An Industrial placement module is an integral part of preparing students for a career in a relevant engineering sector. This module aims to provide students with experience of a structured professional engineering setting. Students will gain first-hand experience of the day-to-day operations of the industrial environment they are placed in. This will provide students with an opportunity to test and reflect on the link between the theory and practice they have acquired in their programme of study, and the application of these ideas in an industrial setting. Placements facilitate the development of skills required for professional practice and the ability to identify additional learning needs. It is a critical mechanism that provides students with an opportunity to consider their suitability for a career in Engineering.
Structure
A Placement and the organisation proposing it must be approved by the Institute before the student commences the placement work. A set of guidelines, titled Guidelines for Work Placement Organisations, will be made available to organisations that take students on placement. Typically the placement organisation would be expected to have a supervisor in place for students working in this context. The Institute, and specifically the department of Engineering, will have a member of academic staff available as an ‘Institute Placement supervisor’.
Students
Students are expected to become involved in a range of work activities carried out by the work placement organisation and get practical experience of aspects of the business. The placement also helps the student develop work methods and discipline and provides students with an opportunity to develop a range of personal skills and attributes, which will benefit them in their career. For students who may have already worked in the Engineering sector, placements will provide them with an opportunity to re-evaluate their practice with the benefit of theoretical knowledge gained on the course.Specifically this module aims to:• Provide students with the opportunity to participate, under supervision, in the operations of an engineering company or an industrial concern with an engineering focus under the supervision of a placement officer.• Provide students with the opportunity to participate, under supervision, in the day to day planning, design and development of engineering work in a real life work environment.• Provide students with the opportunity to apply best industry practice in a real production environment.• Give student the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge gained during this programme of study.• Give students the opportunity to refine their working skills by operating alongside professional engineers and practitioners.• Expose students to the high-technology Engineering sector as a whole, in particular, to the wide range of career opportunities available to them on completion of this programme.
Placement organisation
Placement organisations will be approved by the Institute before the student commences the placement work. The supervisor within the work placement organisation should meet the student at the start of placement and help orient the student to the work environment. The work placement supervisor should discuss the student’s learning and personal goals, clarify the roles and responsibilities of the student and ensure everyone’s expectations regarding the placement are clear. A set of guidelines, titled Guidelines for Work Placement Organisations, will be made available to organisations that take students on placement.
Supervision during placement
The student and work placement supervisor should schedule reasonably frequent meetings, typically monthly, so that the supervisor may complete appropriate supervision reports. The work placement supervisor should monitor the student’s performance on an ongoing basis and should keep the student informed of their progress, particularly if they are underperforming. The work placement supervisor should contact the Institute placement officer or appropriate academic staff member, as early as possible, if a student is underperforming or experiencing difficulties with their placement. Throughout the placement period, the Institute Placement Officer, or an appropriate academic staff member, will visit each student on placement and meet with the student and the work placement supervisor, individually. Typically, two visits will be required for each placement. More visits will take place if there is a specific problem with the placement. The Institute Placement Officer will complete a Placement Visit Report on each occasion. Evaluations from these reports form part of the marks awarded to the student. The Objectives of Placement Monitoring Visits are:• To facilitate the discussion of placement issues in a safe and constructive manner, identifying any issues or difficulties encountered in time to identify any remedial action to be taken• To discuss student work performance, to acknowledge progress and strengths and give constructive feedback to the student on their performance• For the student to air any possible concerns about the placement and the learning opportunities offered• To obtain feedback on the placement as a learning environment for the student, ensuring that they have sufficient opportunities to gain necessary experience and to establish their competence, to monitor the practice experience offered to them and its fit with their learning needs.• To give feedback on the relevance of the academic programmes of the Institute to the industry partner.• To establish and maintain an ongoing rapport between the Institute and the placement organisation.
This is a Work Placement module. Students are expected to become involved in a range of work activities carried out by the work placement organisation and get practical experience of aspects of the business. The placement also helps the student develop work methods and discipline and provides students with an opportunity to develop a range of personal skills and attributes, which will benefit them in their career. The placement organisation is expected to have a work placement supervisor for students working in this context. The university will also have a member of academic staff available as an ‘Placement supervisor’.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |