ASET Good Practice Guide for Work based and
Placement Learning in Higher Education
AS T
Acknowledgements
ASET has been involved in promoting ‘Good Practice’ around placements since 1982, the terminology then was sandwich education, and limited to the year students would spend in the workplace as part of their university education, but now the broader term work based and placement learning (WBPL) is used to fully encompass the breadth of opportunities available to students, irrespective of their level or mode of study. ASET’s goal remains the same; to advance the prevalence, effectiveness and quality of work based and placement learning in Higher Education.
Thanks must go to all those in the ASET community for their contributions for this ‘Good Practice’ Guide, both directly and indirectly. The delegates of the 2012 ASET Conference gave willingly of their ideas, questions and suggestions for this update. It only goes to demonstrate the power of a community of practitioners when we work together for the better of all. This Guide was prepared by:
• Dr John Wilson, Chair of ASET
• Sarah Flynn, Vice Chair of ASET and Principal Lecturer, University of Hertfordshire • Dr Anett Loescher, Development Officer at the Quality Assurance Agency
• Tim Ward, Work Experience Consultant, University of Salford • Debbie Siva-Jothy, Company Administrator, ASET
The authors are grateful for the comments and revisions of the ASET Executive Committee; Allison Dunbobbin (Loughborough University), Rebecca Evans (University of Leeds), Megen Hartley-Clarke (Sheffield Hallam University), Dr Douglas McCulloch (University of Ulster), Amanda Monteiro (London South Bank University), Debbie Scott (University of Chester), Tamsin Turner (Queen’s University Belfast), Dr Colin Turner (University of Ulster), Dr Ray Wallace (Nottingham Trent University), Lisa Ward (University of Huddersfield)
Thanks must also go to the Quality Assurance Agency for their input, advice and suggestions during the production of this Guide, particularly Dr Anett Loescher.
For more information about ASET please see www.asetonline.org © ASET and Contributors, September 2013
Contents
Introduction
Who is this Guide for? Purpose of this Guide
‘Sound Practice’ and ‘Good Practice’
Relationship between this ‘Good Practice’ Guide and the Quality Code Fitness for purpose
Work Based and Placement Learning Terminology
Principles of ‘Good Practice’ Conclusion
Key References Pre-Placement On Placement Post-Placement History of this Guide
Summary of UK the Quality Code for Higher Education (Quality Code)
4 4 4 5 5 6 7 8 10 15 15 16 20 23 26 26
Introduction
The focus in this Guide is for work based and placement learning opportunities that are
a planned and integrated part of a student’s programme of study at a Higher Education provider. It is intended to be useful to practitioners irrespective of the level or mode of study, the academic subject, whether work based or placement learning (WBPL). This Guide has been written to support the development of ‘Good Practice’, but is neither prescriptive nor regulatory.
WBPL is important in that it helps to bring together academic theory and workplace
practice, integrating the working with the learning. It might be about increasing a student’s employability, but may also be a defining characteristic of a qualification and therefore must be considered in the same manner as other forms of learning, teaching and assessment when it comes to quality and standards in Higher Education.
Who is this Guide for?
All practitioners in Higher Education associated with work based and placement learning; this includes but is not limited to:
• Professional and administrative staff • Academic tutors
• Careers Services • Resource Managers
Specific sections may be usefully shared by practitioners with their students and employers providing work based and placement learning opportunities.
Purpose of this Guide
ASET has worked with the Quality Assurance Agency to ensure that this ‘Good Practice’ Guide assists practitioners in setting up provision and processes for planning, managing, monitoring and evaluating work based and placement learning:
• that enables them to consider how they will demonstrate that their practice is ‘Sound’, in accordance with the benchmarks agreed by the academic community and that are expressed in the Expectations of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education (Quality Code) • that gives a simple approach with a commitment to continuous enhancement, by providing guiding principles that can be used in the development of ‘Good’ Practice, which may and should evolve over time
Sound Practice and Good Practice
This Guide uses the terms ‘Sound Practice’ and ‘Good Practice’ and it is important to be
clear on the difference between the two.
• ‘Sound Practice’, as used in the Quality Code, means that the practice is robust, fit for purpose, and should be embraced by any Higher Education provider
• ‘Sound Practice’ sets a benchmark, acting as a starting point for enhancing the quality of practice, and is less vulnerable to becoming out dated or overtaken by developments in the field
• ‘Good Practice’ builds on ‘Sound Practice’ and may include innovative, outstanding or cutting-edge examples
• As ‘Good Practice’ becomes embedded, it can become ‘standard practice’ Therefore this Guide is accompanied by a dynamic toolkit which will support development of what is ‘Good Practice’ across the sector
Relationship between this Good Practice Guide and the Quality Code
The Quality Code consists of three parts A, B and C. It is a holistic document which needs to be appreciated in its entirety. The Expectations of the Quality Code are mandatory; the Indicators of ‘Sound Practice’ provide useful signposts as to how a Higher Education provider can demonstrate that it meets the Expectations. If providers are considering work based and placement learning in preparation for a review, the reference point must be the Quality Code itself and not the principles within this Guide.
Practitioners should appreciate the Quality Code in its entirety, although they may find the Indicators of ‘Sound Practice’ and explanatory guidance of the following chapters particularly helpful when developing or delivering a programme which includes work based or placement learning:
• B3: Learning and teaching
This chapter focuses on the learning opportunities that Higher Education providers make available to students, and on the staff who teach and/or support learning, including staff that are not employees of the Higher Education provider and/or are not based at the provider. B3 should be helpful for practitioners in appreciating the resources, environment, experiences and stakeholder responsibilities required for placement learning opportunities
• B4: Enabling student development and achievement
This chapter addresses the ways in which Higher Education providers enable students to develop and achieve their academic, personal and professional potential. Students who are fully informed about the opportunities available to them, but who are also aware of
their responsibility to engage with those opportunities, are more likely to make effective use of services and resources. B4 should be helpful for practitioners in appreciating the support required for placement learning and the contribution it makes to the wider student experience
• B10: Managing Higher Education provision with others
This chapter addresses the planning, establishing, managing and monitoring of Higher Education where it is delivered with or by others. B10 should be helpful for practitioners in appreciating the nature, complexity, and potential issues in any arrangements with placement providers, and should help in establishing a sound management framework
Practitioners might also find the guidance in B6: Assessment of students and accreditation
of prior learning and in Part C: Information about Higher Education provision helpful when
developing and establishing practice.
Higher Education providers reviewed by the QAA are required to meet all the Expectations of the Quality Code. The manner in which they do so is their own responsibility; it is important that providers respond in the ways that are appropriate for their organisation, internal
structures and the range of work based and placement learning opportunities that they offer. Providers are also responsible for meeting the requirements of legislation and any other regulatory requirements placed upon them, for example by funding councils or Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRB). This Guide should be read alongside these legislative requirements and reference points; and not in lieu of them.
Fitness for purpose
The emphasis should always be on fitness for purpose. Throughout this Guide we use
the expressions continuum and proportionate; and due to the wide range of work based
and placement learning found in Higher Education we must acknowledge that these opportunities are distributed along a spectrum, both in terms of length and integration to the curriculum. Consequently we need to think of ‘Good Practice’ as a continuum, as shown in the figure overleaf, and what is thought of as ‘Good Practice’ for a very short insight day may look quite different from that which is required for a practice placement – hence the need to be proportionate.
Work Based and Placement Learning
The objective of any work based or placement learning experience, regardless of length, is to consolidate and complement the academic learning, knowledge and skills with experience. It generally involves a three-way partnership involving student, employer and Higher
Education provider, and this Guide suggests ‘Good Practice’ for each party, in terms of roles, entitlements and responsibilities. It is important to remember that irrespective of who initiates the placement; whether a student makes a speculative application, an employer advertises a scheme or a Higher Education provider sources a project, it is important that all three parties are brought into the relationship in order that it becomes a successful learning opportunity.
The relationships are likely to include those:
• Between student and employer: for longer periods, this would be a formal legal
contract of employment, with all the implied entitlements and responsibilities. If the student is joining the employer for a placement this is likely to be a new contract, for a student embarking on work based learning with their existing employer this may require a variation in contract or working terms. For periods as short as a few hours, the student would probably be regarded as a visitor rather than employee
• Between student and Higher Education provider: the formal contract implicit in
acceptance of a student on a course, and evidenced by the student’s contributions towards tuition fees
• Between Higher Education provider and employer: usually a formal contract, particular
to practice placements where the employer is often involved in competency assessments such as in the Health sector
Whilst acknowledging that it is not always a clear divide, in this Guide we use the following to distinguish between work based and placement learning:
Spectrum of work based and placement learning activities
1-5 days
1-2 weeks
3-15 weeks
15-30 weeks
30+ weeks
Insight days Work shadowing Company visits Projects Practice placements Semester placements Study/work abroad Projects Sandwich placement Study/work abroad Work based award Internships Vacation placements Projects Work shadowing Internships Vacation placements Projects
• Work based learning is when the learner might be considered as employee first,
student second; i.e. they came to the Higher Education experience by virtue of their employment or employer
• Placement learning is when the learner might be considered as student first, employee
second; i.e. they came to the placement experience by virtue of their studies There are many activities that a student may undertake whilst on a Higher Education
programme of study which might contribute towards their employability development; some of those are explicitly excluded here. Experiential learning such as reflection on activities that are not part of a programme of study, for example volunteering or part time employment, where the learning is evidenced retrospectively, through Personal Development Planning or accreditation of prior learning, is not included here. It is not intended that the principles in this Guide should be applied retrospectively to these sorts of learning opportunities. This Guide is intended for those work based and placement learning opportunities that are a planned and integrated part of a student’s programme of study at a Higher Education provider.
Terminology
To help with thinking about proportionality, we have included some examples of common terminology related to work based and placement learning opportunities in the UK that are widely used in ASET member institutions. Outside the UK, terminology and concepts are too extensive to include here, but regardless of vocabulary the underlying principles may still be of use. Terminology is an area of considerable on-going debate and the examples overleaf are not definitive.
Company visits Usually undertaken as a supervised, group activity either as part of the curriculum or outside, as an enrichment activity for students
Insight days Offered and advertised by employers, aimed at first or second year undergraduate students.
Internships / Vacation placements
A short term placement opportunity usually offered and
advertised by employers although may also be secured through a speculative application. Taken by students at any level of study in a vacation time or part time during an academic year. Elsewhere, the term “internships” is used in another context to describe opportunities for new graduates.
Practice
placements Governed by a formal agreement between the Higher Education provider and employers, these placements are usually undertaken on programmes where qualification leads to a licence to practice such as in health or education. Students will often do multiple practice placements as part of their programme of study and employers may be involved in the assessment of students.
Projects Negotiated pieces of work, either group based or individual that may be sourced by the Higher Education provider or the student and can be located at the employers’ premises.
Sandwich placements
A placement equivalent of a year’s academic study (30-52 weeks depending on the Higher Education provider’s regulations). Typically taken by undergraduate students as the penultimate year of their programme.
Semester
placements If a full time placement, it would be equivalent of a semester’s academic study (12-15 weeks depending on the Higher Education provider’s regulations). May also be used to describe a part time placement where a student integrates spending 1 or 2 days a week throughout the semester on placement with their academic study.
Semester or Year
Abroad When a student opts to study at an overseas Higher Education provider which has collaborative / reciprocal agreement with their home Higher Education provider, this could include a period of work or may be study only. This may be part of, or additional to, their degree e.g. Erasmus, the EU educational exchange programme.
Work shadowing Short term, informal activities where a student will spend time on company premises but will have no contract or expectation of making a working contribution; it is an observation opportunity.
Work based award A full programme where the employment setting is used as a contextual focus for the learning regularly throughout the degree; either retrospectively through reflection or prospectively through the setting of specific projects.
Principles of Good Practice
This Guide adopts an approach to developing ‘Good Practice’ by providing a set of fundamental principles that can be used as a framework for continuous enhancement. We believe that the following principles foster ‘Good Practice’ in work based and placement learning when all parties work to...
1. Accept and recognise the value to employability 2. Are partners in planning and management
3. Clearly understand the responsibilities and expectations of everyone involved 4. Collaborate to ensure opportunities are inclusive, safe and supported
5. Engage in structured opportunities for learning and development 6. Establish sustainable relationships and networks
7. Record outcomes and evaluate feedback for continuous enhancement
We believe that these principles are effective because they:
• Cover the range of activities associated with establishing, engaging in and evaluating work based and placement learning
• Provide a coherent framework whilst allowing for innovation and creativity • Use simple language
• Apply to each of the parties; Higher Education provider’s, practitioners, students and employers can all identify with each principle
This Guide is accompanied by a dynamic toolkit to assist practitioners with examining their own practice, against each of the principles, and from the perspectives of each of the stakeholders/parties. We intend the toolkit to be a dynamic resource of templates, activities and examples that will grow over time – demonstrating that what is considered to be ‘Good Practice’ must also evolve. This toolkit will give examples of how the principles can be applied proportionately along the spectrum of work based and placement learning opportunities. ASET will contribute to this resource and will also act as a dissemination channel, welcoming contributions and examples from member institutions and practitioners within the wider ASET community.
The mapping which follows demonstrates that by adopting an approach to developing ‘Good Practice’ by providing a set of fundamental principles, providers can easily show how these activities contribute towards the achievement of the Indicators of the Quality Code. Examples are given for the following chapters of the Quality Code:
• B3: Learning and teaching
• B4: Enabling student development and achievement • B10: Managing Higher Education provision with others
The mapping must not be interpreted as a fail-safe guide to meeting the Expectations of the Quality Code. It is intended as a cross-referencing of the principles and the relevant guidance in the Quality Code, to support practitioners in implementing the Principles while ensuring that academic standards are safeguarded, and the quality of learning opportunities is assured and enhanced.
• Learning and t eaching pr actices ar e in formed b y r eflection, e valua tion of pr of essional pr
actice, and subject
-specific and educ ational scholar ship. (Indic at or 3) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s articula te and implemen t a s tr at egic appr oach t o learning and t eaching and pr omot e a shar ed under st
anding of this appr
oach among their s ta ff, s tuden ts and other s tak eholder s. (Indic at or 1) • Learning and t
eaching activities and associa
ted r esour ces pr ovide e ver y studen
t with an equal and e
ffectiv e opportunity t o achie ve the in tended learning out comes. (Indic at or 2) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s assur e themselv es tha t e ver yone in volv ed in teaching or supporting s tuden t learning is appr opria
tely qualified, support
ed and de veloped. (Indic at or 4) • E ver y s tuden t is pr
ovided with clear and curr
en
t in
forma
tion tha
t specifies the
learning opportunities and support a
vailable t o them. (Indic at or 7) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s t ak e deliber at e s tep s t o assis t e ver y s tuden t to under st and their r esponsibility t o eng ag
e with the learning opportunities
pr
ovided and shape their learning e
xperience.
(Indic
at
or 8)
• Learning and t
eaching activities and associa
ted resour ces pr ovide e ver y s tuden t with an equal and e ffectiv e opportunity t o achie ve the in tended learning out comes. (Indic at or 2) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s assur e themselv es tha t e ver yone in volv ed in t eaching or supporting studen t learning is appr opria tely qualified, support ed and de veloped. (Indic at or 4) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s main tain ph ysic al,
virtual and social learning en
vir onmen ts tha t ar e sa
fe, accessible and r
eliable f or e ver y s tuden t, pr omoting dignity , c ourt es y and r espect in their use. (Indic at or 6) • E ver y s tuden t is pr
ovided with clear and
curr
en
t in
forma
tion tha
t specifies the learning
opportunities and support a
vailable t o them. (Indic at or 7) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s t ak e deliber at e st ep s t o assis t e ver y s tuden t t o under st and their r esponsibility t o eng ag
e with the learning
opportunities pr
ovided and shape their learning
experience. (Indic at or 8) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s articula te and implemen t a s tr at egic appr oach t o learning and t eaching and pr omot e a shar ed under st
anding of this appr
oach among their s ta ff, s tuden ts and other s tak eholder s. (Indic at or 1) • Learning and t
eaching activities and associa
ted r esour ces pr ovide e ver y studen
t with an equal and e
ffectiv e opportunity t o achie ve the in tended learning out comes. (Indic at or 2) • Learning and t eaching pr actices ar e in formed b y r eflection, e valua tion of pr of essional pr
actice, and subject
-specific and educ
ational scholar ship. (Indic at or 3) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s c
ollect and analy
se appr opria te in forma tion t o ensur e the c on tinued e ffectiv eness of their s tr at egic appr oach t o, and the enhancemen t of
, learning opportunities and t
eaching pr actices. (Indic at or 5) • Learning and t eaching pr actices ar e in formed b y r eflection, e valua tion of pr of essional pr
actice, and subject
-specific and educ
ational scholar ship. (Indic at or 3) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s c
ollect and analy
se appr opria te in forma tion t o ensur e the c on tinued e ffectiv eness of their s tr at egic appr oach t o, and the enhancemen t of
, learning opportunities and t
eaching pr actices. (Indic at or 5) • E ver y s tuden t is enabled t o monit or their pr ogr
ess and further their ac
ademic de velopmen t thr ough the pr ovision of r egular opportunities t o r eflect on
feedback and eng
ag e in dialogue with s ta ff. (Indic at or 9) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s articula te and implemen t a str at egic appr oach t o learning and t eaching and pr omot e a shar ed under st
anding of this appr
oach among their s
ta ff, studen ts and other s tak eholder s. (Indic at or 1) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s assur e themselv es tha t e ver yone in volv ed in t eaching or supporting s tuden t learning is appr opria
tely qualified, support
ed and de veloped. (Indic at or 4) • E ver y s tuden t is pr
ovided with clear and curr
en
t in
forma
tion
tha
t specifies the learning opportunities and support a
vailable to them. (Indic at or 7) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s t ak e deliber at e s tep s t o assis t ev er y s tuden t t o under st and their r esponsibility t o eng ag e with
the learning opportunities pr
ovided and shape their learning
experience. (Indic at or 8)
ASET Principles f
or
Good Pr
actice
Es tablish sus tainable rela tionship s and ne tw ork s Rec or d out comes and ev alua te f eedback for c on tinuous enhancemen t Accep t and rec ognise the v alue of emplo yability Are partner sin planning and manag
emen t Clearly under st and the r esponsibilities and e xpect ations of ev er yone in volv ed Collabor at e t o ensur e opportunities ar e inclusiv e, sa fe and support ed Eng ag e in structur ed
opportunities for learning and developmen
t duc ation pr ovider s articula te and implemen t a s tr at egic o learning and t eaching and pr omot e a shar ed under st anding
oach among their s
ta ff, s tuden ts and other s tak eholder s. eaching pr actices ar e in formed b y r eflection, e valua tion
actice, and subject
-specific and educ
ational scholar ship. duc ation pr ovider s main tain ph ysic
al, virtual and social learning
ts tha
t ar
e sa
fe, accessible and r
eliable f or e ver y s tuden t, , c ourt es y and r
espect in their use.
(Indic
at
or 6)
o the Quality Code: Chap
ter B3 Learning and T
• Higher E duc ation pr ovider s ensur e s ta ff who enable s tuden ts t o de
velop and achie
ve ar e appr opria tely qualified, c ompe ten t, up t o da te and support ed. (Indic at or 7) duc ation pr ovider s in form s tuden ts be for
e and during their
tudy of opportunities designed t
o enable their de velopmen t vemen t. (Indic at or 4) o enable s tuden t de velopmen t and achie vemen t, Higher E duc ation ovider s put in to place policies, pr actices and s ys tems tha t f acilit at e ful tr ansitions and ac ademic pr ogr ession (Indic at or 5) duc ation pr ovider s ensur e all s tuden ts ha ve opportunities
velop skills tha
t enable their ac ademic, per sonal and pr of essional ogr ession. (Indic at or 6) • A c ommitmen t t
o equity guides Higher E
duc ation pr ovider s in enabling s tuden t de velopmen t and achie vemen t. (Indic at or 3) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s ensur e all s tuden ts ha ve opportunities t o de
velop skills tha
t enable their ac ademic, per sonal and pr of essional pr ogr ession. (Indic at or 6) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s de fine, c oor dina te, monit or and ev alua te r oles and r esponsibilities f or enabling s tuden t de velopmen t and achie vemen t both in ternally and in c ooper
ation with other
or ganisa tions. (Indic at or 2) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s ensur e s ta ff who enable s tuden ts t o de
velop and achie
ve ar e appr opria tely qualified, c ompe ten t, up t o da te and support ed. (Indic at or 7) • Thr ough s tr at
egic and oper
ational planning
, and quality assur
ance and enhancemen t, Higher E duc ation pr ovider s de termine and e valua te ho w the y enable s tuden t de velopmen t and achie vemen t. (Indic at or 1) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s in form s tuden ts be for
e and during their
period of s
tudy of opportunities designed t
o enable their de velopmen t and achie vemen t. (Indic at or 4) • Thr ough s tr at
egic and oper
ational planning
, and quality
assur
ance and enhancemen
t, Higher E duc ation pr ovider s de termine and e valua te ho w the y enable s tuden t de velopmen t and achie vemen t. (Indic at or 1) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s in form s tuden ts be for e and
during their period of s
tudy of opportunities designed t
o enable their de velopmen t and achie vemen t. (Indic at or 4) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s ensur e all s tuden ts ha ve opportunities to de velop skills tha t enable their ac ademic, per sonal and pr of essional pr ogr ession. (Indic at or 6) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s mak e a vailable appr opria te learning r esour
ces and enable s
tuden ts t o de velop the skills t o use them. (Indic at or 8) • Thr ough s tr at
egic and oper
ational planning
, and quality assur
ance and enhancemen t, Higher E duc ation pr ovider s de termine and e valua te ho w the y enable s tuden t de velopmen t and achie vemen t. (Indic at or 1) • Higher E duc ation pr ovider s ensur e all s tuden ts ha ve opportunities to de
velop skills tha
t enable their ac ademic, per sonal and pr of essional pr ogr ession. (Indic at or 6)
o the Quality Code: Chap
ter B4 Enabling Studen
t De
velopmen
t and Achie
vemen
t
Es tablish sus tainable rela tionship s and ne tw ork s Rec or d out comes and ev alua te f eedback for c on tinuous enhancemen t Accep t and rec ognise the v alue of emplo yability Are partner sin planning and manag
emen t Clearly under st and the r esponsibilities and e xpect ations of ev er yone in volv ed Collabor at e t o ensur e opportunities ar e inclusiv e, sa fe and support ed Eng ag e in structur ed
opportunities for learning and developmen
t
ASET Principles f
or
Good Pr
• A s tr at egic appr oach... (Indic at or 1) • P olicie s and pr oce dur es e nsur e tha t the re ar e ade qua te sa fe guar ds... (Indic at or 3) • The risk s of e ach arr ang eme nt t o de liv
er learning opportunities with
othe rs ar e asse sse d... (Indic at or 5) • Whe n making arr ang eme nts t o de liv er a pr ogr amme with othe rs, degr ee -aw ar
ding bodies fulfil the r
equir emen ts of an y pr of essional, s ta tut or y and re gula tor y body (PSRB)... (Indic at or 12) ang eme nts a t appr opria te le vels ar e in place... (Indic at or 2) ee-a w ar ding bodies r et ain r esponsibility f or e nsuring tha t s tude nts ed t o a pr ogr amme who wish t o c omple te it unde r the ir a w ar ding an do so... (Indic at or 9) ee-a w ar ding bodies ar e r esponsible for the ac ademic s tandar ds of all ations gr an ted in the ir name... (Indic at or 11) n making arr ang eme nts t o de liv er a pr ogr amme with othe rs, degr ee
-ding bodies fulfil the
re quir emen ts of an y pr of essional, s ta tut or y and tor y body (PSRB)... (Indic at or 12) ee-a w ar
ding bodies appr
ov e module (s) and pr ogr ammes deliv er ed ang eme nt with anothe r de liv er y or ganisa tion... (Indic at or 13) ee-a w ar
ding bodies ensur
e tha t de liv er y or ganisa tions in volv ed ssme nt of s tude nts under st and and f ollo w the assessme nt emen ts... (Indic at or 15) • All Higher E duc ation pr ovide rs main tain r ec or ds... (Indic at or 10) • De gr ee-a w ar ding bodies ar e r esponsible for the ac ademic s tandar ds of all cr
edit and qualific
ations gr an ted in the ir name... (Indi ca tor 11) • De gr ee-a w ar
ding bodies ensur
e tha t de liv er y or ganisa tions in volv ed in the asse ssme nt of s tude nts under st and and f ollo w the assessme nt re quir emen ts... (Indic at or 15) • De gr ee-a w ar
ding bodies ensur
e tha t modules and pr ogr ammes off er ed thr ough othe r deliv er y or ganisa tions... (Indic at or 17) • Whe n de gr ee-a w ar
ding bodies mak
e arr ang emen ts f or the deliv er y of le arning opportunitie s with othe rs, the y ensur e tha t the y r et ain authority for a w ar ding ce rtific at es and issuing de tailed r ec or ds... (Indic at or 19) tr at egic appr oach... (Indic at or 1) gr ee-a w ar
ding bodies tha
t e ng ag e with other w ar ding bodies... (Indic at or 4) s of e ach arr ang eme nt t o de liv er learning s with other s ar e assessed... (Indic at or 5) e is a writt en and le
gally binding agr
ee me nt, or nt, se
tting out the
righ ts and oblig ations of which is r egularly monit or ed and r evie w ed... at or 7) gr ee-a w ar ding bodies t ak e r esponsibility f or e nsuring t the y r et ain pr oper c on tr ol of the ac ademic s tandar ds... at or 8) gr ee-a w ar ding bodies r et ain r esponsibility f or e nsuring t s tuden ts admitt ed t o a pr ogr
amme who wish t
o te it under their a w ar ding authority c an do so... at or 9) gr ee-a w ar ding bodies ar e r esponsible for the ac ademic andar ds of all cr
edit and qualific
ations... (Indic at or 11) n making arr ang eme nts t o de liv er a pr ogr amme with s, de gr ee-a w ar
ding bodies fulfil the r
equir eme nts of y pr of essional, s ta tut or y and r egula tor y body (PSRB)... at or 12) gr ee-a w ar
ding bodies appr
ov e module (s) and ogr ammes de liv er ed thr ough an arr ang eme nt with r deliv er y or ganisa tion... (Indic at or 13) gr ee-a w ar ding bodies e nsur e tha t de liv er y ganisa tions in volv ed in the asse ssme nt of s tude nts rs tand and f ollo w the asse ssme nt r equir eme nts... at or 15) • Go vernance arr ang eme nts a t appr opria te le vels ar e in place... (Indic at or 2) • The risk s of e ach arr ang eme nt t o de liv
er learning opportunities with other
s ar e asse sse d... (Indic at or 5) • Appr opria te and pr oportiona te due dilig ence pr ocedur es ar e de termined f or e ach pr oposed arr ang eme nt... (Indi ca tor 6) • Ther e is a writt en and le
gally binding agr
ee me nt, or other docume nt, se
tting out the righ
ts and oblig
ations of the parties,
which is r egularly monit or ed and r evie w ed... (Indic at or 7) • De gr ee-a w ar ding bodies t ak e r esponsibility f or e nsuring tha t the y r et ain pr ope r c on tr ol of the ac ademic s tandar ds... (Indi ca tor 8) • Whe n making arr ang eme nts t o deliv er a pr ogr amme wi th othe rs, degr ee-a w ar
ding bodies fulfil the r
equir emen ts of an y pr of essional, s ta tut or y and r egula tor y body (PSRB)... (Indic at or 12) • De gr ee-a w ar
ding bodies clarif
y which or ganisa tion is r esponsible f or admitting and r egis tering a s tude nt... (Indic at or 14) • De gr ee-a w ar
ding bodies ensur
e tha t de liv er y or ganisa tions in volv ed in the assessmen t of s tude nts under st and and f ollo w the assessmen t r equir eme nts... (Indic at or 15) • De gr ee-a w ar ding bodies r et ain ultima te responsibility f or the appoin tme nt, brie
fing and functions of e
xt ernal e xamine rs... (Indi ca tor 16) • De gr ee-a w ar
ding bodies ensur
e tha t modules and pr ogr amme s off er ed thr ough othe r deliv er y or ganisa tions... (Indi ca tor 17) • De gr ee-a w ar
ding bodies ensur
e tha t the y ha ve e ffectiv e c on tr ol o ve r the accur
acy of all public in
forma tion, publicity and pr omotional activity ... (Indic at or 18) • Whe n making arr ang eme nts t o de liv er a pr ogr amme with othe rs, degr ee -aw ar
ding bodies fulfil the r
equir emen ts of an y pr of essional, s ta tut or y and re gula tor y body (PSRB)... (Indic at or 12)
o the Quality Code: Chap
ter B10 Managing Higher E
duc
ation pr
ovisions with other
s
ened - please re fer t o Chap ter B10 f or the full t ex t) Es tablish sus tainable rela tionship s and ne tw ork s Rec or d out comes and ev alua te f eedback for c on tinuous enhancemen t Accep t and rec ognise the v alue of emplo yability Are partner sin planning and manag
emen t Clearly under st and the r esponsibilities and e xpect ations of ev er yone in volv ed Collabor at e t o ensur e opportunities ar e inclusiv e, sa fe and support ed Eng ag e in structur ed
opportunities for learning and developmen
t
ASET Principles f
or
Good Pr
actice
• A s tr at egic appr oach... (Indic at or 1) • Appr opria te and pr oportiona te due dilig ence pr ocedur es ar e de termined for each pr opose d arr ang emen t... (Indic at or 6) • Ther e is a writt en and legally binding agr
ee me nt, or other docume nt, se
tting out the righ
ts and oblig ations of the parties, which is r egularly monit or ed and r evie w ed... (Indic at or 7) • De gr ee-a w ar ding bodies r et ain r esponsibility f or e nsuring tha t s tude nts admitt ed t o a pr ogr amme who wish t o c omple te it unde r the ir a w ar ding authority c an do so... (Indic at or 9) • Whe n making arr ang eme nts t o de liv er a pr ogr amme with othe rs, degr ee -aw ar
ding bodies fulfil the r
equir emen ts of an y pr of essional, s ta tut or y and re gula tor y body (PSRB)... (Indic at or 12)
In addition to the mapping, the checklists that follow are examples of what following these principles might look like in practice for each of the key stakeholders; Higher Education providers, practitioners, students and employers. These checklists are not a fail-safe guide to meeting the Expectations of the Quality Code and must not be used in isolation.
The guidance here is provided in broad terms; the dynamic toolkit will further develop the guidance with a view to having a set of completed templates for each of the work based and placement learning opportunities described in the terminology section of this Guide:
• Company visits • Insight days • Internships • Vacation placements • Practice placements • Projects • Sandwich placement • Semester placements • Semester or Year Abroad • Work shadowing
• Work based award
Conclusion
This Guide has been written to support the development of ‘Good Practice’ for work based and placement learning opportunities that are a planned and integrated part of a student’s programme of study at a Higher Education provider. ASET has worked with the QAA to ensure that the Guide assists practitioners in setting up provision and processes for planning, managing, monitoring and evaluating work based and placement learning. Continuous enhancement is key both to the practice supporting the development of work based and placement learning opportunities in the Higher Education sector, and this Guide itself. For updates, and information on the resources designed to support this Guide please see www.asetonline.org
Key References
•ASET (2007) Managing Placements with IT and Online, ‘Good Practice’ for Placement
Guides, available from www.asetonline.org/pubs.htm
• ASET (2010) Health and Safety for Placement Students, ‘Good Practice’ for Placement
Guides, available from www.asetonline.org/pubs.htm
• QAA (2011) UK Quality Code for Higher Education, QAA, available from
Pr
e-Placemen
t
ela
ting t
o the actions which need t
o be c omple ted prior t o a w ork -based or placemen t learning opportunity (t o be r
ead alongside the Quality Code)
Principle: Accep t and r ec ognise the v alue t o emplo yability Principle: Ar e partner
s in planning and manag
emen t Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… • R ec ognise the r ole of WBPL in ins titutional str at
egies such as Learning and T
eaching
,
Studen
t Experience and Emplo
yability str at egies • Mak e cle ar t o s tuden ts wha t pr ovision is av ailable t o support emplo yability de velopme nt as part of the studen t e xperience • Commit t o pr
oviding the necessar
y
resour
ces t
o pr
operly plan and manag
e the
WBPL pr
ocess
• Be clear about whe
ther opportunities ar
e
compulsor
y or op
tional, and when the cut
-off f or c ommitting t o being in volv ed is • Liaise with PSRB or e xt ernal accr edit ation bodies t o ensur e the WBPL opportunities mee t those Bodies r equir emen ts • Co-or dina te activity acr oss the pr ovider t o support individual pr actitioner s • Se t clear boundaries f or the sc ope and leng th of the WBPL , and wha t is accep table to mee t the ac ademic r equir emen ts • Sour ce and adv ertise v ac ancies and opportunities t o all eligible s tuden ts • Adv
ertise the pot
en tial t o off er opportunities f or s tuden ts t o emplo yer s, advising on wha t is appr opria te and usual timesc ales
• Compile and dis
tribut e support in forma tion f or the WBPL; this ma y be ph ysic al or electr onic • R et
ain final authorisa
tion and sign off of
an y WBPL opportunities tha t will be part of the pr ogr amme of s tudy
• Seek advice on sour
cing and securing a
WBPL opportunity fr om appr opria te sour ces • T ak e a pr oactiv e and positiv e appr oach t o securing their o wn WBPL opportunities • Main tain r ec or ds of all applic ations made
for WBPL and the out
comes ther eof , sharing with pr actitioner s when ask ed t o • A tt end WBPL brie fings and c omple te all activities r equir ed in pr epar ation f or WBPL • Pr ovide de
tails of their agr
eed WBPL t o the pr ovider; c on tact in forma
tion and job
descrip tion / c on tr act (if a vailable) • Liaise with pr actitioner s t o ensur e tha t WBPL opportunities off er ed mee t the ac ademic r equir emen ts • R
ecruit and select s
tuden
ts f
or WBPL r
oles
using the same me
thods and s tandar ds tha t apply t o r egular r ecruitmen t • Arr ang e an induction pr ogr amme and appoin t a line manag er who c an liaise with the s tuden t and the pr actitioner • De velop mark eting / pr omotional ma terials f or WBPL tha t mak e clear the bene fits t o emplo yability • Ensur e support ma terials f or WBPL
emphasise the bene
ficial e ffects on emplo yability • Sign up f or , and a tt
end, activities designed
to de
velop emplo
yability and those which
ar e specific ally in pr epar ation f or WBPL • Design opportunities f or WBPL tha t off er the s tuden ts a de velopmen t opportunity in addition t o fulfilling an emplo ymen t r ole Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should…
Pr
e-Placemen
t - Con
tinued
Principle: Clearly under
st and the r esponsibilities and e xpect ations of e ver yone in volv ed Principle: Collabor at e t o ensur e opportunities ar e inclusiv e, sa fe and support ed Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… • Mak e a clear dis tinction be tw een the
responsibilities of those supporting compulsor
y WBPL and those supporting
op tional WBPL • Pr ovide clear r ole descrip tor s f or ins titutional pr actitioner s supporting WBPL • Es tablish ins titutional pr ocesses f or the authorisa tion of WBPL opportunities, including writt en agr eemen ts • Pr ovide a fr ame w ork f or planning ,
managing and monit
oring WBPL
• R
ec
ognise the need t
o support WBPL in ins titutional documen ts and pr ocesses such health and sa fe ty
, equality and div
er sity , due dilig ence, s tuden t c omplain ts and s tuden t code of c onduct policies
• Be clear about ins
titutional r
esponsibilities
under the E
quality Act
• Be clear about ins
titutional r esponsibilities in r ela tion t o Na tional Minimum W ag e • R emember tha t the y ar e r epr esen ta tiv es of their pr ovider a
t all times and c
on tinue t o mee t an y s tuden t c ode of c onduct policies • Activ ely eng ag e in pr epar at or y and
induction activities associa
ted with health
and sa
fe
ty
, and equality and div
er
sity
• Be f
amiliar with the de
tails on health and
sa
fe
ty
, equality and div
er sity , due dilig ence in the supporting in forma tion f or WBPL • Off er s tuden ts e xpenses f or a tt ending recruitmen t and selection pr ocesses or off er virtual alt erna tiv es; such as t elephone in ter vie w s • P ay s tuden ts a t a r at e equiv alen t t o or gr ea
ter than the Na
tional Minimum W
ag
e
• Be f
amiliar with the de
tails on health and
sa
fe
ty
, equality and div
er sity , due dilig ence in the supporting in forma tion f or WBPL • Include de
tails on health and sa
fe
ty
,
equality and div
er sity , due dilig ence, s tuden t complain ts and s tuden t c ode of c onduct
policies in the supporting in
forma tion f or WBPL • Ensur e tha t all v ac
ancies and opportunities
adv ertised b y the pr ovider mee t leg al requir emen ts • Ensur e tha t the r esponsibilities and expect ations f or all ar e r ec or ded in the support in forma tion f or WBPL
• Be clear about particular r
esponsibilities
reg
ar
ding the assessmen
t of s tuden t learning , and c o-or dina te the de velopmen t of c ompe tence t o support this • Se t up pr ocedur es f or managing situa tions wher e r esponsibilities / e xpect ations ar e not m et • F ollo w ins titutional pr ocesses f or the authorisa tion of WBPL opportunities, including writt en agr eemen ts • Mak e and k
eep all appoin
tmen ts, whe ther with emplo yer s or pr actitioner s • Be f
amiliar with the r
esponsibilities and expect ations f or all parties • Be sur e t o under st and their o wn assessmen t r equir emen ts prior t o lea ving f or WBPL • Agr ee t o the arr ang emen ts f or WBPL , which will be r ec or ded in a writt en agr eemen t
• Liaise with the pr
actitioner s t o es tablish clear c ommunic ation on r ecruitmen t and selection • Be f
amiliar with the r
esponsibilities and expect ations f or all parties • Communic at e their pr ocedur es f or managing situa tions wher e r esponsibilities / expect ations ar e not me t t o the pr actitioner • Agr ee t o the arr ang emen ts f or WBPL , which will be r ec or ded in a writt en agr eemen t Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should…
Pr
e-Placemen
t - Con
tinued
• Support e ffectiv e and e fficien t r ec or d keeping f or WBPL • Ensur e ins titutio nal guidance on the design and de velopmen t of WBPL is a vailable • Ensur e WBPL is included in the ins titutional fr ame w ork f or pr ogr amme design, r evie w and monit oring • Support s ta ff de velopmen t f or pr actitioner s in volv ed in WBPL • Provide guidance on sour
cing , securing and learning fr om WBPL opportunities • Eng ag e in s ta ff de velopmen t, t o enhance pr actice • Ex chang
e ideas with other pr
actitioner s t o ensur e the v alue of WBPL is r ec ognised in pr ogr amme design, r evie w and monit oring • A tt end WBPL brie fings and c omple te all activities r equir ed in pr epar ation f or WBPL • Consider de vising o wn learning objectiv es for WBPL • Liaise with pr actitioner s t o ensur e WBPL off er ed pr ovides opportunities f or learning and de velopmen t • Support s ta ff de velopmen t f or line manag er s and men tor s of s tuden ts on WBPL • T ak e up opportunities t o be in volv ed in pr ogr amme design, r evie w and monit oring • Ensur e tha t the y c omple te all ins titutional pr ocesses in r ela tion t o health and sa fe ty , insur
ance, due dilig
ence and risk assessmen
t and r eturn c on firma tion of this t o the pr ovider • Accep t liability and r esponsibility f or studen ts on WBPL as the y w
ould with all
other emplo yees • Ensur e tha t the y c omple te all ins titutional pr ocesses in r ela tion t o health and sa fe ty , insur
ance, due dilig
ence and risk assessmen
t and r eturn c on firma tion of this t o the pr ovider • Communic at e de tails of s tarting da te, induction arr ang emen ts and c on tact in forma tion f or line manag er w ell ahead of WBPL c ommencing • Ensur e tha t all ins titutional pr ocesses in rela tion t o health and sa fe ty , insur ance, due dilig
ence, risk assessmen
t and visa check
s
ar
e f
ollo
w
ed and the out
comes ar e r ec or ded • Ensur e tha t an y s tuden ts with additional requir emen ts ar e re ferr ed to the appr opria te
experts, liaising with them as necessar
y • R ef er an y non-s tandar d r esponses t o ins titutional pr ocesses t o e xpert c olleagues within the pr ovider f or r esolution • R eser ve final authorisa
tion and sign
off of an y WBPL opportunities un til the ins titutional pr ocesses de tailed abo ve ar e comple te • Clearly c ommunic at e ho w issues with WBPL should be r
aised, and the timesc
ales
within which the
y will be addr essed Principle: Eng ag e in s tructur ed opportunities f or learning and de velopmen t Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Pr actitioner s should… Studen ts should… Emplo yer s should…
Pr
e-Placemen
t - Con
tinued
Principle: Es tablish sus tainable r ela tionship s and ne tw ork s Principle: R ec or d out comes and e valua te f eedback f or c on tinuous enhancemen t Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… • Es tablish a fr ame w ork f or e ffectiv e rec or d k eeping , pr oviding s ys tems wher e appr opria te • Es tablish a fr ame w ork f or e ffectiv e rec or d k eeping , pr oviding s ys tems wher e appr opria te.• Seek and act on f
eedback fr om an y unsuccess ful applic ations • Once c on firmed, e xchang e and r ec or d con tact de tails f or all parties in volv ed in WBPL • R evie w f eedback fr om pr evious WBPL and mak e an y necessar y chang es, enhancemen ts or inno va tions • In particular , c
onsult with outg
oing WBPL studen ts t o g et f eedback on their e xperience • Once c on firmed, e xchang e and r ec or d con tact de tails f or all parties in volv ed in WBPL • Se t up and main tain r ec or ds, using appr opria te s ys tems • R evie w f eedback fr om pr evious WBPL and mak e an y necessar y chang es, enhancemen ts or inno va tions • Once c on firmed, e xchang e and r ec or d con tact de tails f or all parties in volv ed in WBPL • Main tain r ec or ds of curr en t and pas t studen ts and emplo yer s eng aging in WBPL • Es tablish a r egular schedule f or main taining c on tact with s tuden ts and emplo yer s • Communic at e a s ta temen t of ser vice t o all in volv ed in WBPL • Main tain r ec or ds of all applic ations made
for WBPL and the out
comes ther eof , sharing with pr actitioner s when ask ed t o • Ensur e tha t the y ha ve a clear , pr of essional digit al f ootprin t (social media / w eb pr esence) prior t o WBPL t o help the es tablishmen t of their ne tw ork • Beha ve pr of essionally a
t all times during
the applic
ation pr
ocess; once a WBPL
opportunity has been accep
ted all other
applic
ations should be withdr
awn. If an
opportunity is off
er
ed but not accep
ted, t ell the pr actitioner s fir st t o allo w the pr ovider t o liaise appr opria
tely with the emplo
yer • If in pos t, in volv e s tuden ts on curr en t WBPL opportunities in the r ecruitmen t and selection of ne xt gr oup of s tuden ts • If s till in pos t, g et curr en t s tuden ts on WBPL t o arr ang e induction pr ogr amme and hando ver t o ne w WBPL s tuden ts Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should…
On Placemen
t
ela
ting t
o the actions which need t
o be c omple ted during a w ork -based or placemen t learning opportunity (t o be r
ead alongside the Quality Code)
Principle: Accep t and r ec ognise the v alue t o emplo yability Principle: Ar e partner
s in planning and manag
emen t Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… • Mak e a pla tf orm a vailable f or r egular re flection; thr
ough a virtual or manag
ed learning en vir onmen t which ma y t ak e the form of an e-portf olio • Commit t o pr
oviding the necessar
y
resour
ces t
o pr
operly support the WBPL
pr ocess •Ensur e tha t miles tones / check -in poin ts ar e es tablished, main tained and r ec or ded • Es
tablish and manag
e e xpect ations with reg ar d t o support including fr equency and me thod. If visits ar e t o be undert ak en this requir
es managing the schedule f
or the cohort of s tuden ts • Con tribut e ideas f or their o wn de velopmen t thr ough the WBPL • Eng ag e in all r easonable opportunities f or de velopmen t during the WBPL • Arr ang e t o mee t r
egularly with a line
manag er or men tor t o discuss w orkload, challeng es and ideas
• Use the same appr
aisal and r
evie
w
me
thods with the s
tuden
t tha
t w
ould be
used with other emplo
yees • Ensur e assessmen t is link ed both t o
activities on WBPL and futur
e applic ability t o emplo yability • Embr
ace all learning opportunities during
WBPL with en thusiasm, and c ap tur e learning thr ough per sonal r eflection • Off er f ormal and in formal opportunities t o assis t s tuden ts with c ar
eer choices during
WBPL Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should…
Principle: Clearly under
st and the r esponsibilities and e xpect ations of e ver yone in volv ed • Ensur e tha t ther e ar e clear r eporting lines within the pr ovider in r ela tion t o WBPL • Cap tur e r esponsibilities with r eg ar d to WBPL in ins
titutional policies and
regula tions • Addr ess an y issues or c oncerns tha t arise
during the WBPL opportunity pr
omp tly and in volving appr opria te parties • R eport an y issues or c oncerns tha t arise
during the WBPL opportunity pr
omp tly to the pr actitioner and/ or emplo yer as appr opria te • P articipa te in r
egular discussion with the
pr
ovider or pr
actitioner about the WBPL
opportunity and/ or the emplo yer • R eport an y issues or c oncerns tha t arise
during the WBPL opportunity pr
omp tly to the pr actitioner and/ or s tuden t as appr opria te • P articipa te in r
egular discussion with the
pr
ovider or pr
actitioner about the WBPL
opportunity and/
or the s
tuden
On Placemen
t - Con
tinued
Principle: Collabor at e t o ensur e opportunities ar e inclusiv e, sa fe and support ed Principle: Eng ag e in s tructur ed opportunities f or learning and de velopmen t Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… • Ackno wledg e tha t s tuden ts r emain studen ts thr oughout the WBPL , and c ommit to providing the necessar
y r
esour
ces t
o
pr
operly support the s
tuden ts thr oughout the WBPL pr ocess • Mak e a pla tf orm a vailable f or learning and assessmen t purposes; thr ough a virtual or manag ed learning en vir onmen t which ma y tak e the f orm of an e-portf olio • Appr ecia te tha t tr ansition t o w orking en vir onmen ts c an be challenging and support s tuden ts thr ough the pr ocess • Addr ess an y issues or c oncerns tha t arise • Pr ovide assessmen t which driv es the le arning pr
ocess during the
WBPL r ather than me re ly assessing wha t has bee n learned a t the end • If the leng th of the WBPL allo w s f or it; in vit e s tuden ts back f or a shar ed opportunity
to discuss their learning - or pr
ovide online alt erna tiv es • Se e c on
tact with the e
mplo yer as an opportunity f or on-g oing pr of essional de ve lopme nt • Initia te and manag e the on-g oing support thr
oughout the WBPL; mak
e arr ang emen ts, manag e c ommunic ations, c on firm who is in volv ed and when • Eng ag e in all r easonable opportunities f or de velopmen t during the WBPL • Cap tur e the learning thr oughout the
WBPL and not mer
ely a
t the end of the
opportunity • Comple te the assessmen t t ask s in or der t o mee t the ac ademic r equir emen ts • Pr ovide induction ma
terials and activities
associa
ted with health and sa
fe
ty
, and
equality and div
er
sity
• Support the line manag
er of the s tuden t, and consider appoin ting a me nt or in addition t o this • Pr ovide suit able super vision and tr aining to enable s tuden ts t o learn and de velop within their WBPL r ole • Pr ovide suit
able support and tr
aining t
o
enable line manag
er s and/ or men tor s t o support s tuden ts in their WBPL r ole Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should…
On Placemen
t - Con
tinued
Principle: Es tablish sus tainable r ela tionship s and ne tw ork s Principle: R ec or d out comes and e valua te f eedback f or c on tinuous enhancemen t Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… • Es tablish a fr ame w ork f or e ffectiv e r ec or d keeping , pr oviding clien t manag emen t sy st ems wher e appr opria te • Es tablish a fr ame w ork f or e ffectiv e rec or d k eeping , pr oviding s ys tems wher e appr opria te. The s ys tems should be c apable of r ec or ding da ta sa fely • Co-or dina te e valua tion and f eedback pr ocesses thr oughout the WBPL • R eflect r egularly thr oughout the WBPL and participa te in all opportunities f orfeedback, both with the pr
ovider and with
the emplo yer • Pr ovide r egular opportunities f or s tuden ts to f eedback on their WBPL e xperience thr
ough their line manag
er or men tor • P articipa te in opportunities t o f eedback t o the s tuden t, pr actitioner and pr ovider • Pr
ovide scheduled opportunities t
o r evie w the w orking r ela tionship s • Wher e appr opria te, pr ovide s ta ff de velopmen t f or emplo yer s t o help them t o be tt er support s tuden ts on WBPL • Capit alise on the r ela
tionship with the
emplo yer b y v olun teering t o g et in volv ed in
other activities wher
e possible
• R
eport and deal with an
y issues or pr oblems r aised pr omp tly and pr of essionally • Support the s tuden t t o r eturn t o s tudy a t
the end of the WBPL
• R emember tha t the y ar e r epr esen ta tiv es of their c our se a
t all times and look f
or opportunities t o enhance their r eput ation and tha t of their pr ovider • De velop their pr of essional ne tw ork during the WBPL • R
eport and deal with an
y issues or pr oblems r aised pr omp tly and pr of essionally • Support the s tuden t in de veloping their pr of essional ne tw ork whils t on WBPL • Capit alise on the r ela
tionship with the
pr ovider b y v olun teering t o g et in volv ed in
other activities wher
e possible • Wher e appr opria te, pr ovide s ta ff de velopmen t f or pr actitioner s t o help them to be tt er support s tuden ts on WBPL • Support the s tuden t t o r eturn t o s tudy a t
the end of the WBPL • R
eport and deal with an
y issues or pr oblems r aised pr omp tly and pr of essionally Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should…
Pos
t-Placemen
t
ASET Guidance r ela ting to the actions which need t
o be c omple ted afte r a w ork -based or placemen t learning opportunity (t o be r
ead alongside the Quality Code)
Principle: Accep t and r ec ognise the v alue t o emplo yability Principle: Ar e partner
s in planning and manag
emen
t
Principle: Clearly under
st and the r esponsibilities and e xpect ations of e ver yone in volv ed Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… • Ensur e tha t the WBPL is r ec or ded on the ac ademic r ec or d; as part of the tr anscrip t or Higher E duc ation Achie vemen t R eport or Diploma Supplemen t • Conside r w ay s of enc our aging participa tion in futur e WBPL thr ough ins titutional mark eting ma terial • Co-or dina te r eporting t o mee t the requir emen ts f or PSRBs and e xt ernal accr editing bodies • Ensur e tha t assessmen t is c onsider ed by the appr opria te ac ademic pr ocesses including marking , moder ation and e xt ernal ex amina tion • Pr ovide opportunities f or the ne xt c ohort to learn fr om the e
xperiences of the curr
en t cohort of s tuden ts and emplo yer s • Co-or dina te e valua tion and f eedback pr ocesses a
t the end of the WBPL
• Liaise with emplo
yer s about the ne xt in tak e of s tuden ts • Assis t with opportunities f or the ne xt cohort t o learn fr om the e xperiences of the curr en t c ohort of s tuden ts • Shar e their r eflections on the WBPL
experience with the emplo
yer t o help them plan f or futur e WBPL opportunities • Comple te all e valua
tion and assessmen
t activities • Assis t opportunities f or the ne xt c ohort t o learn fr om the e
xperiences of the curr
en t cohort of emplo yer s • Signpos t gr adua te emplo ymen t opportunities f or the s tuden t • In form the pr ovider of futur e WBPL opportunities f or the ne xt c ohort • Pr
ovide activities and/
or ma terials t o support s tuden ts t o mak e the mos t of the their WBPL e xperience • Enable s tuden ts t o in tegr at e the learning fr om their WBPL in to their futur e s tudies • P articipa te in all e valua
tion and assessmen
t
activities t
o r
eflect on the impact of the
WBPL on their emplo yability • Off er either a r ef er ence or t es timonial f or the s tuden t Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should…
Pos
t-Placemen
t - Con
tinued
Principle: Collabor at e t o ensur e opportunities ar e inclusiv e, sa fe and support ed Principle: Eng ag e in s tructur ed opportunities f or learning and de velopmen t Principle: Es tablish sus tainable r ela tionship s and ne tw ork s Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… • Ha ve mechanisms f or pr oviding ins titutional r esponses t o an y issues r aised • F acilit at e cr oss ins titutional learning fr om WBPL • Enable pr actitioner s t o learn fr om other pr actitioner s across the sect
or • Pr ovide r ec ognition and/ or r esour ce t o ackno wledg
e the support of emplo
yer s in the emplo yability de velopmen t of the studen ts thr ough WBPL • P eriodic ally r evie w the r ang e of WBPL opportunities; r emo ve an y which ar e of c
oncern and look f
or additional
opportunities tha
t enable the pr
omotion of
equality and div
er sity • R egularly r evie w c on ten t of the supporting in forma
tion health and sa
fe ty , equality and div er sity , due dilig ence, s tuden t c omplain ts and s tuden t c ode of c onduct policies • F acilit at e s tuden t learning acr oss and be tw een the c ohorts • Eng ag e in r egular r eflection on their o wn pr of essional pr actice • Look f or opportunities f or inno va tion and de velopmen t in their o wn pr of essional pr actice • Es tablish ‘ alumni ’ ne tw ork s of s tuden ts on WBPL • Pr ovide f
eedback on the suit
ability of
activities, induction and tr
aining with r eg ar d to support thr oughout the WBPL • Consider pr oviding the pr ovider and/ or the emplo yer with a c ase s
tudy about their
experience if it w as e xcep tionally positiv e • Comple te the assessmen t t ask s in or der t o mee t the ac ademic r equir emen ts • P articipa te in opportunities designed to f acilit at e s tuden t learning acr oss and be tw een the c ohorts, and a ft er gr adua tion
• Thank the emplo
yer f
or the WBPL
opportunity and agr
ee an y f ollo w up arr ang emen ts; whe ther a r ef er ence or tes timonial is a
vailable and who fr
om
• Seek out the s
tuden t’s r eflections on their WBPL e xperience t o help t o plan f or futur e WBPL opportunities • Agr ee an y f ollo w up de velopmen t
opportunities with the pr
ovider; c ome in to the pr ovider t o t alk t o s tuden ts, join an emplo yer s’ advisor y gr oup, a tt end a c ar eer s
fair or join a curriculum r
evie w t eam • Agr ee an y f ollo w up arr ang emen ts with the s tuden t; whe ther the y will pr ovide re fer ences/t es timonials Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Pr actitioner s should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Studen ts should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should… Emplo yer s should…
Pos
t-Placemen
t - Con
tinued
• Es tablish a fr ame w ork f or e ffectiv e rec or d k eeping , pr oviding s ys tems wher e appr opria te. The s ys tems should be c apable of enabling the r egular monit oring and ev alua tion of da ta • Build in the e valua tion of WBPL in to st andar d ins titutional r eporting a t module/ pr ogr amme/School le vel • Carry out periodic monit
oring and annual
ev
alua
tion of WBPL schemes, dissemina
ting
findings in
ternally and sharing summaries
with emplo yer s and s tuden ts • Comple te all e valua tion and f eedback activities • R evie w and act on f eedback fr om the emplo yer and fr om the assessmen t pr ocess • Use their f eedback t o f ormula te an action plan f ocussing on de veloping the ne xt s tag e of their c ar eer • K eep r ec or
ds of the WBPL and tha
t ev alua tion ther eof • Communic at e ideas f or enhancemen t with the pr ovider thr ough the pr actitioner s • Capit alise on futur e opportunities; t o undert ak e pr oject w
ork with the emplo
yer as part of on-g oing ac ademic s tudy , or t o consider gr adua te emplo ymen t with the same emplo yer • Upda te their CV , and digit al f ootprin t, t o
include the WBPL opportunity • V
olun teer t o assis t pr actitioner s with the pr omotion of WBPL • Consider off ering futur e opportunities t o the same s tuden t; pr oject w ork as part of on-g oing ac ademic s tudy , or t o off er a r out e to gr adua te emplo ymen t • Agr ee an y f ollo w up arr ang emen ts with the pr ovider with r eg ar d t o futur e v ac ancies and timesc ales • Agr ee an y f ollo w up arr ang emen ts; whe ther a futur e WBPL opportunity is av ailable, emplo yer s c oming in to the pr ovider t o t alk t o s tuden ts or join an emplo yer s’ advisor y gr oup Principle: R ec or d out comes and e valua te f eedback f or c on tinuous enhancemen t Higher E duc ation pr ovider s should… Pr actitioner s should… Studen ts should… Emplo yer s should…
History of this Guide
From its inception in the early 1980s, ASET was involved with issues associated with ‘Good Practice’ in sandwich placements; indeed ASET started its life as the Association for Sandwich Education and Training. Towards the end of the 1990s, much of the work was brought
together more formally through an ASET working group, the Universities Committee for Sandwich Courses, and in 2001 a Code of ‘Good Practice’ was launched, initially badged jointly with the then National Council for Work Experience. Subsequently it wa
