HIS5752 - Professional Development and Placement

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of the application of History, Public History, and English and History in the workplace (e.g. in Heritage and Museums, Libraries, Archives and Local Studies, Education, Journalism, Management, Publishing etc). This might include an appreciation of how these activities fit within local and national social and cultural life; the wider business and public sector. The application of specialised databases within such areas of employment may also result).
Reflect on and evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses across a range of key employability skills
Apply employability skills, including a level of enterprise and initiative, in the placement workplace and perform to a satisfactory standard
Write an action plan for developing employability skills. Research a future career and career plan, producing an action plan for gaining the further experience and qualifications required to enter that graduate career.
Write a weekly blog, and write up a clear report of their placement, including commentary on the aims and objectives of the placement organisation; how the organisation conveyed History to their ‘audience’; the project worked on for the placement; reflections on the placement experience and how this has influenced their future graduate career plans.

Content:

Semester 1: professional development and preparation for placement - a programme comprising of:

Introduction to Professional Development Planning and Placements at Level 5 Workshop sessions including:
- Careers in Heritage and Museums, Archives and Libraries, Education, commercial enterprise
- Applying for employment and post-graduate courses
- Team work
- Assessment centre tasks

Briefings on Careers and Employability Placement procedure, skills and preparation for Placement and assessment for module, e.g. successful blogging, writing the Report
Discussion with Placement Tutor

Semester 2: six-week placement - feedback and reflection - completion of diary (blog) and report; Group Conference on return to University from Placement and the Career Action Plan.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Learning and teaching takes place through tutor-led discussion amongst placement tutees, and through preparatory workshop sessions, covering: researching future careers (through Prospects website http://www.prospects.ac.uk/); production of curriculum vitas, including instruction on using CV Builder database by members of the Careers Service; practical activities exploring how to get a Placement, advice on the Placement experience and planning for this, blogging and the digital humanities. Individual tutorials with Placement Tutor/Progress Tutor are provided before the placement starts. Students to write a blog while on Placement (to feed into the final Report). A day conference will be held soon after students complete their placements.

Workshops
Hours: 12
Intended group size: 30

Tutorials
Hours: 0.5
Intended Group szie: 1

Placement
Hours: 187.5

Further details relating to assessment
It is expected that students will maintain a blog to underpin the reflective Report; the first week’s diary is important in allowing tutors to assess whether or not a student needs some form of additional support/intervention by the University and is therefore mandatory. Employers submit their own report on the Placement (P/F) to the EPO for consideration, and thisis passed to the tutor supporting the student – this may be shared with student on completion of the module, in order for them to undertake further reflection re their skills for employability, (Employer does/does not give permission for this to happen).
The tutor who supported the student on placement normally marks the Placement Report.

Other relevant matters
Students may undertake a Placement abroad, as long as it is approved by the EPO – nb the University cannot pay for travel abroad.

Assessment:

001 Week 1 Diary (blog) 1,000 words P/F End Week 1 of Placement 0%
002 Placement Pass/Fail 0%
003 Placement report 3000 words by end of placement 100%


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