• Question: Hello, I'm currently a year 12 student and I want to go into chemical engineering when I head of to university. However I am intrigued what type of work experience could help me understand and represent my interest in this topic. since many chemical engineering opportunities I've found aren't free costing up to £300 and I haven't really been informed what could help me broaden my knowledge in this subject. Thank you so much for any advice and further information!

    Asked by MayaD to Penny T, NickD, Camilla, Anita, amritphull, Amal on 14 Oct 2025.
    • Photo: Camilla Cassidy

      Camilla Cassidy answered on 14 Oct 2025:

      It’s understandable that you should want to demonstrate your enthusiasm and also learn more about the topic before you apply to uni, but it shouldn’t be required or expected to pay for experiences. What makes it difficult is there is a limit to what hands-on opportunities you can get with science and research before you are 18, as there will be Health & Safety and similar rules and laws in place for your wellbeing.

      From my perspective, one of the purposes of work experience and other, similar things to put in your personal statement, are to show your enthusiasm, and that you know what you’re talking about when you say how much you want to study the subject. If you said ‘I’ve always wanted to be a chemical engineer’ but don’t seem to have done anything to see what that means in practice, that wouldn’t sit well! So anything that you can do to seem more informed is good. Here are some suggestions for things that you can do, which are free:

      – Email people! The universities you’re interested in will list the staff who work on the courses and modules, and includes their emails. Try emailing them, very politely, with a few questions, or a request to be passed along to a student or someone else who might be able to answer them. As a university student I sometimes got requests like this passed to me. If you’re very polite, the worst thing someone can say is no! If they do answer, you’ve got the chance to understand some answers to questions like – what is your favourite part of the subject? What books might be useful for someone starting?
      – Research and read some articles on the topic. Understand a little about the new, emerging, hot-topic questions.
      – Gain an insight into science generally through citizen science and volunteering. The app Zooniverse lets you take part in scientific research through your phone, e.g. identifying images from a trail camera if there is an animal in the picture or not. This sort of thing lets you get a window into how science, research and engineering work, and is an easy way for you to get experience and demonstrate enthusiasm.
      – Search ‘chemical engineering free webinar’ or similar. Many conferences, groups and other people will host free Zoom lectures that you can join for free (or a very low cost). This will let you hear from real scientists, and get some of the learning and exposure you’d get from work experience.

    • Photo: Amrit Phull

      Amrit Phull answered on 17 Oct 2025:

      I think the answer that Camilla has provided is fantastic! I just have a few more points to add:

      Remember that experience in any STEM-related area is still relevant. Try to contact local laboratories, manufacturing facilities or other engineering-based companies to see if they offer work experience. All of this will help you in the future.

      Use Springpod to find completely free virtual work experience! In-person courses often come with a cost (such as The Smallpeice Trust and EDT Headstart Courses), but these websites have free home challenges for you to try, which will push you to try and think about engineering challenges independently. Talking to your school about this is also helpful – they may have some experience with engineering competitions or schemes that they can help you to get involved in. They can also use STEM Ambassadors to arrange a visit from a local engineer!

Comments

  • Photo: uzairabdullah

    uzairabdullah commented on :

    That’s a really good question, and it’s great that you’re already thinking about how to show your interest in chemical engineering. Many paid programmes can be expensive, but there are plenty of meaningful alternatives that don’t cost anything and still demonstrate your curiosity and initiative.

    You could apply for a Nuffield Research Placement, which offers free summer experiences in science and engineering, often at universities or research labs. Programmes through the Engineering Development Trust, such as Industrial Cadets, also provide accessible routes into engineering with some bursary options. Even short online courses from platforms like FutureLearn or university outreach programmes can give you a taste of real-world engineering.

    If formal placements are hard to find, think creatively. Volunteering at a science fair, running a STEM club, or even designing a small experiment at home or school, like studying heat transfer or simple chemical reactions, all show initiative.

    Universities care less about expensive placements and more about genuine enthusiasm. They want to see that you’ve explored your interests out of curiosity, built useful skills, and thought about how science can be applied to real problems. Those qualities matter far more than paying to be on a programme.