Employer Experiences of Using OPUS

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Employer Experiences of UsingOPUS
Jonathan Wallace Director of Knowledge
Technology Transfer Faculty of Engineering
http//www.engineering.ulster.ac.uk/
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Not Here To . . .
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Overview

• Why me ?
• Placement within Engineering
• Employer Experiences
• Demonstration Opportunity Ron Laird
• Q A Session

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Why Me ?

• Majority of you are now where we were 4 years ago
• Faculty of Informatics 3 Computing Schools
  across 3 Campuses
• Large numbers of students to be placed gt 600
  every year
• Excellent quality management system in place
  including stakeholder code of practice
  handbooks,etc.
• However predominantly paper-based

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Why Me ?

• Merger of Faculty of Informatics with Faculty of
  Electrical Mechanical Engineering and Built
  Environment to new Faculty of Engineering
• Need to ensure common quality placement
  management processes across 5 Schools / 3 Subject
  Areas
• Identified best practice development undertaken
  by colleagues Ron Laird and Colin Turner in
  School of Electrical Mechanical Engineering
  OPUS
• 2 Phased Rollout for Computing Subject Area
• Utilisation of system to facilitate companies to
  recruit placement students through management of
  entire process of advertising positions,
  reviewing student CVs, etc.
• Having agreed common assessment regime across
  Faculty for Placement utilisation of OPUS for
  online assessment of placement students

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The Placement Process

• Nearly all undergraduate courses have compulsory
  / mandatory year in industry during 3rd year of
  study normally 48 weeks.
• Awarded DIS with degree
• CVs submitted pre-placement year
• Employer interviews and selects students
• Normally 2 academic visits during placement year
  video / teleconference process where this is
  not economically viable e.g. students placed in
  Australia
• Student - Opportunity to experience work
  environment
• Employer - Opportunity to experience potential
  employee
• Period of placement brings vital experience and
  maturity to students for both final year and
  future careers
• Faculty constantly striving to improve placement
  process

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Employer Experiences

• Uniformly welcomed by all our placement
  organisations across Electrical Mechanical
  Computing placements greatly facilitates both
  recruitment of students for placement positions
  and reduces paperwork through online assessment
  of students through Employer Final Assessment
  Questionnaire
• System easy to use no steep learning curve
  required for both employer HR personnel and
  industrial supervisors
• Students keep their profiles up to date so any
  changes in industrial supervisor are reflected on
  OPUS.

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Employer Experiences

• Heartsine Technologies Limited, Belfast
• have found the web-based system a valuable tool
  in assisting in gaining visibility of the course
  content, grades and ambitions of students seeking
  placement opportunities. The system also provides
  my company, as employer, with the information
  required to ensure the students requirements are
  met by the placement position. I would recommend
  that all students seeking placement opportunities
  and their resultant placement employers have
  access to this or a similar resource. It has
  provided our company with the visibility we
  needed while removing the leg work of
  recruiting.

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Employer Experiences

• Moffett Engineering Ltd, Dundalk
• find the system innovative, it provides a live
  link between employer and student. The ability to
  modify and update company information is most
  helpful, the most relevant info can be provided
  / modified instantaneously.

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Employer Experiences

• Intel Ireland, Leixlip
• Easy to use and very straight forward, and
  believe me it would need to be for someone like
  me - very user friendly.

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Employer Experiences

• AES Kilroot
• was very impressed by your new Placement
  Website, youre certainly leading the way forward
  in communicating Students for placement.

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DemonstrationOpportunityandQ A