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When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

We currently have some exciting opportunities for industrial placement students to join Caterpillar across several of our sites. You will have the opportunity to work with others across our organisation and you will be directly involved, and at the heart of our business, participating on strategic projects.

*Please note that in order to be eligible to complete a 12 Month Industrial Placement commencing June 2025, you must be in your penultimate year of study unless enrolled in an integrated master’s program.

What do we do?

Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. Since 1925, we’ve been driving sustainable progress and helping customers build a better world through innovative products and services. Throughout the product life cycle, we offer services built on cutting-edge technology and decades of product expertise. These products and services, backed by our global dealer network, provide exceptional value to help our customers succeed.

We have a clear vision to be the global leader in providing customer value in the markets in which we operate. Our core values (Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork, Commitment and Sustainability) are key to our success.

Caterpillar Springvale manufactures major component subassemblies for Cat® articulated trucks including axles and transmissions.

Diversity at Caterpillar

When we leverage our people's experiences, backgrounds, and cultures in an inclusive environment, we enable every individual to achieve their full potential, which drives business success. We are proud to be active partners with both the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) & Women's Engineering Society (WES). We also have numerous well supported employee resource groups. Caterpillar is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds.

What experiences can we offer you?

As an equal opportunity employer, we value diversity at Caterpillar and believe the more experience you can gain early in your career the further you can go. That’s why during our yearlong scheme we place an emphasis on multiple diverse projects. You will have the opportunity to work and collaborate with people in Caterpillar facilities worldwide and we are looking for you to bring fresh, innovative ideas to solve complex technical problems. You will be a fully involved team member with responsibility and accountability for key project deliverables. That said, you will be given all the support you require to be successful.

Our placement roles have the additional benefit of a workplace mentor; this could be your manager or a technical expert who will support you throughout your time at Caterpillar and help you gain the professional development and skills you need to be set up for success! Our placement students can expect to return to university with further developed technical skills and experience of how University learning is applied to the workplace.

We also operate a conditional offer process; our highest performing placement students are fast tracked to our graduate development scheme. This includes a financial incentive and the potential of a summer work placement. Offers will be made based on the condition that a graduate role is available at the time of your graduation and that you achieve a min of 2:2.

The role

The Human Resources (HR) team which you will work within are responsible for partnering with leaders and employees throughout the business; working towards maximising the potential of each employee and making sure Caterpillar is a great place to work. Together with the extended team in Caterpillar’s UK HR In Country Team and Corporate HR, they represent the whole spectrum of HR.

You will gain invaluable experience working predominantly within the core HR team (Employee Relations Team). In addition to working with the core HR team you will also be exposed to recruitment & selection, learning & development, and occupational health.

This experience will be invaluable as it will ultimately allow you to transition into a general HR practitioner. The role will provide you with solid grounding and will be the catalyst from which you are able to progress and continue your commitment to a career in Human Resources. This is a fantastic opportunity for a local placement with an international employer.

Job duties and responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

  • Maintaining the employee absence log
  • Supporting the day-to-day running of the HR team
  • Note taking in disciplinary and grievance meetings
  • Producing and formatting presentations for a variety of HR topics
  • Supporting the recruitment process
  • Producing absence and disciplinary KPIs
  • Liaising with Occupational Health
  • HR training delivery
  • Providing basic HR support to leader

Who are we looking for?

As the type of roles within our business are becoming more diverse, we are looking for people who are open minded, excellent problem solvers and who have an ability to learn quickly. You will be motivated, hard-working, and will embrace change. In return for your dedication and hard work, you will be provided with excellent career opportunities and strong support for your personal and career development to pursue a career within Caterpillar.

  • Applicants will be on target to achieve a minimum of 2:2 honours degree level in a relevant discipline – Human Resource Management, Business Management (in which you have covered at least one HR module)
  • Applicants will be able to work alone and as part of a team and will have excellent verbal and written communication skills

Recruitment Process Guidelines

Here is a brief overview of what you can expect when applying to our Early Career roles…

Online Application: The first stage of the process is to complete the online application and attach your CV, this must be done before the closing date of the role that you're applying for.  Once we reach the close date, we will begin reviewing all our applications, this may take a little while and we will contact you as soon as possible to let you know if you have been successful in moving forward to the next stage.

Stage one – Video Interview: If selected, you will be invited to complete a user-friendly video interview which will then be reviewed by the Hiring Team. At this stage, if you are successful, you will be invited to attend an Assessment Centre which we anticipate will be held on Tuesday 4 th February onsite at our Springvale facility so please try to keep that date free. We would also recommend that you check your spam emails and your Workday account for updates.

Stage two - Assessment Centre: The Assessment Centre Day will look at a range of behaviours such as teamwork, decision-making, communication, and problem-solving. We aim to make these days fun, inclusive and as relaxed as possible.

Stage three – Offer: After the Assessment Centre, the Caterpillar team will review the feedback and extend offers to our preferred candidates, we aim to do this as quickly as possible. Placement students will start on 30th June 2025. We look forward to receiving your application to join Caterpillar!

Come join us!