UNDERGRADUATE WORK PLACEMENT PROGRAMME

Transcription

1 UNDERGRADUATE WORK PLACEMENT PROGRAMME 2007 A Student Guide to Work Placement ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

2 CONTENTS Contacts 2 Responsibilities Student Responsibilities 3 Length of Placement 3 Holidays 3 Procedures for Exam Repeats 4 Employers Responsibilities 4 Termination of Employment 5 Health and Safety 5 Personal Development through Work Placement 7 Assessment Assessment Guidelines 9 Important Dates 10 Guidelines for Completing Reports 11 Appendix 1: Report and Log Book Grading Form 14 Appendix 2: Presentation Assessment Guidelines 15 Appendix 3: Employers Report on completion of placement 16 Appendix 4: Log Book Guidelines 20 Appendix 5: Self Assessment Form 23 Appendix 6: Visiting Academic Supervisor Report 25 1

3 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING CONTACTS Careers Service PLACEMENT OFFICE Ms. Linda Lynch Placement Co-ordinator Tel: Jackie Quirke Administrative Support Tel: Please ensure that you contact your assigned Academic Supervisor and Jackie Quirke in the Careers Office with your new address, phone number and name of company supervisor within the first week of employment. This is to enable him/her to organise an on-site visit. 2

4 STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES ON THE WORK PLACEMENT The Placement is a three way contract between the student, the employer and the University. Your performance and conduct reflects not only on you but also on UCC. The Work Experience allows students to develop new skills, to put theory into practice, take on challenging projects and to develop interpersonal skills through teamwork and communications. It is an opportunity to experience workplace culture, and a successful placement with positive references will greatly enhance your Curriculum Vitae. The student should: Approach your work diligently, take responsibility and display a willingness to use your initiative; Act within the Terms and Conditions of Employment laid down by the employer; Take reasonable care of your own health and safety and of the health and safety of other people who may be affected by your actions; Respect the confidentiality of the employing organisation; Be punctual and observe rules governing time practices Adhere to dress code; Be enthusiastic and prepared to join in out of office social activities; Satisfy the academic requirements; Act as ambassadors for U.C.C. Access to internet and use of should only be used in association with your work Misuses of or downloading of offensive or inappropriate material from the internet could result in serious disciplinary action or in some instances has resulted in the students dismissal. Enjoy and make the most of your work placement. LENGTH OF PLACEMENT The agreed placement period with employers is 20 weeks, from Monday, 30 th April 2007 to Friday 14 th September The start of the new term is on Monday 24 th September Students must be in attendance in college on the first day of term. If a student has a problem with the start or finish dates, please inform the Placement Officer in the first instance, where a suitable alternative agreeable to all parties may be reached. Holidays All students are entitled to holidays as laid down by their placement company. It is strongly advised that students do not work these days, but do take a holiday. If agreeable to your employer, it is recommended that these days should be taken at the end of the placement period, thus enabling the students to have a break before the start of the new term. 3

5 Procedures for students to follow should they be required to repeat exams in the Autumn Steps to be followed by Students on failing exams whilst on Work Placement. 1. Immediately on receiving results, students should first contact The Academic Supervisor and Placement Officer to discuss how much time will be needed to prepare for repeat examinations. 2. A meeting should then be organised immediately with the Company Supervisor to negotiate and agree time off to prepare and sit repeat exams and return date to company. 3. Time taken to prepare for and sit exams should be taken from holiday entitlement and any additional time taken will be unpaid. 4. A notice period of at least two weeks must be given to the company of a student s intention to take time off to prepare for exams. 5. Students are expected to take their books with them on placement and study after work and at weekends. 6. Students are required to return to complete their placement after exams. EMPLOYERS RESPONSIBILITIES FOR STUDENTS ON WORK PLACEMENT Employers choose to take on undergraduates for placement for a number of reasons, including the following: They bring in new ideas/look at old problems with fresh eyes. They possess good problem-solving/analytical skills. They are up to date on new technology. They are ideal to tackle one off projects which might otherwise be put to one side, or to help out during summer holiday periods. It builds closer links to the university. A 5-month placement can be seen as an extended assessment, with a view to future graduate recruitment. Students are good value for money. When the Employers participate in the Work Placement programme, they agree to ensure the following: To ensure that the student is briefed or given a short induction course on company codes and practices on commencing work. To give the student their own address shortly after joining the company. To assign a member of staff to act as a mentor and supervisor to the student. This person should be willing to assist with any problems that may have arisen during the placement. The supervisor will also be asked to complete the Employers Report (App. 3), usually in consultation with the student. To draw up an outline programme of the jobs, activities and training that the student is expected to complete for the initial period at least. 4

6 To provide work experience compatible with the students level of knowledge, experience and expectations. To approve and sign the final report and Logbook (App. 4). To satisfactorily complete a Placement Health and Safety Checklist prior to the commencement of the placement. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT Companies have the right to terminate student s employment at any time for economic and/or performance reasons, as laid down in the company s code of practice. Preferably this should be done after consultation with the student, academic supervisor and placement officer. Pending a review of the student s performance in his/her placement, it is expected that the student s academic mark will be affected by an early termination of his/her placement, except for cases where the circumstances of the termination are outside the control of the student. In the event that a student s employment is terminated for misconduct, the student will be required to fulfil the remaining weeks of his/her placement, in an unpaid role at the discretion and supervision of the student s Academic Supervisor within the Faculty of Engineering. HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE Background Information The establishment and maintenance of a healthy and safe work environment for all employees is now generally accepted, as not only desirable, but a necessary component of a contemporary human resources management approach. During the past decade or so, health, safety and welfare at work issues have been highlighted by the development of comprehensive legislation in Ireland, with the most recent being the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act This Act applies to all places of work regardless of the nature of the work performed. If you manage or work in a factory; an office; a farm; a construction site; a government department; a semi-state body; a local authority; a hospital; a shop; a transport undertaking; a laboratory; a school, college or institute of higher education or any other place of work, then this Act applies to you. It imposes duties on employers, employees and third parties, i.e. contractors. The Act transferred the enforcement of Safety, Health and Welfare at work from the Department of Labour to an independent agency called the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health which is more widely know nowadays as the Health and Safety Authority or the HSA. One of its main functions is to make known the standards with which the organisations must comply, together with carrying out inspections of all work places to ensure compliance. There are 4 areas by which safety, health and welfare of people at work is being secured:- 5

7 A safe place of work Safe plant and equipment Safe working procedures Information, consultation and training. The programme of action to secure the safety, health and welfare of people at work is outlined in the Safety Statement, a document which must be kept up to date at all times and must be available for examination by employees and the HSA. Students on Work Placement Students on work placement are employees and are owed a duty of care like all other employees On commencement of employment, your induction programme will cover health and safety aspects of your workplace Ask for a copy of the company Safety Statement and familiarise yourself with its contents. Familiarise yourself with the general safety rules especially:- The layout of the building The emergency evacuation plan for the building. This may be different to the route by which you come into the building. There should be an emergency evacuation plan available in each room of the building. What to do in the event of a fire The location of fire-fighting equipment and how it works. There are different types of fire extinguishers which have different applications. First Aid arrangements in the workplace. The location of the telephone and the relevant numbers to be contacted in an emergency. Make sure you have a complete set of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the work you are doing and know how to use it. If you identify a safety hazard in your workplace please bring it to the attention of your supervisor/industrial mentor Avoid behaviour or activities which may not alone harm yourself but others working with you. Should incidents of bullying or harassment be encountered by you in your workplace, report this to both your industrial and Academic supervisors or if necessary a higher authority in the company. Finally: Work safely Never take risks If not sure ask your supervisor or industrial mentor If still not comfortable with the situation; please call your academic supervisor. 6

8 Always remember that the provision of a safe healthy workplace is now a legal requirement under the Act, and that companies or individuals (both manager and employees) may be prosecuted for non-compliance. HAVE A SAFE WORK PLACEMENT PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH WORK PLACEMENT Many of the skills required for success in work are the same as those needed for success in life more generally. The ability to relate to people from differing backgrounds, to cope with a variety of situations, to communicate, to learn from experiences and apply that learning are important in all aspects of life. While many students recognise the value of the learning they undertake as part of the curriculum, they do not appreciate the learning that arises from work placement. They experience the learning without giving any thought to it. Work placement can bring development of key skills at work, which employers will be looking for at interview time. It also enhances employability through greater understanding of the world of work. At the end of the placement period please use the self-assessment sheet (Appendix 5) to rate yourself. This will help you to reflect on the employable skills developed during the placement period and will also assist you to articulate these skills at future interviews, when prospective employers will ask you for concrete examples Some of the key skills employers look for are: Self Reliance Skills - self awareness, willingness to learn, networking, action planning. People Skills - (Interpersonal) General Skills - Specialist Skills - social skills, team skills, communications skills, leadership skills. problem solving, business awareness, computer literacy, working with information, drawing conclusions. occupational skills, technical skills, strategic planning skills. 7

9 DEFINITION OF SKILLS Initiative. The ability to initiate actions/tasks without being prompted by others. Specialist Knowledge. Knowing the theoretical facts and processes and the ability to use these in context for an individual job. Communication. Ability to articulate well, negotiate and successfully transmit information at an interpersonal and group level, using verbal, written and technological means in formal and informal environments. Information Technology. Knowledge of commonly used packages and use of computer systems in business. Willingness and Flexibility to Learn. An understanding of the personal development that occurs during work and elsewhere by setting targets and reviewing progress with an ability to transfer that learning to other settings. This also includes learning through understanding strengths and weaknesses. Working with Others. Ability to contribute willingly and constructively within groups of any size and not afraid to seek or offer support from/to other team members in order to meet common goals. Problem Solving. Ability to solve basic and complex difficulties in an efficient manner, while dealing with other matters as well. Business Awareness. Knowledge about the sector in which individuals are employed, including a general understanding of the skills and opportunities available and the company's role within the wider economy. Time Management. The ability to utilise time productively through prioritising of work tasks. Report Writing. The ability to properly structure a written report to ensure that the message is presented in a clear concise manner. Goal Setting. The ability to define targets that need to be reached in order to achieve a successful outcome. Leadership. The ability to project and promote a unit or department through the harnessing of the many and diverse skills within the unit or department with due regard to the self esteem of all individuals involved. 8

10 Meeting Deadlines. Organising the workload to ensure that reports etc are available at the appointed time. Listening. Not the same as hearing. The ability to listen without interruption to somebody and interpret the message being given and the action that may be necessary. Change Management. The ability to recognise that change is a phenomenon that is always there, to accept it and take advantage of the opportunities that change brings with it. ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES FOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS Work Placement forms an integral part of the degree course and the participating students are assessed and graded by the Academic Supervisor and Co-ordinator. Assessment of the students includes: The completion of a logbook and project report by the student (App.4). - The report and log book must be signed by the company supervisor on completion of placement. Evaluation of performance by the assigned academic supervisor (App.5). - On-site visit by the academic supervisor at the convenience of the employers. Evaluation and assessment by the company supervisor. - Participating employers are asked to evaluate the performance of the students by completing a report during the work placement period (App.3) usually in consultation with the students. Students make a presentation on their placement experience to their academic supervisors and class colleagues on their return to college in September. 9

11 IMPORTANT DATES Placement: Monday 30 th April to Friday September 14 th * Students where possible should take vacation before returning to college as the University, is very busy for 4 th years. August 3 rd : 1 page Summary to be ed to J.Quirke@ucc.ie September 24 th : Term begins * Students must be in attendance on the first Day of term September 26 th : Presentations 2-5pm, Wednesday October 5th: Reports/Logbook due by 12 noon 10

12 GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETING THE REPORT ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Student Report The work placement is part of your degree programme and will be assessed. Your written report is an important part of that assessment. You may also wish to refer to this report when talking to potential future employers and it could also be of interest to professional institutions you may wish to join at some future date. The report is therefore an important professional document. It must be completed prior to completing your period of placement and should be discussed with and agreed by your company supervisor. Please obtain the company s approval for your report, logbook, and presentation. The report and presentation will be made available to other students and staff at UCC. Thus, it is important that the company s confidential and proprietary information are protected by the student. Do not reveal proprietary information in your presentation. If such information has to be included in your report and logbook, please advise your supervisor so that the information is not made generally available. Signed Reports and Log Books are due by 12 noon, Friday, 5 th October 2007 at the office of the Electrical Engineering Departmental Operative (Ralph). Guidelines for Completing the Report The Elements of Style This report will be the first of many reports which you will write in your career. Good written communication skills are essential for engineers. Students are encouraged to download the free book The Elements of Style by William Strunk. This book provides excellent insights into English composition and is available at Alternatively, students can buy it at a bookstore and keep it for long-term reference. Presentation of Report The Report to be submitted on A4 paper in type face with 1½ spacing, of height not less than 12 point, using a legible font (e.g. Times Roman etc.). Margins of mm on the left, mm on the right and mm top and bottom. It is recommended that the report should be pages maximum plus title page and appendices. However, the format and length of the report may be modified by the student if requested by the employer or academic supervisor. Layout and Content Title Page The Title Page is to include the following details: your name, the company you worked with, and the names of your Academic Supervisor and the Manager who supervised your work in the 11

13 company along with that person s position or title within the company. A reminder the employer supervisor s signature must be on the copy supplied to UCC. Summary A one-page (A4, 1 side) summary of the placement period, briefly describing the company, the work you carried out and any new skills you acquired. The Company A one-page (A4, 1 side) summary on the business of the company, its products or services; the method of design/manufacturing; the materials/information flow through the company; the organisation/structure, and the details particularly of the area in which you worked. Include a brief paragraph in the company introduction on the company finances: revenue, profits, stock market, stock price, etc. Your work Placement (6-8 A4 sides) This is a record of the experience you have gained. Reference can also be made to the log book which is your weekly listing of your main work activities. You can additionally reference appendices for support documentation. This section should contain a summary of the work/projects undertaken by you, highlighting the experience you gained and the knowledge and skills you acquired. These might range from the use of computer packages, the acquisition or development of new skills e.g. planning, report writing, meeting deadlines, team work and general interpersonal skills. This section should be backed up by examples of work carried out, copies or references to reports written, products designed, etc. Your Appraisal of the Placement (1-2 A4 sides) Review the value of the work placement. How relevant was the placement to the degree course? Are there gaps in the degree course which, if filled, would have prepared you better for this placement? The Administration of the 2006 Programme (1 A4 side max) Your candid comments on the way this programme was handled within UCC (methods of advertising, selection system, etc.) would be valued. You will almost certainly meet with placement or co-op students from other Colleges. How do our systems compare? Was the visit by UCC staff member to your company valuable? Recommendations for improvements would be helpful with a view to developing this into the best placement programme possible. Appendix To include any reports, diagrams, pictures, analysis that you think appropriate. Student Presentation Each student will give a short presentation about his/her placement to a panel of two academic staff and an audience of their peers. All students are required to attend and present on Wednesday 27 th September from 2pm to 5pm. Each student is allocated 8 to 10 minutes to present. 12

14 The student should use overheads and present along the following general format: introduction to company and workgroup; background on technical field; presentation of student s role in the company discussing projects, problems, new skills, equipment, etc; summary and conclusion. Note that 8 to 10 slides maximum will likely suffice for the presentation. Overhead projectors will be used for the presentation. The actual background used for the projection is uncertain. It may be a plain white surface or it could be whatever paint is on the wall. For this reason, students are advised to use only black and white overheads. Laptop presentations will not be facilitated. Student Grading The academic supervisor and the academic coordinator together assess the performance of the student in his/her work placement. Copies of the report and logbook assessment form are contained in Appendix 1. Guidelines on grading of the student s presentation are contained in Appendix 2. Finally, it is strongly recommended that students work with their employers to complete preparation of the report, logbook, and presentation materials before the conclusion of their work placements. APPENDIX 1 Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University College Cork 13

15 PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT OF FINAL WRITTEN REPORT AND LOGBOOK Student : Assessor : The assessment of the written report should be made under the categories shown below. Please use the following marking scheme as a guide when assessing each category: Grade Description Grade Description 90% + 1H - Exceptional 50% - 59% 2H2 - Good 80% + 1H - Excellent 40% - 49% Pass - Satisfactory 70% + 1H Very well done 30% - 39% Fail Poor 60% 69% 2H1 - Very good 0 30% Fail PRESENTATION AND LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT (10%) % (A) This mark should reflect the quality of the overall professional presentation of the work, the layout and logical structure of the report, the standard of English and spelling used, the effective and appropriate use of figures/graphs/tables, etc. Summary 10% % (B) This mark should reflect how well the student concisely summarizes the experience with emphasis on a brief description of the company, projects worked, new skills developed, and insights obtained. WORK PLACEMENT SECTION (50%) % (C) This mark should reflect the quality of the student s work experience. The student should summarize projects, discuss new skills, problems encountered and solved, and outline her/his contributions. Appendices and logbook should be referenced. Appraisals from the employer and the academic supervisor and feedback from the Careers Service should be referenced in developing an understanding of the quality of the student s work placement. Appraisal (10%) % (D) This mark should reflect the quality of the student s discussion of the value of the work experience, and its relationship to his/her university education. Logbook (20%) % (E) This mark should reflect the quality of the student s concise documenting of weekly work activities. OVERALL MARK FOR THIS EVALUATION: A + B + 5C + D + 2E 10 % PLEASE JUSTIFY THE MARKS GIVEN ABOVE BY STATING BRIEFLY THE MAIN STRENGTH(S) OR WEAKNESS(ES) OF THE STUDENT S WORK EXPERIENCE. 14

16 APPENDIX 2 The students will be graded in the following two broad categories Preparatory Effort Communication Skills (50% of marks) (50% of marks) Structured Organized Effective use of slides Clear, legible slides Informative slides Useful figures Meets 10 minute max. time limit Clear oral presentation Informative Concise Maintains interest Rehearsed Confident Enthusiastic Professional 15

17 APPENDIX 3 Department of Electrical Engineering Employer s Report on:. This student will soon be completing a period of work placement with you as part of UCC s Undergraduate Placement Programme. An assessment of the student s performance will be made by the Academic Supervisor who is a staff member of UCC s Electrical Engineering Department. This assessment will be based on the following: The Supervisor s visit to your company The Student s Log Book and End of Placement Report both of which should be discussed with and signed by the Company Supervisor prior to the end of the Placement period. A presentation by the student to staff and class colleagues in UCC. Your report on the student. This report will provide valuable feedback to the student and Academic Supervisor on skills developed and overall performance and is linked to the student self assessment form in the logbook. We now ask you to complete the following questionnaire which you may wish to discuss with the student. We recommend that this form is completed and returned before the end of the placement period to Linda Lynch, Placement Officer, Faculty of Engineering, Careers Service, University College Cork. Contd/ 16

18 STUDENT PERFORMANCE Please provide a ranking of the student s skills and abilities listed, along with comments you feel relevant. Rank as: 1= low/very poor 5= high/excellent Initiative Comments: Organizational Skills Comments: Ability to learn Comments: Technical Skills Comments: Quality of Work Comments: Business Awareness Comments: Reliability Comments: Contd/ 17

19 Interpersonal Skills Comments: Communication Skills Comments: Adaptation to Work Environment Comments: Overall Performance Comments: The student s strongest areas are: General Comments and Feedback The student s areas of improvement are: How did the student compare to your initial expectations? Explain. Are there any obvious shortcomings in the student s prior knowledge that could be incorporated into course content? Contd/ 18

20 Do you have any suggestions to improve the quality of the Undergraduate Placement Programme? Would you consider taking a student next year or in future years? Supervisor s Name: Signature: Company: Date: 19

21 APPENDIX 4 Electrical Engineering LOG BOOK Notes This Log Book is to be completed weekly, giving a brief listing of work carried out, tasks or projects completed, training received etc. Hand written entries in this log book are acceptable or you can create your own similar log book on a P.C. This placement log book, along with your written report and presentation, the employer s evaluation and the academic supervisor s assessment will be used by the Electrical Engineering Department in UCC in making an assessment of your period of work placement. The personal development self-assessment form (appendix 5) will not be formally assessed, but it should be completed and handed in with your logbook. This Log Book is due by noon Friday 6 th October 2006 at the office of the Electrical Engineering Departmental Operative. Note that your Company supervisor s name and signature are required on both documents so they must be completed prior to finishing your placement period with the company. 20

22 Electrical Engineering LOG BOOK Student Name: Signature: Company Supervisor Name: Signature: Academic Supervisor Name: COMPANY: 21

23 Log Book Week 1: Date: Tasks/Activities: Your Contribution: Learning Outcomes: What Skills were involved: Technical: Personal: Week 2: Date: Tasks/Activities: Your Contribution: Learning Outcomes: What Skills were involved: Technical: Personal: 22

24 Appendix 5 FACULTY OF ENGINEERING WORK PLACEMENT PROGRAMME UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK END OF PLACEMENT SELF-ASSESSMENT Looking back on your work experiences and learning from them is important in building up a greater self-awareness of the strengths and weaknesses in your skills-set. This assessment will assist you later in successfully projecting yourself at interviews. Please indicate in the form below the standard to which you feel you have developed each skill during your work placement. Skill Outstanding Very Good Satisfactory Modest Very Little Initiative Specialist Knowledge Communication (written & verbal) Information Technology Willingness & flexibility to learn Working with others Problem Solving Business Awareness Time Management Report Writing Goal Setting Leadership Meeting Deadlines Listening Change Management Signed: Date: 23

25 NOTES 24

26 APPENDIX 6 Department of Electrical Engineering Visiting Academic Supervisor Report To be completed by the Academic Supervisor Please complete a separate form, for each student visited and return to Dr John Hayes on completion of your visit. Student Name: Date of Visit: Name of Company: Company Representative(s) Met Position Held in Company 25

27 The Work Environment Based on your meeting with the student and the supervisor, please give a rating under each heading, according to the scale given below. Please expand on your ratings. i) Is the work challenging? Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor ii) Is the work of relevance to the Engineering Degree Course? Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor iii) Is there proper support/supervision? Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor iv) Are there well defined work targets to be achieved, projects to be completed? Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor v) Career Goals is the placement helping to clarify career objectives? Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor Supervisor s Initial Evaluation of Student Performance Based on your meeting with the Supervisor, please record ratings and comments. Rate according to this scale: Excellent; Very Good; Good; Satisfactory; Poor. Please expand on your rating. Note that the supervisor will be asked to give a more detailed written report prior to completion of the placement period. A) Technical Knowledge Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Poor B) Quality of Work Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Poor C) The ability to work well with others Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Poor 26

28 General Impressions and Feedback The Academic Supervisor should record here any other background information gained from the employer relating to the Undergraduate Placement Programme, the Electrical Engineering Degree course, future recruitment of students and graduates from UCC, etc. Academic Supervisor s Name Signature 27