Our 12-month paid industry placements usually start late Summer/early Autumn.

Depending on the opportunities available, roles will be split into appropriate subject and/or location categories.

We’ve previously recruited to industry placements in:

• Environment and science.
• Business and communications.
• Process and chemical engineering.
• Civil and Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Control and Automation (MEICA) engineering.

To apply for an industry placement, you must be an undergraduate in your second year of study, or a recent (within the last year) graduate with the right to work in the UK.

Eligibility criteria are reviewed before upcoming recruitment campaigns and may be subject to change.

Applications for 2026 will open around December 2025/January 2026.

More information will be coming soon.

While the exact process may vary slightly, it typically includes:

• Online Application - A tailored form giving you the chance to highlight your skills, motivations and suitability for the scheme.
• Behaviour-Based Assessment (BBA) - Delivered by Arctic Shores, this assessment measures your natural, work-relevant behaviours through interactive tasks rather than traditional questions.
• Shortlisting - Applications are reviewed to ensure they meet the educational requirements and are assessed based on the strength and relevance of responses.
• Interview - If you’re shortlisted, you’ll be invited to a single virtual interview.

Unlike traditional assessments, the BBA doesn’t ask you to describe how you’d behave – it lets you show it. With a series of engaging, game-like tasks based on neuroscience, the assessment captures how you naturally respond to challenges and situations.

It looks at traits like:

• How you plan and manage your workload.
• How you complete tasks and track progress.
• How you adapt and build relationships with others.

These behaviours reflect the qualities we value most at the Environment Agency.

This assessment provides a fairer, more objective way to understand your potential. It’s especially useful for early career roles where CVs may not fully reflect your strengths.

To help you prepare, we recommend these Arctic Shores resources:

What to expect from the assessment

Do I need to practice

Neurodiversity and assessments