Industrial Placements UK

Our 12 months Industrial Placement programme is designed to kickstart your experience in the Supply Chain & Logistics industry in one or more of our business units - Manufacturing Logistics, Network Transport Solutions, ECommerce & Retail, Consumer & Convenience and Healthcare & Specialist Logistics.Register your interest to be the first to hear about our roles going live in Autumn 2026.

Why should you complete a placement year with us?

Hear what our current Industrial Placement Students have to say

"My favourite part of my role so far has been doing work-shadowing in a variety of roles within the business. It’s allowed me to gain insight into other people’s responsibilities and how everyone makes an impact.

The start of my programme went very smoothly. I was eased into my role, so I didn’t feel overwhelmed, and everyone at the site is very friendly and welcoming."

Mirgan

"I chose to do a placement year primarily for the valuable work experience and the opportunity to learn on the job and gain new skills. It also helps that a placement year helps me to stand out compared to other graduates when I leave university.

The start of my programme has been very busy! I have been gaining huge amounts of knowledge every day, but it has been very rewarding now that I am able to contribute to my team with my own projects. I have made lots of connections and I am optimistic for the rest of the placement."

Oscar

"Doing an IP sets you apart from everyone else. Having a full year of experience with DHL, who are the biggest logistics company in the world, will make your application even more attractive and therefore you are more likely to land your dream job.

My favourite part of the role has been exposure to various industries. You get incredible insights into each industry, like what's trending, what customers like and dislike and how DHL can meet their customers' needs."

Abdul

Industrial Placement FAQs

Explore the answers to frequently asked questions for our industrial placement programmes.

We will be going live with new programmes in September 2026, to join the business in September 2027. We’re hitting pause on early careers recruitment until September 2026 to give the programme a proper glow-up. We’re redesigning it to better match what Gen Z and Gen Alpha are looking for, while making sure it fits with our big-picture goals. In the meantime, we’re learning, improving, and getting ready to come back with something smarter, sharper, and more exciting than ever.

Application Form - Once you’ve decided which programme to apply for, you will need to complete our online application form. You’ll be asked to enter personal details, together with qualifications and a copy of your CV.
DHL Strengths Journey Online Assessment – After completing our application form, you will be progressed onto our first online assessment. This is designed to assess how you would handle situations that you would encounter in the role you are applying for. It has been developed as a bespoke tool for DHL and is based on real-life situations.
Job Simulation Online Assessment – If you pass the DHL Strengths Journey, you will then be invited to complete a Job Simulation. This assessment is for you to showcase who you are and to give us an idea of your real self whilst completing a role-relevant DHL scenario. Please note, if you are applying for one of our entry-level apprenticeships, then you won’t be required to complete this.
Overview session – Provided you meet the required criteria, you’ll then be invited to a virtual programme overview session where you can learn the details about the role you’ve applied to!
Experience Day – If you have successfully passed stages 1-3, the final stage of the process is the Experience Day. We will provide you in advance the details of what to expect on this day.

Currently we are not in a position to sponsor Visa requests. Our policy is that we require the correct right to work information prior to being able to offer any potential employee and therefore, we have put this as a minimum requirement for candidates to be able to apply to our programmes.

You may however apply for any of our positions via our website at the following address: www.dhl.com/global-en/home/careers.html and https://careers.dhl.com/global/en as some sectors within the wider DHL business may have different policies.

Yes, if you are invited to an experience day, you will be contacted with a travel expenses form.

Yes, if you attend an experience day, you will receive specific feedback on your performance on the day. You will also receive general feedback following any online tests. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide feedback if you do not make it past the application stage, due to the large volume of candidates.

DHL Supply Chain is a global organisation and our Next Generation Talent roles are based across the UK. For our graduate roles, you will be based at one of our sites across the UK for your first year-long placement and then moved for your second year-long placement. We are able to support with up to £500 relocation costs per year. All of our apprenticeship roles will have a location stated on the individual job descriptions.

Our Next Generation Talent have access to a huge network of people to speak to and get support from. You will have a mentor who will offer careers advice, act as a role model and demonstrate how networking works in practice. We also have a buddy scheme where new Graduates and Apprentices are put in contact with current Graduates and Apprentices who offer advice on an informal basis around things like relocation, past experiences and answer any practical questions or concerns. Networking is a key aspect of our business and you will build on this network as you progress your career with us.

If you have any questions, please contact the Next Generation Talent Team at EmergingTalent@dhl.com

Join our talent community

We will notify you about relevant positions, and keep you in mind whenever we have interesting opportunities.

Join Community

Why should you complete a placement year with us?

Hear what our current Industrial Placement Students have to say

Industrial Placement FAQs

When do roles next go live and when would I join the business if successful?

What is the application process?

Do you sponsor International Students?

Do you support with travel costs to the experience days?

Will I get feedback throughout the process?

Where are the roles located?

Will I be in contact with other next generation talent or senior managers during the programme?

Who do I contact if I have additonal questions?