TRS5782 - Professional Development and Placement

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
demonstrate the application of religious concepts and theories in the workplace;
demonstrate reflective evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses across a range of key employability skills;
apply employability skills in the workplace and perform to a satisfactory standard;
write an action plan for developing employability skills.

Content:

A professional development programme comprising:
- Introduction to Professional Development Planning and Placements at Level 5
- Workshop sessions including:
- Working in contexts of religious significance and involving application of religious awareness
- Team work
- Assessment centre tasks
- Briefings on EPO procedures skills and preparation for attachment/assessment
- Interview with Placement Tutor
- Placement with suitable organisation(s), normally six weeks in total
- Reflection and evaluation of the placement.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Learning and teaching takes place through tutor-led discussion amongst placement tutees, and through a day conference and workshop sessions, covering (as may be applicable to specific placement plans): 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.

Induction meeting
Hours: 2
Intended Group size: 40

Day conference
Hours: 4
Intended Group size: 150

Workshops x 3
Hours: 6
Intended Group size: 40

Tutorial
Hours: 0.5
Intended group size: 1

Guided independent study Hours: 37.5

Work placement
Hours: 150

Further details relating to assessment
The portfolio comprises an up-dated CV and an action plan based upon self-evaluation in terms of team-work skills and other aspects of the preparation for the placement.

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.

Employers submit their own report on the Placement (P/F) to the EPO for consideration, and this is 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).