

James

Film and Visual Effects student

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