Young Person Operational, Work Experience Placement - Derby, 26th-29th October 2026
Young Person Operational, Work Experience Placement – Derby, 26th-29th October 2026
Location: Severn Trent, Derby STW Megaloughton Lane DE21 7BR
Date – Monday 26th-Thursday 29th October (4-days)
Who it's for:
Young people aged 14–18 who are interested in gaining hands-on experience of the world of work and exploring future career opportunities.
This placement is ideal for those who are curious, willing to learn, and keen to build confidence in a professional environment. Whether you already have a career in mind or are still exploring your options, this is a great opportunity to try something new, develop key skills, and get a real insight into how teams work day to day.
No previous experience is needed—just a positive attitude and a willingness to get involved!
What’s This All About?
Step into the world of operations and discover how we keep essential wastewater services running for millions of customers every day. During this placement, you'll gain valuable insight into the teams, processes, and technology that help protect public health and the environment.
As this placement is designed to be flexible, your experience may vary depending on the site, operational activities, and teams available during your visit. You might have the opportunity to shadow operational colleagues, observe how wastewater is treated, learn about process monitoring and maintenance, or explore how teams work together to keep sites operating safely and efficiently.
You'll gain a behind-the-scenes look at the journey of wastewater through our treatment processes and discover how operators use data, equipment, and technical expertise to meet strict environmental standards. Along the way, you'll see how issues are identified and resolved, how performance is monitored, and how continuous improvements help optimise operations.
This is a fantastic opportunity to explore careers in operations, engineering, and environmental services while developing your understanding of health and safety, teamwork, problem-solving, and the vital role operational teams play in protecting our communities and environment.
What we hope you’ll Learn:
- Communication – Talking and listening clearly
- Work collaboratively – Within a team
- Creative Problem Solving – Thinking through challenges
- Self-management – being able to plan and adapt
- Confidence – Sharing your ideas and asking questions
Who Will Support You?
You’ll be guided by friendly and experienced team members who are there to help you every step of the way. From your first day, they’ll support you in settling in, getting to know the team, and understanding what to expect from your placement.
We’ll take the time to explain tasks clearly, answer your questions, and help you build your confidence as you learn. You’ll be encouraged to try new things, develop your skills, and get involved in different activities across the team.
Our goal is to make sure you leave your placement feeling supported, informed, and motivated about your future—with a better understanding of the world of work and the exciting opportunities available to you.
What You’ll Take Away:
By the end of your placement, you’ll have:
- A real insight into what it’s like to work in a professional environment
- Practical skills you can use in school, future jobs, and everyday life
- Confidence in communicating your ideas and working as part of a team
- A clearer understanding of different career paths in Severn Trent and where you could fit
- Great examples and stories to stand out in interviews or on your CV
- The chance to build connections with people already working in the industry
Important Notice – Research Trial Participation
This work experience opportunity is part of a research trial being conducted by Severn Trent in partnership with Ipsos and the Youth Futures Foundation. The trial aims to understand how work experience impacts young people’s skills and future career outcomes. By applying for this placement, you are also consenting to take part in the research trial. This involves your application data being used for research purposes and you may be invited to complete short surveys or interviews (participation in these is optional).
If you are under 16 years old, you must upload a signed parental consent form with your application for it to be considered.
You will be asked to confirm you have attached your parental consent in the application; Consent will be verified and check before approving your eligibility.
See website for additional information, you must consent to take part in our work experience programme.