The School of Informatics is part of the Yorkshire & Humber Skillset Media Academy.

University of Bradford.

Knowledge Transfer: Placements

Placements

The School of Informatics makes provision for all undergraduates to take a full year off studies in order to do a twelve to fifteen month industrial placement. Students taking this option do two years of their degree course, a year in industry/commerce and a final year at the University. This means that they are available for 12 to 15 months (one year plus two summer vacs.) from June in one year to September in the following year and are employed as short or fixed term employees.

The student has to send in monthly reports and write a placement report at the end. These are assessed by the Placement Tutor. The employer has to provide supervision for the student, provide a mentor (a non line manager "friend") if possible, answer a questionnaire regarding the students performance half way through the placement and complete an A4 sized assessment at the end of the placement. The Placement Tutor will visit the student near the end of the placement and go through the assessment at the same time.

The amount of additional work for the employer is not onerous and the benefit to the student is immense.

The company wins

• Although placement students have only completed two years of their degree course, they already have many skills of use to an employer. These skills can be used by an employer to fill a skills shortfall or to relieve an existing employee to fill a more advanced shortfall.
• Recruiting staff is expensive and not without its risks. Recruiting a placement student is cheap and with limited risk.
• Employing placement students not only fills a short term post but also allows employers to spot potential future employees.
• Employing a placement students is only a short term commitment. They are expected to return to university to finish their degrees and the employer has no legal or moral obligations beyond the placement period.
• Moderate cost. Recruiting a placement student need not be expensive and their salaries are modest in comparison with graduates and experienced staff.
• If an employee is experiencing difficulty with a placement student from our university and would like help, the placement tutor will visit and provide support for the company and guidance to the student. The placement tutor is experienced in helping to turn a floundering placement into a successful one for both parties.

The student wins

• Maturity
• Work exprience
• Positive cash flow
• Employing a placement students is only a short term commitment. They are expected to return to university to finish their degrees and the employer has no legal or moral obligations beyond the placement period.
• Moderate cost. Recruiting a placement student need not be expensive and their salaries are modest in comparison with graduates and experienced staff.
• If an employee is experiencing difficulty with a placement student from our university and would like help, the placement tutor will visit and provide support for the company and guidance to the student. The placement tutor is experienced in helping to turn a floundering placement into a successful one for both parties.

What the student NEEDS

• A Meaningful Job: The University has no objection to any job that has genuine IT content.
• Supervision by a Professional: A competent person should supervise the student until the student becomes competent.
• A Mentor: It is very desirable for a placement student to have someone who is not a line manager but to whom they can turn should they require advice.
• The Opportunity to be self motivated: Ideally, the student should be given at least one task for which he/she is wholly responsible.
• Health and Safety at Work: The employer is responsible for the student’s health and safety within the place of work.

Assessing the Placement YEAR

• The placement year is assessed and students who achieve the required standard are awarded an Undergraduate Diploma of Industrial Studies.
• The assessment is not onerous and is designed to document the student’s level and type of skill for use later, e.g. for job applications, BCS membership etc.
• The assessment is comprised of: - a Monthly Diary, a Project Report, an Assessment by the Employer and a Presentation to students looking for a placement

Frequently Asked QUESTIONS

• Q: What are the contractual arrangements?
  A: The same as those for any employee on a fixed term contract.
  
• Q: How much can placement students expect to earn?
  A: Anywhere between £10K and £16K. It will depend on where the company is located and the cost of living in the immediate vicinity.
  
• Q: How long can a placement be?
  A: The placement year is twelve months but many companies extend the contract for up to three months to allow an overlap of new and old placement student so that the old placement student can train the new one in the post.
  
• Q: What sort of job can the student expect to do?
  A: Help desk, Image design and processing, Software Development, Software Testing, Feasibility Studies, System building, System management, Network Management, Web Design, Web Maintenance, Customer support, etc.
  
  

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