Work Placement in Third-Level Programmes. Edited by Irene Sheridan and Dr Margaret Linehan

Transcription

1 Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes Edited by Iree Sherida ad Dr Margaret Lieha

2 Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes Edited by Iree Sherida ad Dr Margaret Lieha The REAP Project is a Strategic Iovatio Fud Project

3 Foreword Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes is oe of a umber of sigificat outputs of the Roadmap for Employmet Academic Parterships (REAP) Project. This report draws together for the first time perspectives o placemet from all of the key stakeholders. I additio to providig a uique overview of the placemet experiece the project team have used the iformatio gathered to develop a useful, trasferable toolkit for placemet. Publicatio Iformatio Although every effort has bee made to esure the accuracy of the material cotaied i this publicatio, complete accuracy caot be guarateed. All or part of this publicatio may be reproduced without further permissio provided the source is ackowledged. Published by CIT Press, Bishopstow, Cork, Irelad. Desig by Rave Desig Prited by City Prit Ltd CIT Press 2011 ISBN The toolkit icludes guidelies for good practice for Higher Educatio Istitutios, Employers ad Studets. A blueprit Placemet Pack has bee developed for Employers ad for Studets which icludes a outlie base-level three way agreemet as well as a structured learig ad assessmet outlie which will go a log way to addressig the commuicatio deficits which were clearly articulated i the research. The REAP Project is a cosortium led by Cork Istitute of Techology ad icludig Athloe Istitute of Techology; Dubli Istitute of Techology; Istitute of Techology, Sligo; Istitute of Techology, Tallaght, Dubli; Natioal Uiversity of Irelad Galway; Uiversity College, Cork; ad Waterford Istitute of Techology. This work represets sigificat efforts by all project parters ad valuable iput from outside the project partership icludig Forfás, Expert Group o Future Skills Needs, IBEC ad a wide rage of employers, employers represetatives ad higher educatio istitutio staff ad studets. This publicatio will be welcomed by all ivolved i programme desig, i placemet plaig, ad i egagemet betwee higher educatio ad workplaces geerally. I would like to ackowledge the tireless efforts of the workig group i i publishig this importat report. Ackowledgemets This documet is based o cotributios from idividuals ad groups. The pricipal cotributors are the members of the REAP workig group listed i Appedix E. May others withi the parter academic istitutios ad elsewhere helped to make this work possible. Michael Delaey, Vice Presidet for Developmet, Cork Istitute of Techology. The REAP project is fuded by the Strategic Iovatio Fud Cycle 2 from the Higher Educatio Authority uder the Natioal Developmet Pla Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 1

4 Executive Summary The Iovatio Task Force ad the Natioal Competitiveess Coucil see the role of higher educatio as critical for o-goig developmet i Irelad as it provides sigificat opportuities to drive competitiveess both atioally ad regioally. A recet Irish Busiess ad Employers Cofederatio (IBEC) report (2010) also emphasises that stroger liks ad parterships betwee higher educatio istitutios should help to restore Irelad s competitiveess. Work placemets are recogised as oe of the early mechaisms for iitiatig parterships betwee higher educatio ad idustry. As the ature ad scope of busiesses are rapidly chagig, the competeces that future employees will require are also chagig. Work placemets afford opportuities for more collaboratio betwee third-level istitutios ad employers, i order to maximise resources ad prepare graduates with required competeces for the workplace. Competeces acquired from o-formal ad iformal situatios are essetial parts of idividual learig. The mai beefits of work placemets for HEIs, idetified by the research coducted with higher educatio staff, iclude opportuities to ehace etworkig ad mutual uderstadig with workplaces, itegratig employability skills ito the curriculum, ad applyig theoretical kowledge i practice. Cocers raised by higher educatio staff, i relatio to the work placemet, iclude difficulties i sourcig placemet opportuities for a growig umber of studets, lack of alteratives to placemets withi programmes, ad a lack of dedicated resources to orgaise ad moitor placemet learig ad the overall placemet experiece. To cotextualise work placemets for this report, a review of the extat literature o work placemets was coducted. These literature fidigs are summarised ad preseted i the first sectio of the report. Oe of the key messages arisig from the literature search is that the global ecoomic dowtur has placed a ew emphasis o employability ad trasferable skills. Work placemets provide a uique ad valuable learig experiece for studets to eable them to gai the trasferable geeric skills that employers seek. Blackwell et al. (2001) observed that good quality work-based learig has six characteristics: Stakeholders studets, employers, academic staff, ad employees all uderstad the uderlyig itetios. It is meaigful; The quality of work experiece is greatly ehaced by prior iductio ad briefig for all cocered; by facilitatio of o-goig reflectio; by debriefig, reflectio ad idetificatio of outcomes. Learig is the goal. Work experiece is accredited so that it is take seriously; Formative assessmet is used to support the process of learig from work experiece; Studets build up a work-experiece portfolio; Studets ca say what they have leared, provide illustratios ad, if eed be, commetary. There is effective reflectio. Agreed Beefits Ehacig etworkig ad mutual uderstadig betwee HEI ad workplaces Maitaiig curriculum relevace alog with opportuities to apply theoretical kowledge to practice Itegratig employability skills ito curriculum Cocers Raised Need for allocated resources to orgaise ad moitor placemet learig No cosistet framework for alteratives to placemets withi programmes Difficulty i sourcig placemets for growig umber of studets (particularly sourcig & maagig iteratioal placemets) Ackowledgig the importace of the three stakeholders i the work placemet experiece higher educatio istitutios (HEIs), employers, ad studets empirical research was coducted with these three cohorts to ascertai the curret state of work-placemet provisio. The fidigs from the research are preseted i the secod sectio of the report. Summary of higher educatio staff views o work placemet 2 Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 3

5 The mai motivatios for employers to be ivolved i placemet iclude opportuities to develop research liks ad egagemet with higher educatio istitutios, a recruitmet mechaism, ad the ability to cotribute to the overall developmet of employmet-ready graduates. Employers also outlied some of the mai beefits studets gaied from placemets, icludig opportuities to develop iterpersoal ad geeric skills, the ability to put theoretical kowledge ito practice thereby ehacig their future employability prospects. Cocers raised by employers iclude the preparatio ad lack of clear expectatios for all stakeholders, the short duratio of some placemets, ad the cotact ad commuicatio mechaisms with higher educatio istitutios. Agreed Beefits A recruitmet mechaism A opportuity to develop ad grow egagemet with the HEI A cotributio to the developmet of work-ready graduates Duratio of placemet Cosistet placemet structures Preparatio ad clarity of expectatio for all stakeholders Commuicatio ad clear cotact mechaisms with HEI Cocers Raised Overall, the fidigs suggest that HEIs, employers ad studets all agree that work placemets make a valuable cotributio to the third-level educatioal experiece. I particular, work placemets were cosidered to ehace the employability prospects of future graduates as the idustry competeces gaied through iformal learig i the workplace make idividuals more employmet ready. HEI Pla ad clearly defie resposibilities Stadardise duratio ad structure Ehace etworkig ad egagemet Dedicate resources Develop employer & studet placemet packs Desig structured alteratives to placemet Studet Participate i preparatory workshops Maage & clarify expectatios before placemet Take resposibility for achievig learig outcomes Egage i reflective learig activities Employer Assist HEI i developig placemet cotract/agreemet Develop job specificatio Support work place learig Ehace etworkig ad collaboratio with HEI More Commuicatio Summary of employers views of work placemet All studets represeted i this research foud work placemet to be a positive uique learig experiece, which was a good fit with their third-level programme, ad helped prepare them for their future careers. The mai beefits of work placemets, idetified by the studets, iclude opportuities to develop idepedece ad self-cofidece, etworkig, ad ability to put their theoretical kowledge ito practice. Some of the cocers raised by studets were difficulties associated with accommodatio, trasport, paymet, ad support from the HEIs. Improved employability skills - leadig to job-ready graduates Ehaced relevace of third-level programmes Closer egagemet betwee HEI & employer Agreed Beefits Uique learig experiece Cocers Raised Preparatio process ad clarity of job specificatio Stakeholders resposibilities for improvig the placemet process Career ehacemet ad etworkig Real exposure to a workplace role ad opportuity to develop idepedece ad cofidece Costs icurred ad lack of clarity o accommodatio The lack of cotact with the academic istitutio ad the lack of timely feedback or formative assessmet Havig reviewed ad aalysed the research fidigs, the project team developed a set of guidelies for good practice i placemet for HEIs, employers ad studets. These guidelies are provided i Appedix A. Recogisig that may of the cocers raised by all parties relate to preparatio, plaig, clarity of expectatios ad commuicatios, the REAP team developed outlie Placemet Packs for Employers ad Studets (Appedices B ad C). These packs provide a useful blueprit for improvemet of the placemet process. Summary of studets views of placemet Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 4 5

6 Cotets Foreword 1 Executive Summary 2 Cotets 6 1 Itroductio Backgroud Work Placemets ad Employability Skills What do People Lear at Work? Work Placemets ad Learig Beefits of Work Placemets Potetial Problems of Work Placemet 20 Refereces 59 Appedices Appedix A Placemet Practice Guide Guidelies for Higher Educatio Istitutios Guidelies for Employers Guidelies for Studets 68 Appedix B Studet Placemet Pack/Checklist 71 Appedix C Employer Placemet Pack/Checklist 82 Appedix D Note o Maagemet ad Assessmet of Placemet of Learig 92 Appedix E REAP Workig Group Membership Strategic Iovatio Fud Aims ad Objectives Roadmap for Employmet Academic Parterships (REAP) Project Structure of the Report 24 2 The REAP Project ad Work Placemet Itroductio Higher Educatio Staff Views Employers views Studets Views Issues Emergig from the Research 52 3 Coclusios 55 Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 6 7

7 1 Itroductio 1.0 Backgroud Work placemets are ot a ew type of activity or a ew tred i educatio. From the late ieteeth ad early twetieth cetury, Joh Dewey, a educatioal reformer, believed that life ad learig should be firmly itegrated. He asserted that: The icliatio to lear from life itself ad to make the coditios of life such that all will lear i the process of livig is the fiest product of schoolig (Dewey, 1916: 51). Dewey s ideas of experietial learig offer a firm basis for the value of learig through work experiece. This meas that workers who are icreasigly faced with ovel ad upredictable work demads must be able to lear o the job as requiremets emerge. Similarly, i the USA from as early as 1901, Herma Scheider, egieer, architect, ad educator, cocluded that the traditioal classroom was isufficiet for techical studets. Scheider observed that several of the more successful uiversity graduates had worked to ear moey before graduatio. Gatherig data through iterviews of employers ad graduates, he devised the framework for cooperative educatio. Cooperative educatio is recogised as a structured method of combiig classroom-based educatio with practical work experiece. A cooperative educatio experiece provides academic credit for structured job experiece. Work placemet programmes, therefore, have bee log associated with various types of appreticeships ad higher educatio cotexts throughout the USA, Caada, ad various Europea coutries. Academic disciplies such as medicie ad social work have icluded work placemets as cetral elemets i their programmes for may years. Studets o may of these programmes have always udertake a large part of their learig offcampus i exteral orgaisatios i the form of practice placemets ad exteded periods of time spet doig the job uder close supervisio. Work placemets have bee defied i a umber of ways, some more expasive tha others. All defiitios, however, iclude the key otio that work placemets ivolve gaiig experiece o the job ad are ow a recogised part of may third-level programmes. Coco (2000) suggested that work placemets are a plaed trasitio from the classroom to the job, ad are a atural bridge betwee college ad the work world. I Britai, the Departmet for Educatio ad Skills defied work placemets as: A plaed period of work-based learig or experiece, where the learig outcomes are part of a course or programme of study. This is usually provided outside the istitutio at which the studet is erolled. Work placemets may be part of a sadwich course, a short placemet, a work taster, temporary work or a period of supported employmet as part of vocatioal traiig. Placemets may also take place abroad. Studets may arrage their ow placemet, or they may be set up by the istitutio or a third party. (DfES, 2002: 2). I some coutries, the work placemet part of a programme is referred to as cooperative study or itership. I various third-level programmes, work placemet is frequetly offered betwee the secod ad fial year of a udergraduate degree programme. Courses of this ature are ofte called sadwich courses. Over the years, as ew techologies are itroduced, ew collaboratios are formed ad ew competitive challeges are faced, idividual workers must be able to lear to adapt. This calls for ew learig cocepts, strategies ad practices that assist i greater itegratio of work ad learig ad, as Boud ad Solomo (2001) suggested, it may be ecessary to look beyod traditioal educatio ad traiig practices to achieve this itegratio. Boud ad Solomo further proposes that educators must begi to cosider what the limits of their traditioal educatioal practices are i the cotext of learig at work ad what, if ay, ew practices ca be ivoked to assist this process. They suggests that: The covetioal separatio of learig ad work is breakig dow. Our practice is grouded at a very deep level i a set of assumptios about the separateess of learig ad work. Our practice as educators has bee depedet o this separatio. Our educatioal istitutios are separated physically ad coceptually from the poits of applicatio of learig ad we eed to fid ways of bridgig this gap. A report by Chappell et al. (2003:10) recogises this gap, suggestig that: If learig has become a itegral part of workig, arguably formal educatio ad traiig systems would eed to cosider what ew role they might play i the developmet of the workforce. Oe specific implicatio is that formal educatio ad traiig is o loger a stad-aloe itervetio i ecoomic productivity to have full effect it must be more systematically liked to wider huma resource maagemet strategies, ecompassig ew approaches to job desig ad work orgaisatio. A recet study coducted by Jackso (2006) with work placemet tutors revealed that the tutors perceived the learig potetial of a work placemet as beig huge ad varied. The placemet tutors observed that the diversity of learig, the fact that learig is cotextualised ad socialised, ad forms of learig (for example, emotioal itelligece ad copig with the uexpected) that are ot geerally recogised i discipliary learig cotexts all make the work placemet a importat eviromet for learig. For the purpose of this report, work placemet is take to mea a work cotext for itetioal learig that is relevat to the aims ad iteded learig outcomes of a higher educatio programme or module. Work ca mea paid or upaid employmet. 1.1 Work Placemets ad Employability Skills The chagig eed of higher educatio to iterface more effectively with idustry has bee widely documeted, as has the risig awareess of those attributes which most beefit graduates seekig employmet. Today, studets eed skills for lifelog learig; iformatio literacy; problem solvig ad critical thikig; the ability to work autoomously, aloe ad i groups. Reported iformatio deficits, where studets kow about specific subjects, but ot ecessarily how to operate i a workig eviromet, highlight the eed for third-level educatio, through its curricula, to foster this trasitio (Havard et al. 1998). A key way i which third-level istitutios ca build stroger parterships with employers, ad assist their studets i post-graduate success, is through the provisio of work placemets. Traditioally, i may areas of third-level educatio, teachig ad learig has bee orgaised aroud discipliary kowledge ad govered by academic iterests. More recetly, however, due to a icreasig focus o persoal trasferable skills by third-level istitutios ad demads made by icreasig umbers of studets, who view their Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 8 9

8 further studies as part of the atural trasitio process from college to work, there has bee a shift i programme focus to the developmet of more work-related skills (Krause, et al., 2005; Albrecht ad Sack 2000). The erosio of job security ad a chage i the ecoomic climate has also led to chagig career directios ad a ew emphasis o employability ad trasferable skills. Employability is becomig a key bechmark for career success (Carbery ad Garava, 2005). The purpose of work placemets has bee variously described as gaiig employability, acquirig trasferable or geeric skills, developig a uderstadig of world ad work orgaisatios, ad uderstadig the real world applicatio of skills (Baird, 2005; Pickles, 1999). Employability is geerally regarded as a set of achievemets, uderstadigs ad persoal attributes that make idividuals more likely to gai employmet ad to be successful i their chose occupatios. Yorke ad Kight (2004) add that employability is a bled of uderstadig, skilful practices, efficacy beliefs (or legitimate self-cofidece), ad reflectiveess. Higher educatio, therefore, has bee movig away from the traditioal kowledge-based approach towards a more competece-based learig focus (Gillies ad Howard, 2003; James, 2002). Thus, employability competeces have become part of the educatio ageda. This has etailed idetifyig with idustry the competeces eeded by graduates, both immediately ad later i their careers, ad the mappig the acquisitio of these competeces ito the curriculum. Employability competeces have bee defied as a dyamic combiatio of kowledge, uderstadig, skills ad abilities which are obtaied by a process of learig (Gozalez ad Wageaar, 2005). These competeces ca either be geeric (across all study areas) or subject specific (i a particular disciplie or sector). Accordig to Stewart ad Kowles (2000), employability is a cocer to studets, as oe of the prime motivatios i attedig a third-level college for the majority of studets is ot to study a particular subject i depth, but to ehace their employmet prospects ad quality of employmet. Some theorists suggest there are three key elemets to employability; the ability to gai iitial employmet, the ability to maitai employmet ad make trasitios betwee jobs ad roles withi the same orgaisatio to meet ew job requiremets, ad the ability to obtai ew employmet, if required, by beig idepedet i the labour market ad able to maage employmet trasitios betwee orgaisatios (Hillage ad Pollard, 1999). Graduates eed to leave a third-level istitutio havig acquired some if ot all of the skills required to facilitate their employability prospects. Moreau ad Leathwood (2006) suggest that there is a demad for third-level istitutios to deliver vocatioal ad marketable skills ad to provide a pathway to employmet. Research by Herbert ad Rothwell (2005) cofirms a shift towards employability skills beig icreasigly importat i the recruitmet ad selectio of graduate employees. Their research highlighted the value of work-itegrated learig, especially work-based placemets, ivolvig academic istitutios ad busiess orgaisatios. Similarly, Morse (2006) ad Fathore (2004) foud that may orgaisatios attach strategic importace to work-itegrated learig by offerig direct work experiece to those who may be their future employees. Their research also suggested that employers seek people who are work ready as opposed to merely academically qualified. For some HEIs, the workplace is see more favourably as a legitimate site for cotextualised learig that ca bridge the gap betwee theory ad practice ad promote the developmet of desirable core graduate attributes. The workplace provides opportuities for studets to lear i ad through work rather tha learig about ad for work, but, despite beig recogised traditioally i some professios such as egieerig ad ursig, it is ot a ormal mode of delivery for may third-level programmes (Keatig, 2006). Established programmes with a work-placemet elemet recogise that workig kowledge is rarely codified i text books, formal traiig programmes, competecy stadards or procedures mauals ad is more likely to be developed withi the cotext ad eviromet of the immediate workplace (Keatig, 2006). May researchers cocur that kowledge which ca be applied is far more valuable to studets tha explicit academic kowledge i that it is cotextual, social, ad situatio specific (Tucker, 2006; Symes & McItyre, 2000; Bowde 1997). Studets ca egage i real work practices i a work eviromet, lear how to commuicate with colleagues, ad deal with work related problems. Learig becomes less theory based ad more practical ad cotextual. Exposure to actual or simulated workplace tasks ad problems allows studets to experiece ever-wideig variatio i kowledge applicatio, ad to see the limits to their uderstadig ad how that eeds to be addressed; both of these are said to be essetial to deep learig ad for a capacity to deal with ovel situatios (Bowde, 1997). Workplace learig programmes are, therefore, desiged to capitalise o the iheret lik betwee theory ad its place i professioal practice. Recet research by Billet (2009) summarised that both practice ad academic settigs provide particular kids of experieces ad potetial cotributios to studet learig, ad each of these settigs affords particular potetials for the learig of occupatioal practice. I Britai, the profile of work placemets i third-level istitutios was raised by the Natioal Committee of Iquiry ito Higher Educatio, which recommeded idetifyig opportuities to icrease the extet to which programmes help studets to become familiar with work, ad help them to reflect o such experiece (Dearig, 1997). The mai skills for graduates which were idetified by employers i the report were commuicatio, umeracy, capability i iformatio techology, ad learig how to lear. Small to medium size eterprise employers also emphasised that they eed employees to operate effectively i the workplace from the first day ad graduates also eed to be flexible ad resposive. A extesive report o work placemets coducted by Harvey et al. (1997) cocluded: If there was to be a sigle recommedatio to come from the research, it would be to ecourage all udergraduate programmes to offer studets a optio of a year-log work placemet ad employers to be less reluctat to provide placemet opportuities. Similarly, a more recet report by Johso ad Burde (2003: 39) cocerig youg people, their employability, ad the processes of iductio ito the workplace cocludes that: May of the employability skills that employers are seekig ca oly be leared i real life situatios, eve o a temporary basis such as work placemets of two or three weeks. There is a limit to the extet to which educatioal establishmets ca teach the ecessary skills ad attributes, eve where extesive efforts are made to simulate the work situatio. Little (2000) observed that most curriculum frameworks agaist which learig from work experiece are mapped idetified a rage of skills, icludig persoal ad social skills, commuicatio, problem solvig, creativity ad orgaisatioal skills. Later research by Little ad Harvey (2006) oted that the explicit idetificatio of these skills seems to serve as a useful prompt to studets ad employers to address these i discussios about suitable tasks ad activities for a work placemet. This summarises much of the approach of the available literature which adopts a skill developmet approach orieted to the workplace. There is less reportig o the extet to which there is a positive trasfer of learig from the placemet to subsequet stages of a idividual s learig through the taught programme of study. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 10 11

9 1.2 What do People Lear at Work? Kowledge creatio ad the deploymet of ew kowledge i the workplace have give rise to the workplace itself beig recogised as a site of learig ad kowledge productio. This cocept is a itegral feature of the kowledge ecoomy. Brea (2005) suggests that, if higher educatio is to cotiue to make a cotributio to the kowledge ecoomy, collaborative activities based i ad aroud the workplace must be icluded. There has bee a cosiderable shift i the way idividual learig ad developmet is uderstood ad characterised. There has also bee a move from idetifyig traiig eeds to idetifyig learig eeds, suggestig that developmet is owed by the studet with the eed, rather tha by the traier seekig to satisfy that eed (Nikolou-Walker, 2008). I other words, learig is demad led rather tha provider drive. This has implicatios for whoever idetifies the eeds ad the way that those eeds are met. Curret thikig suggests that eeds are best developed by a partership betwee the idividual ad the orgaisatio, ad that the methods of meetig these eeds are ot limited to formal courses, but also deped o a wide rage of o-the-job developmet methods ad distace or e-learig approaches. Recet studies have summarised that people lear at work as follows: By doig the job itself; Through cooperatig ad iteractig with colleagues; Through workig with cliets; By tacklig challegig ad ew tasks; By reflectig o ad evaluatig oe s work experieces; Through formal educatio; Through extra-work cotexts.; (Heikkila, 2006; Tikkamaki, 2006; Billett et al., 2005; Colli ad Valleala, 2005). Irish research coducted by Garava et al. (2003: 3-4) viewed learig as a process rather tha simply a outcome. They suggest that learig is ow likely to embrace the followig ideas: Learig is ot just about kowledge. It is also about skills, isights, beliefs, values, attitudes, habits, feeligs, wisdom, shared uderstadigs, ad self-awareess; Learig outcomes ca be icremetal (buildig gradually o what has already bee leared) or trasformatioal (chagig ways of beig, thikig, feelig ad actio); Trasformatioal learig, for some studets ad orgaisatios, may be a struggle, may take time, ad may ivolve coflicts over aims ad outcomes; By its very ature, learig is essetially idividual, but it ca also be collectively geerated i teams ad orgaisatios; There is o oe right way to lear for everybody ad for every situatio; Questioig, listeig, challegig, ad equirig are crucially importat to effective learig; The learig process occurs iside the perso, but makig the outcomes explicit, ad sharig them with others, adds value to the learig; Whe the learig process is self-maaged, it becomes more effective. Eraut (2004), after developig a typology of learig outcomes at work, summarised that there is little that people caot lear at work. The typology icludes the followig categories of learig outcomes: (i) Task performace, icludig subcategories such as speed ad fluecy, rage of skills required ad collaborative work; (ii) Awareess ad uderstadig, ivolvig uderstadig of colleagues, cotexts ad situatios, of oe s ow orgaisatio, problems, risks etc., (iii) Persoal developmet with aspects such as self-evaluatio ad maagemet, hadlig emotios, buildig ad sustaiig relatioships, ad the ability to lear from experiece; (iv) Teamwork with subcategories such as collaborative work, ad joit plaig ad problem solvig; (v) Role performace, icludig leadership, supervisory role, delegatio, crisis maagemet etc., (vi) Academic kowledge ad skills, such as assessig formal kowledge, research-based practice, theoretical thikig ad usig kowledge sources; (vii) Decisio makig ad problem solvig, ivolvig, for example, dealig with complexity, group decisio makig, ad decisio makig uder coditios of pressure; ad (viii) Judgemet, icludig quality of performace, output ad outcomes, priorities, value issues ad levels of risk. It is clear from the above learig outcomes that idividuals lear by workig with their colleagues. Group workig, i oe way or aother, promotes kowledge exchage ad the sharig of expertise, thus ehacig learig by idividuals. Furthermore, it has bee argued that ot oly idividuals but also groups ca lear i orgaisatios. The ability to lear i collaboratio with other people, both withi ad outside a orgaisatio, ofte makes the differece betwee success ad failure. Accordig to Slotte ad Tyjala (2003), employees who caot etwork with others to share ad costruct kowledge will fall visibly behid their peers i the possessio of such abilities. Iteractio betwee ovices ad experts is also of crucial importace i learig at work. Overall, idividual ad group learig i the workplace ca be characterised as a highly social activity which requires iteractio ad dialogue, requires the kids of challeges that make learig ecessary, ad ivolves reflectio o past experieces ad the plaig of future activities. The articulatio of clear learig outcomes is cosidered to be a cetral feature of ay type of learig. A statemet of learig outcomes associated with the placemet provides studets with a uderstadig of what is tryig to be accomplished. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 12 13

10 1.3 Work Placemets ad Learig There is a widespread cosesus i the work placemet literature that just kowig applicable theory is ot eough: studets must kow whe ad how the theory is to be applied (Clarke ad Wich, 2004). It is further suggested that whe more self-directed learig becomes possible outside of the classroom, studets are ecouraged to fid creative resposes to situatios, rather tha relyig o the stereotypic or pattered resposes that classroom roleplays ad simulatios ofte geerate (Regehr et al., 2002). Badura s social learig theory outlied three requiremets for people to lear ad model behaviour: retetio (rememberig what oe observed), reproductio (ability to reproduce the behaviour), ad motivatio (good reaso to wat to adopt the behaviour): Learig would be exceedigly laborious, ot to metio hazardous, if people had to rely solely o the effects of their ow actios to iform them what to do. Fortuately, most huma behaviour is leared observatioally through modellig: from observig others oe forms a idea of how ew behaviours are performed, ad o later occasios this coded iformatio serves as a guide for actio (Badura, 1977: 22). Badura argued that learig is embedded withi activity, cotext ad culture, but social iteractio ad collaboratio are also essetial compoets of learig. He further observed that studets become ivolved i a commuity of practice which embodies certai beliefs ad behaviours to be acquired. As the begier or ovice moves from the periphery of a commuity to its cetre, he or she becomes more active ad egaged withi the culture ad evetually assumes the role of a expert. Extesive research by Eraut (2007a, 2007b, 2004) o how idividuals lear at work, particularly i the early stages of their careers, cocluded that ot oly do people lear i differet ways, but they also lear differet thigs. Eraut suggested that placemets provide cotexts for learig of a very differet kid from those provided withi third-level istitutios, but he wared that, ulike i teachig orgaisatios, learig is ot the mai aim of most workplaces. He observed that i most workplaces learig is iformal ad occurs as a by-product of egagig i work processes ad activities. Newcomers ofte have to lear how we do thigs here without beig give ay specific objectives or advice. I their research o workplace learig, Boud ad Middleto (2003) sigle out three sigificat areas of iformal learig : mastery of orgaisatioal processes, egotiatig the political, ad dealig with the atypical. They believe that this list eatly captures the areas of uderstadig that caot be leart i the de-situated, de-cotextualised eviromet of the educatioal classroom. They further suggest that i the classroom both the practical world providig the object of academic study ad the istitutioal structure of the educatioal orgaisatio itself are kept largely at bay, as the classroom shields studets from istitutioal politics i the practical as well as orgaisatioal fields. They believe that the learig challeges of the classroom are ot subject to the urgecy ad practical imperatives impressed upo real-life situatios ad orgaisatioal cotexts. Their research cocluded that the practical judgemet required to deal with these three dimesios of social life is best gaied iformally through participatio i social life. Learig about ad withi the workplace as a istitutio, icludig its politics ad its potetial poits of breakdow, is ot simply a aspect of work that eeds to be leart to do the job, but also a cotext for developig ew uderstadigs ad approaches to learig ad to life itself. A umber of other researchers have also explored the cocept of iformal learig ad cocluded that: Iformal learig should o loger be regarded as a iferior form of learig whose mai purpose is to act as the precursor of formal learig; it eeds to be see as fudametal, ecessary ad valuable i its ow right, at times directly relevat to employmet ad at other times ot relevat at all (Coffield, 2000: 8). We must move away from a view of educatio as a rite of passage ivolvig the acquisitio of eough kowledge ad qualificatios to acquire a adult statio i life. The poit of educatio should ot be to iculcate a body of kowledge, but to develop capabilities: the basic oes of literacy ad umeracy as well as the capability to act resposibly towards others, to take iitiative ad to work creatively ad collaboratively. The most importat capability ad the oe which traditioal educatio is worst at creatig is the ability ad yearig to carry o learig. Too much schoolig kills off a desire to lear. Schools ad uiversities should become more like hubs of learig, withi the commuity, capable of extedig ito the commuity. More learig eeds to be doe at home, i offices ad kitches, i the cotexts where kowledge is deployed to solve problems ad add value to people s lives (Leadbeater, 2000: ). Empirical research coducted by Cheetham ad Chivers (2001) attest to the wide variety of ways i which idividuals acquire competece. They suggest that much of the learig required to attai full professioal competece actually takes place after the completio of formal educatio. They go further by addig that, beyod iitial qualificatio, usually via a combiatio of formal educatio ad structured traiig, most professioals evidetly progress their professioal learig via iformal ad icidetal learig, with little if ay emphasis o formally orgaised learig. This, they coclude, highlights the critical importace of iformal learig. The terms work-based, work related ad workplace learig are used iterchageably i the research literature. Levy et al. (1989) defie work-based learig as likig learig to the work role ad idetify three iter-related compoets, each of which provided a essetial cotributio to learig: Structurig learig i the workplace; Providig o-the-job learig ad traiig opportuities; Idetifyig ad providig relevat off-job traiig ad learig opportuities. The term cooperative educatio is also used to describe this approach to learig. I additio to these terms, service learig is used i North America to refer to commuity based experieces that are liked to academic studies. All of these learig experieces are desiged to eable studets to lear from their workig eviromet Seagreaves et al. (1996) further developed the idea of work-based learig ad suggested that likig learig to the requiremets of people s jobs has three strads: Learig for work: to icrease studet employability; Learig at work: this strad relates to a idividual s activities udertake as part of their job role ad icludes delivery i the workplace of at least some compoets of the course, ad flexibility over time ad assessmet arragemets; Learig through work: learig is cetred o ad through the work eviromet. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 14 15

11 Of these, arguably learig through work, relates most closely to the role of professioal work placemets: i.e. studets lear ad test their skills for the professio by doig the job uder supervisio. This is distict from simply gaiig experiece ad also fulfils the coditios of beig a employee, albeit a closely supervised oe. Illeris (2002), i his geeral theory of learig argued that work placemets offer studets three dimesios of learig: the emotioal, the social, ad the cogitive, which he believes must be take ito accout for all learig. Illeris (2007) further argued that all learig always icludes these three dimesios: the cotet dimesio of kowledge, uderstadigs, skills, abilities, ad attitudes; the icetive dimesio of emotio, feeligs, motivatio ad volitio; ad the social dimesio of iteractio, commuicatio ad cooperatio. He also commeted o the sigificace of the iterplay of these dimesios, as iflueces received from the eviromet are socially co-determied (Illeris, 2004: 434). Other theorists such as Kolb (1984) also ackowledged the value of learig outside the classroom, where there are ew challeges to practice ad to reflect o their outcomes. Kolb also highlighted the socio-cultural cotext of learig ad emphasised the roles of colleagues ad workplace metors i studet learig i work placemets. Buildig o earlier work by Joh Dewey ad Kurt Levi, America educatioal theorist David Kolb s experietial learig model is oe of the most familiar learig theories. He argued that learig is the process whereby kowledge is created through the trasformatio of experiece (1984: 38). The theory presets a cyclical model of learig, cosistig of four stages: Cocrete experiece (doig); Reflective observatio (observig); Abstract coceptualisatio (thikig); Active experimetatio (plaig). Kolb lists the essetial characteristics of experietial learig as follows: A process model as opposed to a product model of learig; A cotiuous process grouded i experieces; The resolutio of coflicts betwee diametrically opposed adaptatios to the world; A holistic process; Trasactios betwee the perso ad the eviromet; The process of creatig kowledge. Kolb s four-stage learig cycle shows how experiece is traslated through reflectio ito cocepts, which i tur are used as guides for active experimetatio ad the choice of ew experieces. The first stage, cocrete experiece, is where the studet actively experieces a activity such as a lab sessio or field work. The secod stage, reflective observatio, is whe the studet cosciously reflects back o that experiece. The third stage, abstract coceptualisatio, is where the studet attempts to coceptualise a theory or model of what is observed. The fourth stage, active experimetatio, is where the studet is tryig to pla how to test a model or theory or to pla for a forthcomig experiece. I summary, Kolb believes that reflectio is a essetial elemet of learig. The practice of reflectio has also bee highlighted by Fik (1999) who terms reflectio as dialogue with self i his model of active learig. This is see as a essetial skill that all studets eed to acquire if they are to become active learers. The work of Schö (1987) has gaied promiece i ursig educatio where reflective practice is a core elemet of all courses, but his research applies to all work-based learig ad, it could be argued, to all learig situatios. Schö believes that uless studets reflect o their progress they will ot lear to correct their mistakes ad feedback will become merely a formulaic activity. Work placemets provide positive opportuities for learig i this maer, as oe of the mai aims of all work placemets is to promote reasoig, aalytical, ad evaluative abilities i studets through reflective practice. Studets will develop reflective abilities durig the course of their learig o placemet. Boud et al. (1985) also believe that reflective practice is a importat feature i work placemets as it features the idividual ad his or her experieces, leadig to a ew coceptual perspective or uderstadig. They have defied reflective practice as: A geeric term for those itellectual ad affective activities i which idividuals egage to explore their experieces i order to lead to ew uderstadigs ad appreciatios (Boud et al., 1985: 19). Boud et al. proposed a three-stage model of the reflectio process focusig o: returig to the experiece, attedig to feeligs coected with the experiece, ad re-evaluatig the experiece through recogisig implicatios ad outcomes. This model has subsequetly bee exteded ito a model for facilitatig learig from experiece. The features of the model iclude the followig: reflectio is grouded i the persoal foudatio of experiece of the studet, that is, those experieces which have shaped the perso ad have helped to create the perso he or she is ow, ad their itet which gives a particular focus to their learig i ay particular cotext. Learig occurs through the iteractio of the perso with his or her material ad huma eviromet the learig milieu ad is assisted through the studet givig attetio to oticig what is happeig i their iteral ad exteral eviromets, iterveig i various ways to ifluece themselves ad the eviromet i which they are operatig ad reflectig o their actios cotiually to modify their behaviour. Similarly, more recet research coducted by Blackwell et al. (2001) added that work experiece itself is ot ecessarily itrisically beeficial, but, it is the learig that a idividual derives from the experiece that is importat. They further observed that reflectio is a essetial complemet to learig at work, ad argued that good quality work-based learig has six characteristics: Stakeholders studets, employers, academic staff, ad employees all uderstad the uderlyig itetios. It is meaigful; The quality of work experiece is greatly ehaced by prior iductio ad briefig for all cocered; by facilitatio of ogoig reflectio; by debriefig, reflectio ad idetificatio of outcomes. Learig is the goal; Work experiece is accredited so that it is take seriously; Formative assessmet is used to support the process of learig from work experiece; Studets build up a work-experiece portfolio; Studets ca say what they have leared, provide illustratios ad, if eed be, commetary. There is effective reflectio. Little (2006) cocurs o the importace of reflectio ad suggests that if learig opportuities are to be maximised i o-traditioal forms of work experiece, the studets eed some kid of structure ad support i order that they reflect upo ad articulate the learig. Little summarised that it is geerally recogised that if the learig from work experiece is plaed ad itetioal from the outset it is easier for studets to reflect o it ad to idetify what has bee leared. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 16 17

12 1.4 Beefits of Work Placemets May third-level istitutios worldwide regard work placemet experiece for udergraduates as a key cotributor to high academic stadards ad to the employability of their graduates (Reddy ad Moores, 2006; Little ad Harvey, 2006). Research also shows how studets themselves value placemets. Respodets from differet disciplies ad from diverse idustrial experieces cofirm that work placemets ehaced their uderstadig of career choices ad provided a tagible lik betwee theory ad applicatio (Walmsley et al., 2006; Neill ad Mulhollad, 2003; Blackwell et al. 2001). Harvey et al. 1997) claim that may of the beefits from placemets caot be measured by covetioal academic methods ad that there is sigificat aecdotal evidece cocerig the beefits of work experiece i geeral. While participatig i the delivery of a traditioal third-level programme, academics ad studets may realise that they have ot had the opportuity to relate their learig to real practice. Where this is the case, studets may have missed a importat part of the educative learig possibilities of the workig eviromet that they pla to eter. Tucker (2006) summarised that, i a work eviromet, studets ca egage i real work practices, lear how to commuicate with colleagues ad to deal with work related problems. Learig becomes less theory based ad more practical ad cotextual. It is ow widely accepted by educatioalists that work placemets provide a uique ad valuable learig experiece for studets, particularly providig studets with a rage of persoal experieces that relate to ad itegrate with their prior academic experieces, ad placemets are see to ecourage studets to participate i the adult world of work (Daloz Parks, 2001). Real world processes, icludig people ad problems with which the studet ca egage, are ecoutered withi the work eviromet (Aylig, 2006). Exposure to actual or simulated workplace tasks ad problems allows studets to experiece wide variatio i kowledge applicatio, ad to recogise the limits of their uderstadig ad how those limits eed to be addressed essetial elemets for deep learig ad for a capacity to deal with ovel situatios (Bowde,1997). Research coducted by Bowes ad Harvey (2000) cofirmed that studets optig for degrees which cotai placemets are better placed for employmet whe they graduate compared with studets who lack this experiece, reflectig the coclusio that placemets are see by employers ad graduate employees as the sigle most sigificat missig elemet of the majority of degree programmes (Harvey et al.,1997). What idividual studets do i the work placemet, as well as the ature of the experiece ad the learig derived from the experiece, will vary sigificatly withi the may geeral descriptios of work placemets. I ay work placemet, some of what the studet actually does ad therefore what the studet lears ad how they lear it are primarily determied by the employig orgaisatio ad the studet s ow decisios. The specificatio of these items at a geeric level also typically ivolves egotiatio betwee the employer, the placemet tutor (from the third-level istitutio), ad the studet. Research by Madilaras (2004) ad Gomez et al. (2004) explored the correlatio betwee work placemets ad fial degree attaimet. The results of their studies showed that: Participatio i the placemet scheme sigificatly icreases the chaces of obtaiig a upper secod or higher degree class (Madilaras, 2004: 39). A British Higher Educatio Academy report o work placemets foud that: The overwhelmig majority of studets perceived positive chages i their approaches to study as a result of the placemet experieces. Such chages related both to issues of cofidece ad motivatio to study geerally, ad to a sese of more active egagemet with learig tasks (Little, 2006: 61). The beefits of work placemets have bee covered extesively i a study by Harvey, et al. (1998). These are summarised as: Beefits to studets Workig i a settig which puts theory ito practice; Developig a awareess of workplace culture; Appreciatio of the rapidly chagig world of work; Opportuity to develop a rage of persoal attributes (e.g. time maagemet, self cofidece ad adaptability); Developmet of key iteractive attributes (e.g. team workig, iterpersoal ad commuicatio skills); Short-term fiacial beefits as some studets get paid while o work placemet; Ehaced employmet prospects ad the potetial for commadig higher wages whe startig employmet after graduatio; Assistace i developig career strategies, such as help with career choice, becomig aware of opportuities, ad buildig up a etwork of cotacts; I some cases, livig ad workig i aother culture. Beefits to employers Extra workers at low cost; Settig up of a ew project; Completio of specific tasks; Opportuity to give a potetial recruit a trial without obligatio; Usig studets reflectio o work experiece as a recruitmet criterio; Havig a pool of potetial recruits with some geeral awareess of workplace culture; A ijectio of ew ideas; Developig liks with HEIs for a rage of purposes such as research ad developmet, or targetig highflyer recruits; Staff developmet opportuities that arise from employees metorig studets. Beefits to staff i higher educatio Opportuity for studets to see their subject area i practice; Satisfactio of seeig studets developig ad maturig; Ehacemet of studet skills; Establishmet of liks with a wider rage of employers, with the potetial to brig fresh approaches to HEIs; Usig employer cotacts to esure that their commercial or idustry-related teachig is up-to-date Usig liks to ecourage employers to participate o course validatio paels i the developmet of subject areas, to preset guest lectures, or to participate i semiars; O average, placemet studets gai a advatage of early 4% i their fial year performace (Gomez et al., 2004: 373). Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 18 19

13 Creatio ad tailorig of iovative or more applicable work experieces through collaboratio with past employers of placemet studets; Developig their expertise i assessmet methods by workig with employers who have experiece i assessig employability skills. Harvey et al. (1997) also highlighted further potetial problems, suggestig that a protracted period out of a academic culture may cause difficulties for studets i cotiuig to study after their placemet. They further ote that there is a dager that studets ca be used as cheap labour ad their skills uder-utilised. This, they coclude, ihibits developmet ad is ot good practice. Eraut (2007b) cocluded that oe of the most importat beefits of work placemets is workig alogside others because it allows studets to observe ad liste to others at work, ad to participate i shared activities. This eables studets to lear ew practices ad perspectives, to become aware of differet kids of kowledge ad expertise, ad to gai some sese of tacit kowledge implicit i the work place. Learig which is attaied i a practice settig is more clearly uderstood ad retaied. This mode of learig, which ecompasses much observatio as well as discussio, is fudametally importat for acquirig the tacit kowledge that uderpis routies ad ituitive decisios. 1.5 Potetial Problems of Work Placemet The process of work experiece ad placemet is complex, ivolvig iteractios betwee the studet, the third-level istitutio, ad the employer at a variety of levels. There is a wide rage of placemet provisio, ad differet participats view, prepare for, ad perform their work experiece i a variety of ways. It is clear that work experiece requires a cosiderable iput of resources to ru a placemet scheme properly. All stakeholders, however, may ot have access to the same level of resource or expertise. Cautio must also be take to avoid viewig work placemet as a form of learig where ay experiece is better tha o experiece because a poor work placemet beefits obody. A further potetial problem ivolves the perceptio of placemets. Placemets may be viewed as takig time away from the classroom ad because of their vocatioal associatio may ot be regarded as academically legitimate (Crow, 1997). Work placemets, however, are geerally ejoyable aspects of the educatioal programme for the majority of studets. Nevertheless, it must be ackowledged that durig the periods of practice-based learig some studets ca experiece axiety-provokig situatios. Although axiety may be a positive factor that ehaces performace, too much axiety ca ihibit studet learig. Studet axieties are ofte cetred o fittig ito a ew ukow eviromet, gettig used to ew work colleagues ad supervisors, adaptig to the as yet udefied ew role, ad copig with the feelig of beig costatly observed. Some studets have difficulty i dealig with egative feedback, they may have bee placed with work-based supervisors who criticise them, or who are uapproachable ad usupportive. The performace of such studets may cotiue to declie i those eviromets. These studets may be uable to ask for the assistace they eed ad ofte fear makig mistakes. These difficulties however ca be dealt with i a variety of ways, oce they have bee idetified, for example: Creatig a acceptig eviromet i which learig ca take place; Commuicatig ay problems about the studet s kowledge base, skills, attitudes or behaviours as soo as they are idetified; Documetig feedback ad givig the studet a copy; Sharig cocer with the studet ad the third-level tutor; Establishig measurable objectives for chage that are explicit ad observable; Realisig that there are some studets who eed more time to develop competecy. 1.6 Strategic Iovatio Fud Aims ad Objectives The Strategic Iovatio Fud (SIF) is awarded by the Departmet of Educatio ad Sciece ad is admiistered by the Higher Educatio Authority (HEA). SIF is a competitively drive resource stream to implemet orgaisatioal trasformatio. The fud is multi-aual, origially plaed to amout to E510 millio over the period SIF aims to support iovatio, ad to foster collaboratio betwee istitutios competig for fudig to: Icetivise ad reward iteral restructurig ad to reform efforts; Promote teachig ad learig reforms, icludig ehaced teachig methods, programme restructurig at third ad fourth level, modularisatio ad e-learig; Support quality improvemet iitiatives aimed at excellece; Promote access, trasfer, progressio, ad to icetivise stroger iter-istitutioal collaboratio i the developmet ad delivery of programmes; Provide for improved performace maagemet systems ad to meet staff-traiig ad support requiremets associated with the reform of structures ad the implemetatio of ew processes; Implemet improved maagemet iformatio systems. Through the collaborative ature of the projects, ew strategic alliaces have bee developed ad supported, providig ew impetus for ehaced quality ad effectiveess. The Orgaisatio for Ecoomic Co-operatio ad Developmet (OECD) review of HEIs made a compellig case for reform of third- ad fourth-level educatio i Irelad (OECD, 2004). While the sector is ackowledged as a egie for ecoomic developmet, higher educatio istitutios eed to rise to the challeges of icreasig their relevace, for example, through promotig access ad participatio by those already i the workforce. The SIF is a importat elemet i the ivestmet ad reform of HEIs to eable them to meet challeges preseted by chagig social ad ecoomic realities while buildig o their existig stregths. I this way, the projects fuded through the SIF are helpig the parter istitutios towards realisig their potetial while also improvig the learig experiece for a diverse rage of studets at all levels. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 20 21

14 igher Educatio Istitutio Regioal Developmet Priorities E m p l o y e r Ecoomic Policies 1.7 Roadmap for Employmet Academic Parterships (REAP) Project The rage of potetial partership iteractios with some examples is summarised i the followig graphic: The REAP project is a SIF Cycle 2 collaborative project aimed at developig ad validatig a model ad roadmap for partership ad egagemet betwee HEIs ad employers ad eterprises. This partership approach is see as especially relevat i the cotext of a dyamically chagig ecoomic ad demographic eviromet. The REAP project is a Cork Istitute of Techology-led cosortium comprisig Athloe Istitute of Techology; Dubli Istitute of Techology; Istitute of Techology, Sligo; Istitute of Techology Tallaght; Natioal Uiversity of Irelad, Galway; Uiversity College, Cork; ad Waterford Istitute of Techology. Chagig Demographics E m p l o y e e L e a r e r Eterprise / Academic Awareess Careers Fairs Graduate Recruitmet Part-time courses Ivolvemet Co-op Placemet Compay visits Course Advisors Short research projects Active Participatio Guest Speakers Exter Examier Customised I-house courses Udergraduate projects Strategic Partership Forward plaig ad shared risks Log term mutual commitmet Research ad iovatio collaboratio Sposorship Traiig ad Developmet plaig RPL ad WBL metorig ad support Natioal ad Regioal Developmet Priorities Higher Educatio Istitutio E m p l o y e r Natioal Ecoomic Policies Withi the rage of partership egagemets the REAP work has maily focused o five differet types of iteractio: Partership Cotiuum Cooperative work placemet; Specialist targeted course developmet to meet specific eterprise learig eeds; Professioal postgraduate pathways; Academics/researchers cotributig withi eterprises; Opportuities for professioal employers/employees to cotribute withi the academic eviromet. Tripartite Negotiated Learig Arragemets The fidigs to date show that successful ad sustaiable parterships eed resources, relatioships, ad realistic objectives. The key HEI eablers iclude: The partership cocept is exteded beyod that of the learig partership. By explorig existig examples of good practice throughout the project cosortium ad idetifyig eablers ad barriers, a toolkit will be developed Eterprise / Active to facilitate egagemet across the spectrum of potetial partership activities. The impact Strategic will be twofold: both Academic Ivolvemet Participatio HEIs ad eterprises will be ecouraged to seek out opportuities to egage with each Partership other ad to idetify ay Awareess barriers to egagemet withi their systems ad processes. Through the REAP project it is iteded that eterprises will view HEIs as key service providers ad strategic parters. Forward plaig Co-op Placemet ad shared risks Careers Fairs Guest Speakers Log term mutual Part-time courses Course Advisors commitmet Exter Examier Research ad Graduate Recruitmet Compay visits iovatio collaboratio Clear poit of cotact ad good commuicatio; Flexible ad resposive admiistrative procedures ad processes; Itegratio ad valuig of partership activities at the core of the istitutio. The literature o partership reports barriers i terms of perceived iaccessibility ad iflexibility of the HEI i dealig with eterprise eeds. However, the experiece of successful parterships, reviewed through the project, has provided ample evidece that these barriers ca be overcome. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 22 23

15 REAP Objectives o Work Placemet I reviewig the cotiuum of potetial egagemet activity the REAP project proposal recogised that the udergraduate placemet efforts preset a etry-level partership mechaism that ehaces mutual uderstadig ad lays the groudwork for more cooperatio ad ivolvemet across the learig ad research spectrum. Udergraduate placemets form a importat part of the learig experiece i may programmes; evertheless, the quality of the experiece varies widely ad a rage of approaches is adopted for awardig credits ad assessig learig outcomes. A work pla was agreed ivolvig the collaboratio of the REAP project parters to share existig practice ad to work together to idetify good practice which could the be dissemiated broadly. The REAP cosortium agreed to: Review curret operatig practice; Compile experieces from the employer, studet ad academic perspectives; Draft learig agreemets icludig agreed statemets of expectatios, learig outcomes, assessmet methodology aliged with examiatio structures ad cosistet with the appropriate NQAI descriptors; Publish agreed aliged guidelies for studet, employer, academic ad workplace metors; Trial the agreed guidelies ad structures. The report also cotais a umber of appedices that were developed by members of the REAP workig group from the research coducted. Appedix A presets placemet guidelies for higher educatio istitutios, employers, ad studets for each of the three stages of the placemet activity pre-placemet, durig placemet, ad post-placemet. These guidelies provide a useful checklist for each of the stakeholders i the placemet process. The guidelies i Appedix A arisig from the research fidigs were used to iform the developmet of outlie `placemet packs for the studet ad the employer. The Studet Placemet pack preseted i Appedix B icludes a three-way learig agreemet comprisig placemet learig outcomes ad assessmet strategy, job specificatio, ad cotact details ad sig off. It also icludes a workplace iductio checklist, workplace learig guide, ad a evaluatio of the placemet process from the studet perspective. Appedix C presets the Employer Placemet pack which agai icludes the three way learig agreemet, a workplace iductio checklist, appraisal of the studet, ad a evaluatio of the placemet process from the employer perspective. I Appedix D the issue of the maagemet ad assessmet of learig gaied i the placemet experiece is cosidered. The self-assessmet ad recogitio of the learig by the studet as well as the provisio of relevat ad timely feedback by the academic advisor is cosidered. The use of a o-lie joural is explored. Appedix E presets a overview of the REAP project workig group. 1.8 Structure of the Report The report is divided ito a umber of differet sectios. The first sectio serves as a geeral itroductio ad provides a backgroud to the report. This sectio itroduces the cocept of work placemet, highlightig the liks betwee work placemet ad employability skills. Aspects of learig at work are also explored. Throughout the report, work placemet is examied from the three perspectives of studets, employers, ad higher educatio istitutios. While briefly outliig the aims ad objectives of the Strategic Iovatio Fud, the first sectio focuses i particular o the REAP project. The secod sectio presets the collective fidigs of the REAP workig-group members o the practices of work placemet. This icludes a summary of the iitial desk research coducted by workig group members, as well as a summary of the empirical research coducted with studets, employers, ad higher educatio staff. A umber of primary research methods were used to collect the data. Semiars were orgaised with higher educatio staff i order to capture their views o curret practices of work placemet. The opiios of a umber of employers who provided work placemets were sought through surveys ad etworkig evets. The opiios of studets who had retured to college after completig work placemets were collected through various focus groups i each of the REAP parter third-level istitutios. The practice o placemet was further explored through the completio of detailed case study templates by the project parters. The third sectio presets a brief coclusio to the report. 2.0 Itroductio 24 Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 25

16 2 REAP Objectives o Work Placemet This chapter summarises the work coducted uder the REAP project, illustratig existig practice i work placemet ad gatherig iput ad experieces from a variety of sources. The research ad aalysis uderpis the developmet of the practice guidelies ad recommedatios icluded i this report. Iitially, desk-based research was udertake to examie the level of udergraduate work placemet curretly i educatioal programmes i Irish third-level istitutios. This research focused o o-cliical placemets, where the itegratio of placemet ito the programme is drive by the programme desig team ad ot by regulatory or professioal stadards. The evolutio of practice ad the uderlyig academic employer relatioship varies sigificatly betwee the cliical placemet programmes ad the o-cliical programmes. Buckley ad El Amoud (2010) examied the olie course catalogues of all the Irish HEIs i order to compile a list of udergraduate courses that icluded work placemet. They idetified 411 courses that icluded a work-placemet elemet amog 23 HEIs, with 10,577 studets udertakig placemet i o-cliical programmes o a aual basis ad almost 80% of these studets erolled o level 8 programmes. Their research highlights sigificat variace i the umber of programmes that iclude placemet as well as sigificat variace i the prevalece of placemet i the differet academic disciplies. Placemet duratio was foud to vary from less tha two moths to more tha six moths, with the umber of credits available for the placemet experiece geerally, but ot always, reflectig the duratio of the work. Oly 36% of the Higher Educatio Staff who respoded idicated that all their placemets were paid, with the majority of resposes suggestig that placemets were a mixture of both paid ad upaid. May respodets also oted that, while studets o their placemet programmes were geerally paid i previous years, it has prove a lot more difficult to secure paid placemets i the curret year, ad i some cases, employers would take studets oly if they did ot have to pay them. Further research by Keedy Burke et al. (2010) amog 117 studets i the School of Tourism at the Dubli Istitute of Techology (DIT) explored their perceptios of the Irish tourism idustry, based o their placemet experiece, ad coversely the idustry s perceptio of placemet. The DIT studets were placed i 57 diverse idustry orgaisatios durig their placemets. Niety-oe per cet of studets either agreed or strogly agreed that work placemet was a valuable learig experiece, with 78% agreeig or strogly agreeig that they were satisfied that their learig objectives were achieved. Eighty-four per cet agreed or strogly agreed that they ejoyed their placemet. suggested that the etwork might act as a cosultative or research body with a remit to esure best practice i relatio to placemet. Durig the course of the REAP project, the third-level project parters compiled a wide-ragig summary of employers, studets HEIs views of existig placemet practice, as well as summarisig their recommedatios ad suggestios for improvemets. A umber of differet methodologies were used to collate ad aalyse iformatio, ad the various sources of iformatio are described ad summarised i this chapter. I all cases, the iformatio sought was iteded to iform the parters o the curret situatio of work placemets, to seek out effective practice ad to idetify barriers to ad eablers of the spread of good practice throughout the third-level sector i Irelad. 2.1 Higher Educatio Staff Views o Work Placemet A umber of semiars were arraged by the REAP project team for staff ivolved i placemet ad these semiars were atteded by over 70 represetatives from 14 Irish HEIs. The semiars were recorded ad trascribed ad key isights from work-placemet practitioers i the HEIs were idetified, from the cotributios to these semiars. The eed for a sigle forum for the exchage of views was idetified which led to the establishmet of a atioal olie forum. It was agreed that the research focus should examie the structures ad supports for placemet icludig the plaig phase ad the maagemet of the process. I order to alig with SIF objectives the project team eeded to focus o the structural issues aroud good practice i the placemet process. To achieve this each of the project parters was asked to explore i detail a small umber of specific istaces of placemet withi their particular istitutio. The exploratio was based aroud a detailed template addressig ot just the practical elemets of the placemet but also the motivatio for the iclusio of placemet ito the programme desig, the preparatio, plaig, ad egotiatio phases of the placemet as well as the maagemet of the placemet i practice. A detailed template was draw up by the project team followig cosideratio of the experieces shared through the semiars. These mii case studies cotributed to the uderstadig of curret practice as well as to the developmet of guidelies ad recommedatios for future work-placemet activity. The research also ivolved cosultatio with represetatives from the tourism idustry i Irelad who participate i the placemet programme. The mai fidigs from the research with idustry represetatives highlighted the importace of studets beig prepared for the real busiess world, a geeral eed to improve busiess laguage i terms of writig busiess s, ad the eed for social skills icludig commuicatio, puctuality, ad work dress code. Further cosultatio took place with HEIs offerig work placemet as part of their tourism programmes. The fidigs illustrated cosiderable variatio i the maagemet of placemets amog the differet third-level istitutios represeted. Some HEIs have dedicated placemet officers; others have a dedicated office maaged by admiistrative staff, while i other colleges members of academic staff maage the etire placemet process. Higher educatio represetatives showed a strog level of iterest i becomig part of a higher educatio placemet etwork. It was Source Iitial Views Research Fidigs Developig Themes Report REAP Placemet Strategy Study of Placemet (Desk-based Research) Series of Semiars HEI Staff Placemet Experiece Programme (Pilot) Case Studies Template Natioal Olie Forum Project Team Workshop Recommedatios & Workshops Figure 1: HEI data collectio process Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 26 27

17 Overview of the HEI Fidigs The issues that were raised through the semiars, template resposes, ad fora ca be summarised as follows: Importace of placemet pedagogically; Madatory requiremet versus optioal bous; Variety ad quality of placemets; Alteratives to placemet; Duratio of placemet; Number of credits; Assessmet strategies, e.g., differet grades or else pass/fail liked to learig outcomes ad credits; Difficulty i securig placemet; Sourcig ad securig iteratioal placemets; Sourcig ad securig placemets for iteratioal studets; Paid versus upaid; Quality ad suitability of available placemets; Maagemet of the placemet process; Preparatio of studet ad employer for placemet; Resourcig of the placemet process; IT support to maage the placemet learig outcomes ad competecy acquisitio. Importace of the Placemet All third-level represetatives agreed that the placemet experiece adds sigificat value ad learig withi the framework of a academic programme: I believe that all educatioal istitutios have a resposibility to prepare their studets for the workplace ad a major challege for all educators is how you bridge the gap betwee their academic learig ad the applicatio of that learig i the workplace eviromet. The curret tred for third-level istitutios is to itroduce placemet withi more programmes ad across more disciplies. This aligs well with the employer view that placemet cotributes to the overall employability of the graduate. All idicators poit to the value that course desigers place o iteractio with the professioal workplace i the may disciplies ad o the opportuities that work placemet provides to the studet i terms of their persoal career developmet. Alteratives to Placemet There was cosiderable discussio about the desirability of madatory placemet i course desig. This gave rise to cosideratio of alteratives where a placemet caot be secured ad the equivalece of pedagogical value of alteratives where they are icluded i the curricular developmet process. This is a applied programme ad hads-o practical experiece is essetial i developig skills ad competeces required by the sector. I most cases, alteratives to placemet existed but these teded to have arise ad hoc to meet specific eeds rather tha havig bee plaed or aliged with the course learig objectives. May parters reported a research project optio for those studets for whom placemet could ot be secured. I some cases, this ivolved workig i a structured way withi a established research commuity or cetre i the istitutio, ad i other cases, it ivolved completig a idividual project i a laboratory uder the supervisio of a academic staff member. It might be argued that the former of these is a work placemet withi a research group, which happes to be o campus, where there will be workplace orms that differ from the academic istitutio orms, while the latter ca be see more as a idividual effort that does ot provide a exposure to a workplace. I other cases, modules ad tutorials are developed as a substitute for the placemet semester. This meas that these studets do ot beefit from a opportuity to gai learig outcomes associated with placemets, typically resultig i a lesser learig experiece for them. I oe of the parter istitutios a model had bee developed for a flexible semester that allowed a umber of optios, all with the same top level learig outcomes. These optios iclude work placemet, study abroad, ew busiess iitiative or commuity/volutary work. The structure developed icludes appropriate preparatio ad assessmet for each of the differet optios. Duratio ad Credits The optimum duratio of the placemet ad the academic credits associated with the placemet experiece raised the questio of assessig the learig outcomes associated with learig i the workplace ad assessig the validity of a variety of assessmet methodologies. There is a sigificat variatio i the higher educatio sector i relatio to the duratio of placemets ad the credits awarded for placemet activities. For istace, 13 weeks of placemet ca attract betwee 10 ad 30 credits. I some cases, the placemet experiece is assessed o the basis of pass or fail criteria with o credit applied. I some istitutios, the successful completio of a learig experiece or the completio of a reflective piece, where the studet recogises ad evideces their learig, is cosidered ad the associated credit is awarded without gradig. I other situatios, there is a assessmet process of the experietial learig with a view to awardig grades to the learig achieved. The challege i the assessmet process is the separatio of the learig experiece or cotet of the learig from the settig i which the learig has bee achieved. The cotext of the learig ad the very may differet workplace settigs teds to make a comparative aalysis i the level of achievemet of learig outcomes very difficult. Placemet is a essetial compoet of the course. It allows studets to gai experiece ad to apply theory to practice with a view to future employability. I geeral, higher educatio providers ackowledged that placemets eed to be of sigificat duratio i order to provide reasoable outcomes. This cocurred with the views of employers who strogly edorsed that duratios should be greater tha six moths. Difficulty i Sourcig ad Securig Work Placemets There was much cocer about the difficulties associated with fidig placemets for a growig cohort of studets i more challegig ecoomic times. Staff reported that employers are curretly more uwillig to take studets, eve o a upaid basis, who might be see as additioal headcout durig times of retrechmet. The developmet of a strog partership approach to educatio, where placemet is viewed as a importat part of the overall egagemet cotiuum ad where employers ca beefit from their sigificat role i the educatio process, may lay the groudwork for more ivolvemet by employers. Cocer was expressed that perhaps the criteria for the selectio of placemets, ad the ecessity to esure that the placemet ca offer the learig that the studet expects to attai, might be overlooked as placemets become more difficult to source. The cosideratio of remueratio, if ay, durig studet placemet, revealed a broad spread of practice. There are disciplies i which placemets are geerally upaid, ad those i which placemets are paid, ad those that Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 28 29

18 have bee paid util recetly, due to the ecoomic dowtur, are ow more likely to be upaid. I situatios where placemet is paid there is a variety of remueratio rates from a below miimum wage stiped to the equivalet of a regular salary for the duratio. Paymet raises the questios of whether this is primarily a learig experiece or a earig oe. The expectatio of the employer of the studet s ability ad the resposibilities placed o the studet varied greatly so it might be expected that the paymet would be widely varyig also. We eed to move to a situatio where we have a commual uderstadig of the studet situatio with regard to isurace ad employee employer rights because there were descriptios of 70-hour upaid placemets i oe of the discussios today. Ethically that has to be questioable. Placemets Abroad May programmes offer opportuities for studets i securig placemets abroad ad this is helpful where there is difficulty i placig studets i Irish compaies. The challeges ad cosideratios ivolved fidig compaies willig to accept Irish studets. Oe suggestio ivolved parterig with IDA or Eterprise Irelad to leverage their iteratioal offices to help idetify possible parter orgaisatios. Where studets are placed overseas may of them are with iteratioal compaies that have Irish offices providig local cotact ad partership, facilitatig this developmet. Rather tha spreadig the cotacts over a huge base it might be better to pick a locatio ad zoe i o it ad build a etwork of cotacts ad compaies there. Where there are travel ad subsistece costs associated with takig advatage of a overseas placemet, cocer was expressed that this might propagate social iequities i the educatio system. From the academic istitutio perspective the questio of greater costs ca arise for maagig the iteratioal placemet. From the studet perspective the availability of support etworks o the groud is importat. Studets are happy to go abroad whe there are two or three studets from their istitutio or where they have relatives or cotacts but they re less iclied to go if there s oe of them goig to a place aloe. We may be limited i our scope to secure iteratioal placemets because of laguage restrictios ad perhaps this is somethig that we eed to address i all of our programmes. Additioal difficulties have bee reported i fidig placemets for o-eu studets. I some cases, employers were reluctat to cosider these studets, as oe of the motivatios for employers i takig studets o placemet is that they see this as a importat part of their recruitmet process ad i the case of o-eu studets they believe they may ot be eligible for work i Irelad o completig their course. Difficulty with work permits, poorer commuicatio ability, ad employmet restrictios are cocers reported from employers about the o- EU cohort of studets. This is t goig to go away; each of our istitutios is lookig more ad more towards iteratioal studets, so this is a problem that is goig to get bigger. Maagemet of the Placemet Process Through the REAP project a umber of staff exchages were facilitated to ecourage the sharig of views ad sharig of experieces amog those ivolved i the placemet process at third level. It is worth otig that the practice of maagemet ad plaig of the placemet experiece varies sigificatly withi idividual istitutios ad betwee differet istitutios. I some cases, cetral resources are dedicated to sourcig, plaig, ad maagig the placemet. I other cases, the resources are allocated at course ad departmetal level, with academic staff fidig ad maagig placemets for studets. I our ow uiversity the drive is to icrease placemet i lots of courses, but agai we eed resources, we eed to go to the various Chambers Irelad, Chartered Istitute of Persoel & Developmet (CIPD) ad IBEC evets ad develop the etworks, ad without a budget that starts to get difficult. I cetralised models all those ivolved i placemet operatios ad maagemet are located i a sigle locatio, with the advatage of a sigle placemet budget ad admiistratio efficiecy ad cosistecy of approach. This may also have advatages from the employer perspective because the employer has a clear cotact poit with the cetral placemet resource. There may be drawbacks to this approach as it may lead to dimiished iteractio betwee the placemet ad the academic staff, with the risk of udermiig the academic value of the placemet withi the particular programme. This may also have the effect of lesseig the opportuities for direct iteractio ad for further egagemet betwee academic staff ad the workplaces. I a distributed model the placemet operatio, plaig ad maagemet is situated withi the relevat academic departmet. This allows the placemet experiece to be more tightly itegrated ito the relevat academic departmet, with more direct ivolvemet i the placemet by the faculty staff. The iteractio betwee the placemet staff ad the employer ca have direct beefits that feed back ito the curriculum or lead to additioal opportuities. The potetial for cosistecy ad efficiecies of scale is lost i this model, however, ad it ca also lead to competitio betwee differet programme areas to fid placemets. We have a dedicated resource i the School of Busiess for placemet. Offers are retured to the uiversity ad coordiated by the practice educatio coordiator. A aual database of all ivolved is kept updated. A structure which combies the advatages of the cetralised ad decetralised model ca be developed where a cetral resource allows efficiecies of scale i the operatio of some elemets of placemet admiistratio ad preparatio while keepig the resposibility for the operatio withi academic departmets. The appropriate structure for a particular istitutio will deped o the scale of the placemet activity ad the variety of the disciplies i which placemets are sought. The whole issue of maagemet of placemet differs cosiderably across the colleges: dedicated placemet officers; dedicated liks offices with a purely admiistrative focus; people who have resposibility for placemet as part of their admiistrative work; ad, i most cases, a combiatio of both a dedicated placemet officer ad academic staff. Proper maagemet of the placemet process ad the preparatio of participats for placemet are essetial to the quality ad value of the learig experiece. The preparatio from the studet perspective varies from a series of semiars ad workshops, which assist a studet i securig a placemet through CV preparatio ad Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 30 31

19 iterview techiques, to a plaed learig pathway which itroduces the studet to the laguage ad priorities of the workplace ad acts as a preparatio for the professioal practice i which they might expect to be immersed. Geerally, the studet submits a applicatio ad a CV ad is iterviewed by the employer i order to secure the placemet. Studets are well briefed i class ad also through a iductio day. They receive help i obtaiig their documetatio ad Garda clearace. have a role i the plaig phase of the placemet as they force deeper cosideratio of the stated learig outcomes ad perhaps a restatemet of the learig outcomes ito the uderlyig competeces icludig a cosideratio of how the competecy might be evideced. Summary HEI staff agree that placemet makes a valuable cotributio to the educatioal process these beefits ad the mai cocers raised are summarised i the followig graphic: Some thigs we could do better iclude more research o the idustry ad orgaisatio, ad possibly a site visit to the placemet orgaisatio. I terms of defied learig expectatios, all istaces of placemet that were explored i depth reported clearly defied learig outcomes which the studet could see as a clear outlie of the learig that they are expected to achieve i the process. I some cases, the learig outcomes are broadly stated ad reasoably geeric, addressig commuicatio skills, ability to work i teams, becomig a self-directed learer ad i other cases, the outcomes address the applicatio of the specific theoretical kowledge withi the disciplie. Preparig the employer for the placemet experiece teded to be less formally addressed by the project parter istitutios. I may cases, employers have worked with the higher educatio provider over may years, iformally buildig relatioships to support ad facilitate the placemet process. Idividual relatioships betwee academic istitutios seekig studet placemets i a particular disciplie ad the employer parter teded to be strog, ad these relatioships were frequetly cetred o a etwork of graduates withi the workplace. I some cases, a prepared maual with a statemet of the expectatios of all parties employer, studet, ad higher educatio provider is made available. This was particularly evidet withi the Social Care area where the placemet experiece teds to be more regulated tha withi the Sciece, Busiess, ad Egieerig disciplies. We have a briefig day ad we offer traiig to staff ivolved i the placemet process. Agreed Beefits Ehacig etworkig ad mutual uderstadig betwee HEI ad workplaces Maitaiig curriculum relevace alog with opportuities to apply theoretical kowledge to practice Itegratig employability skills ito curriculum Cocers Raised Need for allocated resources to orgaise ad moitor placemet learig No cosistet framework for alteratives to placemets withi programmes Difficulty i sourcig placemets for growig umber of studets (particularly sourcig & maagig iteratioal placemets) Ofte there is o formal placemet agreemet or baselie cotract betwee the parties ad o formal learig agreemet. Most of the HEIs, however, reported positive log-stadig relatioships with employers. Withi the workplace there is usually a recogised supervisor or metor who is the poit of cotact for the studet ad the higher educatio staff. Visits, s ad telephoe calls are usually the methods used to moitor ad maitai the cotact before ad durig the placemet. I some cases, the workplace supervisor is provided with traiig from the academic parter to explai ad support their supervisor role. From the HEIs perspective the maagemet of the process raises cocers about available resources. Sharig of resources ad expertise is ot commoplace withi the istitutios. I may cases, for example, those resposible for placig Busiess studets ad those resposible for placig Egieerig studets from the same istitutio ito the same eterprise have o formal commuicatio process. Resources allocated to the placemet process were reported to place limitatios o the rage of placemets available to studets. Because of fudig limitatios, supervisors were oly allowed to place studets withi a particular area so that additioal fudig would ot have to be applied for travel expeses. Durig the course of the REAP project, the use of iformatio techology systems to support the work placemet learig ad to assist the studet i compilig their learig portfolio was explored. Iformatio techology systems Figure 2: Summary of higher educatio staff views o work placemet 2.2 Employers Views o Work Placemet The employers view o placemet was developed from a umber of differet sources. A short set of questios was desiged to explore employers views of the beefit of placemet to their orgaisatios, ad the beefits to studets, together with ivestigatig methods through which the placemet process might be improved. The survey was facilitated through Forfás ad available through the IBEC website. I additio, all project parters were asked to explore the views of the employers with whom they have cotact usig the same questio set where appropriate. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 32 33

20 Project parters cotributed a variety of iputs, which were collected through disciplie-specific ivestigatios ad cosultatios as well as through istitute-wide activities. I some cases, short etworkig evets were held to provide employer represetatives with a opportuity to etwork ad to cotribute their views orally. Iput from the Expert Group o Future Skills Needs, icludig a review of recet reports o sectoral skills eeds, illustrated the eterprise view of placemets withi the traiig ad educatio spectrum for particular sectors ad disciplies. A report by Keedy Burke et al. (2010) also provided a valuable isight ito the views of a etwork of employers i the tourism sector. I seekig to represet the employers views of the placemet process, the project team explored the motivatio for employers gettig ivolved i the placemet process. Employer views were sought o the attributes demostrated by studets durig placemet, the beefits to the studets of the placemet process, the issues or cocers they have about the process, ad their recommedatios for improvemets to the process. The views from employers were compiled from resposes to a survey, from short iterviews at etworkig evets ad from olie surveys. Source Iitial Views Research Fidigs Developig Themes Report Expert Group o Future Skill Needs Employer Placemet Survey (supported by Forfás & IBEC) Reap Placemet Strategy Review of Sectoral Skills Report Project parter cosultatios with idustry Academic-Eterprise Networkig Evets Recommedatios & Guidelies From the employer perspective the mai beefits that the studets gaied from the experiece iclude: A opportuity to put their learig ito practice; A chace to develop iterpersoal skills; Ehacig CV ad employability. Employers recommedatios for improvemet: Substatial duratio of the placemet; Commuicatio betwee all parties; Preparatio for placemet; Clarity of expectatios of all parties. Beefits of Placemet The employers supported the view that placemet offers a valuable learig opportuity i a udergraduate programme ad they were very aware of the role that they played i facilitatig that learig. A iput to the project from the Expert Group o Future Skills Needs reported that, while employers are geerally satisfied with the techical competeces demostrated by graduates, commuicatio skills, commercial awareess, the ability to solve problems, ad to apply theory to practice required improvemet. I a submissio by the Forum of Eterprise Employers to the Natioal Strategy for Higher Educatio, employers spoke of the eed for substatial work placemets to help address a perceived deficit i the practical applicatio of theoretical kowledge. It is clear from the employers resposes to the curret research that placemets have the potetial to make a sigificat cotributio to the developmet of these skills: Durig placemet, studets develop a maturig that they do t otherwise get from a straight academic degree course. I Social Care, practice is so vital. Figure. 3 Overview of employers views Placemet should be madatory i all third-level courses. Studets really beefit from hads-o experiece. I summary the motivatio for employers to be ivolved i placemet icluded: A useful recruitmet tool; Corporate resposibility; New skills ad eergy from studets; Developig research liks with the HEI. Employers viewed the followig as the most useful qualities displayed by studets o placemet: Ability to work as part of a team; Willigess to lear; Techical competece i the appropriate area. Placemets are a great cofidece builder for studet cocered. Placemets have bee a very positive experiece for all. Two employers reported their mai motivators: The ability to add to the body of kowledge that studet graduates with. Good for us to brig i ew ideas. Employers also suggested that there should be a icreased emphasis o behavioural competecy gaied through work, icludig verbal commuicatio, iitiative, ad professioalism. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 34 35

21 Most employers poited to the beefits of placemet as a recruitmet tool. Some employers suggested they would cosider recruitig oly from higher educatio providers that offer placemets: I see it as growig future idustry employees. I previous years, we have bee able to employ studets who have bee o placemet ad it is a good way to get to kow them. May employers reported that they beefited from ew skills ad eergy brought to the workplace by studets but they cautioed that this beefit accrues oly where the placemet is of sufficiet duratio. Several employers believed that a placemet provides a very useful level of egagemet that allows the developmet of short research projects It was suggested that employers might cosider greater rotatio of studets o placemet withi their orgaisatios to preset more diverse opportuities for learig. Due to the effort ivolved i traiig ad developmet, however, it was also suggested that studets should sped more time i the employmet situatio for all parties to beefit. Duratio of the Placemet Employers expressed the view that placemets should be loger more tha six moths for all parties to sigificatly beefit. The issue of balacig the beefit for the studet ad the employer was raised. I the case of a particularly short placemet of six weeks employers stated that this does ot create value for their orgaisatio. It was suggested that if HEIs ad disciplies vary placemet timig, it would the avoid the situatio where all courses ad HEIs are competig for a particular timeframe. A further suggestio was to stadardise the duratio so that a clearer commo uderstadig of a placemet could be achieved: We are always impressed with the quality of the studets. Please cosider extedig the duratio. Placemets eed to be six moths plus, for both studet ad employer to beefit. It is a huge commitmet for the employer i traiig etc. We eed studets who ca commit over a period of time. While the time ad effort required by employers whe orgaisig placemets reduced their attractiveess for may compaies, the Expert Group o Future Skills Needs believed this challege would be lesseed by extedig the duratio of placemets. Some employers avail of added value from placemets by offerig extra part-time work or summer work to studets o placemet, allowig the employers to recoup more of their ivestmet i the traiig ad developmet of studets. Clarity of Expectatios, for all Parties The majority of employers suggested that greater clarity of expectatios for all parties ad ehaced preparatio of the studets were desirable: Maagig ad clarifyig expectatios before placemet is crucial to success. Movig to a workig eviromet ca be stressful for the studet. While employers ca help with their itegratio, through iductio, I do feel that educatio providers could assist them better with preparatory workshops before they leave the educatio istitute. I would recommed makig sure that all studets are well prepared ad that placemet is plaed i the appropriate year of the course. May of the employers poited to the eed for more egagemet with the higher educatio provider before, durig, ad after the placemet. The compay should have greater ivolvemet with the istitute staff. I was usure about the details of the course that the studets were o. It would be great to have a presetatio about the course i advace of the placemet. It is importat to develop a collaborative approach betwee orgaisatios ad higher educatio providers to build o ad to provide studets with relevat ad meaigful work experieces that are aliged with their career goals ad the orgaisatio s requiremets. I some cases, the employer is provided with details of the preparatio process that the studet has udergoe, with a clear statemet of the learig outcomes of the placemet, ad with details of the reportig ad assessmet required. This esures that the employer is fully iformed ad i a better positio to cotribute to the overall learig experiece. Commuicatio betwee all Parties I order to improve the overall placemet experiece, employers reported that they ad the studets eed a clear poit of cotact i the academic istitutio alog with improved reportig mechaisms. Other employers suggested that it would be useful for them to receive copies of the studets reports ad feedback, to build a better iformed picture of the learig ad assessmet. Developig a cotract or agreemet is helpful. Regular commuicatio betwee the college represetative ad a metor i the busiess is also importat to oversee ad support the studet. Active cotact betwee providers ad employers is required. Active iteractio betwee the employer ad the HEI at the begiig of the academic year is eeded. It is icreasigly difficult to get supervisio for placemet studets, so it would be a good idea to discuss how we ca resolve issues of supervisio, shared costs, traiig etc. Our placemets are goig well with our local third-level college, but, maybe we should have more commuicatio from tripartite meetigs, if possible. We would welcome a chace to give a guest lecture o our orgaisatio. We would welcome more collaboratio where feasible ad more traiig of supervisors. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 36 37

22 Summary Employers ad employer represetatives are clearly aware of the value of placemet i the academic curriculum. A summary of the beefits they recogise ad the cocers raised are preseted i the followig graphic: Tourism Social Studies Aalytical Chemistry A recruitmet mechaism Duratio of placemet Mechaical Egieerig Govermet Studies Agreed Beefits A opportuity to develop ad grow egagemet with the HEI A cotributio to the developmet of work-ready graduates Cosistet placemet structures Preparatio ad clarity of expectatio for all stakeholders Commuicatio ad clear cotact mechaisms with HEI Cocers Raised Electroic Egieerig Biomedical Egieerig Studet Iformatio Capture Software Developmet & Computer Networkig Computer Sciece Figure 4: Summary of employers views o work placemet 2.3 Studets Views o Work Placemet Civil Egieerig Busiess Maagemet Iformatio Techology Busiess Iformatio Systems Studet Participats i the Research Workig group members coducted ie focus group iterviews i their respective colleges with studets who had retured from placemet. I total, sevety-three studets participated i the focus groups. Studets from eight of the focus groups were i their fourth year of study, ad studets from the ith focus group were i their third year. Their disciplies raged across Social Care, Busiess Iformatio Systems, Software Developmet ad Computer Networkig, Aalytical Chemistry, Computer Sciece, Govermet, Maagemet, ad Civil, Biomedical, Electroic ad Mechaical Egieerig. The duratio of the work placemets varied i legth from three to six moths. The majority of studets were paid while o placemet. Research was also coducted i the DIT with 117 studets i order to explore their perceptios of the Irish tourism idustry, based o their placemet experiece (Keedy Burke et al., 2010). Focus Group Iterview Guide Members of the workig group developed a focus group iterview guide to systematically gather wide-ragig iformatio, from a broad rage of studets, o differet aspects of work placemets. The focus group iterview guide icluded topics which the focus group facilitator was free to explore, to probe deeper, ad to ask broader questios i relatio to the topic uder ivestigatio. The most fudametal use of the focus group iterview guide was to provide a basic checklist durig the iterviews, so that differet groups ad facilitators might address all relevat aspects of the placemet. The guide also helped the focus group facilitators to carefully decide o how best to use the limited time available i the iterview situatio, as well as makig the iterviewig of differet people more systematic ad comprehesive. Studet issues which emerged from the ie focus groups ca be summarised as follows: Figure 5: Disciplies icluded i the studet focus groups ad research Beefits of placemet Placemet provisio iflueced choice of college course; Likely to have greater relevace tha a college-based research project; Good fit with third-level course; Good preparatio for future career; Networkig opportuities. Difficulties associated with placemet Accommodatio; Trasport; Paymet; Support from HEI. Suggestios for improvemet Preparatio for placemet; More cotact with academic supervisor; Assessmet of placemet. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 38 39

23 Geeral Impressios of Work Placemet At the opeig stage of the focus groups all studets were ivited to give a brief overview of their broad impressios of their work placemets. This questio elicited a geeral sese of their overall experieces as studets o placemet. The majority of studets gave very positive impressios of work placemets: Placemet was oe of the thigs that attracted me to the course. There were other similar courses i college that dealt with the geeral subject area but the fact that placemet was offered with this course was somethig that actually wo me over to it. I thik it s somethig that defiitely every course should have as it gives you a realistic expectatio of what to expect whe you leave college. It gives you good cotacts as well. There s o way research or a project could substitute for the placemet experiece. No way ot eve ear it. I do t thik there should be ay course without placemet; it s a great opportuity for studets. It was ubelievable, I loved it! Educatioalists should ote that some studets chose courses because they offer placemet opportuities. Studets perceived that optig for a placemet ca be more beeficial to them both i their college course ad i future careers. They believed that the real world experieces they gaied while o placemet could be used to apply theoretical aspects of their course i their future examiatios. They further believed that the experiece they built up i the workplace should make the trasitio from college to work easier for them. Studets also suggested that havig job experiece o their CVs would be looked o more favourably by future employers i compariso to havig completed oly a college-based project. The studets believed i the importace of buildig up persoal cotacts ad that word-of-mouth cotacts through etworkig would be very useful whe applyig for jobs: You have more etworkig opportuities, as well as meetig people ad gettig to kow them, so that dow the lie whe you re lookig for a job you ve people to go back to ad sed them your CV. The majority of studets welcomed the opportuity for additioal resposibilities while i the workplace, ad i some istaces studets approached their supervisors ad asked for further resposibilities: I was t expectig to be give so much resposibility ad there was a lot of pressure ivolved. I thought I d go i ad be give paper work ad filig but I was actually give a proper job. You do t expect to be treated as a worker; you expect to be treated as a studet ad ot give resposibility. You lear a lot more about the idustry especially if you re workig i a bigger compay. You also lear about the day-to-day operatios ad how to work o a team. It was a really worthwhile experiece because you got to use the skills you leared o the course ad you got to apply those o placemet. That was really rewardig, it was great. The whole experiece matched my expectatios for placemet. As illustrated from the represetative quotatios above, the majority of studets believed that work placemets are really beeficial, ad suggested that there s o way research or a project could substitute for the placemet experiece. May studets emphasised the importace of gaiig practical experiece ad cited istaces of people i the workplace who suggested that placemet really marks out a differece o your CV. From the sevety-three studets who participated i the focus groups, oly four studets had egative perceptios of their placemets, as illustrated by the followig quotatios: I did t really fid it very challegig. I did t fid it iterestig at all. While I ejoyed the fact that my placemet was t really related to my course, I felt that I was somewhat missig out o the experiece of practisig thigs relevat to my course. I was doig somethig that I did t eed a degree to do. They have hired people straight from Leavig Cert to do the job I was doig. So, I felt my positio was slightly wasted, but, I still got experiece of teamwork ad projects. It was just geeral everyday admiistratio work. You would t eed a degree to do my job, so it was t really course related. The above commets might suggest that the mai dissatisfactio stemmed from studets ot beig challeged eough durig their placemets. Studets were asked to specify what they liked about their placemets. There was a large cosesus amog studets o the positive aspects of placemets: Placemet is great for your CV. You were able to see what we ve leared ad how to apply that to the real world. There was a relaxed atmosphere, easy goig, ad it was a break from college. A lot of us did research as part of our work placemet, but it was a more iterestig applicatio of research rather tha just writig up a paper. We had a lot of the skills developed, ad it allowed us to icrease our research skills. It was also hady to ear a bit of moey. To be able to get out there, it s a good feelig, eve if oe is usure of oeself. Havig to go to meetigs was good experiece. I thik gettig the opportuity to do that as a studet o placemet rather tha goig ito your first job ad havig to uderstad what is goig o at a meetig is good. It is just somethig that takes the fear out of it if you have already experieced it. You ca get cotacts ad ideas from the compay for your fourth year project. It gave us a bit of idepedece whe we were i placemets outside of our ow area. We had to sort out accommodatio ad travel ad thigs like that. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 40 41

24 I also leared differet skills that we were t taught i college. The mai thig was that you got a isight ito what it was like to work i the idustry. We work o projects i college every week, but it was ice to see how these thigs work i idustry. As illustrated i the above quotatios, studets believe that their work placemets provided may advatages, both for immediate beefits to them i their college courses ad for log-term beefits for future careers. A large umber of studets related apprehesios about startig i the workplace ad beig usure of oeself, but as the placemet progressed they grew i cofidece. They also recogised that it was importat to be take out of their comfort zoe ad suggested that the maistream three or four years i college would ot have provided the same level of cofidece buildig. Studets were the asked to illustrate aspects of their placemets which they disliked. For the majority of the studets the issues raised cetred o logistics such as travel, fidig accommodatio, or adjustig to foreig cultures rather tha o the work experiece itself: Not a lot of people realise that if you re goig abroad o placemet, ad especially if you re goig o your ow, it is t easy. I wet over to Brussels ad i a way I foud I was cast adrift. There are a lot of practical thigs like differet customs, culture, housig, fiaces, the law, policig. I thik there should be a bit more forewarig of what to expect, a bit more lookig at practical livig i a foreig coutry. These would be the oly egative thigs I had. Coversely, o the positive side, I do t thik ay of us really foud aythig egative with the actual placemet itself. We all came out with a positive view. Placemet is brilliat but for most people who wet to Ediburgh lookig for accommodatio was just a disaster, it was so hard to fid. They wated to tie us ito a six-moth cotract, if ot, they wated to tie us ito a four-moth cotract, ad they wated all the moey up frot ad that was 2,000 each. So, it was really, really difficult. Just somethig really small, the coucil tax i Scotlad is 1,300 for the year ad you have to pay that as soo as you get a apartmet. Whe we ed the college lookig for a letter givig proof that we were studets to exempt us from that tax it took weeks to get that letter. The lack of help with accommodatio made thigs really difficult for us. For studets goig abroad there should be more emphasis o givig help whe they arrive. Studets arrive at a foreig airport ad there is obody there to meet them. There should be somebody from the compay to meet you. I tried to ope a bak accout ad I eeded a letter from college to prove I was o placemet because I had such a short-term lease. It took ages to get it. I thik I was without a bak accout for more tha half my placemet ad it was awful. kid of accommodatio you ca get. So, I would have liked to have foud out the paymet. I kew we were gettig paid but I did t kow how much. It would have made life a lot easier to have had this iformatio sooer. The quotatios illustrate that there is scope for improvemet from the higher educatio providers ad employers i relatio to providig assistace with accommodatio ad providig iformatio o paymets beig o offer. I particular, studets who moved abroad for placemets emphasised the eed for further assistace from thirdlevel providers i easig their trasitio. Overall, it is clear that studets perceived their work placemets to be very advatageous for developig ew skills, for etworkig, cofidece buildig, ad gaiig idustry experiece. They also suggested that their work experiece was a very good fit with their college courses. Work placemets also provided the studets with opportuities for iformal ad experietial learig. Studets highlighted may beefits from itegratig this type of learig with the formal theoretical class-based learig which they brought to their workplaces from third-level courses. May studets cofirmed the importace of their overall persoal developmet alog with their professioal developmet. Preparatio for Work Placemet Studets were asked to share their views o what support they received to prepare them for their work placemets. While studets from all colleges received guidace o CV preparatio, may studets were critical of the maer i which this aspect of support was maaged: The CVs all had to be doe i the same format. I thought that was t great. The college had this solid format that you could t chage aroud. The CVs wet out to the compaies, all lookig the same. I thought if we were allowed to persoalise them a bit more ourselves it would be better. The careers people helped us by lookig over our CVs. There was some mock iterview preparatio but ot eough. There should be more of a lead-i preparatio time. We had a class oce a week o CV writig, professioal etiquette, etc. Oe or two thigs were helpful. We had a oe-to-oe CV cliic which was really useful. I foud the classes we got before we wet o placemet poitless because I kow for a fact I did t take aythig from those classes ad directly apply it to my work placemet I terms of the weakesses i the preparatio aspect of placemet, lack of commuicatio was a huge thig. I had to move away from my home tow, I did t mid movig, but the tow I moved to was a bit dead i compariso to my home tow. I wet to placemet i Dubli ad I thik it would have bee good to have foud out how much we were gettig paid closer to the time before we started our placemet. How much you get paid affects what Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 42 43

25 From these represetative resposes it is clear that studets would beefit from greater preparatory support for their placemets. They suggested that they would have bee more work ready if they received guidace from the careers services of their istitutios. The majority of studets suggested that the oly help they received was i CV preparatio. As may studets articulated a lack of adequate preparatio for placemets, focus group participats were the prompted to suggest how preparatio might be improved: I feel that we eeded more preparatio for presetatios because i my job I had to do a lot of presetatios o my ow. I future, I thik they should icorporate presetatios more ito the degree. We should act as ambassadors for the ext lot of studets to help put them more at ease before they go o placemet. There should be much more help give for fidig accommodatio. I would have liked a mock iterview. We had teamwork traiig for oe class, but we probably could have doe with more of that. I thik we should have had aother module for more practical idustry-related traiig. There should be a day at the start of the year where they explai the expeses to you ad give you a decet idea of what it should cost. Schedules should be provided for visits ad report deadlies. Towards the ed of the placemet we were supposed to had i reports, mothly reports ad a fial report. Noe of us kew whe the deadlie was or what type of report was eeded or who to had it up to. So, we got cofused. Thakfully, our lecturer solved it i the ed after we called him ad told him we did ot kow what was goig o. I that sese it would have bee better if the college was a bit more attetive. It felt like they had forgotte about us. Cotact details could be provided for the college placemet supervisor or a support service umber. We were t provided with ay details. May studets spoke of the icreased workload placed o third-level istitutio staff members whe orgaisig placemets, ad cited istaces of placemets beig sourced o a ad hoc basis depedig o the cotacts that idividual lecturers had built up over the years. Studets suggested that, ideally, there should be a desigated thirdlevel staff member who would pla, orgaise, ad moitor studet placemets. Studets also believed they would beefit from better preparatio based o developig softer skills, i particular, iterpersoal commuicatios i the work place. Studets cited examples of beig usure of how to commuicate with their immediate supervisors ad seior maagemet ad they believed they would have bee more cofidet ad work ready if they had bee better prepared before they etered the workplace. They further suggested that ivitig huma resource maagers from employer orgaisatios ad ivitig former work placemet studets to preset workshops o what they might expect would be valuable learig for them. Placemet Experiece Studets were ivited to share their isights based o their placemet experieces, ad to highlight their likes ad dislikes of their time spet i the workplace. The fidigs from the focus groups idicated that the work experiece for each idividual studet was quite varied, eve for studets withi the same course: The work we did was very varied; everyoe was doig differet thigs o their placemet. The majority of studets suggested that their placemets were very positive experieces, ad i may cases exceeded their expectatios: Withi the first day I was give access to most thigs ad I was very surprised I got that. I thought they would give me othig beig a studet. I felt placemet was goig to be a big challege, but, it was better tha what I expected. I was ervous goig there thikig it could be a disaster ad would I be able to do the work, but, I leared a lot from it. It was a whole lot less dautig tha I thought it was goig to be. Everyoe was very helpful ad very friedly. As there were oly two people i my office, my boss said o the first day that he could t afford to have me doig meial stuff. They were so uderfuded they had to get stuff doe. I was give three days traiig ad the was told you re oe of us ow so you have to get everythig doe. It was brilliat. I would t chage aythig about it. You ll have your good ad bad days i the place where you work. There will always be a aspect of the job that you will be uhappy with, eve if it is the ideal job. Fidig what you do t like is just as importat as fidig what you like. The above quotatios Illustrate how studets welcomed the additioal resposibilities they were give ad may of them idicated that they were surprised to be treated like a employee rather tha a studet. May of the focus group participats etered the workplace with rather low expectatios of their tasks ad perceived that they may be give made-up jobs or eve feel they might be i the way. The majority of studets, istead, reported that they were surprised at how seriously they were take i the workplace, ad bega to fit i ad feel part of the team almost immediately. The majority of studets also reported very positive iteractios with their workplace supervisors, ad foud their supervisors to be approachable, supportive ad they appreciated their friedliess ad hoesty. Studets were the asked to highlight specific aspects of their placemets which appealed to them: I foud it to be a good experiece i commuicatios. My boss was very good at listeig; he listeed to everyoe s opiio. If there was a disagreemet with people, they would always get together ad sort it out. Costatly workig with my supervisor was very ice. We had weekly meetigs ad costat cotact. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 44 45

26 I liked learig ew skills, like people skills. I leared about dealig with grumpy customers. Sometimes whe customers freaked out o the phoe for o apparet reaso, my boss taught me how to deal with them, oe-by-oe, ad to be patiet ad ot to worry. So, my listeig skills were built up. It gives you cofidece. My first week ivolved phoig people ad fidig out where they worked to fix their problem ad I was feelig really embarrassed woderig what I d say ad the after a few weeks you kow automatically how to speak with people o the phoe. It really helped my commuicatio skills. It s to do with the eviromet as well ad how you iteract with each other. I college you re ot goig to lear aythig about how to iteract with your boss or how the boss iteracts with his subordiates. I would t like to be sittig at a desk all day. It gave me a isight ito what I d like to do. I kow what I wat; I could t sit at a desk 24/7. I d have to be able to get up ad walk aroud. Sometimes I had to go ad give a presetatio to ew people comig i. I would ever have doe that before. For me beig able to talk i frot of a big group, or whe I look at the ew traiee comig i I feel well I was you at that stage, I feel I m after comig a log way because of my placemet. The above quotatios uderscore the importace of commuicatio skills which allowed the studets to become more cofidet i their roles. Studets also emphasised the importace of their relatioships with supervisors, ad the majority of studets welcomed the opportuity to work i teams. The studets also suggested that placemet gave them a opportuity to evaluate their skill levels ad abilities ad, importatly for them, to recogise i time that they may ot be iterested i workig i the same employmet over the log term. Studets were the ivited to share the aspects of placemet which they particularly disliked: Applyig for placemet was very stressful. Oe compay might come i ad the whole class, out of paic, would apply for it. I did t like their attitudes at the begiig, sayig She s oly a studet; she does t really kow what s goig o. I did t like them questioig my abilities ad beig referred to as the studet. I do have a ame. I my ow team, however, they treated me just as a equal. A small miority of studets believed that they were ot asked to do proper tasks ad suggested that compaies were ivetig chores for them: They should have a schedule prepared for me where they had thigs that they kew they wated me for. There was t a schedule. It was just like daily chores ad we ll thik of somethig. They were thikig of stuff to give me. I thought they were ivetig thigs for me to do. They always had me i mid for the worst jobs, but, they told me that from the start. Whe your maager does t get back to you whe you have fiished the job you do feel you re doig the job just for the sake of it. Some studets had strog opiios o assessmet methods used for evaluatig their placemets, ad suggested that the assessmet aspect eeds to be overhauled. Studets were also critical of keepig workplace diaries ad havig to write a essay o their overall experieces: You ca be kig iter i the office, but if you do t had i that stupid essay you ca fail placemet, which is ridiculous. Surely betwee you, ad your supervisor, ad the academic staff you should be able to come together at the ed ad say was this a success or a failure? You should t have to write a bible about it. It s work for work s sake. I thik the assessmet process eeds to be a lot more practical rather tha about your feeligs. There was a lack of flexibility. At the ed of placemet we had to do all our paperwork istead of ejoyig the culture ad coutry we were i. It could be our oly time i America, our oly time to travel aroud. There is far too much paperwork ivolved i the assessmet of the placemet. May studets were critical of the overall assessmet of work placemet, especially as the placemet was usually graded o a pass or fail basis: I d like more idicatio tha just a pass or fail grade, as you wat to kow if you did better. Eve a A, B, or C gradig. There s o way you ca improve if you just get a pass or fail grade. We got feedback but oe of us really kows exactly how we did. Basically, if you filled i your learig log ad you got it siged ad if everythig was adequate the that was a pass grade. The above quotatios illustrate that there are opportuities for HEIs to re-evaluate the assessmet of placemets. Studets were quite vocal i their oppositio to completig diaries, ad very may studets reported they did ot thik there was ay merit i keepig such diaries. They believed the majority of studets did ot keep a weekly diary, but just filled it all i at the ed, ad they questioed the learig to be gaied from this type of exercise. Studets highlighted fiacial costs as a weakess i the placemets system, especially for studets who are ot o paid placemets: It is a big fiacial burde because you ca t get a part-time job because of it. I had to tur dow a really well paid summer job. Some of our classmates who were i Bosto had to get weeked jobs caddyig to try to fud their placemets. They were livig very much from day to day. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 46 47

27 I got help from home but the expeses were a big load for me ad my family. There was a total eglect of the fiacial aspect of placemet the attitude was: you ll just have to get a loa. I d thik I d cry if I added up the amout of moey I spet o petrol goig to work last summer. Ufortuately, I was gettig paid less tha the miimum wage so that was a bit aoyig. Also, it took more tha a moth to get our first pay cheque, so that made thigs a bit more difficult. As metioed earlier, the majority of studets had paid placemets, but the rates of pay varied sigificatly. Some studets believed they were uprepared for additioal fiacial expeses such as movig out of home, travel expeses, ad, i particular, movig abroad. Studets recommeded that the fiacial aspect should be highlighted i the early stages of preparig for placemets. All studets i three of the focus groups disliked the lack of cotact with their college durig their six-moth placemet: No college supervisor visited us while o work experiece. My college supervisor called o the Friday after I left. It would be more professioal if the visit happeed while we were there, otherwise it feels the college just left you. I was talkig to my maager ad he said, It s a bit weird that you have t heard aythig. Whe we did get to speak with our course co-ordiator, he asked, Why are you paickig? But, we had bee i the dark for so log it felt like the college did t care about us. What academic supervisors? I ever heard from mie. Does oe phoe call cout? Aother group of studets were also critical of the lack of support from their college: There was a delay i commuicatios with everythig from the college; so you ed up o your last week paickig whe you are supposed to do to other stuff. It was erve-wreckig to be hoest. The above quotatios idicate that studets expect third-level placemet providers to proactively commuicate with them durig placemets. A umber of studets suggested that employers might perceive third-level colleges as somewhat uprofessioal because of the lack of cotact throughout the placemet period. Overall, the majority of studets were pleased with their work experieces. I geeral, they believed that the experiece they gaied was appropriate ad had a appropriate fit with their respective courses. They also recogised the beefits of the placemets for their future careers. Improvig the Work Experiece Fially, studets were asked for their suggestios o improvig work experiece from the studet, employer, ad academic supervisor perspective. May studets suggested that it would be beeficial if they had access to previous studets who had work placemets i the orgaisatios they were proposig to apply to: Some past studets experieces would be appropriate to most of us as we did t kow the potetial scope of a particular role, ad how a idividual s experiece ca be relevat across a umber of roles. It would have bee useful to have those with experiece i various roles to come to our class ad describe them for 15 miutes ad give examples of the work they were doig. I am willig to go ad talk to those who would be goig o placemet ext year to brief them. We should also have bee give a dress code. I was terrified the first week. I came i wearig really formal clothes; I did t kow what to wear. They said to me that I could wear a hoodie the ext day if I wat ad I was embarrassed. It would be great to be iformed of the dress code. I thik it is good to show up i the first week dressed formally, but I was crawlig i uder desks pluggig i thigs with heatig o ad I was uder someoe s desk i a shirt ad tie. I would have liked more iformatio from past studets. Focus group participats voluteered to make themselves available to talk to curret studets o what to expect o placemet. They added that this activity would be free of charge ad easy to implemet from the HEIs perspective. Studets also suggested that the assessmet methods ad allocatio of credits for work placemet should be improved: It should defiitely be worth a lot more tha te credits, cosiderig the fact we sped at least 14 weeks there. It s stressful eough; some of us have to pla accommodatio, fid moey, ad stuff like that ad gettig oly te credits seems like a slap i the face. We sped so much time o placemet ad the get oly oe-sixth of our year s marks for it. I thik keepig a diary was poitless. It should be scrapped completely. How ca you be judged by what you do every day? I propose a mothly rather tha a weekly diary. Studets make up that diary which makes it stupid. It is very childish. I thik it was worth 40% of the fial mark. The geeral academic workload associated with it is huge ad they expect it all at the ed. If the review process could have bee costat, for example, if you did a mothly or bimothly report ad you re give those deadlies i advace that would be better. I ca say from persoal experiece that I left everythig to the ed ad that is the begiig of fourth year so it all just crashes together. Whe we fiished our placemets we spet two weeks writig essays. We all left it to the last miute we re studets but I kow whoever receives those 25,000 words is ot goig to read them; o Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 48 49

28 oe wats to kow how may pages I photocopied. There has to be a radical overhaul of that eve just oe iterview at the ed, with a 1,000-word summary. For us we felt the employer should have a more sigificat role i the assessmet of the placemet. The whole placemet idea is all about a practical applicatio of your skills ad that s what should be graded. While studets geerally were very positive about their experieces i their work places, they believed that the workplace experiece for future studets could be greatly ehaced through quite mior adjustmets to supervisio which would ot etail additioal costs. Studets also recommeded improvig the placemet experiece from the employer perspective: The employer could have writte guidelies o what to do for both the supervisor ad myself. A copy of this could be trasferred from year to year. The college should appoit ad otify studets of a poit of cotact or a mai cotact perso while o placemet. There should be better commuicatio betwee the college ad the compay. The compay was ot aware of what was goig o. Because of a lack of commuicatio it made the college look uprofessioal. Guidace should be provided o the completio of the fial report, for example, how much or how little detail is eeded. The appropriate legth of the report ad details of the cofidetiality agreemet should be made kow to studets who are restricted whe providig data. Summary I geeral studets foud the placemet to be a very positive experiece. The beefits they idetified ad the mai cocers raised are summarised i the followig graphic: Employers could have bee give a iformatio pack. This would iclude the aims of placemet ad what the studet is supposed to achieve o placemet. The CEO asked me what I wated to do o placemet ad what I wated to get out of the placemet. Studets sometimes do t kow what they wat ad do t kow what to expect. There is a eed for a placemet pack for each orgaisatio. I wet to the compay with o job specificatio for the job I got. Where it said job specificatio, it said oe would be available i a moth after the job was advertised, but eve after three moths there was still o specificatio ad o real liks from their website. Goig ito a job ad ot kowig the specific part of what you re goig ito ad what you might be asked to do leaves you with a blak face. So, i future it would be good to have a job specificatio with liks to the compay so studets ca do their ow backgroud research before they get there. May studets were quite vocal whe recommedig improvemets to the placemet experiece from the academic supervisor perspective: The supervisor visited the orgaisatio but did ot meet the studet. It would have bee useful if the supervisor had a meetig with the workplace supervisor ad the studet. Agreed Beefits Uique learig experiece Career ehacemet ad etworkig Real exposure to a workplace role ad opportuity to develop idepedece ad cofidece Cocers Raised Preparatio process ad clarity of job specificatio Costs icurred ad lack of clarity o accommodatio The lack of cotact with the academic istitutio ad the lack of timely feedback or formative assessmet Whe the academic supervisor came to the workplace he spoke more about football tha about the work experiece. Figure 6: Summary of studets views o work placemet I was t talkig much to our college supervisor whe he came to meet me. He spet oly about te miutes i the meetig room with my supervisor, ad my supervisor had told me beforehad, You are doig grad, so it was kid of poitless. The college should set up a alliace with compaies whereby you are guarateed placemets. We were t guarateed aythig. There should be a broader rage of optios for places to go o placemet. We should ot be limited to Irelad; the college should aim for iteratioal placemets. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 50 51

29 2.4 Issues Emergig from the Research O issues relatig to the placemet experiece, resposes from the HEIs employers, ad studets showed may similarities. First, all stakeholders agree that placemets which are of loger duratio are more beeficial to both the employer ad the studet. Secod, the geeric skills which employers idetified as valuable to their orgaisatios coicided with the requiremets of studets for ehacig their future employability. Third, all respodets edorsed the importace of ope three-way commuicatio, ad the importace of clarity of expectatios for all parties. Fourth, employer ad studet participats believed that more i-depth placemet preparatio ad more cotact from the HEI durig the placemet would be beeficial. Fifth, employers ad studets agreed that placemets offer may opportuities for puttig classroom learig ito practice, ad afford may opportuities for iformal learig i the workplace. While it was clear that studets, educators, ad employers all valued the cotributio of work placemet withi the learig curriculum at third-level, there was widespread agreemet, however, that placemet does ot always attai its full potetial for a variety of reasos. I examiig the themes, which have emerged from the empirical research coducted for this report, a umber of difficulties i the provisio of successful work placemets emerged. The mai cocers were idetified as: Growig demad for placemet despite a lack of placemet availability; Lack of clear academic value for placemet, icludig a lack of cofidece i the learig ad assessmet methodologies; Academic programme desig ad timetablig ca limit the duratio of placemet; Commitmet, resources, ad clear commuicatios chaels o all sides of the partership are required; Too few placemets have writte agreemets agreemets that should help clarify expectatios ad roles i the process ad i may cases there is isufficiet or icosistet preparatio for placemet; Growig umbers of upaid placemets cause difficulties for studets where the placemet ofte represets a cost i terms of travel ad accommodatio, alog with the loss of potetial part-time work earigs; Opportuities for istitutioal learig are lost where approaches to placemet are ucoordiated or where cotacts are cofied to idividuals without the beefits of broader etworkig or where a wider istitutioal approach ad defied operatioal framework are abset; Lack of icetives for employers to egage with HEIs, especially i recessio. Some of these are explored i greater detail below. Demad for Work Experiece The most pervasive barrier is also the simplest to idetify ad uderstad: there are ot eough work experiece placemets available to meet the growig demad from studets. This has a umber of effects. For employers, it meas icreased resource cost to respod to the large umber of requests received. For educatio istitutios, it meas that fidig work experiece for studets ca ofte be time-cosumig, difficult, ad ot always successful. Programme Desig A umber of issues arise whe desigig placemet ito a academic programme. The time allocated to placemet is ofte see as displacig other traditioal learig opportuities i the curriculum. Most placemets occur i the third year of a four-year programme ad the duratio is geerally limited by the semesterised system which sees a 12 to 14 week block as the most coveiet timeframe. While it is widely accepted that the placemet experiece offers a valuable learig opportuity, this is ofte ot reflected i the credit allocated to placemet withi the course desig. While all of the programmes which were cosidered i-depth for this report had clearly defied learig outcomes for the placemet, the variatio i academic credit applied to placemet learig was strikig. O some courses, a 14-week placemet attracted 10 credits, i other cases 30 credits. Shorter placemets of 6-8 weeks varied betwee 4 ad 10 credits depedig o the programme. These variatios were evidet withi istitutios as well as across differet istitutios. I may cases, the assessmet process does ot offer grades for the placemet learig. This ofte reflects cocers about the autheticity ad validity of the assessmet methodologies ad lack of cofidece i the placemet as well as cocer about variability i the quality of the experiece. Resources ad Orgaisatio Orgaisig successful work placemets requires cosiderable resources from both the HEIs ad employers. It eeds time, moey, expertise ad commitmet, ad ot all orgaisatios have access to all of these requiremets. This could act as a particular barrier to small ad medium-sized eterprises which comprise a sigificat umber of employers i may locatios. Some employers may perceive the time ad costs associated with providig work placemets as potetial barriers. The amout of time that is ecessary to supervise a studet, to set up ad moitor projects or the work that studets udertake may be cosidered too resource itesive. Additioally, the time ad effort it takes to make liks with HEIs ad subsequetly with potetial studets may also act as barriers, particularly for smaller employers. I the HEI, cosiderable resources are required to pla, egotiate, orgaise, ad moitor work placemets for studets. HEIs operate diverse arragemets for placemet, with varyig duratios, work expectatios, academic credits, learig outcomes, cotacts, ad assessmet methodologies. This lack of coordiatio creates difficulties i the workplace, ad a loss of orgaisatioal learig ad etworkig opportuity from the perspective HEI also. The difficulties i applyig academic ad admiistrative resources to the placemet process have bee exacerbated by growig full-time studet umbers ad reducig staff umbers i most HEIs. Upaid Placemets Cosultatios with HEI staff cofirm wide variatio i paymet expectatios across the differet educatioal disciplies. I some areas, such as social care, the placemet has geerally bee upaid. I other disciplies, such as computig ad egieerig, the placemet has usually bee paid. I more recet times may employers across all disciplies are offerig upaid placemets. While a upaid work placemet is i lie with the cocept that the placemet is predomiatly a learig activity, this results i additioal difficulties for studets. Studets report that upaid placemets represet a sigificat fiacial burde. Ofte the studet has additioal accommodatio ad trasport costs durig the placemet period ad, recogisig that may studets fud their learig through part-time work ad holiday work, the work placemet ca also dey them sigificat opportuities for earig moey. Some HEIs have reported situatios where this has bee addressed by limitig the upaid placemet commitmet by the studet to a total of 24 hours per week. Placemet as Part of Partership Developmet A recet IBEC report (2010) idicated that employers expect HEIs to build employability criteria ito their various curricula. The report also stated that 38% of their respodets to a employer survey ow have iformal or ad hoc college placemet procedures. Geerally, these iteractios for placemets are ot systematically structured as part of the broader partership cotiuum. All of the HEI project parters i the REAP project agreed that placemet is a ideal opportuity for etry-level partership. Structures eed to be developed, however, to coordiate the relatioship maagemet ad to idetify opportuities for iteractios across discipliary or Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 52 53

30 3 Coclusios academic uit boudaries. It is also importat to provide the employer with a clearer ad more coheret picture of the opportuities preseted by the HEI as a learig ad research parter. This is particularly importat for the smaller employers who fid it more difficult to egage ad for whom the costs ca ofte seem to outweigh the beefits. Fially, HEIs, employers, ad studets all agree that the may beefits provided by placemets are a wi-wi situatio for all. The REAP project cofirms that placemet provisio is ofte the first stage of exteral egagemet betwee third-level istitutios ad employers. The REAP project evisages that this iitial egagemet through placemet activity will ecourage third-level istitutios ad employers to become strategic parters, as idetified i the partership cotiuum i Sectio 1. Third-level educatio plays a sigificat role i fosterig the trasfer of employability skills to studets. Icreasigly, this is achieved through developig a tripartite lik betwee studets, employers, ad HEIs providers. Graduates are ow expected to be able to perform efficietly o the job almost as soo as they take up employmet, utilisig the may skills gaied while i third-level educatio. A recet IBEC Educatio ad Skills Survey (2010) otes that employers ow expect HEIs to embed geeric or employability skills more fully ito their curricula. The same survey idicates that, while employers geerally have little difficulty recruitig suitable graduates, they are ot always satisfied with the ability of graduates to work autoomously. As graduates are ow lookig for jobs at a time of higher uemploymet ad reduced graduate recruitmet, graduates eed to work harder to covice prospective employers that they ca be readily productive i the workforce. Work placemet is ow a key elemet i third-level educatio, helpig studets to prepare more successfully for employmet ad it improves the currecy ad relevace of third-level educatio curricula. For employers, work placemet provides a ideal resource for optimum selectio ad recruitmet of employees. A umber of recet sectoral reports published by Forfás, such as Future Skills Needs of Eterprise withi the Gree Ecoomy i Irelad (2010), Future Skills Requiremets of the Biopharma-Pharmachem Sector (2010), Future Skills Needs of the Wholesale ad Retail Sector (2010), ad Future Skills Requiremets of the Food ad Beverage Sector (2009) all suggest that well-structured placemet programmes ehace graduate employability ad beefit both the studet ad the employer. The REAP project research emphasises that, i additio to work placemet providig a valuable learig opportuity, placemet should be recogised as part of a wider partership egagemet betwee HEIs ad employers. The REAP project uderscores the importace of the tripartite ature of the work placemet partership, ivolvig the studet, the third-level istitutio, ad the employer. The facilitatio of a ope three-way commuicatio i the desig, orgaisatio, ad moitorig of the activity is required i order to esure successful completio of a work placemet. Placemet is a importat compoet of third-level programmes ad is oe of the most vital experieces o which graduates base their career aspiratios. There is a ous, therefore, o HEIs ad employers to esure that the placemet experiece is as rewardig as possible for studets. Placemet provides opportuities for HEI s ad employers to work together to produce graduates with appropriate kowledge, skills, ad competece to meet existig ad emergig busiess eeds. It is importat to ecourage employig orgaisatios of all sizes ad from all sectors to become ivolved i the employability ageda, ot least because this should provide them with a better graduate recruitmet pool. Work placemets also provide opportuities for studets to develop soft skills, such as commuicatio, teamwork, ad multi-taskig skills, which are essetial i learig ad work situatios as well as part of geeral life skills for employees. Employers ted to have more positive views of graduates who have udertake work placemets durig their udergraduate course. These graduates are geerally perceived to have acquired more employability skills for success at work. Buildig ad sustaiig loger-term ad closer relatioships betwee HEIs ad employers is, therefore, a itegral part of successful placemets. Developig ad, more importatly, maitaiig successful educatio idustry parterships requires cotiuous egagemet. The IBEC Survey o Educatio ad Skills (2010) cautios, however, that where iteractios do occur betwee employers ad HEIs they ted to be i larger orgaisatios employig more tha 250 employees ad rarely i SMEs. 54 Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 55

31 Research by Nixo et al. (2006) suggests that over 70% of learig comes from experieces, either plaed or uplaed, thus emphasisig the eed to lear from real work. The legitimacy of the workplace as a source of learig is icreasigly recogised by HEIs. Developig higher level skills is o loger restricted to learig gaied withi the maistream higher educatio eviromet. The demad for higher level skills i the kowledge ecoomy should motivate educators ad employers to work together to esure graduates are work ready for a uptur i the ecoomy. Graduates will eed to be multi-skilled for employers to compete i icreasigly global cotexts i order to meet challeges posed by rapidly-developig coutries such as Chia ad Idia. For studets, a course which provides work placemet provides them with opportuities to gai isights ito a idustry or other type of work, ad also allows them to observe how theory gaied o their course traslates to practice. Studets supplemet their learig with practical experiece through iformal ad o-formal learig as well as buildig up geeric trasferrable skills. Thus, work placemet plays a importat role i helpig studets to groud their theoretical studies by aligig them with their work placemet experiece. Persoal developmet is also a importat elemet of the placemet experiece, as studets articulated a sese of icreased cofidece i their commuicatio, time maagemet, ad team-workig skills. As classroom challeges are ot subject to the same time urgecy that is a itegral part of work life, placemets help to prepare studets for this importat career elemet. Geeral experiece gaied i the workplace is difficult to replicate effectively outside the workplace, therefore, work placemets add sigificatly to the value of third-level qualificatios. Higher educatio courses that iclude work placemets cotribute i a cosiderable way to ehacig studet skills, thus givig competitive advatage to the Irish workforce. HEI Pla ad clearly defie resposibilities Stadardise duratio ad structure Ehace etworkig ad egagemet Dedicate resources Develop employer & studet placemet packs Desig structured alteratives to placemet Studet Participate i preparatory workshops Maage & clarify expectatios before placemet Take resposibility for achievig learig outcomes Egage i reflective learig activities Improved employability skills - leadig to job-ready graduates Employer Assist HEI i developig placemet cotract/agreemet Develop job specificatio Support work place learig Ehace etworkig ad collaboratio with HEI More Commuicatio The research coducted by the REAP project team, preseted i this report, highlights the value of placemet from the perspective of all stakeholders. This report also raised some challeges relatig to the desig, orgaisatio, ad moitorig of placemet learig experieces. Through cosideratio of the fidigs, the project team developed a set of guidelies for good practice. These guidelies, preseted i Appedix A, provide a framework for good practice i work placemet. The roles of the studet, the employer, ad the HEI are cosidered before, durig, ad after work placemet. The guidelies are iteded to be geeralisable across all sectors ad disciplies. Ehaced relevace of third-level programmes Closer egagemet betwee HEI & employer Figure 7: Stakeholders resposibilities for improvig the placemet process To further spread the learig gathered from the may cotributios to the REAP project, a reusable structure was devised to support the placemet experiece. This is made available through a outlie Employer Placemet Pack ad a Studet Placemet Pack. All of the cotributios from the various stakeholders poited to the eed for better preparatio, clarity of expectatios, improved commuicatios, ad three-way cotact mechaisms. The placemet packs should help to address these issues as they provide a customisable blueprit which HEIs ca use to support placemet. These are icluded as Appedix B ad Appedix C. Aother effective tool to facilitate learig acquisitio ad evidecig through the placemet process is described i Appedix D. Studet Diary Pro was piloted through the REAP project as a mechaism to allow studets o placemet to reflect o their learig experieces ad to iterpret these experieces as a series of plaed competeces ad to upload appropriate evidece. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 56 57

32 Refereces I coclusio, it is evidet that the may beefits of studet work placemet, preseted i this report, are far more sigificat tha the difficulties which have bee outlied. Work placemets provide may opportuities for HEIs ad employers to work more closely together to provide graduates with higher level ad employability skills which are eeded i the Irish ecoomy. Studets choice i pursuig a particular course is iflueced by the provisio of work placemet. The emphasis o the smart ecoomy requires that third-level educatio will cotiually iteract with ad respod to the eeds of idustry, ad i so doig will cotiue to be iformed by workplace requiremets i order to produce graduates who are optimally employmet ready. Esurig that graduates from third-level istitutios successfully trasfer ito the workforce is cetral to Irelad regaiig its competitive edge. Albrecht, S.W. ad Sack, R.J Accoutig Educatio: Chartig the Course through a Perilous Future, Accoutig Educatio, 16 (moograph). Alsop, A., ad Rya, S Makig the most of fieldwork educatio: A practical approach. Chelteham: Staley Thores. Aylig, D Fosterig Moral Courage: What Do Busiess Studets Lear About Professioal Ethics i Cooperative Educatio Placemets? Baird, D Work: Gettig the Most from Work Experiece, New Law Joural, 155: Badura, A Social Learig Theory. New York: Geeral Learig Press. Billett, S Realisig the Educatioal Worth of Itegratig Work Experieces i Higher Educatio, Studies i Higher Educatio, 34 (7): Billet, S., Oves, C., Clemas, A., ad Seddo, T Iterdepedecies at work: Costitutig reflectio, performace dialogue ad reward. Paper preseted at Researchig Work ad Learig Coferece, Sydey, Australia, December. Blackwell, A., Bowes, L., Harvey, L., Hesketh, A. ad Kight, P. T Trasformig Work Experiece i Higher Educatio. British Educatioal Research Joural, 26 (3): Boud, D., ad Middleto, H Learig From Others at Work: Commuities of Practice ad Iformal Learig, Joural of Workplace Learig, 15 (5): Boud, D.J., ad Solomo, N Work-based learig: a ew higher educatio? Buckigham: Ope Uiversity Press. Bowde, J Competecy-based educatio: Neither a paacea or a pariah. Paper preseted at TEND97, Abu Dhabi (April). Bowes, L. ad Harvey, L The Impact of Sadwich Educatio o the Activities of Graduates Six Moths Postgraduatio. Lodo: Natioal Cetre for Work Experiece ad the Cetre for Research ito Quality. Brea, L Itegratig Work-based Learig ito Higher Educatio A Guide to Good Practice. Bolto: Uiversity Vocatioal Awards Coucil. Buckley, J., ad El Amoud, L Udergraduate Work Placemet Programmes i Irelad: Issues ad Solutios, Paper preseted at 13th Irish Academy of Maagemet Coferece, Cork Istitute of Techology, 1-3 September. Carbery, R., ad Garava, T Orgaisatioal Restructurig ad Dowsizig: Issues Related to Learig, Traiig ad Employability of Survivors, Joural of Europea Idustrial Traiig, 29 (6): Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 58 59

33 Chappell, C., Hawke, G., Rhodes, C., ad Solomo, N High Level Review of Traiig Packages Phase 1 Report, - A Aalysis of the Curret ad Future Cotext i which Traiig Packages will eed to Operate. Sydey: Australia Natioal Traiig Authority. Cheetham, G., ad Chivers, G How Professioals Lear i Practice: What the Empirical Research Foud, Joural of Europea Idustrial Traiig, 25; (5): Clarke, L., ad Wich, C Appreticeship ad Applied Theoretical Kowledge, Educatioal Philosophy ad Theory, 36(5): Coffield, F The Necessity of Iformal Learig. Bristol: The Policy Press. Colli, K., ad Valleala, U.M Iteractio amog employees: How does learig take place i the social commuities of workplace ad how might such learig be supervised, Joural of Educatio ad Work, 18 (4): Cofederatio of British Idustry Future Fit: Preparig graduates for the world of work. Lodo: Cofederatio of British Idustry. Coco, M Iterships: a try before you buy arragemet. Advaced Maagemet Joural 65(2): 47. Crow, C Cooperative Educatio i the New Milleium, Cooperative Educatio Experiece, Columbia, MD: Cooperative Educatio Associatio, pp Daloz Parks, S Big Questios, Worthy Dreams. Sa Fracisco, CA: Jossey- Bass. Dearig, R Higher Educatio i the Learig Society. Lodo. HMSO. Departmet for Educatio ad Skills Providig Work Placemets for Disabled Studets: A good practice guide for further ad higher educatio istitutios Nottigham: DfES. Dewey, J Democracy ad Educatio. New York: The Free Press. Eraut, M. 2007a. Early Career Learig at Work ad its Implicatios for Uiversities. I Etwistle N ad Tomliso, P (eds.). Studet Learig ad Uiversity teachig. British Joural of Educatioal Psychology, Moograph Series II o.4 ( ). Eraut, M. 2007b. Learig from Other People i the Workplace, Oxford Review of Educatio, 33 (4): Eraut, M Trasfer of kowledge Betwee Educatio ad Workplace settigs. I Raibird, H., Fuller, A., ad Muro, A. (Eds) Workplace Learig i Cotext. Lodo: Routledge, pp Eraut, M., Maillardet, F., Miller, C., Steadma, S., Ali, A., Blackma, C., ad Furer, What is Leared i the Workplace ad How? Typologies ad Results from a Cross-Professioal Logitudial Study. Paper preseted at EARLI Biaual Coferece, Nicosia. Expert Group o Future Skills Needs Future Skills Needs of Eterprise withi the Gree Ecoomy i Irelad. Dubli: Forfás. Expert Group o Future Skills Needs Future Skills Requiremets of the Biopharma-Pharmachem Sector. Dubli: Forfás. Expert Group o Future Skills Needs Future Skills Needs of the Wholesale ad Retail Sector. Dubli: Forfás. Expert Group o Future Skills Needs Future Skills Requiremets of the Food ad Beverage Sector. Dubli: Forfás. Fathore, C Work Placemets A Survival Guide for Studets. Lodo: Palgrave. Macmilla. Fik, L. D Active Learig (available at guidebk/teachtip/active.htm). Garava, T.N., Hoga, C., ad Cahir-O Doell, A Makig Traiig ad Developmet Work: A Best Practice Guide. Cork: Oaktree Press. Gillies, A. ad Howard, J Maagig Chage i Process ad People, TQM ad Busiess Excellece, 14 (7): Gomez, S. Lush, D. ad Clemets, M Work Placemets Ehace the Academic Performace of Biosciece Udergraduates, Joural of Vocatioal Educatio ad Traiig, 56(3): Harvey, L., Moo, S., Geall, V., ad Bower, R Graduates Work: Orgaisatioal Chage ad Studets Attributes. Birmigham: Cetre for Research ito Quality (CRQ) ad Associatio of Graduate Recruiters (AGR). Harvey, L., Geall, V., ad Moo, S Work Experiece: Expadig Opportuities for Udergraduates. Birmigham: Cetre for Research ito Quality, Uiversity of Cetral Eglad. Havard, M., Hughes, M., ad Clarke, J The Itroductio ad Evaluatio of Key Skills i Udergraduate Courses, Joural of Further ad Higher Educatio, 22(1): Heikkila, K Tyossa Opimie Yksilo Lahtokohtie Ja Oppimisymparistoje Valisea Vuorovaikutuksea. Tampere: Tampere Uiversity Press. Herbert, I. ad Rothwell, A Maagig Your Placemet: A Skills Based Approach. Lodo: Palgrave. Irish Busiess ad Employers Cofederatio (IBEC) Educatio ad Skills Survey. Dubli: Irish Busiess ad Employers Cofederatio. Hillage, J., ad Pollard, E Employability: Developig a Framework for Policy Aalysis. Lodo: Departmet for Educatio ad Employmet. Illeris, K What Do We Actually Mea by Experietial Learig?, Huma Resource Developmet Review 6: (84). Illeris, K A Model for Learig i Workig Life, Joural of Workplace Learig, 16 (8): Illeris, K The Three Dimesios of Learig, 2d ed. Leicester: Roskilde Uiversity Press. Jackso, N Work Placemets ad Placemet Learig: Views of work placemet tutors ad colleagues ivolved i placemet maagemet. Surrey: Surrey Cetre for Excellece i Professioal Traiig ad Educatio. James, P Discourse ad Practices of Competece-based Traiig Iteratioal Joural of Life Log Learig, 21 (4): Johso, S., ad Burde, T Youg People, Employability ad the Iductio Process. York: Joseph Rowtree Foudatio. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 60 61

34 Keatig, S Learig i the Workplace: A Literature Review, Melboure: Victoria Uiversity. Keedy Burke, E., Griffi, K., Bourke, S., ad Flaaga, S The Dubli Istitute of Techology Placemet Experiece Partership (DIT-PEP) Framework. Dubli: Dubli Istitute of Techology. Kolb, D. A Experietial Learig: Experiece as the source of learig ad developmet. Eglewood Cliff, NJ: Pretice Hall. Krause, K., Hartley, R., James, R., ad McIis, C The First Year Experiece i Australia Uiversities: Fidigs from a Decade of Natioal Studies.. Caberra: Australia Departmet of Educatio, Sciece ad Traiig. Leadbeater, C Livig o Thi Air: The New ecoomy. Lodo: Pegui. Levy, M., Oates, T., Hut, M., ad Dobso, F A Guide to WBL Terms: Defiitios ad Commetary o Terms for WBL i Vocatioal Educatio ad Traiig. Stirlig: Uiversity of Stirlig, Educatioal Policy ad Developmet. Little, B Employability ad Work-based Learig. York: The Higher Educatio Academy. Little, B., ad Harvey, L Learig Through Work Placemets ad Beyod. A report for the Higher Educatio Careers Services Uit ad the Higher Educatio Academy s Work Placemets Orgaisatio Forum. Madilaras, A Idustrial Placemet ad Degree Performace: Evidece from a British Higher Istitutio, Iteratioal Review of Ecoomics Educatio, 3 (1): Moreau, M., ad Leathwood, C Graduates Employmet ad the Discourse of Employability: A Critical Aalysis, Joural of Educatio ad Work, 19 (4): Morse, S.M Assessig the Value: Work-based Learig Placemets for Postgraduate Huma Resource Developmet Studets? Joural of Europea Idustrial Traiig, 30 (9): Neill, N. ad Mulhollad, G Studet Placemet Structure, Skills ad e-support, Educatio ad Traiig, 45 (2): OECD Review of Higher Educatio i Irelad. Paris: OECD. Pickles, T. A Relatig Curriculum Cotet to Idustrial Placemet Experiece, Washigto DC: WACE Coferece Proceedigs. Reddy, P., ad Moores, E Measurig the beefits of a psychology placemet year, Assessmet ad Evaluatio i Higher Educatio, 31 (5): Regehr, C., Regehr, G., Leeso, J., ad Fusco, L Settig Priorities for Learig i the Field Practicum: A Comparative Study of Studets ad Field Istructors, Joural of Social Work Educatio, 38(1): Scho D. A Educatig the Reflective Practitioer: Towards a New Desig for Teachig ad Learig i the Professios. Sa Fracisco: Jossey Bass. Seagraves, L., Osbore, M., Neal, P., Dockerell, R., Hartshor, C., ad Boyd, A Learig i Smaller Compaies Fial Report. Stirlig: Educatioal Policy ad Developmet Uiversity of Stirlig. Stewart, J., ad Kowles, V Graduate Recruitmet ad Selectio: Implicatios for HE, Graduates ad Small Busiess Recruiters, Career Developmet Iteratioal, 5 (2): Symes, C., ad McItyre, J. (eds.) Workig Kowledge: The New Vocatioalism ad Higher Educatio. Philadelphia: Society for Research ito Higher Educatio ad Ope Uiversity. Tikkamaki, K Tyo Ja Orgaisaatio Muutoksissa Oppimie. Tampere: Tampere Uiversity Press. Tucker, L.M Idustry Facilitates Work-Based Learig Opportuities, Paper preseted at New Zealad Associatio for Cooperative Educatio, Aual Coferece, Queestow, April. Walmsley, A., Thomas, R., ad Jameso, S Surprise ad sese makig: udergraduate placemet experieces i SMEs, Educatio ad Traiig, 18 (5): Yorke, M., ad Kight, P Self-Theories: Some Implicatios for Teachig ad Learig i Higher Educatio, Studies i Higher Educatio, 29 (1): Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 62 63

35 Appedix A: Placemet Practice Guide The followig guidelies were developed to eable HEIs, employers, ad studets to achieve good practice i plaig, orgaisig ad maagig learig i a workplace settig. The guidelies recogise that placemet learig, i cooperatio with eterprises ad employers, ca form a sigificat part of a studet s learig experiece. The motivatio for the iclusio of placemet i third-level programmes was strogly supported by all of the research udertake. The developmet of these guidelies has bee iformed by the views ad experieces of employers, HEI staff ad studets. These guidelies are iteded to form a framework to facilitate ehaced learig opportuities ad improved collaboratio ad commuicatio betwee all stakeholders i the placemet process. Work placemet is a three-way learig arragemet ad it is importat that all parties ivolved are aware of their resposibilities before, durig ad after the placemet period. The most sigificat themes emergig from the research cetred o the eed for: Careful preparatio for the placemet process for all three stakeholders; Clear commuicatio chaels betwee the three parties; Ehaced feedback processes to esure cotiuous improvemet; Optimisatio of the egagemet opportuities resultig from the placemet experiece. These themes are addressed i the guidelies developed below. While the mai resposibility for the plaig ad structurig of the placemet process will rest with the HEI, the resposibilities of all three parties before durig ad after the placemet are summarised. It is iteded that these will act as a useful guide or checklist for all parties. These guidelies ad recommedatios formed the backdrop for the Placemet Packs which were developed to further facilitate good practice. 1.0 Guidelies for Higher Educatio Istitutios 1.1 Pre-placemet The learig outcomes of the work placemet should be clearly stated ad should itegrate coheretly with the overall programme. Whe developig the learig outcomes for the placemet, assessmet methodologies should be carefully cosidered. If the employer or workplace metor is to have a role i the assessmet, procedures should be i place to esure that metors are adequately iformed ad prepared. The HEI will eed to decide if marks or grades will be awarded to the studet i assessig the learig gaied. The arragemets for iteral ad exteral examiatio, icludig the role of the exteral examier(s) must be stipulated. The umber of credits ad the level of study of the placemet period should be cosistet with the duratio ad learer effort ivolved. Serious cosideratio eeds to be give to the learig status of the placemet withi the programme, whether madatory or elective. Alteratives to placemet should be cosidered ad plaed for, as well as criteria for exemptio from the placemet learig experiece for studets who may have previously gaied the learig outcomes. The HEI, as the awardig body, retais ultimate resposibility for esurig that the iteded learig outcomes are appropriate i terms of academic stadards ad for esurig that the work placemet provides adequate opportuities for the learig outcomes. Procedures for securig work placemets ad the criteria for the approval of placemets, icludig cosequeces for studets who fail to secure or to complete a suitable placemet must be specified. HEIs eed to optimise their studets opportuity for workplace learig by compilig ad maitaiig approved employer listigs, i cojuctio with local or atioal employers ad employer orgaisatios, ad to support studets i their ow searches for opportuities where appropriate. Health ad safety issues ad isurace arragemets should be cosidered whe assessig suitable employmet locatios. Where a studet is required to or opts to fid their ow placemet provider, they should be give appropriate guidace ad the placemet provider should be approved by the academic placemet coordiator. Arragemets should be put i place to deal with circumstaces where the placemet caot be cotiued. The resposible perso i the HEI should esure that all studets are well prepared for the placemet process, icludig providig: Clarity o the placemet learig outcomes ad how these relate to the aims ad learig outcomes for the programme; Iformatio o the required evidece of satisfactorily meetig learig outcomes; Assessmet details ad criteria; Details of how placemet opportuities will be made available to studets; Mechaisms for studets to apply for specific placemet opportuities; Guidace o preparatio of CV ad iterview techiques; Clarity o special obligatios which may apply i relatio to legal, ethical, or cofidetiality issues; Guidelies o geeral health ad safety i the workplace; Guidelies o relevat isurace arragemets; Agreemets for maitaiig regular cotact with studets throughout the period of the placemet ad procedures for reportig ay difficulties that may arise; Details of plaed visits or other commuicatio mechaisms; Necessary paperwork from the HEI statig that the studet is o work placemet appropriate for bakig purposes ad ladlords. The HEI should also esure that the employer is suitably prepared for the placemet by providig them with: Details of the learig outcomes ad assessmet methodologies applicable to the placemet; Cotact arragemets for the duratio of the placemet; A iput to the developmet of suitable iductio processes for the studet; Guide ad support for the workplace metor who will have resposibility for the studet for the duratio of the placemet. 1.2 Durig Placemet Durig placemet the studet remais a registered studet of the HEI ad it should provide adequate support for the studet. Cosideratio should be give to the facilitatio of regular reportig of ad reflectio o the learig gaied i the cotext of the stated learig outcomes. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 64 65

36 While it is usually iteded that the studet should develop autoomous learig skills i the course of the placemet, arragemets are likely to iclude some formative assessmet i order to esure satisfactory progress. The HEI should esure that the studet ad the employer share a clear poit of cotact i the istitutio. Regular ad plaed commuicatio betwee all parties should esure that ay difficulties are addressed ad corrected i a timely maer. Telephoe calls, visits, ad placemet assessmet activities should be plaed for ad built ito the placemet structure i a clear ad trasparet way. Strategies to deal with o-attaimet of learig outcomes or with usatisfactory opportuities for learig should be provided for. Academic or placemet staff should comply with ay regulatios for completio of visit reports or of placemet reports ad should be prepared to cotribute to the post-placemet assessmet process. The mai resposibilities for the HEI durig placemet iclude: Maitaiig the three-way cotact mechaisms with appropriate commuicatio throughout the duratio of the placemet; O-goig assessmet of the learig outcomes; Timely feedback ad formative assessmet o the attaimet ad evidece of the required learig. 1.3 Post-placemet Whe the studets retur to the HEI they should be provided with opportuities to reflect o the learig gaied ad to report o their experieces. This ca be built ito the preparatio phase for other studets. Ideally, the studets should be able to itegrate aspects of their workplace learig ito later phases of their studies, for example through project work. O coclusio of the placemet process the HEI should complete the relevat summative assessmet process ad the awardig of the appropriate grades ad credit. Feedback from the employer o the studet s attaimet of learig outcomes, attedace, timekeepig, aptitude, ability to use iitiative, team work ad commuicatio skills should be formally sought. I additio, employer feedback o the placemet process should be actively sought ad used to iform the process. Every opportuity should be take for the HEIs to lear from the studet experiece ad to esure that the placemet experiece is part of a cotiuum of ivolvemet with the employer. Possibilities for udergraduate project developmets ofte arise seamlessly from studet placemet experieces. I summary, followig the placemet process the HEI should: Complete the assessmet of the studet s placemet icludig the employer assessmet elemets; Seek ad act o feedback from the employer ad from the studet o the placemet process as part of a cotiuous cycle of improvemet; Explore other potetial opportuities for egagemet with the employer. 2.0 Guidelies for Employers 2.1 Pre-placemet It is importat that employers are clear about their role i the placemet process ad about their motivatio for gettig ivolved ad that they have realistic expectatios of the cotributio that the studet will be able to make. Employers should be ecouraged to develop a specificatio for the job, icludig the type of positio ad a descriptio of the work ivolved, i order to assist studets whe makig their applicatios. Throughout the selectio phase of the process, employers should work closely with the HEI to esure that the placemet offers are made i a timely maer ad that arragemets are cofirmed as early as possible. The studet should receive a letter from the employer cofirmig their placemet. The letter should state the date of the placemet, startig time, locatio, perso to whom they report o the first day, ad salary, if ay. Employers should be aware of the desigated member of the HEI staff with resposibility for maagig the placemets. Familiarity with the expected learig outcomes for the placemet should help the employer to desig the placemet, i order to esure that the best opportuity will be provided for the studet to attai the required learig. I viewig themselves as parters ad facilitators of the learig experiece, the employer should also cosider what site-specific traiig/iductio will be eeded for the studet. Employers will eed to esure that they are fully aware of the differet procedural requiremets for the placemet, icludig the reportig ad maagemet requiremets. Employers should cosider the appoitmet of a metor to act as a poit of cotact for the HEI i plaig the placemet ad i the maagemet of the process. The preparatio ad support of the metor should be udertake i cojuctio with the HEI. Prior to the placemet the employer should: Prepare a appropriate job specificatio ad egage i the studet selectio process; Clarify the cotact details i the employer orgaisatio ad the HEI with resposibility for the studet placemet; Appoit ad prepare a metor to support the studet i the workplace. 2.2 Durig Placemet Placemet studets should be treated i the same maer as other staff, where feasible, icludig commuicatio, disciplie, ad staff evaluatio processes. To esure the studets are made aware of their obligatios to the employer, the employer should clearly advise studets of ay ethical or cofidetiality issues related to the orgaisatio. Iductio ad orietatio activities should raise awareess of health ad safety, security, ad other site-specific issues. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 66 67

37 The employer, work supervisor, or the appoited metor should esure that the studet is provided with all relevat learig opportuities ad should assist the studet i settig realistic learig goals. The appropriate employer represetative should be able to cotribute to the formal assessmet process if required ad to commet o issues such as attedace, time-keepig, iitiative, teamwork ad aptitude. Regular ad costructive feedback should be give to the studet i order to improve performace ad stimulate learig. Feedback ca be both formal ad iformal. Feedback should be sufficiet, specific, relevat, timely, ad iclude recommedatios for improvemet. Ay issues surroudig the placemet should be commuicated to the appoited HEI cotact i a timely maer. Durig placemet the employer should: Provide suitable iductio ad supervisio arragemets for the studet; Provide regular ad appropriate feedback to the studet ad the HEI. 2.3 Post-placemet The employer should provide the studet with a overview of their performace i the placemet process ad of areas they might improve i. The employer should also ivite suggestios from the studet o how the placemet opportuity might be improved. The employer should provide iput ito the assessmet process for the HEI, as well as providig feedback o the placemet process ad the studet performace. The employer should cosider how the HEI egagemet could be deepeed through research, udergraduate ad postgraduate project specificatio ad course developmet iteractios. Followig the placemet the employer should: Provide appropriate feedback o the studet performace as part of the assessmet process; Provide feedback ad suggestios for the improvemet of the placemet process; Cosider further egagemet opportuities with the HEI. 3.0 Guidelies for Studets 3.1 Pre-placemet Prior to the placemet, the studet should be clear o the learig that they are expected to achieve i the placemet process ad the reportig ad evidece requiremet appropriate for that learig. They should be aware of the assessmet strategy ad of the supports that may be available to assist i trackig, ad reflectig o, their learig. Studets should prepare for the placemet experiece by makig full use of the supports that the HEI provides. This is likely to iclude the developmet of a CV ad the completio of differet applicatio processes, icludig udergoig ay iterviews required by the employer ad meetig studets who have retured from placemets. Studets should comply with the HEI ad Employer agreemets for the acceptace of job offers, for example, i most cases, the HEIs require the studet to accept the first job offer that they receive ad to withdraw from other ogoig applicatios i order to maage the placemets of large umbers of studets. Studets should familiarise themselves with particular placemet orgaisatios, through web searches, compay literature, persoal cotacts, past studets, etc. Studets should be aware of ad comply with specific requiremets to take up the particular placemet icludig travel, visa, accommodatio, bak accouts, isurace ad tax etc. Prior to the placemet studets should: Familiarise themselves with the learig outcomes ad assessmet strategies relevat to the placemet process withi their programme; Egage with the applicatio ad preparatio processes withi the HEI; Prepare appropriately for the specific placemet. 3.2 Durig Placemet Studets are expected to coform to all the coditios ad rules that apply to employees i the appoited workplace. Studets have a resposibility to meet the orms ad expectatios for professioal coduct i the particular field of work that they are udertakig through the work placemet. It is helpful for studets if these orms, resposibilities, ad expectatios are clearly stated ad uderstood at the outset of the work placemet. Studets should esure that they are fully iformed of their resposibilities icludig the eed for cofidetiality, itellectual property rights, ad data protectio. Studets should also be aware of their rights to be treated i accordace with applicable legislatio ad withi a safe workig eviromet. Studets should take every opportuity to exploit the learig potetial of their situatio. It is likely that durig the work placemet, studets will take o the resposibility for maagig their ow learig ad professioal relatioships, ad for trackig ad recordig their ow progress ad achievemets. To help i the process of maagig their ow learig, studets may cosider persoal developmet plaig ad learig logs, which may have already bee started uder guidace i the third-level istitutio. May employers see the placemet as a recruitmet experiece so studets should esure that, through their behaviour ad professioalism, they maximise their ow career opportuities ad also the potetial for repeat placemet opportuities for future cohorts of studets. Studets should maitai appropriate cotact with the HEI icludig feedback o progress to both the HEI ad employer. While i the workplace, studets should make sure to comply with all of their course requiremets icludig ay assessmet activities, learig logs ad compilatio of evidece of learig. Studets should use the placemet experiece as a opportuity to develop a etwork of professioal cotacts withi their particular disciplie ad explore opportuities for further research or project egagemet. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 68 69

38 Appedix B: Studet Placemet Pack / Checklist Durig the placemet studets should: Coduct themselves professioally at all times; Take resposibility for the maagemet of their ow learig; Seek opportuities to develop a etwork of professioal cotacts. 3.3 Post-placemet O completio of the work placemet studets should egage i the work placemet assessmet processes icludig the completio of reportig ad the submissio of feedback to both HEI ad employer. Followig the period of work placemet, studets should take the opportuity to reflect o the learig gaied ad edeavour to itegrate aspects of this learig ito their programme of study. Studets should share lessos from their placemet experieces with peers ad with studets i the earlier years of third-level educatio, to help other studets appreciate the value ad variety of work placemets. Cotets Tripartite Learig Agreemet comprisig: Placemet Learig Outcomes ad Assessmet Strategy Cotact Details ad Sig off Job Specificatio Workplace Iductio Checklist Workplace Learig Joural Guide Evaluatio of Placemet Process - Studet Perspective Studets should cotribute feedback to the employer ad to the HEI, o both the placemet experiece ad the maagemet ad orgaisatio of the placemet, for the preparatio of placemets for future cohorts of studets. Followig the placemet studets should: Complete all require assessmet ad reportig stages; Share their experiece of the work placemet with other studets; Maitai cotact ad egagemet with the employer as appropriate. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 70 71

39 Placemet Learig Outcomes ad Assessmet Strategy To be completed by the studet ad HEI prior to placemet Academic Structure of Placemet Stage of Programme Madatory or Elective Number of academic credits Placemet Review Activities Type Participats Date/Dates Meetig at workplace Telephoe or Skype call to workplace Duratio of placemet (weeks) Miimum Meetig at HEI Optimum Normal commecemet date Learig Outcomes of Placemet O completio of this placemet the studet will be able to: Assessmet ad Reportig Requiremets Assessmet/Report Descriptio or Referece Marks Awarded Submissio Date Blog/Learig Diary Reflective Joural Iterim Report Fial Report Oral Presetatio Employer Evaluatio Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 72 73

40 Cotact Details ad Sig off To be completed prior to commecemet of placemet ad copy to be retaied by each of the three sigatories. Employer Details Orgaisatio ame Academic Cotact Details Higher Educatio Istitutio Address Cotact ame Title Departmet Workplace Metor or Supervisor ame Departmet Title Address Address Phoe Phoe Alterate cotact ame Title Phoe Studet Details Higher Educatio Istitutio Sigatures Course title Stage Employer Represetative Date Departmet address Higher Educatio Istitutio Represetative Date Studet ame Studet No. Address while o placemet Studet Date Phoe Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 74 75

41 Outlie Job Specificatio To be provided by the employer i cooperatio with the HEI i advace of placemet Workplace Iductio Checklist To be completed by the studet i cooperatio with the employer at the begiig of placemet Outlie Job Specificatio Iductio Iformatio Job title Work locatio Descriptio of work to be udertake by studet Key skills ad aptitudes required Key resposibilities Mai learig opportuities Pay Item Completed To be completed Access ad security arragemets Cofidetiality, itellectual property ad o-disclosure policies Codes of coduct, housekeepig, dress codes Computer usage policies Workplace hazards ad safe workig practices Workig hours, refreshmet facilities ad holidays Arragemets for sick leave Payroll arragemets Orgaisatioal reportig structures ad procedures Hours ad Days of attedace weekly Lie Maager s title ad ame Phoe Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 76 77

42 Workplace Learig Joural To be completed by the studet with cooperatio of the workplace metor durig placemet Studet ame Orgaisatio ame Likig learig to learig outcomes: Learig evet What did you lear? Relevat learig outcome(s) Evidece Job title Start date Ed date Work locatio Reflectios o the learig evet: Week Task / Activity Skills required Supervisor Iitials Learig evet What did you lear? Relevat learig outcome(s) Evidece Reflectios o the learig evet: Note Reflectig o learig obtaied ad likig the learig to the required learig outcomes or competeces helps the learer to lik their experieces to the learig outcomes ad to idetify potetial gaps i the learig. This ca be very effectively itegrated ito a reflective joural or through a o-lie learig diary format. Studet Diary Pro is a example of a o-lie system which ca effectively support the plaig ad maagemet of work placemet learig. Further iformatio is provided i Appedix D. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 78 79

43 Evaluatio of Placemet Process Studet Perspective To be completed by the studet followig completio of placemet Studet Feedback Securig Work Placemet Please circle as appropriate 1 = Poor 2 = Fair 3 = Good 4 = Excellet Applicatio process Offer ad acceptace stages Commets regardig securig work placemet: Studet ame Orgaisatio ame Job title Work locatio Start date Ed date Preparatio for Work Placemet Please circle as appropriate 1 = Poor 2 = Fair 3 = Good 4 = Excellet CV ad Iterview preparatio Job specificatio Clarity of learig outcomes ad assessmet Schedule of review commuicatios Support service details (poit of cotact) Feedback from past studets Logistics (accommodatio, travel, bakig, permits etc) Commets regardig pre-placemet provisios/preparatios: Descriptio of work actually udertake Work Placemet Experiece Please circle as appropriate 1 = Poor 2 = Fair 3 = Good 4 = Excellet What prior skills ad aptitudes were ecessary? What additioal prior skills ad aptitudes were desirable? Did learig opportuities match learig outcomes? Iductio phase Work place supervisio Work schedule ad workplace eviromet Resposibilities ad scope of role Placemet support service Commuicatios with third-level istitutio Reportig ad assessmet activities Opportuities for reflective learig Logistical arragemets Relevace to career goals Paymet Commets regardig placemet experiece: This is ot a part of the assessmet process for your marks or grades for placemet. This evaluatio will help employers ad the HEIs to improve the placemet process ad will cotribute to the process for studets i subsequet years. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 80 81

44 Appedix C: Employer Placemet Pack / Checklist Cotets Tripartite Learig Agreemet comprisig: Job ad Applicat Specificatio To be provided by the employer i cooperatio with the HEI i advace of placemet Outlie Job Specificatio Job ad Applicat Specificatio Placemet Learig Outcomes ad Assessmet Strategy Cotact Details ad Sig off Workplace Iductio Checklist Employer s Studet Appraisal Form Evaluatio of Placemet Process Employer Perspective Job title Work locatio Descriptio of work to be udertake by studet Pay Key resposibilities Mai learig opportuities Hours ad days of attedace weekly Applicat Specificatio Key techical competeces Key geeric competeces Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 82 83

45 Placemet Learig Outcomes ad Assessmet Strategy To be completed by the studet ad the HEI prior to placemet Academic Structure of Placemet Stage of programme Madatory or elective Number of academic credits Placemet Review Activities Type Participats Date/Dates Meetig at workplace Telephoe or Skype call to workplace Duratio of placemet (Weeks) Miimum Meetig at HEI Optimum Normal commecemet date Learig Outcomes of Placemet O completio of this placemet the studet will be able to: Assessmet ad Reportig Requiremets Assessmet/Report Descriptio or Referece Marks Awarded Submissio Date Blog/Learig Diary Reflective Joural Iterim Report Fial Report Oral Presetatio Employer Evaluatio Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 84 85

46 Cotact Details ad Sig off To be completed prior to commecemet of placemet ad copy to be retaied by each of the three sigatories. Employer Details Orgaisatio ame Academic Cotact Details Higher Educatio Istitutio Address Cotact ame Title Departmet Workplace Metor or Supervisor ame Departmet Title Address Address Phoe Phoe Alterate cotact ame Title Phoe Studet Details Higher Educatio Istitutio Sigatures Course title Stage Employer Represetative Date Departmet address Higher Educatio Istitutio Represetative Date Studet ame Studet No. Address while o placemet Studet Date Phoe Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 86 87

47 Workplace Iductio Checklist To be completed by the studet i cooperatio with the employer at the begiig of placemet Employer s Studet Appraisal Form To be completed by the employer after placemet Iductio Iformatio Item Completed To be completed Access ad security arragemets Cofidetiality, itellectual property ad o-disclosure policies Codes of coduct, housekeepig, dress codes Computer usage policies Studet Appraisal Studet ame Orgaisatio ame Job title Work locatio Start Date Ed Date Workplace hazards ad safe workig practices Workig hours, refreshmet facilities ad holidays Arragemets for sick leave Payroll arragemets Orgaisatioal reportig structures ad procedures Did the studet: Never Sometimes Usually Always Complete tasks effectively ad efficietly Demostrate kowledge of their disciplie Demostrate a willigess to seek out kowledge ad acquire ew skills Lear from their mistakes Show appropriate iitiative Exhibit good plaig, timekeepig ad orgaisatioal skills Commuicate effectively with others Demostrate professioal coduct i the workplace Work well with others Excellet Good Fair Poor Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 88 89

48 Evaluatio of Placemet Process Employer Perspective To be completed by the employer after placemet Placemet Process Evaluatio Studet ame Orgaisatio ame Job title Start date Ed date Preparatio for Work Placemet Please circle as appropriate 1 = Poor 2 = Fair 3 = Good 4 = Excellet Job specificatio Defied aims ad learig outcomes Clarity o assessmet requiremets Clear cotact ad commuicatios Logistics (accommodatio, travel, bakig, permits etc) Commets regardig pre-placemet provisios/preparatios: Work locatio Selectio Process Please circle as appropriate 1 = Poor 2 = Fair 3 = Good 4 = Excellet Applicatio process Offer ad acceptace Commets regardig selectio process: Work Placemet Experiece Please circle as appropriate 1 = Poor 2 = Fair 3 = Good 4 = Excellet Iductio Fit with predetermied learig outcomes Work place supervisio Commuicatios with third-level istitutio Reportig ad assessmet activities Commets regardig placemet experiece: Siged Date Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 90 91

49 Appedix D: Note o Maagemet ad Assessmet of Placemet Learig I almost all of the istaces of placemet reviewed a form of portfolio, learig joural, log or diary is used as a basis for the self-assessmet of their learig by the studets ivolved i the placemet. I order for this to be effective the studet eeds to develop a reflective view of their learig ad to be able to iterpret their experieces i the cotext of defied learig outcomes. I some cases, the learig outcomes will be defied for all studets o the programme by the HEI ad i some cases, they are persoalised ad egotiated betwee the HEI, the employer ad the studet. Ofte they are stated as broad high level aspiratios but they may also be broke dow ito umerous specific competeces. Learig Process ad Self-Assessmet A cosideratio of the assessmet of the workplace learig begis with the learig process itself. The learig process will ofte follow the followig stages: By ecouragig the studet to compile their ow portfolio of learig complete with evidece ad by esurig that the studet is equipped with the skills to reflect o their ow learig the developmet of a autoomous learig style is facilitated. Portfolios have the beefit of allowig a diverse platform i which to compile the variety ad complexity of learig ad persoal developmet experieces that form the placemet learig. The learig process outlied requires the studet to make explicit coectios betwee the learig experieces ad the plaed learig outcomes ad to assume some resposibility for the attaimet of all of the agreed learig outcomes. The portfolio approach is sufficietly flexible to allow the situated ature of the experiece ad the variety of potetial learig eviromets to be accommodated. Assessmet of the learig experiece eeds to be both formative ad summative. The academic advisor eeds to be i a positio to advise ad support the studet i their iterpretatio of their learig ad to support them i seekig additioal learig experieces where appropriate. I additio, the academic advisor eeds to assess the overall evidece of the learig through the portfolio, iterview, presetatio, report or other meas i order to complete the learig experiece assessmet. Negotiatio of opportuities to improve learig with employer/ academic advisor Statemet of learig outcomes or objectives of the placemet Recogitio of workplace learig istaces, evets ad experieces These may be logged o a daily basis or as a respose to some idetified learig trigger Employer Role i the Assessmet Process There is much research to support the view that employers value both techical competecy ad soft skills. The REAP project research showed that employers rated ability to work i a team ad willigess to lear more highly tha techical competeces i the particular field whe asked their views o the skills that studets brig to placemet ad those that studets gai from placemet. However, there are differet views o the role, if ay, of the employer i the assessmet process. I some cases, the employer iput is sought iformally as a geeral idicatio of the studet s performace durig the placemet process ad the employer is ecouraged to raise ay issues with the studet ad with the academic supervisor as soo as possible. I other cases, a format for formal gradig of the studet performace by the employer has bee developed ad this becomes part of the overall assessmet of placemet. The employer is ofte asked to grade the studet based o the followig criteria, or similar, i additio to disciplie or site specific criteria appropriate to the particular job or role: Idetificatio of gaps i learig or missed learig opportuities Reflectio o learig i cotext of learig objectives Cosideratio of the learig istace i light of the learig outcomes or competecy statemets ad collatio of evidece of the learig for iclusio i the portfolio Workplace behaviour Timekeepig Appropriate dress ad attitude Teamwork skills Listes to ad respects cotributio of others i group settig Cotributes opiios ad ideas Compilatio of completed learig portfolio with evidece Iitiative Asks for assistace whe eeded Demostrates eergy ad persistece i completig tasks Positive attitude towards chage ad learig Commuicatio skills Demostrates listeig ad questioig ability Ability to clearly commuicate ad report o work objectives ad experieces I geeral, a assessmet process that icludes the employer s views formally ad ecourages autoomous learig through a reflective self-assessmet process by the studet provides optimum opportuities for learig ad egagemet. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 92 93

50 IT Supports for the Maagemet ad Assessmet of Placemet Learig O-lie learig jourals ca provide a effective meas of supportig ad maagig the attaimet of desired learig outcomes durig the work placemet period. They are particularly helpful for HEI staff maagig a geographically distributed group of placemet studets. Usig a o-lie system ca help to address may of the difficulties with recordig workplace learig reported by the studets ad will also effectively provide timely feedback ad formative assessmet. The essetial elemets of the system are: The defiitio of the required competeces that the studet will gai from the placemet experiece. These will be geerated from the agreed learig outcomes ad may be egotiated with the employer ad the studet as appropriate; Regular diary etries by the studet. I these etries the studet will describe ad reflect o learig gaied through the work ad will relate this learig to oe or more of the agreed competeces; The uploadig of evidece of attaimet of learig ad competeces by the studet. A variety of file types ca be etered ad attached to particular competeces; Regular review of the diary by the resposible HEI staff who acts as tutor for the learig. The tutor view allows a review of the regularity of the etries, the frequecy of the competeces claimed ad the evidece attached. I additio the tutor ca commet o the diary ad offer guidace to the studet. Studet Diary Pro Pilot Through the REAP project Studet Diary Pro was selected ad used with a pilot group of placemet studets. Studet Diary Pro is a MOODLE add o that provides a flexible ad effective system to moitor ad maage learer developmet. I essece, it is a reflective diary that ca be used for moitorig studet work placemet, project work or work based learig. Studet Diary Pro provides a mechaism to eable teachig istitutios to moitor learer progress agaist a defiable set of competeces. Learers record their progress i a reflective joural supported by submissios to a persoal eportfolio. This replaces curret maual processes i a secure olie eviromet, which provides up-to-date iformatio for learer ad teacher (metor/tutor/supervisor) alike. Studet Diary Pro allows studets to record the activities that they perform, to match these activities agaist appropriate agreed competeces. Studets are able to reflect o their learig, set persoal goals, claim competeces that they may have developed ad upload evidece to support their claim - a wide rage of file types is supported. The diary system is olie ad is a maaged ad iteractive system that eables the tutor to moitor, o a real-time basis, the progress of the studet. Studet etries are aalysed by a feature which geerates overview reports. These reports are the reviewed by tutors who ca advise studets o the balace of competeces beig claimed, ad direct future work or activity. Studets ca also view these reports. Durig the course of this research work, Studet Diary Pro was piloted by a group of 66 Social Case Studets at Istitute of Techology, Tallaght, Dubli. The studets were give a iductio sessio o the software prior to their placemet. Oe of the key beefits oted was the simple iteractive iterface that the system used. Studets reported that Studet Diary Pro helped them to reflect o what they were learig i the cotext of the desired learig outcomes ad competeces sought. Kowig that they were workig toward the pre-defied, agreed competeces improved their cofidece i the work that they were udertakig. I foud it very beeficial because whe you are workig you woder if you are really doig aythig that is relevat to study. But whe you go oto Diary Pro ad see all the competeces ad thik about what you are achievig, it puts it ito perspective for you. It is cofidece boostig as well because whe you actually write about what you did, you ca see how the placemet matches what you are supposed to be learig. I did t really realise how much I was doig util I reviewed my diary. It allowed me to thik about how what I m doig fits ito the policies ad procedures for my work I would t really have cosidered that beforehad. Because the learig diary was facilitated i this way, studets teded to make regular etries ad ot to leave the completio of the diary util the ed of the process. They kew that their etries would be reviewed regularly. Studets also felt that the opportuity to set goals ad moitor their ow competecy developmet was useful i helpig them orgaise their learig. The process of reflectio through the olie system was highlighted as beig very importat to their professioal developmet. The diary also helped studets to practice some of practical skills that they would eed i their professio. I was able to stad back ad reflect o what is actually goig o i the orgaisatio. I was able to questio some thigs withi myself ad my approach to the work. It s a good practice of recordig. For example, i residetial practice you must maitai fairly detailed reports ad Diary Pro gets you ito the practice of recodig what s happeig as it is happeig. Studet Diary Pro eabled studets to aalyse which competeces they have completed ad which were still outstadig. Oe of the embedded reportig formats allows studets to see the frequecy with which particularly competeces were claimed. This is a very useful format for idetifyig gaps i the learig which ca the be addressed. I the pilot study, studets egotiated with their workplace supervisor to get work tasks that would eable them to gai competeces that were outstadig ad thus took owership for directig their ow learig. I the Competece Overview Report, both the studet ad the academic advisor are provided with a overview of the competeces agaist which claims have bee made ad evidece of learig which has bee uploaded. Competecy claims are highlighted as well as evidece of learig. Academic advisors o the programme reported that the software gave them regular cotact with the studets ad eabled them to moitor the type of work that studets were doig from a distace. A commet facility esured that academic advisors could guide ad support studets ad advise them of the kid of tasks that they could complete to eable them to claim a particular outstadig competecy. Durig the pilot study the studets work i diary pro was ot graded. However, a gradig rubric has sice bee developed ad put ito use i the Istitute of Techology Tallaght. The software has bee adopted by a umber of differet disciplies ad the trials have exteded to a umber of differet HEIs. Work Placemet i Third-Level Programmes 94 95

51 Appedix E REAP Workig Group Membership: Represetative Kiera Doyle Dr Margaret Lieha Joh P Murphy Gerard O Doova Iree Sherida David Kirk Robert Murphy Jeifer VaAswege Dr Terry Maguire Michelle Bradley Niamh Corcora Dr Joa Buckley Lydsey El Amoud Joh O Coor Paula Power Orgaisatio Athloe Istitute of Techology Cork Istitute of Techology Cork Istitute of Techology Cork Istitute of Techology Cork Istitute of Techology Dubli Istitute of Techology Dubli Istitute of Techology Istitute of Techology, Sligo Istitute of Techology, Tallaght, Dubli (Chair) Natioal Uiversity of Irelad, Galway Natioal Uiversity of Irelad, Galway Uiversity College Cork Uiversity College Cork Waterford Istitute of Techology Waterford Istitute of Techology Project Admiistrators Vera Barrett Shirley Kigsto Cork Istitute of Techology Cork Istitute of Techology 96

52 REAP Project Strategic Iovatio Projects Uit, Cork Istitute of Techology, Bishopstow, Cork. T E [email protected] W ISBN