The Placement Year :
Fact file for Employers
University of Plymouth
Faculty of Social Science and Business
Plymouth Business School
The Placement Year
Plymouth Business School provides the managers and business leaders of the future with the
vital skills necessary to prepare for a demanding career. We foster a spirit of enterprise and
entrepreneurship in all our students, and our graduate employment statistics prove that this
is a winning formula.
At the Business School, we specialise in teaching on an extensive range of degree programmes,
including:
Business Studies
Marketing
Human Resource Management
International Business
Accounting and Finance
Banking and Finance
Economics
Hospitality
Tourism
Events Management
Cruise Management
In addition to providing direct benefits to employers, the Placement Year provides a vital learning
opportunity for students who have completed the first two years of their degree.
Aims of the Placement Year
•To provide a practical framework and base for final stage studies via a placement
in a relevant business function.
•To give students an appreciation of the business environment through practical experience, and
an understanding of the purposes and interrelations of the main functions within an organisation.
•To expose students to situations which will enable them to better understand the academic
subjects already studied, and to appreciate the integration of these subjects
in the business context.
•To make students aware of the social, economic and administrative considerations which influence
the operation of industrial and commercial activities.
•To give practical working experience to students in order that they may be better prepared
to make a career choice upon graduation.
The Placement Year: how it works – your questions answered
How long is the placement?
•Students are normally required to complete 48 weeks of full-time work. This tends to mean that
they are employed for a calendar year once holiday entitlement is included.
When can students start their placement?
•Students may start their placement at any point between the end of May (after their second year
examinations have finished) and early September.
Is the student an employee of the company during the placement?
•Yes, the student becomes an employee, paid by the company and complying with your terms and
conditions of employment. However, he / she remains registered as a student of the University of
Plymouth, and is in contact with the University during the placement year.
What is the usual salary range?
•This depends on a number of factors such as your organisation’s normal reward packages for
employees, and the region in which they are employed. In recent years, students have normally
been paid between c. £11000 - £15000 on average.
What if I have queries about placement opportunities?
•The Placements Office and the Academic Placements Manager are happy to discuss any queries you
may have at any point during the placement year.
What types of job do placement students take on?
•Placement students should take on a job which allows them to contribute effectively to the
organisation as well as develop their potential and respond to challenges. We would also hope
that the student is placed in a department which is relevant to their programme of study.
Matching the student’s studies to the workplace will hopefully be of greater benefit to both
student and organisation.
•The actual range of placement jobs is considerable and reflects the wide range of employers who
take on our students: marketing, sales, buying, administration, finance, project management, HR,
trainee management roles, analyst, logistics, customer service, PR, events management, junior
purser roles, food & beverage, a range of roles in hotel management, or a role which combines
a variety of functions.
Are there any conditions we have to comply with?
•Before any student can accept a contract of employment, we require a copy of the job description
and have to agree the placement. We are always happy to discuss new job descriptions with
employers and may need to contact you for clarification or to obtain more detail.
•At all stages in the process, we have a Code of Practice for Placements which outlines the
responsibilities of the University, the employer and the student. In addition, Health and Safety
requirements must be met.
How can I advertise a placement opportunity?
•If you send us a job description, which also indicates how you want students to apply and by when,
we will be happy to post your placement opportunity on the university Intranet. We can also
arrange for you to hold interviews at the Business School if you wish, although it is more usual for
students to travel to the organisation for an interview.
How is the Placement Year monitored and assessed?
The Placement Year is a crucial component of the student’s degree programme, and students are
expected to meet a number of requirements in order to ensure that the year provides maximum
benefit to all parties, and also to ensure that they pass the year.
Placement Tutor and Placement Visit
Each student is allocated a Placement Tutor who will usually visit the student once at their place
of work in the course of the placement. The usual practice is for the Placement Tutor to contact the
student to arrange the visit, and it is up to the placement student to liaise with their line manager
to agree a date and time which are mutually convenient. The tutor will have a meeting with the
line manager to discuss the student’s performance. Some line managers ask the student to be
present at this discussion, others prefer to see the tutor separately; it depends on the individual
manager. The tutor will also spend some time discussing the placement and the placement project
with the student. During the visit, the Placement Tutor will complete a short interim evaluation of
the student’s progress.
Employer’s assessment of the placement student
We ask employers to complete two formal assessments of the placement student in the course of
the year. As a rule, the first is due by 31 January and second by 31 May, although the deadlines for
these two assessments can be modified if the company’s assessment or appraisal scheme operates
to a different pattern. These are used in the final assessment of the student’s success on the
Placement year. We provide assessment forms, which the placement student can download or copy
for you, but we are more than happy for an employer to use the company’s existing documentation
for these assessments.
Placement Project
Students are required to produce a project relating to their placement as part of the assessment of
their placement year, and they are advised to discuss this with their line manager. The project can
be classed as confidential if the company prefers. It is much appreciated if the employer can allow
the student some time to work on this project during their placement.
Placements Seminar Day
All placement students are invited to attend a Seminar Day at the University in early March of their
placement year. This gives them the opportunity to discuss their final year with their Programme
manager and gather the necessary information to make their final year elective choices. They can
also see their placement tutor regarding their project, as well as discuss the placements operation
with staff and their peers. We write to employers nearer the time to confirm the date and to request
permission for the student to attend. Where this is not possible because of pressures of work or
because cover cannot be found, we will ensure that the student receives the necessary information
either on-line or in the post.
PLACEMENT CODE OF PRACTICE
The following is a code for use by the Placements Office, employers and students to help eliminate
misunderstandings, to add professionalism to the placement process and to disseminate best practice.
PLACEMENT RECRUITMENT
The Placements Office will:
•Make students aware of the programme requirements as far as the placement is concerned.
•Organise and arrange delivery of pre-placement training programme on job search and
interview skills.
•Make placement opportunities information available to students. This should, if possible, include job
descriptions of vacancies, salary, deadline dates, method of application, to whom the application
should be submitted and background information about the potential employer.
•Liaise with potential placement employers to obtain the requisite information and uphold the
quality of the placements offered.
•Assist employers with interview arrangements and keep students informed.
The student will:
•Recognise that they are responsible for finding the placement with the support of the Placements
Office.
•Recognise that the finding of placements is a co-operative activity and make sufficient number
and variety of applications to ensure they achieve a placement by the required date.
•When making applications ensure that they have properly researched the vacancies and are
complying with the employer’s and the Placements Office’s requirements.
•Notify employers and the Placements Office if they decide to withdraw their applications at any
stage or are unable to keep an appointment.
•Avoid delay in replying to communications from potential employers and the Placements Office
e.g. offers of interviews or employment.
•Keep the Placements Office informed of any applications they are making on their own account.
•Conduct themselves professionally in all their dealings with employers.
•Ensure that they are well prepared for interviews and dress appropriately.
•Seek repayment only of reasonable expenses incurred, when attending interviews at employer’s
premises.
•Recognise that both the offer of a placement and its acceptance (unless conditions are attached
to either) forms a contract.
•Decline all other offers and cancel other applications immediately an unconditional offer has been
accepted (orally or in writing).
•Inform the Placements Office of the acceptance and submit any details required.
•Not be directly supervised by a close family relative.
The employer will:
•Provide sufficient material about placement vacancies and their organisation to enable students
to make an informed decision whether to apply, e.g.
•Job description, principal responsibilities or key results area.
•Person specification, desired personal characteristics or criteria for selection.
• Location.
• Salary.
•Application method and deadline for application.
• Expected interview procedure.
• Expected start date and length of placement.
•Some background information about the organisation and its products or services.
• Adhere to equal opportunities legislation.
•Liaise with the Placements Office about best dates and times for presentations, interviews and tests,
making every effort to avoid compulsory lectures/seminars, revision and exam times.
•Keep the Placements Office informed of progress towards selection.
•Notify students promptly of the result of their application and avoid delay in informing
unsuccessful candidates, either directly or through the Placements Office.
•Pay reasonable expenses for attendance at off campus interviews.
•Clearly explain the terms and conditions of service in an offer letter and make it clear whether
or not an offer is conditional upon satisfactory references, medical examination or other
requirements.
BEFORE COMMENCEMENT OF PLACEMENT
The Placements Office will:
•Brief students on the requirements of the placement and how it will be assessed.
•Notify students of the support they can expect to receive e.g. from Placement Tutors.
•Let employers know what is required by the University from both employer and students.
The student will:
•Determine their learning objectives for the placement.
• Prepare for the transition to the world of work.
•Keep the Placements Office informed of any changes relating to the placement; e.g. start date,
job description, address, etc.
•Comply with all reasonable requests from the employer.
The employer will:
•Agree the actual starting date with the students. Be aware that academic year calendar may
affect earliest start dates. Clearly explain to whom and where the student should report on first
day of employment and outline any induction procedures.
•Keep the Placements Office informed of any changes e.g. to terms and conditions, start date, job
description, location, etc.
DURING THE PLACEMENT
The Placements Office will:
•Ensure that employer and student are satisfied with the placement and the support provided.
•Ensure that students are contacted/visited by the allocated tutors and that progress
is monitored by student, tutor and Workplace Supervisor.
•Regulate any assessment process in accordance with the course and University requirements.
The student will:
•On accepting a placement, acknowledge that they are no longer eligible to apply for further
placement opportunities.
•Act within the Terms and Conditions of Employment laid down by their employer.
•Not give notice to employers without first discussing this with the University.
•Be good ambassadors for the University of Plymouth.
•Keep the Placements Office informed of any problems relating to the quality of the placement
which cannot be resolved at local level.
• Comply with any assessment requirements.
• Maintain contact with the Placement Tutor.
•Agree the assessment methods to be used (at least 2 per year) and notify the Placements Office.
•Submit completed assessment forms to Placements Office by the required deadlines.
•Submit all documentation as requested to Placements Office by the deadlines stated.
The employer will:
•Provide suitable induction training in the first few weeks, to enable students to gain an awareness
of their role in the organisation.
•Recognise that, although primarily an employee with first responsibility to the organisation,
the student is still registered with the University and as such is likely to have certain obligations
as part of the course.
•Give the students adequate learning opportunities to enable them to achieve their own objectives
or any objectives required by their course, provided there is no conflict with the employer’s
objectives.
•Provide support and resource to students who are required to undertake tasks or write reports/
projects as an element of their course.
•Where possible, allow students who have to re-sit examinations time for revision and for sitting
the exam. It is recognised that in some circumstances the time may have to be taken from holiday
entitlement.
•Identify a workplace supervisor or mentor who will take responsibility for the student’s progress
towards achievement of objectives set by the organisation, the course and the student.
•Allow access to visiting tutors from the University to discuss progress with the student and the
workplace supervisor/mentor.
•Keep the Placements Office and/or visiting tutor informed of any potential problems encountered
by the student.
•Assist in any assessment or appraisal process which is a course requirement and give the student
regular feedback about progress.
•Ensure that students receive a Health and Safety briefing at the start of the placement and have
access to a written Health and Safety Policy.
•Ensure that students are covered by Employer’s Liability and Public Liability Insurance Policies
and that insurers are notified of placements in accordance with the requirements of the policies.
AFTER THE PLACEMENT
The Placements Office will:
•Collect and record reports from visiting tutor and employers.
• Co-ordinate any placement assessment processes.
The employer will:
•Give feedback to the Placements Office, if requested, about the success or otherwise of the placement.
•Assist with an overall assessment of the achievement of the student’s objectives. Where relevant,
use Employer’s Appraisal/Assessment Scheme.
•Give feedback to the University to assess how well the Placement process has been managed.
•Give feedback on the suitability of the programme to meet changing market needs.
Placements Office contacts:
call: fax: email: visit:
+44 (0)1752 585647/585651
+44 (0)1752 585715
industrial-placements@plymouth.ac.uk
www.plymouth.ac.uk/PBSemployer
University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA
If you require any part of this leaflet in larger
print, please contact the numbers above.