Work under the YINI scheme

[dingdongbe]

What are your thoughts on a gap year job under the Year in Industry Scheme (YINI) for a potential engineering student, where the workplace is the employer's house, with part of it converted to an office? The YINI student will be the only employee. The work will involve building some models and a bit of programming. Will it put off an 18 year old who generally loves working in teams? Is it wise to turn offer down as YINI positions are competitive? Is a YINI position actually worth its while (given the very low pay?)

I assume this is something you're thinking of offering? Personally I don't think working in someone's house, with only one other person, would be suitable at all Sorry. It leaves the student far too exposed to the possibility of exploitation. I'm sure you wouldn't but a university shouldn't be offering that sort of set up as suitable. Besides it does sound quite limiting for the student in terms of networking and gaining softer skills like teamwork, presenting etc.

Also whilst I don't know much about engineering, I don't think building a few models is going to be enough to fulfil the experience requirements for a degree giving chartered status.

No, I'm not the employer. This is a situation DC is facing. Did A levels in 2022 and currently taking a gap year. Wants to apply to study engineering in 2023 at Imperial. School advised that some engineering related work experience will be useful for the personal statement. After a very hard search DC secured a job in an engineering start up. But the work place is the employer's house and DC is the only employee. Employer lives alone. The work is ok - but overall its dead boring, especially as there are no colleagues apart from the employer. The work involves aspects that DC can talk about at an Imperial interview (Feb 2023, if called). Alternative is the local super market. There really aren't engineering -related opportunities for pre-university students that start in 2022. DC comes back from work every day losing a bit more bounce than the day before.

Oh right, so it's not a year in industry then. Phew! Imperial really won't expect much work experience - most of its applicants will be at school, so how could they. Tell him to quit and go work in a supermarket, save some money, get the interview then travel!

On the whole I think a YINI is well worthwhile and a lot of degree courses include it as an option. I think it really gives some good perspective and context to the academic learning. Having said that I'm not sure that a one man band is going to give the best mentoring.

I did YINI way back in the 90s. Unfortunately the work is dead boring, they need intelligent people on a low pay, whom they can expect to run research (repetitive) experiments and record results accurately.

BUT (and do check whether this still happens), I was at a big industrial employer in the NW so had lots of fellow YINI and sandwich students with me, so there was a good social scene. Also, we did a qualification at Pershore Business College, which included a three x 1 week residential and submissions over the year. This is a great way of meeting people.

Industrial experience (to my mind) is important, are there opportunities at Imperial to undertake this? Given what you've said, I'd maybe take the offer as a "last resort". It does sound rather isolating. What contacts does the employer have - suppliers, clients etc.? There could be worthwhile experience there, but it does sound a bit risky.

This isn't a year in industry though. A year in industry is an integral part of a degree course, usually in the third year.

This is a gap year job, ostensibly to give the dc something to talk about at an interview.