Final Placement Seminar

1
Final Placement Seminar

• Briefing session
• April 2006

2
Whos who?

• Placement Tutor Dr Sharon Loane
• Placement Assistant Mrs Ann Brady
• School Office Staff Mrs Deirdre OBoyle, Mrs
  Denise McLaughlin
• Course Director Mr Danny Mulvenna
• Head of School Prof Dolores OReilly
• Acting Head of School Mr Larry Mc Curry

3
Introduction to the Seminar

• Objectives of the Pre-placement seminar
• Key people in the placement process
• Student responsibilities on placement
• Role of the Industrial Supervisor in the
  placement process
• Role of the Placement Tutor

4
Objectives of Seminar

• To remind you of placement policies and
  procedures
• Assessment
• To provide you with handbook (useful and relevant
  information about placement)

5
Employability

• Employers, universities and students have
  specific objectives in their involvement in work
  experience, but all share common aims -
• To develop individual maturity, self-awareness
  and confidence.
• To provide a structured, practical experience of
  the industry, commerce or public services, their
  operations, customers and staff.
• To consolidate knowledge and skills learnt during
  studies and appreciate employer standards and
  levels of performance.
• To enable employers to demonstrate the career
  potential that is available.
• .

6
Employability

• Advantages to students
• Understand the relevance of a particular course
  to the workplace.
• Obtain feedback that permits further development.
• Experience a trial year with potential employers.
• Improve eventual employment prospects
• Possible offer of graduate employment

7
Key People

• PLACEMENT TUTOR (CO-ORDINATOR)
• Person responsible for co-ordinating all
  placements.
• ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR
• Person responsible for the monitoring and
  evaluation of student progress and students first
  point of contact during the year.
• PLACEMENT ASSISTANT
• Person responsible for monitoring receipt of
  assessment documentation that includes four
  monthly reports, project and final portfolio.
  Also act as information point if academic
  supervisor is unavailable.
• VISITING ACADEMIC
• Member of academic staff who conducts the
  student's on-site visit. This may or may not be
  your academic supervisor.
• INDUSTRIAL SUPERVISOR
• The person in the placement organisation to whom
  you are directly responsible. This person will
  normally act as your mentor. This person is
  responsible for assessing your progress on
  placement and completing all documentation
  relating to this.

8
Role of Placement Tutor

• Person responsible for co-ordinating all
  placements.
• Will monitor submission of documentation,
  allocate supervisors, oversee visits, mark
  certain coursework

9
Role of Industrial Supervisor

• You will normally be appointed an Industrial
  Supervisor within the organisation this will be
• the person in the placement organisation to whom
  you are directly responsible.
• This person will normally act as your mentor.
  This person is responsible for assessing your
  progress on placement and completing all
  documentation relating to this.

10
Academic supervisor

• Person responsible for the monitoring and
  evaluation of student progress and students first
  point of contact during the year.
• If you do not submit your retails when required,
  we are unable to allocate academic supervisor
• VISITING ACADEMIC
• Member of academic staff who conducts the
  student's on-site visit. This may or may not be
  your academic supervisor.

11
Student Responsibilities

• Code of Conduct
• Submission of Administrative Documents
• Submission of Coursework
• Maintaining Contact with Placement Office
• Being professional at all times, as a
  representative of the University of Ulster

12
Code of Conduct

• While on placement all house rules and
  regulations, whether oral, written, or implied,
  must be strictly adhered to. These rules may
  include
• (a) Health and safety practices
• (b) Fire regulations/security procedures
• (c) Procedures in the event of sickness and
  absenteeism
• (d) Time-keeping
• (e) Uniforms.
• 3. All arrangements in connection with the
  placement, made by the University on behalf of
  the student, must be complied with unless there
  is prior permission from both the University and
  the employee to make alteration.

13
Code of Conduct

• Above all else, honesty and integrity are
  required
• You are representing the University and the
  School
• Your placement employer is a future potential
  referee for your graduate career.

14
Course Regulations placement

• Placement Year Handbook

15
Course regulations

• Progression to industrial placement and resit
  issues
• According to the Universitys Teaching Learning
  Committee (21 November 2001) second year students
  on sandwich courses who, if after their second
  attempt have failed in one module (20 credit
  points) may proceed to the placement year and
  repeat once only the specialised examination
  and/or coursework in the failed module at the
  next examination period (January or May).

16
Course regulations

• Exceptionally, second year students who, after
  their second attempt have failed in two modules
  (40 credit points) may proceed to the placement
  year.
• Evidence of extenuating or compassionate
  circumstances must be provided in this situation.
• Such students will repeat once only the
  specified examination (s) and/or coursework in
  the failed modules at the next examination period
  (January or May).
• However, the Course Director would strongly
  advise you to ensure that you are in good
  academic standing (i.e. having no re-sits to
  undertake) before you commence placement.

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Submission of Coursework/forms

• Ms Ann Brady

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Coursework submission

• TITLE OF PROJECT should be forwarded to the
  relevant Academic Supervisor, by 2 December 2006
  or as specified by the Placement Tutor.
• PROJECT OUTLINE should be received by the
  Academic Supervisor, by 31 January 2007 or as
  specified by the Placement Tutor.
• COMPLETED PROJECT typed and spiral bound to be
  submitted to the School Placement Office by 28
  April 2007 or as specified by the Placement
  Tutor.
• THREE REPORTS to be forwarded to the Placement
  Office, each one at four monthly intervals during
  the placement year.
• FINAL PORTFOLIO incorporating
• Particulars of Placement form (PF2),
• Learning Agreement (PF4),
• 3 Reports (PF5, PF6, PF7),
• Employers Final Evaluation Report form (PF9),
• Student Evaluation of Placement form (PF10)
• Career Development Plan (PF10A),
• to be submitted, by 31 June 2007, or as specified
  by the Placement Tutor.

19
Difficulties on placement (see page 6)

• Handbook
• You must try to sort with your employer in the
  first instance
• Only if you cannot resolve, contact placement
  team
• For some difficulties of a personal nature, use
  Student Support Services (Dr Hazel McEvoy)

20
Dr Trevor Morrow

• Preparation of Placement Projects

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Project (40)

• By April 28th 2007 submit a project of 3,000
  words, based either on development of an aspect
  of the student's work, or on the students
  overall placement experiences. This should be
  written up in report format.
• Both employer and the Academic Supervisor will
  agree to the project title. The aims of the
  project will be to
• - Provide an opportunity for a research based
  in-depth study of a problem or critical
  reflection of personal/professional development
• Provide an opportunity to evaluate the overall
  experience gained
• Encourage innovation where appropriate
• - Display an ability to integrate information
  from a range of sources and research techniques

22
Advice to Students Still Seeking
PlacementDr Sharon Loane
Placement Year
23
Current situation
Unplaced 89!!!!
Placed 37 Exempt 9
24
Placement

• School of International Business Guidelines
• The Professional Experience Year is a compulsory
  part of the academic programme for students on
  our degree course
•  
• Students must, unless exempted, spend the year
  preceding their 4th year in obtaining
  professional experience in a manner approved by
  the Placement Tutor

25
Summer Contact details

• Circulate sheet with your summer contact details
  if different to term time
• Sign for Handbook
• You MUST use Netmail to regularly monitor for
  messages and opportunities
• Also to communicate with placement team

26
Placement

• School of International Business Guidelines
• Responsibilities of the Student
• The ultimate responsibility for securing a
  suitable placement lies with the student but the
  placement team within the School will provide
  assistance and/or guidance.
•  
• Each student should be fully committed to
  obtaining a placement appropriate to the course
  of study/specialism being followed and the
  Placement Tutor must approve any such placement.
• We will work with you until end Sept/Oct

27
Professional Experience Year

• Guidelines contd
• Acceptance of Placement Offers
• Declining Placement Offers
• Setting Up Own Business
• In the event of any of the above circumstances a
  student must inform the Placement Team
  immediately.
• Have you told us that you are placed yet????
• If you are holding off and considering offers
  accept one now, and let us know

28
Placement Year

• We will soon advertise these
• James Fleming Eng, St Johnston
• Blaney Motor Co, Agohill, 12th May
• BISYS, Dublin (multiple opps)
• Accountants Strabane
• Bradley Construction, Mountfield Omagh

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Current opps.

• Brunner Mond, Cheshire, Finance, 28th April
• Kedington NI Ltd, Belfast, 28th April
• BT, UK, Ongoing
• Luftansa, JFK, MY, 3rd May
• Intel, Dublin, Urgent!! Materials buyer
• Arts Council, NI, Belfast, 5th May
• Int Ass Science Parks, Overseas, 5th May
• Gallery Gora, Montreal, 31st May
• CityComm, Belfast, 1st June, System Programmer
• Sainsbury s NI, 31st June
• Starteasy Career, International, 30th June
• Int Educational Exchange, 30th June, US
• BEST, Spain Belgium, 30th June (300euros)
• Dragonfly, Vol teachers, Thailand, 31st Dec

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Professional Experience Year

• Support Available
• Students are reminded to keep in touch with the
  placement team after they leave University in May
  via email (NETMAIL ONLY) at a.brady_at_ulster.ac.uk
  sp.loane_at_ulster.ac.uk
• Ann (9-12) and Sharon will be also available by
  appointment to meet with any student. Summer
  arrangements will be posted on the noticeboard.

31
Any Questions?

• Good luck with your placement