Bath University engineers join Rencol work placement scheme

Attending Bath University on the mechanical engineering course is demanding in itself, as the course is four years plus an optional additional year in industry. The Bath course is highly rated (said to be second only to Cambridge in the UK) but there are many good reasons why these students want to spend time at a successful UK manufacturing company like Rencol.

According to HR manager, Chris Roberts, the students are attracted to the placement at Rencol because: "It prepares them for a job in the real world, giving them greater skills and an edge against other candidates when they graduate and seek employment. Plus we do pay them a reasonable wage, which I am sure helps them pay off some of their student debts and finance their final years."

However, the benefits are reciprocal, with Rencol placing all students in the technical department working on research and development. Here they look at improving the performance of the different types of tolerance rings that Rencol produces for its global customer base.

As well as having access to some very bright minds it is also hoped that the Work Placement Scheme will help Rencol recruit the best graduate engineers in the future. As Chris Roberts comments: "With the scheme only in its third year we are yet to see one of our placement students join the business but we will be keeping close tabs on their progress. We will encourage them to further their careers with Rencol and take advantage of all the development programmes that we have so that they can realise their engineering ambitions."