Employers guide to student work placements

Lincoln Business School University of Lincoln

Contents
Page 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Introduction Professional Practice Year (PPY) - What do employers gain from employing business students? About the University of Lincoln and the Business School Courses studied by Business students Skills our students have to offer What students gain from work placements What is expected from an employer? The support provided by the Business School What makes a suitable placement? Employers who take our placement students Interested? What to do next

Introduction

We are delighted that you have taken, or are thinking of taking, one of our students on a placement year, known in the Business School as the Professional Practice Year, or PPY. This booklet is intended to give you information on what to expect from a placement, the requirements of the University of Lincoln on the placement student and placement organisation and details of the help and support available should it be needed.

Professional Practice Year (PPY)

What do employers gain from employing our students?

A low cost employee with no supplementary charges (e.g. pension contributions); the only cost being the students wage during the placement period. A low risk method of recruitment with no advertising or agency fees. The opportunity to assess the student as a potential permanent employee in the future. Savings in both time and money in training, due to the students ability to contribute immediately to both projects and team work, as well as administrative and junior management posts. A valuable human resource in these turbulent times perhaps for particular needs e.g. reorganisation of departments, research projects, fulfilling large orders, special campaigns, seasonal requirements, maternity leave and unforeseen staff shortages. The opportunity to invest now in the companys development for the long term. Your company or organisation will be recognised by students as an employer committed to the recruitment of business graduates. The benefit of being associated with a rapidly developing university. Your organisations involvement will be recorded and mentioned in both our own in-house publicity and in regular press releases. The opportunity to forge links with the research facility and business expertise that the Lincoln Business School have to offer. Our staff can give professional consultancy advice concerning any in-company projects that you may wish to undertake. A short term opportunity for employers to fill the skills gap in the job market with highly motivated staff. The chance to influence creatively the content of the Universitys education programme. Feedback from employers always plays a vital part in making our courses relevant to the business communitys needs. The added satisfaction of knowing that you are playing an important role in providing tomorrows managers with the experience that they need today. A well motivated employee who can combine theoretical knowledge and a fresh insight with enthusiasm. The chance to build closer links with the University with a view to developing further projects for example through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership Scheme. For more information see the national KTP site www.ktponline.org.uk.

About the University of Lincoln and the Business School

The University of Lincoln is a place of high ambition, an institution whose progress since it was created in 2001 has been rapid and solidly grounded. Seeing itself as a 21st century expression of the old university ideal where the student focus is paramount at the same time as fulfilling the modern tasks of knowledge creation and transfer for the economic, social and cultural benefit of our society. In December 2010 the Business and Law Schools moved into new premises on the eastern edge of the Universitys Brayford (Lincoln) campus. The Business School has strategic and operational responsibility for the Lincolnshire Leadership and Management Centre which is located in the same building. The key factors in the development of the Schools core business areas are the employability of its students and the establishment of long-term, strategic partnerships with
Private businesses. Public sector organisations. Not for profit organisations and charities. Professional bodies.

Courses studied by Business students

Skills our students have to offer

Our students are familiar with areas such as accounts, advertising, business, event management, finance, general management, human resource management, international business management, languages, marketing and tourism.

Our students are able to apply and develop a broad range of transferable skills and qualities. They are competent in dealing with both the people and the processes involved in business and their skills include:

People skills the effective communication of ideas, listening, persuasion, discretion, group roles and activities, team work, self-development and time management. Management skills managing a team, leadership skills, creative thinking, planning tasks to achieve specific results.

Business analysis skills the application of statistical techniques to company operations, problem solving and decision making, management of change. Business practice skills numerical skills, organisational ability, memo and report writing, professional telephone and email manner and keyboard skills. Marketing and advertising skills presentations, market research and analysis and consumer behaviour. Finance and accounting skills understanding accounting concepts, conventions and ratios, interpreting financial information, evaluating costs, use of IT, budget statements, reviewing published accounts. Language skills oral, reading and writing skills in certain specified languages, awareness of the cultural and business environment of the respective countries.

What students gain from placements

A period of work experience as part of a higher education course can make a significant difference to a students employability.
In this day and age the job market has become more and more competitive as many companies are looking for applicants who have already obtained a substantial amount of work experience. Internship - UK The placement should enable students to: Perform a job of work which is of practical benefit and value to the host employer. Relate the knowledge and skills acquired during their courts to the practical aspects of business in the real world. Gain practical work experience, including working as part of a team and in using their own initiative. Experience the operational constraints and any special practices which the job entails. Gain knowledge and experience of the nature of the work and the special characteristics of the host organisation. Gain insight into their own abilities, aptitudes, employment potential and possible career choice. Develop professional attitudes. Enter into professional relationships with employers in the field of their planned careers. Further enhance their language ability where applicable.

What is expected from an employer?

There are several key elements to a successful placement: Employing the student in a job that really needs doing and is of some consequence to the employer. The setting of goals for the students to achieve. Our students tend to respond very positively to any challenge, so setting realistic but stretching targets is useful. The identification of a work-place supervisor to whom the student can relate. The supervisor can provide observation and advice on, for example, new opportunities which have opened up, or areas of weakness which need attention. The Placement Officer or Tutor will also be able to assist. For the first couple of weeks supervision could be quite time consuming but, as the placement proceeds, the student should be largely self-sufficient and should be treated as one of the staff. We deliberately do not take up employers time with administrative paperwork, although feedback on our students performance is welcomed, either formally, through the employers appraisal scheme for instance, or informally. We also ask employers to release students for a special Call Back Day held at the University of Lincoln in the spring of their placement year.

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The support provided by the Business School

Students are given careful pre-placement guidance to create a high level of awareness of what is expected of them in a company or organisation and a handbook giving details both on how to prepare for a placement and guidelines for when on their placement. Students will be visited during their placement by a Placement Tutor. They are there to help match the needs of the student and University to those of the employer. Counselling and support for students is given by contact with the tutor or the placement office at the University of Lincoln throughout the period. Arrangements for visits will be made through the company, at their convenience. Students are advised that as employees, they will be subject to the regulations and practices of their workplace and of their fellow workers. Students are reminded that they are ambassadors for the University of Lincoln. They will be expected to bring high levels of commitment and performance to their employer. Should students be involved in matters which the employer considers sensitive, business confidentiality will be observed and discretion maintained. A large variety of roles are suitable for a work placement. Here are just some of the jobs that our students have done in the past few years: Marketing executive Project management Business development and administration Events assistant

What makes a suitable placement?

Different companies will offer a different experience to their students which are equally suitable. For instance, large organisations may provide depth and illustrate the importance of efficient bureaucracy, whereas smaller organisations may provide breadth and an appreciation of informal modes of behaviour. Ideally our students will be given work where they will have to make management decision, although we appreciate that this is not always possible. Although routine work will be expected as part of a larger job, hopefully it will not predominate to the extent that course objectives cannot be met. Objectives for the placement can be agreed at the start of the period of work experience. These may take the form of task orientated objectives (often related to a job specification), personal objectives and knowledge acquisition objectives. The placement tutor can help with setting these. Assessment is based on the keeping of a placement portfolio by the student, the writing of interim and final brief reports, by the placement tutor and student and feedback from the employer.

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Employers who take our placement students

Employers are likely to vary from large corporation, though public sector businesses, to accounting practices, management consultancies and small-to-medium enterprises. If you feel your organisation could benefit from taking a Business student on a placement, please contact the Business School using the contact details on the back cover. You can discuss your requirements directly with the Employability Manager who can help to draw up a job specification if necessary and then advertise the placement within the University of Lincoln. If a student negotiates his/her own placement directly with an employer, this will then be checked by the placement tutor to ensure the work fitted degree course requirements. Placements are the individual choice of students and employers and legally there is a contract only between these parties.

Interested? What to do next

Our students are ideally seeking paid work placements lasting for a full year, full-time and starting in the summer. We recognise, however, that this does not necessarily suit employers needs, so students are also available for shorter periods, either through the summer or on a part-time basis during their course year. For the latter, projects that are compatible with course content and time scales are sought after and are a cost-effective way of accessing our students. If you have an enquiry about work placements please contact: Business Relations Manager

Feedback from recent employers: Claire has been a pleasure to have on the team grown in confidence, vast knowledge of company. GE Healthcare. Highly motivated, excellent asset to team. Excellent computer skills and knowledge spreadsheet genius. Incredibly motivated. IBM. Devon has been a fantastic addition to the Ford Fleet team. Ford Motor Company. An asset to the company. Ester was offered parttime work during final year and full time job upon graduation. Arnold Wills & Co. Highly motivated. Positive outlook. Excellent with customers. Best trainee ever had dont want to let him go. Enterprise Rent a Car.

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Stephanie Schiaffonati 01522 835516 (direct) sschiaffonati@lincoln.ac.uk Lincoln Business School University of Lincoln Brayford Pool Lincoln LN6 7TS

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