IndustrialPlacementsGuide

EngineeringSubjectCentreGuide: IndustrialPlacements
January2005

Acknowledgements TheEngineeringSubjectCentreacknowledgestheworkundertaken,and contributionsmadeintotheEQUIPEProjectbytheconsortiumpartnersat LoughboroughUniversity,theUniversityofBath,AstonUniversityandtheUniversity ofSurrey. TheEngineeringSubjectCentrealsoacknowledgestheworkundertaken,and contributionsmadeintotheEQUIPEProjectbytheadvisoryboardfrom ICI,BP Amoco,Weetabix,IChemE,IMechE,EngineeringCouncilUKandASET. TheEQUIPEProjectwasbysponsoredbyHEFCE'sFundfortheDevelopmentof TeachingandLearning(FDTL).

EditedbyEngineeringSubjectCentrestaff.

PublishedbyTheHigherEducationAcademyEngineeringSubjectCentre ISBN9781904804253 2005TheHigherEducationAcademyEngineeringSubjectCentre

Foreword
ThisGuidehasbeenproducedbytheHigherEducationAcademyEngineering SubjectCentretoprovideamoreinformedbaseforengineeringacademicsto engagewiththeirstudentswhoareseekingindustrialplacementaspartoftheir programmeofstudies. TheGuidehasitsoriginsintheEducationalQualityinPlacementsinEngineering (EQUIPE)Project,identifyinggoodpracticesinengineeringindustrialplacements.It wasestablishedasaconsortiumbasedprojectledbyLoughboroughUniversityand wasmanagedinconjunctionwiththeUniversityofBath,AstonUniversityandthe UniversityofSurrey.TheinitiativewasalsosupportedbyICI,BPAmoco,Weetabix, IChemE,EngineeringCouncilUKandASET. EQUIPEwassponsoredbyHEFCE'sFundfortheDevelopmentofTeachingand Learning(FDTL)andidentified,evaluatedanddisseminatedwidelygoodpracticesin industrialplacementsinengineering.TheFDTLfundedprojectconcludedin2001 followingthepublicationofaboundvolumeofsixBriefingPapers,withanongoing webbasedresourcethatismaintainedtoprovideeasyaccesstothedocuments resultingfromtheproject.Thissupportingworkhassincebeenfundedby LoughboroughUniversity. TheBriefingPaperscoverallparticipantsintheindustrialplacementprocess,from thehighereducationdepartmentanditsstaff,throughthestudents,employersin industryandrelevantprofessionalbodies.

Employers

Project Information

Universities

Students

TheBriefingPapersarereproducedhereintheirentirety,includingchecklists,and reflectthethreestagesoftheproject: 1. Reviewandanalysis:thefirststagelookedatexistingpracticeandinvolved reviewandanalysisbystudents,academics,industrialistsandother interestedpartiesofexistingpractice. 2. Preparingstudentsforplacement:thesecondstagefocusedonthepre placementphase,andlookedattheskillsstudentsandstaffneedtodevelop, withparticularemphasisplacedonthepreparationofstudentsforplacement, findingandvettingofplacements,andmatchingstudentstoplacements. 3. Developmentthroughplacement:lookedattheplanningandmonitoringof placementprogramsandassessmentofstudentprogressionand achievementwhilstonplacement. Whilstonplacementstudentsneedtobeabletoplan,actandreview performance.Theyneedtodeveloppersonaleffectivenessandself awarenessandtobeabletoreflectontheirexperienceonanongoingbasis. Staffarefrequentlyinvolvedindevelopmentactivitiessuchasmentoringand monitoringprogressofstudents. EQUIPEalsoreviewedtherecordingofachievementandformalevaluation andassessmentoftheworkplacementprocess.

Contents

Briefing No. 1

Topics
Linkingwithindustry andidentifying undergraduate placement opportunities Recruitingplacement students Preparingstudentsfor placement HE

Target Audience

Contributors
HE/Industry/Students/ ProfessionalBodies

Page
1

Industry

HE/Industry/Students/ ProfessionalBodies HE/Students/Industry/ ProfessionalBodies HE/Students/Industry/ UUK/Professional Bodies HE/Students/Industry/ ProfessionalBodies

HE/Industry/ Students

11

Universityresponsibility HE/Industry/ forhealthandsafetyof Student studentsonplacement Tutoringandmentoring studentson placements VisitingTutors/ Supervisorsin Companiesof Studentson placement/ Students HE/Industry/ Students

15

21

Assessmentand accreditationof industrialplacements

HE/Students/Industry/ ProfessionalBodies

25

1Linkingwithindustryandidentifying undergraduateplacementopportunities
Thisbriefingisaimedatuniversitystaffwhowanttobuildandmaintainlinkswithindustrysoasto offerstudentsqualityworkexperience:
q q

itoutlinesgoodpracticeinindustrialplacementsinengineering ithighlightsthekeyelementsinasuccessfulcollaborationwheretheuniversity,theemployerand thestudentallgain. Suchrelationshipshavetobe builtupandmaintainedoveranumberofyears.

Rememberthatemployersmaininterestisinthebusinessbenefitsofofferingplacements.

Whatdoemployersgainfromindustrialplacements?
Directbenefits
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placementstudentsareaskilledresourceatalowcostthiscanbeparticularlyusefulfor shortertermprojects theybringnewbloodintothecompany theirpresenceincreasesflexibilityinstaffrecruitment.

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Offeringplacementsalso
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enhancescompanyimageandcreatesgoodPRopportunities createslinkswithuniversitiesthatmayofferlongertermbenefits helpsdevelopyoungengineersforthefuture.

Placementscancontributetoagraduaterecruitmentprogramme
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theyfocusrecruitmenteffortsonthetypeofstudentsthatyourcompanyrequires theyareawayofgainingaccesstothebeststudents theyareanopportunityforthecompanytoevaluatepotentialfutureemployees(andviceversa) theyallowcompaniestomouldstudentsskillsandattunethemtocompanyculture.

Whatdoemployersexpectofplacementstudents?
Employersareinterestedinhowstudentscancontributetotheirbusiness.Theyexpectstudentsto:
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respondpromptlytoanofferofaplacement showcommitmenttotheiremployer bewillingtolistenandlearn respecttheexistingcultureandworkingpracticesinthecompany undertakeprojectswithenthusiasm buildandmaintaintrustandagoodworkingrelationshipwiththecompany.

IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

Whatadviceshouldplacementtutorsgivetoemployers?
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theyshouldproviderealjobsthatarelowriskbutareofgenuinevaluetothecompany itsbesttotreattheplacementstudentasagraduateengineer itsusefultohavedirectcontactwithstudentsattheselectionstage 12monthplacementsarethe mostworthwhileandproductive theplacementprocessshouldinvolvelinemanagersandthosewhowillsupervisestudents thinkaboutthepossibilityofrecruitingthestudentongraduation.

Howcanwedevelopourlinkswithindustry?
Thelabourmarketisconstantlychanging. Thismeansthatyoumustreviewyourportfolioof companiesandopportunitieseveryyear. Successdependsonknowingpeopleandgettingonwiththem.Nurturingisimportantandcan producemanyindividualbenefitse.g.prizes,awards,collaboration,grantsetc.saysTonyLockett, IndustrialLiaisonManagerintheDepartmentofChemicalEngineeringattheUniversityofBath. Waysoffindingplacementopportunities
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referralsfrompaststudents personalcontactsandwordofmouthrecommendations directmailingtopotentialemployersintheautumn speculativeapproachesfromcompaniestotheuniversity.

Maintaininganddevelopinglinks
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youshouldsetupandmaintainadatabaseofpotentialcontacts Inviteemployerstoyourengineeringdepartmentonceayear,andgivethemlunch.

Thiskeepsparticipatingcompaniesintouchwithdevelopmentsattheuniversity.Theycanadviseyou ontheindustrialclimateasitaffectstraining,andcommentontheirexperienceofthedepartments studentsandofcourseyoucanexchangeviewsmorewidely. Notallyourcontactswillbeabletoattendeveryyear,butsucheventshelpmaintainanddevelopan effectiveplacementprogramme.

Aclearunderstandingandagreedobjectives
Allconcernedneedtohaveaclearunderstandingoftheaims,objectivesandexpectationsofthe placementprogramme. Ithelpsto:
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discusstheplacementprogrammewiththeemployerbeforehand lookatajobdescriptionorexampleofpreviousrolesofstudentstoestablishthepurposeofthe placement suggestthatcompaniesinvolvelinemanagersinidentifyingsuitableplacementopportunities drawupaPlacementAgreementwhichoutlinesthemutualresponsibilitiesofthestudent,the universityandtheemployer askthestudentandhisorherindustrialsupervisortoagreejointobjectivesforthefirstthree monthsoftheplacement

q q

Itmaybeusefulatthestartofplacementforstudentsandtheirsupervisortocompleteaform clarifyingwhatkindofworkthestudentwillbedoinginthecompany,insofarasthisisknownatthat time. 2IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

Communication
Clearandtimelycommunicationbetweenemployers,studentsanduniversitiesiskeytosustaining effectiveandfruitfulrelationships.Infact,oneoftheadvantagesoftheuniversitybeingactivein organisingplacementsisthatrelationshipswillbemanagedprofessionallyandstudentscanbe encouragedtoactinamannerthatdoesnotharmindustrialpartnerships.Problemsarelesslikelyto ariseifallpartiescommunicatefrequentlywitheachother. Placementsshouldmeettheexpectationsofstudentsbybeingsufficientlychallengingand offeringappropriateexposuretoengineeringplant,people,processes,functionsand products.

Studentsshouldhavesomeopportunitytoparticipateinprojectworkandalsotobroaden theirunderstandingofworkinginacommercialenvironment.

Istheplacementappropriate?
Theplacementtutorneedstounderstandtheplacementonofferanddecidewhetherornotitwould beappropriateforastudent.Thinkabout: Theworkingenvironment:Studentsonplacementhaveemployeestatusandaretreatedby companiesasanormalemployeeasregardspayetc. However,thestudentisstillregisteredatthe universityandtheuniversityhasadutyofcare.Youmustensurethatthestudentisplacedinasafe environment(seeBriefingPaper4)anddoesnotsufferunlawfuldiscriminationofanykind. Thekindofsupportgivenbythecompanytothestudent:thiswillimpactontheeducational qualityoftheplacement.Studentsneedtoworkalongsidesupportivepeoplewithwhomtheycan discusstheirwork. Thesuitabilityoftheworkanditsrelevancetothestudentsstudies. Therecruitmentandselectionprocess:Recruitmentandselectionbythecompanymustbeboth timelyforthecompanyandthestudent.Employersshouldbeinformedofanyimportantdateswhen studentswillnotbeavailableforinterview.Ownershipoftheplacementlieswiththestudentandthe company.Greatercommitmentandloyaltyisgainedbybothstudentandemployerbeingdirectly involvedintherecruitmentandselectionprocess.

IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

Placementchecklists
Completingthefollowingchecklistswillhelpyoudecidewhetherornottoproceedwithaplacement opportunity.Youcanobtainsomeofthisinformationbytalkingtoorvisitingthecompanyorinviting theemployertovisittheuniversityforaninformalchat. Studentsalsoneedtoknowsomeofthisinformationtheycanperhapsusethechecklistsasabasis fortheirownresearchonthecompany. Companyinformation
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Whatisthenameofthecompany? IsthecompanyamultinationaloranSME? Whenwasitfounded? Inwhatsectoristhecompany? Whatisthebusinessofthecompanyandwhatproductsdoesitmake? Whatisthestructureofthecompany? Howmanypeopleworkforthecompany? Whoareitscustomers? Isthecompanywellknowninstudentcircles?

Theworkingenvironment
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Whatisthecultureofthecompany? Whatistheworkenvironmentlike? IsHealthandSafetyobserved? AreEqualOpportunitiespoliciesobserved? Atwhichsitewouldthestudentwork? Istheworkingenvironmentsuitableforastudent? Whataretheworkpracticese.g.teamworking,multidisciplinaryteams,hierarchyetc?

Placementinformation
q q q q q q q q q q

Whyisthecompanyinterestedinparticipatingintheindustrialtrainingprogramme? Hasthecompanyhadaplacementstudentbefore? Inwhichdepartmentwillthestudentbeplaced? Whatisthenatureoftheplacement? Isthereajoborplacementdescription? Willtheplacementberelevanttothestudentscourse(orfuturestudies)? Howlongwillit last? Whenwoulditstart? Doestheplacementoffertheopportunityofbeinginvolvedinprojectwork? Willthecompanysupportthestudentifheorsheneedstoundertakeafinalyearprojectorwork baseddissertation?

Studentspecification
q q

Whatsortofstudentwouldbemostappropriatefortheplacement? Whatskills(practical,IT,interpersonal)areparticularlyrelevanttotheplacement? 4IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

q q q

Whatcompetencies/personalattributesaresoughtbytheemployer? Whatknowledgedoestheemployerseek? Whichacademiccoursesandstudentsdoyouthinktheplacementprovidershouldbedirected towards?

Recruitmentandselection
q q q q q q q

Istheplacementpartofthecompanysgraduaterecruitmentstrategy? Howwouldtheemployerlikeapplicationstobesetout? Whenwouldtheemployerliketointerview? Wherewouldtheemployerliketointerview? Whatistheclosingdateforapplications? Willinterviewdatesconflictwithexams,majorstudentassignments, projectsorotherdeadlines? Willthestudenthaveanopportunitytovisitthecompanyaspartoftheinterviewprocessand meetthepeopletheywouldbeworkingwith? Willthecompanyprovidewrittentermsandconditionsofemployment? Isastaffhandbookprovided?

q q

Supportforthestudentonplacement
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Willthecompanyprovideaninduction/socialisationintothecompany? WillthecompanyprovideHealthandSafetytrainingforthestudent? Who inthecompanywillsupervisethestudent? Isamentoravailable? Willthestudentbeabletofindaccommodationlocally? Howcanthecompanyassiststudentsinfindingaccommodation? Willthestudentneedadrivinglicencefortheplacement? Whatremunerationpackageisthecompanyoffering? Whattrainingisthecompanyoffering(bothonandoffthejob? Whatreviewpoints/appraisalsarenormalpracticewithinthecompany? Studentsneedtobetocommunicatewiththeirindustrialtrainingtutorabouttheprogressof applicationsandinformthemofanyoffersofplacementorinvitationstointerviewtheyhave receivedformcompanies.

Companiesshouldbeencouragedtokeepboththestudentandtheuniversityinformedofthe progressoftherecruitmentandselectionprocess.

Theuniversityneedstoprovidechannelsofcommunicationbetweencompaniesandstudents.

IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

6IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

2Recruitingplacementstudents
Thisbriefingpaperisaimedatemployerswhoseektobuildandmaintainlinkswithindustryandwish toofferstudentsqualityworkexperience:
q q

itoutlinesgoodpracticeinprovidingindustrialplacementsinengineering ithighlightsthekeyelementsofuniversityemployerstudentcollaborationthatleadtosustained partnerships.

Whatarethebusinessbenefitsofofferingplacementsin engineering?
Directbenefits
q

placementstudentsareaskilledresourceatalowcostthiscanbeparticularlyusefulfor shortertermprojects theybringnewbloodintothecompany theirpresenceincreasesflexibilityinstaffrecruitment.

q q

Offeringplacementsalso
q q q

enhancescompanyimageandcreatesgoodPRopportunities createslinkswithuniversitiesthatmaybringlongertermbenefits helpsdevelopyoungengineersforthefuture.

Placementscancontributetoagraduaterecruitmentprogramme
q q q q q

youcantargetstudentswiththeparticularskillsandqualitiesthatyourorganisationrequires theyareawayofgainingaccesstothebeststudents theyareanopportunityforyoutoevaluatepotentialfutureemployees(aoneyearinterview) theyallowyoutomouldstudentsskillsandtunethemintoyourcompanysculture youcanraiseyourreputationamongstudentsasapotentialemployer.

Industrialplacementsbringinextrahumanresources,raiseyourprofilewiththeuniversity, andhelpdevelopmoreconfidentandexperiencedgraduates.

Howcanwedeveloplinkswithuniversities?
EmployerslikeBP,whohavedevelopedcloselinksintoindividualuniversitydepartments,have nominatedlinkofficerswithintheircompanytoactastheliaisonofficerwiththeuniversityand students.AtLoughboroughUniversity,forinstance,theBPFellowassistsinsettingandevaluating designprojectsandalsohasinputintoteaching.Thisfriendlyrelationshipbringsrealindustrial expertiseandexperienceintotheclassroom.IndustrialplacementsarepartofBPsgraduate recruitmentstrategy. Weetabix,whiletheydonotsystematicallyuseindustrialplacementsaspartoftheirgraduate recruitmentprogramme,stillfeelthattheselinkstouniversitiesarevaluable. Whilenotalluniversitiesofferstudentstheopportunityofintegratedworkplacements,youcan:
q q

contactlocaluniversitiestoseewhichareinvolvedinplacements consulttheUCAShandbook(soontobeavailableonline)toidentifyuniversitiesthatoffer coursesfromwhichyoumightwanttorecruitastudent 7

approachuniversitydepartmentsthatofferthesecourses IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

q

askgraduatesinyourcompanywhethertheiruniversityofferedplacements

developadatabaseofcontactsinuniversities. Developingcommunicationchannelswithuniversitiesandstudentsiskeytobuilding successfulplacementprogrammes.

HowdoIgoaboutrecruitingastudent?
q

UniversityEngineeringDepartmentsthatofferstudentplacementsarealwayslookingfor opportunitiestodevelopcloserlinkswithindustry.Theywelcomeapproachesfromcompaniesat anytime.

Timingandlocation
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motivatedstudentsstartlookingforaplacementatthebeginningoftheirsecondyearatuniversity companieswhorecruitintheAutumnofthesecondyearhavealargerselectionofstudentsto drawfrom universitydepartmentsarehappytoarrangeforinterviewstotakeplaceoncampusbut companiesmayprefertoinvitestudentsforinterviewattheirownpremises studentsusuallypreferinterviewsoncampus.

Itisdifficultforstudentstoattendinterviewsaroundexamtime(usuallyinFebruaryandMay). Companiesandstudentsshouldbothtrytoreachtheirdecisionsaboutplacementpromptly. Preparation

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Provideinformationaboutyourcompanyforprospectiveplacementstudents,especiallyifyouare notoneofthebignames. Provideajobdescriptionorexamplesoftheworkthatpreviousstudentshaveundertaken. Dontaskstudentstodotoomuchextraworkaspartoftherecruitmentandselectionprocess,as theresponsecanbepoor.Engineeringstudentsarealreadybusywiththeiruniversitystudiesand assignments.

q q

Companiesusuallyshortlistthestudentstheywishtointerviewafterlookingatanapplicationform and/orCV. Studentsonplacementmaybeaskedtowriteashortdescriptionoftheiryearinindustryfor thenextyearsstudentifplacementisofferedonarollingbasis. Theinterviewandafter

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Theinterviewersapproach,thestyleoftheinterview,thepersonalityoftheinterviewer,andthe qualityoftherelationshipandtrustbuiltbetweentheinterviewerandintervieweeareallimportant factorsinthis.

Theinterviewcanhaveastronginfluenceonthewayyourcompanyisperceivedbystudents.
q q

Trytobuildastrongpositiverelationshipwiththestudentswhoarecomingtoworkforyou. Onceyouhavedecidedtooffersomeoneaplacement,sendconfirmationassoonaspossible. Delayscauseuncertaintyandlongdelaysencouragestudentstostartlookingelsewhere. Avisittothecompanybeforestartingworkcanhelptoencourageownershipoftheplacementby bothsupervisorandstudent. 8IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

Somecompaniesproduceastarterpackfornewplacementstudents.

Placementsarelikelytobemoresuccessfulifthelinemanagerswhowillsupervisestudents areinvolvedintherecruitmentandselectionprocess.

Asharedunderstandingandagreedobjectivesfortheplacement
Allconcernedneedtohaveaclearunderstandingoftheaims,objectivesandexpectationsofthe placementprogramme.Ithelpsto:
q q q

discusstheplacementprogrammewiththeuniversitybeforehand involvelinemanagersinidentifyingsuitableplacementopportunities drawupaPlacementAgreementwhichoutlinesthemutualresponsibilitiesofthestudent,the universityandtheemployer askthestudentandhisorherplacementtutortoagreejointobjectivesforthefirstthreemonths oftheplacement. Jobanalysis,supportandplanninginplacementhelpfacilitatelearning.

Itmaybeusefulatthestartoftheplacementforstudentsandtheirsupervisorstocompleteaform clarifyingwhatkindofworkthestudentwillbedoinginthecompany,insofarasthisisknownatthis time.

Whatdoplacementstudentsexpectofyou?
Studentsexpect:
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genuineinvolvementandworkthatisreal,interesting,andrelevanttotheiracademicstudies adegreeofindependenceandtheopportunitytoassumeresponsibility commitmentfromtheemployerandtheircontributiontobevalued tobetreatedlikeagraduateengineer goodqualitysupervisionandmentoring writtentermsandconditionsofemploymentoracontract aclearindicationofwhatthecompanyexpectsofthem theopportunityofajobofferongraduation.

Whatdouniversitiesexpectofyou?
Universitiesexpect:
q q

placementsthatenhanceknowledgeandpersonalandprofessionaldevelopment apartnershipwithemployersthatfeaturesappropriateandfrequentcommunication,including regularfeedbackabouttheprogressoftheplacement afairandvalidselectionprocessthatinvolvesstudents agoodmatchbetweenstudentsandplacements jobanalysisanddesign,planningandsupport.

q q q

IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

Whatcanyouexpectofplacementstudents?
Employerscanexpectstudents:
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torespondpromptlytooffersofaplacement tobeabletoundertakea12monthplacement toworkconscientiouslyandtomakeapositivecontributiontothebusiness toshowcommitmenttotheemployer torespectcurrentideasandworkingpractices todeveloptrustandshowloyaltytocompany.

Whataretheresourceimplications?
Youwillneedtocommitbothhumanandfinancialresources Humanresources
q q q q

recruitmentandselection liaisonwiththestudentanduniversity studentinductionandsocialisationintothecompany offeringtrainingonandoffthejobasappropriateinorderthatthestudentcancontributetothe businessandmaximisethebenefitsofthelearningexperience healthandsafetytraining supervision:youwillneedtoidentifysomeoneinyourcompanytosupervisethestudentonaday todaybasis.

q q

Financialresources
q

anappropriatesalarypackage(studentsonplacementdonotreceiveagrantandcompanies shouldbeabletoprovidefinancialsupportforthedurationoftheplacement).

Checklistofgoodpractice
Employersshould:
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providetheuniversitywithtimelyinformationaboutplacementopportunities,includingcompany informationplacementdescription,location,startdateandsalaryoffered employstudentsinaprofessionalenvironmentwhichissufficientlychallenging allocateadequateresourcestotheplacementprocessandthestudent alwaysprovidehealthandsafetytrainingandacompanyinductionprogramme ensuregoodqualitysupervisionandmentoring involvelinemanagersinidentifyingsuitablestudentprojects usetheplacementyearasayearlonginterviewtoassessthestudentssuitabilityfor employment takeadvantageofvisitsbyuniversitytutorstoreviewstudentsprogress,setobjectivesand maintaincontactwiththeuniversity. Clearcommunicationwiththeuniversityandthestudentsiskeytodevelopingsuccessful placements.

q q q q q q

10IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

3Preparingstudentsforplacement
Thisbriefingpaperisaimedatuniversitiesanduniversitystaffinvolvedinsecuringqualitywork placementsinindustryandprovidingsupportandguidanceforplacementstudents: q itoutlinesgoodpracticeinindustrialplacementsinengineering
q

ithighlightsthekeyelementsofprovidingsupportforstudents.

Theplacementyear
Industrialtrainingshould:
q

provideundergraduateswithayearlongexposuretoplant,processesandpeoplewithinan engineeringbusiness motivateandencouragestudents,leadingtobetterperformanceonreturntouniversity helpstudentsdeveloptechnicalunderstandingandkeyskills givethempracticalexperienceandsomethingtotalkaboutinjobinterviews increasestudents'employability. Thisperiodspentintherealworldshouldhelpstudentsclarifyandconfirmtheircareer paths.

q q q q

Howcanwepreparestudentsforplacement?
Studentsneedtodeveloppersonalandprofessionaltransferableskillsaheadoftakingupan industrialplacement.Therearevariouswaysinwhichtheuniversitycanassisttheminthis: Embeddingskillsdevelopmentinthetaughtcourse
q

thefirstand/orsecondyearcurriculumcouldincludeacompulsorymoduleoncommunication skills.

Ingeneral,everyopportunityshouldbetakentohelpstudentsimprovetheiroralpresentation andreportwritingskills.Studentsalsoneedtobeabletoproducepresentableapplication formsandCVs. Boltonelements

q

youcouldarrangevisitinglecturesbyindustrialrecruitmentspecialists,toincludequestionand answersessions selectedstudentsreturningfromworkplacementcanbeaskedtomakeapresentationtosecond yearstudentsabouttheirexperience theCareersAdvisoryServicemaybeabletorunshortcoursesonCVwritingandinterview technique themodernlanguagesdepartmentmaybeabletohelpstudentswhoaretakingupaplacement overseas companiesmaybeabletogivefeedbackaboutstudentperformanceatinterview tutorscanbriefstudentsabouttheexpectationsthatemployerswillhaveofthem roleplayandpracticeinterviewscanhelpstudentsdeveloptherelevantskills.

q q q

Handbooksandguides IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre 11

q q q

theindustrialtrainingtutorcanprepareaguidetoobtainingaplacement theremayalsobeaStudentUnionPlacementHandbook returningstudentsmightbeaskedtoproduceaposterfordisplayinthedepartmentrelatingto theirexperienceonplacement(perhapswithasmallprizeonoffer) amodelCVisoftenprovided,butstudentsshouldbeencouragedtodevelopaCVwithastamp ofpersonalitytutorscancheckdraftCVs.

Supportingstudentslookingforaplacement
Moststudentslookfortheirownplacementsaswellasapplyingthroughtheiruniversity.However,a wellorganiseduniversitysupportedplacementprogrammehasseveraladvantages:
q q q q

employersaremorelikelytoappreciatetheresourcerequirementsforplacementstudents studentsshouldhavemorerealisticexpectationsoftheresourcestheywillfindintheirworkplace theywillhaveafullunderstandingofcompanyrecruitmentandselectionprocedures attentioncanbegiventodevelopingpersonalandtransferableskillssuchasagoodinterview technique studentscanbegivenguidanceinpreparingjobapplicationsandCVs goodrelationshipscanbebuiltwiththeCareersServiceand/orFlexibleLearningInitiatives/Skills Developmentagencieswithintheuniversity theuniversitymaybeabletofacilitateplacementopportunitiesabroad effectivepastoralcarecanbeprovidedforstudentsbeforeandduringplacement.

q q

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Whointheuniversityprovidessupport?
Wherenumbersofstudentsonplacementarerelativelysmall(say3040)anacademicmemberof staffmayassumeresponsibilityforindustrialtraining.Thedepartmentmayprovideadditional administrativesupport. AnalternativemodelexistsatsomeuniversitieswhichhavesetupPlacementUnitsdedicatedto lookingafterplacementstudentsacrossseveraldegreesordepartments.

Managingexpectations
Placementtutors,students,employersanduniversityvisitingtutorsneedtohaveaclear understandingofthepurposeandobjectivesoftheplacementprogramme. Staffneedtoknowwhatisexpectedofthemandhowtheycanbestcontributetomaking placementsasuccess. Everyonesexpectationsneedtobemanagedtoencouragesuccessfulandfruitfullongterm partnerships.Students,employersanduniversitystaffallneedtobegiveninformationandguidance about:
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roles,relationshipsandresponsibilities howtheplacementwillbeevaluatedandassessed(andhowthiscanbeusedasa developmentaltool) healthandsafety universityvisits,theirpurposeandobjective howtomakethemostoftheplacementexperience.

q q q

12IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

Acasestudyindevelopingstudentsskills
ThiscasestudycomesfromTonyLockett,IndustrialPlacementTutorintheDepartmentofChemical EngineeringattheUniversityofBath. TheboltonfirstyearprogrammeatBath Studentsareencouragedtodeveloptheirskillsinordertogetthemaximumbenefitfromthe Universityexperience.Anintroductorylecturehighlightingthemanybenefitsofactiveinvolvementin Universityanddepartmentallifeissupportedbyaprofessionallymadevideo. Fromthebeginningoftheformalacademiccourseworkthereisaneedforfocusedobjectivityandthe assimilationofstandardworkingpractices.Becausealectureisprobablyanewexperiencetomany students,theymustquicklylearntolisteneffectivelyandtotakelecturenotesinaconstructive manner.Thestructureofdifferentformsofreportwhicharestandardintheengineeringprofession areexplained.Lecturesonlisteningtechniquesandnotetakingpracticeintroduceworkshops designedtointroducestudentstoexamplesofgoodandbadpractice.Theconstructionofvarious formsofreportispractisedinworkshopsandstudentsareencouragedbyconstructivefeedbackon theirindividual. AtthestartoftheircoursesstudentsquicklylearnthebasicsofLibraryandInternetusewithhelpfrom specialiststaff.Workshopexercisesareusedtosupportthelearningprocess. Theuseofinformationtechnologyisuniversalthroughoutundergraduatechemicalengineeringat Bath.Theuseofspreadsheets,wordprocessorsandgraphplottingfacilitiesarerequiredrightfrom thebeginning.Workshopsareheldtostimulateandeducateatvariouslevelsofdevelopmentas studentshavevaryingdegreesofskillatthisearlytime. Thedepartmentbelievesthatstudentsshouldunderstandthatindustryseeksgraduateswith outstandingpersonalattributesandskills.Invitedindustriallecturershelpbyexplainingtheneedsof industryandbyhighlightingthosepersonalqualitieswhichstudentsshoulddevelop.Theimportance ofvacationwork,andofactiveparticipationinevents,clubs,teamsandorganisationsisemphasised. Presentationskillsaretaughtbylecture,plusvideosofgoodandbadpractice.Eachstudentis requiredtomakeaformalpresentationofhisorherlaboratoryworkwhichisprofessionallyassessed byapanelofacademics. Theorganisationalaspectsofteamsandofsuccessfulteamworkareexplainedbyinvitedindustrial speakers.Teamworkexercisesareheldwiththesupportofindustry,withsmallprizesawardedtothe winningteam.Postgraduateobserversassesstheperformanceofeachteamandthisinformationis thenfedbacktothestudents.Theuseofpostgraduatesprovidesaneducationalexperiencetothe postgraduatestudentsalsoastheyarerequiredtomakeformalpresentationoftheirobservations. Thestudentsthemselvesvoteforawinneroftheteampresentations. Studentsseldomenjoyfillingoutapplicationformsforindustrialplacement.TheCareersAdvisory Serviceorganisesalectureonhowtodoit,explainingwhycertainquestionsaretypicallyaskedon theform,andgivingexamplesofgoodandbadresponses.Specialworkshopsareheldwhere studentscanpracticecompletingformsandaskanynecessaryquestions.Industrialsupportis providedfortheseexercisesalso. Theembeddedfirstyearprogramme Throughouttheyearstudentsundertakelaboratoryworkstudentsingroups.Individualreportsare writtenandassessedwithindividualpresentationsoflaboratoryworkassessedonpresentational qualityheldasaseparateexercise.Personalskillsinteamwork,theconstructionofreportsand presentationalachievementsareencouragedwithroleplayandpractice. Studentsarerequiredtocompleteadesignprojecteachyear.Inthefirstindustrycollaborateby supplyingkeyengineerstohelpandadvisestudentteams.Groupreportsontheseprojectsare assessedandcounttowardsanoverallmarkwhichalsoincludesanassessmentofindividualactivity. Presentationsofthegroupworkaremadeandthebestoverallperformancesarerewardedwithcash prizesdonatedbyindustry. Theboltonsecondyearprogramme Thepriorityforthesecondyearistopreparefortheplacementinterviewswhichtakeplacethroughout thesecondyear(thoughlargerCompaniesholdinterviewsandassessmentcentresearlyinthefirst semester).AtBathallsecondyearstudentsareinterviewedbyacademicsandCareersCentrestaffin IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre 13

thefirstweekofthesemester.Applicationformsarecompletedforatypicalplacementopportunityby allthestudentswhorequireplacement.Theseapplicationformsformthebasisofshortinterviews designedtoasktypicalquestionsknowntohavebeenputbyindustrialists.Feedbackonperformance isgiven,focusingonparticularstrengthsandweaknesses.Theemphasisinthesecondyearison buildingselfconfidenceandskills,andonpersonaldevelopmentandinterpersonaland entrepreneurialskills. Therearetwocomplementaryworkshops.Inthefirstthestudentsaredividedintogroupstodebate anddecidetheoutcomeofaplanningapplication,forexampleforpermissiontoconstructan incineratoronasensitiveandwelldocumentedgreenfieldsite.Studentsareassignedtointerest groupssuchasthelocalcouncil,localresidents,localindustry,professionalpressuregroupssuchas FriendsoftheEarth,thedevelopers,theoperators,etc.EachgroupisinstructedtoattendaPublic InquirywhichischairedbyanappointedPublicInquiryOfficer(anacademic)andgiventimeto constructtheirvariouscases.Theenquiryisheldwitheachstudentprovidingpresentationaland debatinginputtotheprocess.Attheconclusionofthedebatethelocalauthorityretirestoconsider theirdecisionandrecommendations.Thedecisionisformallypresentedbytheleaderofthelocal councilplanningcommitteetoalltheparticipants. Thesecondworkshophasbeendesignedtoencourageoriginalandentrepreneurialthinkingina businessenvironment.Thisprojectvaries,butalwayscomprisesagroupchallenge.Typically,an awardistobemadebyacharitableorganisationtofinancethebestproposaltosupportthe educationaldevelopmentofyoungteenagersforaperiodofoneyear.Thereisnorestrictiononhow thisistobeachieved,butonlythemostcrediblebusinesspropositionwithintightfinancialconstraints willsucceed.Thestudentgroupsresearchandpreparetheirproposalswhichtheypresentbeforean academicpanel(representingthecharity)togetherwiththeentirestudentbody.Questioningand debateisencouragedpriortoanassessmentofthewinninggroupbythepanel.Skillsofteamwork, presentation,persuasionarenurturedwithbusinessawarenessandlateralthinkingbeingverymuch inevidence. Thelaboratoryprogrammeinthesecondyearencouragesexcellenceinthepreparationofreports andcontinuestoencourageteamworking.Problemsolvingandthesecondyeardesignprojectare alsorun,inconjunctionwithanindustrialsponsor.Thetimescheduleistight,andstudentsare requiredtopresentanoverallgroupreportwhichincludesindividualdesignsubmissions:penalties areincurredforlatework.Groupsubmissionsareassessedandaselectednumberareforwardedfor furtherconsiderationbyapanelofindustrialistsandsenioracademics.Thesegroupsmake presentationoftheirdesignproposalstothispanelandawinnerisselected.Cashprizesaregivenby industrytothewinninggroups. Roleplayusingacomputerbasedbusinessgameisusedtostrengthenteamworkingabilitiesandto encourageindividualentrepreneurialrisktaking.Thestudentsareplacedinatypicalbusiness environmentwheretheirdecisionsdirectlyaffecttheperformanceoftheCompany.Thisbusiness gameencouragestheconsideredapplicationofbothjudgmentalandleadershipskills.

14IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

4Universityresponsibilityforhealthandsafetyof studentsonplacement
Riskstostudentsareminimisedbyensuringthattheemployerconformstohealthandsafety legislation.Proceduresareproposedbywhichuniversitiesandtheiragentsmaydischargetheir dutiesinlaw. Todatethereislittleprecedentforlegalactionagainstauniversityoveraworkplacement healthandsafetyincident.However,nonobservanceofpublishedguidelinescouldbeused asevidenceofnegligenceinanylegalproceedingstakenagainstauniversity.

Introduction
ThisbriefingpaperusesguidelinesestablishedbyanASET/USAworkingpartythatrecommended practicalhealthandsafetyproceduresforstudentworkplacements.Itsaimistooutlinethegood practicethathasbeenidentifiedbytheEQUIPEproject.
q q

Itisdirectedatallpartieswhoareconcernedwith,andwhoseektoprovideguidancefor,the healthandsafetyofstudentsonplacement,butisparticularlyaimedattheUniversity. Itoutlinestheresponsibilities,minimumrequirementsandpreparationthatmustbeestablishedto minimisethehealthandsafetyriskstostudentsduringtheirplacementperiod.

Theissueofthehealthandsafetyofstudentsonworkplacementhasbeenconsideredatlengthby ASET,culminatinginaCVCPpublicationentitledHealthandSafetyGuidanceforthePlacementof HEStudents(CVCP,1997). Itisimportanttonotethattheproposalsandrecommendationshereapplyspecificallytoplacements intheUKonly. Duetothesignificantvariationsinoverseasconditionsandlegislation,ithasprovedextremelydifficult togenerateanequivalentdocumentforoverseasplacement.However,acodeofpracticeentitled HealthandSafetyWhenWorkingOverseashasbeenpublished. PartofthetextofthisBriefingPaperandthefourappendiceshavebeenreproducedwithpermission fromtheCVCPPublication.Otherimportantinformation(includingtheextensiveHealth&Safety GuidanceNotesforStudentsonPlacements)canbefoundintheCVCPpublication.

Legalresponsibilities
Universitiesmustensurethatplacementorganisersarecompetenttocarryouttheirworkandfollow bothstatutoryanduniversityrequirementsandguidance:
q q

professionaltrainingforplacementofficersshouldbeprovided theyshouldbeadequatelysupportedbyspecialistprofessionalsasnecessary.

Universitiesneedtoconsiderthehealthandsafetylegislationextremelycarefully.Delegationofthe procurementofplacementstootheragenciesdoesnotreleaseuniversitiesfromtheirlegal responsibilitiesfortheirstudentswhileonplacement. Visitingtutorsmustobservetheworkplaceandreportspecificallyonanylikelyhealthand safetyproblems. Oncestudentsareonplacement,theyareemployeesofthecompany.Theemployerhasthesame dutyofcaretowardsplacementstudentsasitdoestoanyotheremployee.Equally,studentshave thesameresponsibilitiestothecompanyforhealthandsafetymattersasanyotheremployee,and mustcomplywithcompanyhealthandsafetyregulations.

IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

15

Procedurefortheapprovalofplacements
TheapprovalprocedureforplacementsbeginswiththePlacementHealthandSafetyChecklist(see below). Thisshouldbesenttoeveryplacementemployer,everyyear.Approvalwillnormallybegivenifthe employeranswersYes'toeveryquestionotherwisetheuniversityoritsagentshouldinvestigate. Followingthechecklistconfirmationandappropriatehealthandsafetybriefings,thestudentshouldbe givenanAuthoritytoStartPlacement(seebelow).Theyshouldnotstartworkbeforereceivingthe document.Studentsshouldconfirmthattheyhavereceivedtheappropriateinductionandhealthand safetybriefingusingaform(seeexamplebelow). Ifastudentchangeshisorherplaceofwork,oranythingoccursthatmightaffecttheanswerstothe checklist,thisinformationmustbefedbacktotheuniversity. Eachstageofthisprocedureshouldbebackedupbywrittenrecords(seeexamplebelow).These mayneedtobekeptforatleastthreeyearsafterthestudentgraduation.Reviewofthesuitabilityofa workplaceisacrucialelementinplacementprocedures. Universitiesshouldarrangeforacompetentpersontovisittheworkplaceatappropriateintervals. Howmanyvisits,andhowoftentheyshouldbecarriedout,willdependonthelevelofriskandthe lengthoftheplacement.Onlyinthecaseofaveryshortplacementinalowriskenvironmentmaya visitbeomitted. Feedbackshouldincludecarefuldebriefingofstudents.Actiononanypointofconcern shouldbeswiftandwrittenrecordsshouldbekept.

TrainingRequirements
Universitieswillneedtoarrangeappropriatetrainingforhealthandsafetystaff,andensurethat placementorganisersarecompetenttodischargetheirownduties.Visitingtutorsmayneedtraining, buttheyneednotbehealthandsafetyexperts.

Studentneeds
Studentsneedverbalandwrittenguidance,beforetheystartwork.Theyshouldalsoreceiveacopy ofHealthandSafetyGuidanceforthePlacementsofHEStudents. NoguidanceorbriefingprovidedbytheUniversityoritsagentscan,orshould,substituteforthe employersownhealthandsafetybriefing. Studentsshouldpasstheirfeedbacktovisitingtutorswho, inturn,reinforcehealthandsafetymessages. References HealthandSafetyGuidanceforthePlacementofHEStudents(March1997),publishedbyCVCP,29 TavistockSquare,LondonWC1H9EZ. HealthandSafetyWhenWorkingOverseas,(August1997)UniversitiesSafetyAssociationTopic Group/CVCP,29TavistockSquare,LondonWC1H9EZ. Abbreviations ASETAssociationforSandwichEducationandTrainingCVCPCommitteeofViceChancellorsand PrincipalsUSAUniversitiesSafetyAssociation.

16IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

Healthandsafetychecklistforplacementstudents
Nameofemployer: Address: Telephone: Fax:
Yes No 1 Doyouhaveawrittenhealthandsafetypolicy? 2 Doyouhaveapolicyregardinghealthandsafetytrainingforpeopleworkinginyour undertaking,includinguseofvehicles,plantandequipment,andwillyouprovideall necessaryhealthandsafetytrainingfortheplacementstudent? 3 Istheorganisationregisteredwith: a theHealthandSafetyExecutiveor
b theLocalAuthorityEnvironmentalHealthDepartment?

4 Insurance a IsEmployerandPublicLiabilityInsuranceheld? b Willyourinsurancescoveranyliabilityincurredbyaplacementstudentasa resultofhis/herdutiesasanemployee?

5 Riskassessment a Haveyoucarriedoutriskassessmentofyourworkpracticestoidentify possibleriskswhethertoyourownemployeesortootherswithinyour undertaking? Areriskassessmentskeptunderregularreview? Aretheresultsofriskassessmentimplemented?

b c

6 AccidentsandIncidents a Isthereaformalprocedureforreportingandrecordingaccidentsand incidentsinaccordancewithRIDDOR? Haveyouprocedurestobefollowedintheeventofseriousandimminent dangertopeopleatworkinyourundertaking? Willyoureporttotheuniversityallrecordedaccidentsinvolvingplacement students? Willyoureporttotheuniversityanysicknessinvolvingplacementstudents whichmaybeattributabletothework?

Contactpersonnel Whoisyournominatedcontactforcompliancewiththerequirementsofhealthandsafetylegislation? Nameandposition: Tel:

Theabovestatementsaretruetothebestofmyknowledgeandbelief: Signed: Position: IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre Date: 17

Exampleoflettertostudent
(Pleasealterasappropriate)

Name: CourseTitle:

Supervisedplacement2005/2006:Authoritytostartplacement

Thisauthorityenablesyoutobeginyourplacementimmediately,oronthedateagreedwithyour employer,whicheveristhelater. Itisvalidforthewholeofyouremploymentwiththeemployernamedbelow,unlesscircumstances changesufficientlytowarrantitswithdrawal. Thisauthorityisvalidforemploymentwith:

Employersname: Youhave: Attendedhealthandsafetybriefing Receivedhealthandsafetypack Receivedplacementpack Date: Date: Date:

Authorisedby:

Placementorganiser:

Date:

UniversitySafetyOfficer(whereappropriate):

Date:

Beforestartingworkyoushouldhavereadtheinformationprovidedinthehealthandsafetypack,and particularlyHealthandSafetyGuidanceforthePlacementofHEStudents.

18IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

Exampleofrecordsheet
Recordofdates
Course: No Student AttendedH &Sbriefing H&S Pack received Placement confirmed Placement docssent tostudent Lettersentto Replyfrom employer employer Further action Authority sentto student Enrolment authorised

Thisrecordsheetshouldbeheldandmaintainedbythepersonresponsiblefortheplacements. IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

19

Studentinductionchecklist
Nameofstudent: Employer: Department: Supervisor: Contactphonenumber: Contactfaxnumber: Contactemail: Startdate:

Thefollowingitemsshouldbeincludedinyourinductionintotheorganisation,preferablyonyourfirst day.Pleasecheckofftheitemsbelowwhentheyoccurandinformyourplacementorganiserofany itemsnotcoveredwithinoneweekofthestartofyourplacement.Thislistisnotexhaustiveandother topicsmaybecovered,whichyoumaynoteifyouwish: Date Health&safetyissues Emergencyprocedures Safetypolicyreceivedorlocationknown LocationofFirstAidbox FirstAidarrangements(includingnamesoffirstaiders) Fireproceduresandlocationoffireextinguishers Accidentreportingandlocationofaccidentbook COSHHregulations DisplayScreenEquipmentregulations/procedures Manualhandlingprocedures Protectiveclothingarrangements Instructiononequipmentparticipantwillbeusing(listequipment) Otherissues

Signed:

Date:

PleasereturntotheIndustrialPlacementOrganiserassoonaspossible. 20IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

5Tutoringandmentoringstudents onplacement
Thisbriefingdocumentisaimedatsupervisorsofstudentsonplacementinindustry:
q q

itwillbehelpfultouniversityvisitingtutors itwillalsoassistindustrialplacementtutors.

Whyshoulduniversitiesvisitstudentsonplacement?
Visitsareveryusefultostudentsandhaveanumberofpurposes:
q q q q

tocheckthatthetasksandobjectivesthathavebeensetforthestudentarereasonable tocheckthatthestudentfullyunderstandstherequirementsoftheplacement toseethattheplacementisprogressinginasatisfactorymanner toencouragestudentstoreflectontheirdevelopmentandworkbasedlearninginrelationtotheir course tohelpthemsettheplacementexperienceinawidercontextoflearning todealwithdifficultiesorconflictswhichmayoccur toidentifyopportunitiesforfurtherdevelopment toevaluateandrecordthestudentsprogress.

q q q q

Whatarethebenefitstoemployersofuniversitystudentvisits?
Tutorvisitspermitabroadbasedevaluationoftheplacementandthestudentsprogress:
q

thetutorwillcheckwhetherthestudentisdevelopingappropriatelyandwhetherthestudentwork programmeissatisfactoryforboththeemployerandthestudent tutorvisitsareusefulinmotivatingstudents ifproblemshavearisen,thetutorcangetinvolved

q q

Tutorvisitsalsoprovideanopportunity:
q q

todiscussthestudentsprogressandgivefeedbackonperformance forthecompanytocomparethedevelopmentoftheirplacementwithwhatishappeninginother companies forthecompany,theuniversityandthestudenttosetjointobjectivesandbenchmarksfor performancereview todiscusscourseanduniversitydevelopments. Studentswelcomethesevisits,whichusuallytakeplacetwiceayear.

Howmanyvisits? Thenumberofvisitstostudentsonplacementvaries,thoughgenerally,atleasttwovisitsaremade. Thefirstusuallytakesplacewithin13weeksofthestartoftheplacement.Visitstypicallylastabout 1hours,withadditionaltimebeingallocatedforaplant/factorytour.

IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

21

Whoshouldvisitstudents?
Thevisitingtutorisusuallyanacademicmemberoftheuniversitydepartment,thoughitcouldbethe studentspersonaltutor,theindustrialplacementtutororanothermemberofstaff.
q

universitystaffoftenvisitthesamecompanyeachyear.

Thevisitisprimarilyaboutdiscussingtheplacementwiththecompanyandstudent,butitis alsoagoodopportunityfortheuniversitytoengageinpositivePR
q

thevisitisalsoanopportunitytodiscusspotentialworkinotherareas,soresearchinterestsmay beafactorwhenallocatingtutors locationmaybeafactorinassigningtutors,asstaffmayhavepreferencesaboutwhichpartsof thecountrytheywouldliketovisit.

Organisingavisit
Eithertheuniversityvisitingtutororthestudentcantakeresponsibilityforarrangingaconvenienttime tovisitVisitsshouldbesetupinadvanceasallpartiesarelikelytobeverybusyandfindinga convenientslotforameetingmaybedifficult. Theformatofavisit Itisimportanttoallowenoughtimeforthetutortotalktoboththestudentandemployer. Thetutormayfirsttalktostudentandsupervisorseparatelyandthenbringthemtogetherforafinal session,inwhichtheycandiscussanyissuesthathavearisenandobjectivesforthenextperiod. Preparationforavisit Studentscanbegivenaformtocompleteandreturntotheuniversityimmediatelytheplacement starts,confirmingdetailsof:
q q

wherethestudentisworking(department,function,areaetc.) whohisorhercompanysupervisorisandthisperson'scontactdetails.

Atthestartoftheplacement,studentsalsoneedtodiscusswiththeirsupervisoraplanofworkforthe firstthreemonths.Thiswouldincludeinduction,healthandsafetytrainingbythecompany,process andproductfamiliarisationetc. Thisplancanbereviewedatregularintervalsthroughouttheplacement. Thecompanysupervisorsignstheformtoconfirmthestudent'sstartdate. Theuniversitymayalsoaskthestudenttoconfirmhisorhersalary(particularlyiftheuniversity conductsanannualsalarysurveyofstudentsonplacement).

22IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

Checklistfortutorvisits
Thefirstvisit ThisusuallyfallsbetweenJulyandDecemberoftheplacementyear,dependingonthestudentsstart dateorwithin13weeksoftheplacementstarting.Thetutorwill:
q q q q

meetthestudent,hisorhercompanysupervisorandothercompanystaffasappropriate discussanyteethingproblemsandagreestepstoresolvethese confirmthesuitabilityoftheplacement checkthatthestudentisawareofdeadlinesforsubmissionforworkforassessmentwhileon placement(e.g.monthlyreportssenttotheuniversityandtheendofplacementreport) examinethestudentslogbook discussanymattersrelatingtoacademicworkandadvisethestudentaboutfinalyearoptionsif appropriate completeahealthandsafetychecklist

q q

q q

writeareportonthestudentandlodgethisinthestudentsplacementfileattheuniversity. Ifthestudentispursuingadissertationorfinalyearprojectorreportontheplacementwork,the universitytutorshouldencouragehimorhertocommunicatewiththeemployerwithaviewto obtainingastudyprogrammewhichcouldleadtoatopicforsuchapieceofwork.

q q

Studentscanobtainthevisitingtutor'suniversitytelephonenumberandemailaddress Ifpossibleadatecanbefixedforthenextvisit.

Thesecondvisit ThiswillusuallytakeplacebetweenJanuaryandMarch.Thetutorshould:
q q q q q q q

meetthestudentandhisorhersupervisortoevaluatetheplacementexperience givethestudentthetermdatesforthenextacademicyear remindthestudentofthedeadlinesforassessment,placementreport,dissertationetc. examinethestudentslogbook discussandreviewthetasksandresponsibilitiesundertakentodate writeareportonthestudentandpassittothestudent'sfinalorindustrialplacementtutor discussanoverall12monthreportwiththecompanysupervisorandleaveacopywiththe companyforthemtocompleteandreturntotheuniversity.

Developingvisitingtutors
Universitystaffmayneedsomeassistanceintakingontheirnewroleasvisitingtutors.Less experiencedstaffcanbeencouraged:
q

toshadoworatleasttalktomoreexperiencedvisitingtutorsbeforebeingassignedtheirown studentsinindustrytovisit toreadthisbriefingdocument,andothersintheseries toattendnationaleventsrelatedtoworkbasedlearningandindustrialplacementstomeetother professionalsworkinginthefield.

q q

Theuniversitymayprovidedevelopmentopportunitiescentrally.

IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

23

Howcanemployersmaketheplacementrewardingforboththe businessandthestudent?
Asurveyofemployersgoodpracticehasrevealedthefactorsthatensurestudentscontributetowards businessgoalswhilemakingtheplacementexperiencemeaningfulforstudents:
q q q q q q q

acultureofopencommunication goodworkingrelationshipsbetweenstudentandsupervisor studentsinductedintothecompanylikeotheremployees healthandsafetytrainingprovided studentshavetheopportunitytobeinvolvedinprojects objectivesettingandperformancereviewstakeplace studentsinitiallyworkwithanexperiencedengineerandgaininconfidence,enablingthemtorun projectswithlittlesupervision opportunitiestosharewithotherstudentsandtheirsupervisorstheprojectstheyhavebeen workingon(thismaytaketheformofashortpresentation) studentsincludedinthenormalpersonaldevelopmentreview/appraisalsystem(thusidentifying theirdevelopmentneeds) studentsinvitedtoattendsocialevents,allowingthemtogettoknowothersintheirdepartment andorganisation studentsmentored'byaresponsibleengineerwhowillensurethattheworkissufficiently challengingbutnot'overpowering'(anyshortcomingsarepickeduponetoonewiththestudent, withcoachingprovidedifnecessary) traininggivenasappropriateonsiteandelsewhere,e.g.forchemicalengineers,Aspenprocess simulation,HAZOP,permitstowork,presentationandinterpersonalskills(butdevelopment comes mainlyfromundertakingrealjobs) visitstoothersitesarranged carefulselectionofproject,graduallyincreasingscopeandcomplexityasthestudentdevelops

q q

Casestudy:Supervisingstudentsonplacementtheemployer's perspective
ThiscasestudyisfromJuneCrabtree,FIChemE,PrincipalProcessEngineer,BNFLEngineering. BNFLoffersover50placementseveryyearacrossthewholecompany.Thefollowingdescribesthe experiencegainedintheengineeringarmofthecompany: Theplacementsaredesignprojectbasedandstudentsundertakerealwork.Thestudentsaretreated asgraduatesandgooneinhousetrainingcourseasappropriate. Studentsfollowaplanofexperienceinordertoexposethemtoawiderangeofengineeringtopics theymaymovetoanotherprojectifitisappropriate.Ifpossible,somepracticalexperiencewithinthe R&Tdepartmentisgained,butthisisnotalwaysappropriate.Studentshaveasupervisoranda mentorinthecompanyandthereisagoodworkingenvironmentwithopportunitiestogetinvolvedin socialactivities. Placementstudentsareassessedagainsteightcompetenciesaftersixmonthsandattheendofthe placement.Therearetwoscheduledinformalopportunitiesforstudentstofeedbacktoussothatwe canimproveourprocesses.Apresentationtothedepartmentisalsoamust.Whilstonplacement, studentarepaidabouttwothirdsofagraduatesalaryandhavethesameholidayentitlement,flexi timearrangementsetc.asnormalemployees. Thismodelforindustrialplacementshasbeenhighlysuccessfulandisgoingtobeusedacrossthe groupinfuture.TheexpectationisthatitwillbeembeddedwithinthecorporateHRrecruitment strategy. 24IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

6Assessmentandaccreditationofindustrial placements
Theassessmentandaccreditationofindustrialplacementsposesdifficultiesforuniversities,students andemployersalike.UKuniversitieshaveadoptedavarietyofmethodologiesforassessingand accreditingyearlongindustrialplacements.Thisbriefinglooksatthemainwaysusedtoassessand accreditsandwichplacementsinengineeringintheUK.Itthengoesontohighlightanddiscusssome questionsthatarecommontoallmodesofassessmentandaccreditation.Thebriefingconcludes thatassessingandaccreditingworkbasedlearninginaformalwayhelpsstudentstodevelopandis oneelementofbestpracticewhichdistinguishesformalworkplacementschemesfromcasualwork experience.

Whyassessindustrialplacements?
Therearegoodreasonsforassessingandaccreditingworkplacements:
q q q q q q

itencouragesstudentstodevelop itallowsfeedbacktobegivensothatstudentscanimprove itmotivatesstudentstolearnfromtheirexperienceinindustry studentsareencouragedtoreflectontheirworkandhowitrelatestoacademicstudies studentsachievementscangainformalrecognition ithelpsstudentsandemployerstodiscussandtoagreeonrealisticgoalsfortheplacement.

Employersmaywishtotakepartinthisassessmentaspartoftheirownreviews(sometimeswithina targetedgraduaterecruitmentstrategy).

Howtoassessandaccreditindustrialplacementsinengineering?
TheseexamplesarealldrawnfromUKuniversityengineeringdepartments:
q

AseparateawardisgivenbytheUniversity(e.g.LoughboroughUniversitysDiplomain IndustrialStudiesortheAwardofAssociateshipoftheUniversityofSurrey). Externalaccreditation:e.g.viaCity&GuildsLicenciateship,whichplacesemphasison recordingachievementinskillsdevelopmentincludingtechnicalcapabilities(asusedatthe UniversityofNewcastleuponTynesDepartmentofChemicalandProcessEngineering). AssessmentcontributestoInitialProfessionalDevelopment(professionaltraining):the studentkeepsalogbookandcollectsevidencetosupporttheirsubsequentapplicationfor charteredengineerstatus. ThereispotentialcontributiontoanacademicmatchingsectionaspartofSARTOR regulations. Academiccreditisawardedwithinthedegree)e.g.UMISTsnewfouryearMEng(Hons) ChemicalEngineeringwithIndustrialExperience). Companieshavetheirowninhouseappraisalanddevelopmentprogrammes(often competencybased)whichsupporttheassessmentanddevelopmentofstudentsonplacement. Assessmentiscarriedoutandthesuccessfulcompletionofasandwichplacementis indicatedonthedegreecertificate(asdoneattheUniversityofBathandAstonUniversity).

Whatareweassessing?
Theobjectivesofdifferentassessmentmethodologiesvary,asdoesthebalanceofassessment betweentechnicalandnontechnicalknowledge.Thetwocasestudiesdescribedbelowdemonstrate howdifferingaimsleadtodifferingaspectsofplacementsbeingevaluatedandrecognised.

IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

25

CaseStudy:AccreditationandAssessmentofworkbasedlearning viaanexternalaward
CityandGuildsLicenciateshipattheUniversityofNewcastleUponTynesDepartmentof ChemicalandProcessEngineering. TheCityandGuildsLicenciateshipaimstoenhanceacandidatesabilitytounderstandandpractice theprinciplesofatechnicalorprofessionalactivityandtodemonstrateachievementofarangeofpre definedskillsandspecificcompetence.Toachievetheaward,candidatesmusthavecompletedat leastsixtermsorfoursemestersofafirstdegreecourseatarecognisedEuropeanuniversity,oran equivalentcourse,andprovideevidenceofappropriateworkexperienceortrainingassessedbya CityandGuildsauthoriseduniversityorcentre.Thelatterrequiresaccreditationoftheapplicationof thefollowingknowledgeandskillsinworkbasedcontextinthefollowingareas: selfmanagementanddevelopment managingtasks communicatingclearlyandeffectively workingwith,andrelatingto,others applyingknowledge applyinginitiativeinworkproblems.

Aportfolioofworkshowingexamplesofkeyskillsandareflectivereportaresubmittedbythestudent forassessmentattheendofplacement.SuccessleadstotheawardoftheCity&Guilds Licenciateship.

CaseStudy:Accreditationandassessmentofworkbasedlearning viaaseparateawardgivenbytheuniversity
LoughboroughUniversitysDiplomainIndustrialStudies(DIS)intheDepartmentofChemical Engineering TheDISseekstoencouragestudentstogainawiderexposuretotheirtechnicaldisciplineina commercialenvironment,provideameaningfulexperience,assistthemtodevelopskillswhichcould notbedevelopedinauniversitysettingandtohelpthemtoclarifytheirowncareergoals. RequirementsoftheDISare: basis Atleast45workedweeksinindustryorinanequivalentorganisation Assessmentbytheuniversityofstudentprogressreports,whicharesubmittedonamonthly

Assessmentofanannualreportwhichplacesanemphasisonunderlyingtechnology. StudentsareencouragedtouseIChemETrainingandExperienceReportSectionHeadings.This documentisavailabletotheexternalexaminerforBoardofExaminersconsideration Satisfactoryreportsfromtutorvisitstypicallytwo,andareviewreportfromthecompany supervisor,whichmaybesupplementedbythecompanysownappraisalreports Adissertation(whichalsocontributesmarkedcreditstowardsthedegreeclassification).

Studentsmusthaveasatisfactoryassessmentofeachpartoftheaboveprofessionaltraining requirementandmusthaveachievedtheirdegree.Studentswhodonotpasstheirsecondyearof studymaynotproceedtoplacement.Itisworthnotingthatindividualdepartmentsdeterminethe particularassessmentanddissertationrequirements.

26IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

Toolsforassessingworkbasedlearning
OthertoolsforassessingsandwichplacementsidentifiedwithintheUKinclude:
q q q

posterpresentations(eitherintraditionalformorusingcomputerpackages) oralpresentations panelinterviews(composedofemployersandacademics)onstudentsreturntouniversity.

Whoisinvolvedinassessment?
Thefollowingpeoplemaybeinvolvedinassessment:
q q

Thelinemanagerintheplacementcompanywhoisresponsibleforthestudentonadaytoday. Universityvisitingtutorsplayalargepartinassessment. Theymaymakeformativeand/or summativeevaluationsadviselinemanagersonhowtocarryoutassessmentsinaccordance withuniversityrequirementsmarkpiecesofworksubmittedbystudentsmoderatemarksandsit onuniversityboardsofstudy. Thestudents,whowillbeinvolvedindiscussionswithlinemanagers,mentorsanduniversity tutorsaboutperformanceandareusuallyrequiredtocollectandpresentevidenceorsubmit reportsabouttheirplacementexperience. ExternalAssessors.Asinthefirstcasestudy,atrainedexternalassessormaytakeonan advisoryroleandvisitstudentsonplacement.Theexternalassessoralsogivesstudents informationaboutassessmentbeforetheygoonplacement,givesadditionalsupportviaemail duringtheperiodinindustryandfacilitatesadebriefsessiononstudentsreturntouniversity.

ProfessionalbodiessuchastheInstitutionofChemicalEngineers(IChemE)arenotinvolvedinday todayissuesofassessment,intheUK,buttheyareresponsibleforaccreditingengineeringdegrees. Theirpositiononindustrialplacementswilldetermineifthereisapotentialcontributionofthe placementtoinitialprofessionaldevelopmentorequivalencytoacademicstudy.Thishasmany implicationsforallUKuniversitiesofferingengineeringcourses.

Whentoassess?
Thetimingofassessmentdependsonwhyassessmentistakingplace.Formativeassessmentis primarilyconcernedwithreviewingthestudentsworkpartwaythroughtheplacementwithaviewto encouragingimprovement.Forexample,intheUKitisgoodpracticeforastudentonayearlong industrialplacementtoreceiveatleasttwovisitsfromauniversity(seeBriefingPaper5).Student progressandperformancearediscussedandthevisitcanfacilitatejointobjectivesettingandthe provisionoffeedbackandguidancetothestudent.Suchdialogueanddiscussionconstitutes formativeevaluation.Summativeassessmenttakesplaceattheendoftheplacementandis concernedwithmakingevaluativejudgements.Atthispoint,apass/failorgrade/markmaybe awardedfortheplacement.

Howmuchassessment?
Assessmentimpliesarecognitionthattheplacementyearisasignificantpartofastudentscourse. Whereassessmentcountstowardsacademiccreditandamarkisgiven(asopposedtoasimple pass/fail),assessmentislikelytobemorecomprehensive.Certainlywheremarkscontribute significantlytoafinaldegreegrade,theneedtoensureaccuracyandfairnessisevengreater, especiallygiventhevariabilityofvariableplacementsituations. Ifthereistoolittleassessmentstudentmotivationmaybeloweredhowoftenhaveweheardthecry Itsonlyimportantifitsassessed!

IndustrialPlacements TheEngineeringSubjectCentre

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Challengesinassessment
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Itisimportantforstudents,universitystaff,andcompanieshaveaclearunderstandingoftheaims ofassessmentanditswhy,what,howandwhen. Oneofthemajorissuesinassessmentandaccreditationiswhetheritssignificanceisrecognised bytheprofessionalsector,universityandstudents. Assessmentmustgenuinelyassessstudentperformanceirrespectiveofthenatureofthe placement. Wheremarksaregivenforplacementamoderationproceduremustexisttoensureconsistency, reliabilityandvalidationofassessmentacrossanumberofstudents. Whereastudentsworkisconfidentialtothecompanythecompanymaybeallowedtovet studentsreportsandtheuniversitymaysignaconfidentialityagreement,limitingthenumberof universitystaffwhoseethereports.

Summary
Assessmentandaccreditationbringsignificantbenefitsforstudents:theyhelpthemtodevelopduring theirtimeinindustryandensurethattheireffortsarerecognised. Theyalsoensurethatstudentsundertakeexperienceinaformal,plannedandmonitoredway.Thisis importantifuniversitystaff,employers,parentsandstudentsthemselvesaretoseeindustrial placementsasanintegralpartofastudentstimeatuniversity. Appropriateandtimelyassessmentandaccreditationarethereforegoodpractice,anddistinguish universitiesthatprovidemeaningfulprofessionalindustrialtrainingfromthosethatmerelyoffercasual workexperience. Thetablebelowsummarisessomeofthepracticesforassessingandaccreditingindustrial placementsinengineeringintheUK.

Assessmentand accreditation

Placementis assessedand accredited externally usingCity& Guilds Licenciateship, which emphasises skills development.

Placementis assessed, receiving recognitionvia thedegree certificate. Potential contributionto IPD/matching section.

Placementis assessedand recognisedby aseparate awardgiven bythe university. Placement year accreditedby IMechEas Initial Professional Development (IPD). Loughborough Universitys Diplomain Industrial Studies(DIS), Departmentof Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.

Placementis assessed,and haspotential tocontribution toacademic matching section/Initial Professional Training.

Placementis enhancedby additional academic studyvia distance learningand attracts academic credit.

ExamplefromUK Universityof Newcastle institution

UponTyne Departmentof Chemicaland Process Engineering.

Universityof Bath,Aston University.

Loughborough UniversityDIS operatedinthe Departmentof Chemical Engineering.

UMIST Departmentof Chemical Engineering.

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TheEngineeringSubjectCentreisthenationalcentreforallengineeringacademicsintheUK.It providessubjectbasedsupporttopromotequalitylearningandteachingbystimulatingthesharingof goodpracticeandinnovationinlearningandteaching. Providinganationalfocusthatisanacceptedandessentialpointofcontactforallinvolvedin learningandteachinginhighereducationengineering. Collatinganddisseminatinggoodpracticeandinnovationinlearningandteachinginhigher educationengineering. Providingcoordinationandsupport fortheembeddingofqualitylearningandteachingin highereducationengineering.

AlternativeFormats ThispublicationcanbedownloadedfromtheEngineeringSubjectCentrewebsite,www.engsc.ac.uk. Pleasecall01509227170foralternativeformatversions.

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IndustrialPlacements TheHigherEducationAcademyEngineeringSubjectCentre