1 @DrLancaster slideshare.net/ ThomasLancaster ThomasLancaster.co. uk Sandwich Year Placements Within The Computing Discipline: Issues And Solutions Embracing Employability Through Placements In Higher Education Conference Thomas Lancaster Tuesday, 9 July 2013
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Sandwich Year Placements Within The Computing Industry: Issues And Solutions - Embracing Employability Through Placements In Higher Education Conference - University Of Huddersfield
This presentation discusses key findings from the "Improving Industrial Sandwich Year Placements" research project, which looked at how placements are delivered in the UK across the Computing industry.
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Senior Lecturer in Computing at Birmingham City UniversityProgramme Leader BSc Computer ScienceTeach Professional Skills (including Employability and Placement Skills)Visit and Assess Placement StudentsDevelop and Deliver HEA Workshops Related To Social Media and Employability
15 month project (January 2012 to March 2013) funded by a Higher Education Academy Teaching Development Grant“Improving Industrial Sandwich Year Placements For
Computing Students”
Supported by two Research AssociatesKawal Banga and Nzinga DeenahKawal conducted most of the primary research – and some of
the content of this session is reproduced from his slides
Why aren’t all Computing students undertaking a Sandwich Year Placement?How do placements within the Computing discipline compares with other subjects?What initiatives and best practice can we identify from Computing that will assist the rest of the sector?
Getting a viable and correct database of HEI contactsThe end results saw 116 HEIs identified
Gaining participation in the survey and for holding the focus groupsGetting HEIs to share their learning resources to make them available across the sectorThis challenge was not really overcome
1 – Lack of motivation or commitment to take a year out (23%)2 – Lack of communication and employability skills and not prepared to apply (21%)3 - Lack of confidence to apply and fear of rejection (21%)4 – Too time consuming to apply (20%)5 - Lack of suitable placements (20%)
Top Activities Undertaken By Students Returning From
Placements
1 – Presentations for prospective placement students (89%)2 – Peer mentoring to students going out on placement (14%)=3 – Peer mentoring to students who have recently started their placement (4%)=3 – Present about placements at Open Days (4%)
1 – Guest speakers from industry (90%)2 – Summer vacation working (75%)3 – Networking events with employers (70%)4 – Employer led projects (60%)=5 – Short-term work experience of 1 to 4 weeks (50%)=5 – Entrepreneurial activities, e.g. working for student led commercial companies (50%)
Note – This question was only asked to 20 HEIs not offering 12 month placements
5% of 617 students in 2011-12 (across the 10 focus group HEIs) were on unpaid placements4 out of 10 HEIs used credit bearing placements (the credits were substitutable for other modules)1 did not use a credit bearing placement, but did
provide successful students with a diploma in professional practice
General decline in students undertaking placementsHEI Placement services under threat from centralisationFor the HEIs managing to grow their placements, number of visits per student is decreasingNeed to look at alternatives, such as Skype ‘visits’, or
Placement opportunities are reducing due to companies outsourcing aspects of their servicesWhere companies are offering placements, an increasing number of them are using the placement as part of their graduate recruitment process
HEIs are looking for ways to support students undertaking entrepreneurial activity as their placement yearHEIs are considering allowing accumulated time to count as a placement yearThey are aiming to increase uptake of summer internships for work experienceHEIs are expanding placements to MSc degree students
HEIs are offering internal placement opportunitiesIncluding setting up Student Run Companies (Software
Houses, Consultancy) to provide work experience
HEIs are making more placement opportunities available overseas, for instance through ErasmusHEIs are providing placement opportunities to international students
Strategies for getting both students and employers motivated and interested in placementsAlternatives to placements and measuring their successCultural issues towards placement participationAssessment and accreditation of placementsSocial media use throughout the placement processActivities carried out by students returning from placements