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AWE: does its year in industry placement sponsor a UK visa?

NoYear in Industry Placement

No. AWE does not sponsor its year in industry placement for international students who need a visa. AWE, the UK nuclear deterrent organisation, recruits undergraduates graduating in 2029 or 2030 for 12-month Year in Industry placements at Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire, starting August 2027.

Sponsors grads?
No
Pay vs threshold
Below the threshold
Opportunity
placement
Pay
£24,500 per annum plus benefits
2027 cycle
Applications open now, closing at the end of October 2026; start August 2027
Confidence
high

AWE Year in Industry Placement: at a glance

AWE's Year in Industry engineering placement puts undergraduates into an engineering team doing real technical work from the start, which depending on degree and business need can span design, systems, process, manufacturing, software, data, infrastructure, modelling, testing or commissioning. Placement students have a dedicated line manager, an Evolve pathway lead and a buddy, and join AWE's Early Careers community. The role works a full time, 9 day working fortnight on site. Source

Duration
12 monthsSource
Start date
August 2027Source
Who can apply
Students graduating in 2029 or 2030 who are taking a placement year as part of their degree“You must be graduating in either 2029 or 2030 and completing a placement year as part of your degree.”Source
Locations
Aldermaston, BurghfieldSource
Starting pay
£24,500 per annum plus benefitsSource
Degree requirement
On track for a minimum 2:2 by August 2027“You must be on track to achieve a minimum 2:2 in your degree by August 2027.”Source

Every programme and stage at AWE

“You must be a British National and willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance.”
AWE, from its own careers pages
The catch: Dual nationals may still face the 5-year UK residence condition for SC clearance. AWE recruits on a rolling basis and may close roles before the end of October 2026, and some degree subjects (for example Mechanical and Chemical Engineering on the Engineering advert) are already closed.
AWE early careersVerify on gov.uk

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What AWE publishes about this programme

Checked against AWE's own careers pages on 2026-10-12. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: published
  • Application dates: published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: not published

More early careers programmes at AWE

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-10-12. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does AWE sponsor visas for its year in industry placement?

No. AWE does not sponsor its year in industry placement for international students who need a visa. AWE, the UK nuclear deterrent organisation, recruits undergraduates graduating in 2029 or 2030 for 12-month Year in Industry placements at Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire, starting August 2027. Roles span engineering, data science, materials science, nuclear safety, environmental science, radiochemistry, logistics, production and sustainability. Pay is £24,500 a year with a 9-day working fortnight. Every advert says applicants must be British nationals able to obtain and maintain security clearance, and explains that SC clearance needs a British citizen resident in the UK for the past 5 years.

What is the AWE year in industry placement?

AWE's Year in Industry engineering placement puts undergraduates into an engineering team doing real technical work from the start, which depending on degree and business need can span design, systems, process, manufacturing, software, data, infrastructure, modelling, testing or commissioning. Placement students have a dedicated line manager, an Evolve pathway lead and a buddy, and join AWE's Early Careers community. The role works a full time, 9 day working fortnight on site.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme sits below the Skilled Worker salary threshold, which is itself a reason sponsorship is not possible.

What is the catch international students miss with AWE?

Dual nationals may still face the 5-year UK residence condition for SC clearance. AWE recruits on a rolling basis and may close roles before the end of October 2026, and some degree subjects (for example Mechanical and Chemical Engineering on the Engineering advert) are already closed.

When do applications open for the AWE year in industry placement?

Applications open now, closing at the end of October 2026; start August 2027. Checked on 2026-10-12 against AWE's own site.

How long is the AWE year in industry placement?

12 months, according to AWE's own careers information.

When does the AWE year in industry placement start?

August 2027, according to AWE's own careers information.

Who can apply for the AWE year in industry placement?

Students graduating in 2029 or 2030 who are taking a placement year as part of their degree, according to AWE's own careers information.

Where is the AWE year in industry placement based?

Aldermaston, Burghfield, according to AWE's own careers information.

What does the AWE year in industry placement pay?

£24,500 per annum plus benefits, according to AWE's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the AWE year in industry placement?

On track for a minimum 2:2 by August 2027, according to AWE's own careers information.

How should I confirm AWE's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on AWE's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

Related guides

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Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.