PTC4042 - Professional Placement

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Present information effectively for professional contexts such as a CV, covering letter and interview process.
Reflect on personal strengths and weaknesses and prepare an action plan for the future.
Apply knowledge and skills in the workplace and perform to a satisfactory standard during their 5-week placement.

Content:

This module is the first in a strand of modules that aim to develop professional experience and an active strategy for using the degree programme to enhance employability. This module prepares students for PTC 5042 Professional Placement 2, which continues and develops student self-evaluation of skills and analysis of professional practice, but also the interrelation of academic study and the relevance of that knowledge and skill-set to the requirements of the relevant sectors of professional employment.
The preparation course will prepare students for writing effective CVs and covering letters and encourage self-reflection through CPD diaries. Various academic skills such as referencing, essay and report writing will also be taught. The Personal Development Plan will build on an assessment of strengths and weaknesses and plans for improvement based on the School's employability criteria. This plan will also serve as the basis for identifying and sourcing an appropriate placement in Level 5 and the plan will be carried forward into PTC 5042 Professional Placement 2 where it will be further elaborated and developed.

Learning and Teaching Information:

The module comprises a 2-week intensive preparation block that precedes a 5-week placement. The teaching will involve seminars and workshops. There will be 10 one-hour sessions to help prepare students to apply for advertised placement posts.

Seminars/workshops
Hours: 10
Intended Group Size: 80

Individual meetings with progress tutor as required
Hours: 1

Individual meetings with EPO as required
Hours: 1

Guided independent study
Hours: 188

Further details relating to assessment
Assessment 1 - The portfolio: comprises CV building, planning, placement applications, employability skills. These portfolio elements are weighted at 3,000-word equivalent.

Assessment 2 - Directed activities: These consist of regular tasks that must be completed and submitted for inspection at timetabled sessions each week. The assessment will be on a pass/ fail basis with a pass requiring at least 75% of all weekly tasks successfully completed. A pass mark will lead to the full award of 10% towards the final mark. A fail in directed activities will contribute 0% to the final mark.

Assessment 3 - Placement: An overall pass mark and passing the placement are required for progression to Level 5. Numeric marks will only be given for the portfolio and report but an overall numeric mark will be returned for the module.

Assessment 4 - The reflective accounts: will take the form of a weekly diary, submitted via Moodle and equivalent to 200 words per week over the 5-week placement period. These should be produced weekly, but to avoid multiplication of deadlines the set of reflective accounts will be deemed to have a single deadline, at the end of the 5-week placement.

Other relevant matters
Students with additional needs will be advised to seek any extra support from the Dyslexia & Disability Co-ordinator to allow them to fully engage with the placement experience.

Normally, a student will be ineligible to undertake the placement without completion of the pre-placement programme and the required communication of placement details to the Employer Partnership Office.

The practical element is normally of 5 weeks' duration. If a full 5-week placement is not possible an alternative project, which meets the module learning outcomes and involves an equivalent workload, will be agreed between the student, the supervisor and the Employer Partnership Office.

There is also the opportunity of volunteering within the work placement experience - taking a work placement (Level 4) as a volunteer in a charity or not-for-profit organisation.

In order to be eligible for resit in this module, students will also be required to submit their registration and placement information details by the advertised deadlines.

Assessment:

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Nathan Uglow
Level - 4
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered -

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