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PLACEMENT SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION PROVIDERS
Areas of consideration and tools for education providers to use while students are on placement
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents 2
Context 3
Expectations of providers 3
Log book/Progress Tracker 3
Timesheets 4
Student Reviews 4
Troubleshooting student issues 4
Coaching/mindset and perspective changes 5
Logistical changes 5
Discussions with employer on improving quality of work 5
Changing learning objectives 5
Resilience training 6
Appendices 6
Industry Placement Student Log book 7
Industry Placement Student Log book 8
Before your industry placement 9
About the organisation and your role 9
Objective Setting 10
Employability Skills 12
On your industry placement 13
Induction Checklist 13
Student diary 15
After your industry placement 25
Summarise your learning from your placement 25
Employability Skills 26
Placement Feedback 28
Employer Reflections 29
Daily Timesheet 30
Student timesheet 31
Midpoint Review OF Student Progress 32
Final Review of Student Progress 33
Behaviour & Social Skills standards 34
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 3
CONTEXT This resource has been developed for education providers: specifically, for the industry placements contact, and the tutor who has direct contact with the student and the employer during the placement. The following pages contain suggested areas of consideration and tools which may be useful while students are on placement.
EXPECTATIONS OF PROVIDERS The actions below will help you to support a student on an industry placement, and ensure they are of value to the employer.
During the placement
● Ensure you provide the employer with one key contact who they can easily
reach if needed.
● Maintain regular contact with the employer and the student during the
placement. Use these communication channels to monitor and evaluate the
placement in terms of the student’s progress as well as health, safety and
welfare. Agree frequency of contact with the employer. Contact with the student
should be fortnightly as a minimum.
● Organise a midpoint review meeting between you, the student and your contact
at the employer. This should be held in person and is an opportunity to check in
on the student’s progress, review their learning objectives and make any
changes to improve the second half of the placement.
● You may wish to conduct additional visits to the employer and student as
necessary.
● Carry out ongoing safeguarding checks as necessary to ensure the safety of
the student while working with the employer. Use reasonable discretion in
considering the track record and experience of employers to determine the level
of monitoring they may need.
● If any serious issues arise relating to the student’s performance on the industry
placement, address these with the student.
● Raise any issues promptly with the employer and handle them appropriately.
Completion of placement
● Ensure a final review session is held in person between you, the student and
the employer at the end of the placement to reflect on the student’s progress.
● Ensure that the employer provides the student with a reference after completion
of their placement.
LOG BOOK/PROGRESS TRACKER For industry placements, it is important for students to develop clear goals and track their progress in achieving them. A logbook is a useful tool for students to log information and reflect on their progress throughout the placement. It may be helpful to have tutors or curriculum heads ensure that students are filling these out.
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 4
There is an example of a logbook / progress tracker in the Appendix. However, some education providers have used online tools such as Moodle, Navigate, Kloodle or Changing Education’s CONNECT software, if you prefer1.
TIMESHEETS Timesheets are helpful for ensuring that students are completing the 45 working day minimum requirement. There are a few examples of timesheets that education providers have used to track students’ attendance during industry placements in the Appendix. You may however prefer an online tool such as Moodle.
STUDENT REVIEWS Ongoing reviews help to demonstrate the student’s progress which will give them confidence as well as identifying any possible obstacles or issues in good time. It is a requirement for education providers to visit the employer and student at least twice during an industry placement: once in the middle and once at the end. Education providers should encourage tutors to be the owner of the relationship between the student and the employer and to keep track of placement reviews. This has been proven a valuable approach during the pilot, thanks to their position to review students’ ability against what they taught them in the classroom and what’s on the syllabus. Reviews are also really useful for future curriculum improvement. If, for example, a significant number of employers identify that students are not prepared in a specific skill, the curriculum could be modified to take this into account. It would be useful for your industry placement team to establish formal systems through which employers can feed back on the student’s preparation (as well as their progress during the placement). Lessons can then be shared within curriculum areas. Example reviews to be completed by the student, employer and education provider can be found in the Appendix.
TROUBLESHOOTING STUDENT ISSUES If an issue arises, either from the student or employer, it may be possible to avoid non-completion of the placement by providing the right support. Regular communication is really important to address issues promptly. Ensure you keep in touch with both the student and employer so that issues can be dealt with before they escalate.
1 Please note that these are paid-for services which have been recommended by certain
education providers. They are for information purposes only. The resources are not expressly endorsed by any particular service or provider. Other services and providers are also available.
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 5
Coaching/mindset and perspective changes
If, for example, the industry placement is not meeting the expectations of the student, a good coaching method to use is the GROW model to re-adjust their expectations. This involves taking the following steps:
1. Establish the Goal - It may be the same goal they had initially, but ensure it is a SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
2. Examine the Current Reality - Ask them to describe their current reality and the effects of this on their goal. Ask them what other perspectives are available.
3. Explore the Options - Determine what all the possible solutions could be and what resources are available. Ask the student to brainstorm as many as possible and then help them select the best one.
4. Establish the Will - Ask the student to commit to specific actions in order to move forward towards their goal and set up regular times to review these.
Logistical changes
The issue may be easily solved by changing logistics, such as working hours, days, etc. Find out from the student if any of these practical aspects are current barriers to them completing the industry placement. If so, discuss with the employer if there is flexibility or any alternatives around these.
Discussions with employer on improving quality of work
There may be a discrepancy between what was initially discussed or agreed in terms of the scope of the industry placement and the objectives of the student. If this is the case, it might be helpful to refer back to the industry placement agreement that you, the employer, and the student agreed. If the employer is having difficulty in meeting the standards, a discussion might be helpful to come up with feasible ways to make improvements. You can also remind the student about needing to maintain a degree of flexibility in a real business where business needs change.
Changing learning objectives
In some situations, the learning objectives that were initially established might become unrealistic or difficult for the employer to enact. In this case, identify if there are any other areas of the industry placement or opportunities at the hosting organisation that could meet other learning objectives of the student. Discuss with the student what their long term goals are and if there are any key experiences they would like to attain. If this is possible at the current industry placement, see if the student and the employer would be open to changing the objectives to meet this need.
CASE STUDY
Dealing with Placement Difficulties
“When students expressed difficulties on placement, the careers coach met up with the student to discuss how their placement may be improved. This also linked to their objectives. For most cases this worked. This was brought up during the mid-point reviews to ensure opportunities for students were in place.”
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 6
Resilience training
Sometimes due to lack of work experience or maturity, students may not deal with challenges or moving goalposts as well as they could. In this case, resilience training may help to educate and empower them to handle more difficult situations than they are used to. Resilience is a vital attribute for the world of work and should form a part of student preparation pre-placement and also during the placement to navigate bumps in the road.
APPENDICES
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Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 7
INDUSTRY PLACEMENT STUDENT LOG BOOK
<<Project Title/Role e.g. Junior Design Engineer>>
<<Company name and logo>>
<<Student name>>
<<Dates of placement>>
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 8
INDUSTRY PLACEMENT STUDENT LOG BOOK
This logbook is for you to use prior to, during and after your industry placement so that you:
● Feel prepared for your placement, with clear goals for what you want to achieve ● Keep track of and reflect your learning and development during your placement ● Use your experience to inform future planning and skill development ● Have a record of your achievements to refer to
Student Information
Name: ______________________________________________________________________
Provider Name: _______________________________________________________________
Course: _____________________________________________________________________
Tutor Name: _________________________________________________________________
Tutor contact number: ___________________email address: ___________________________
Industry Placement Information
Organisation Name: _________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________
Main phone number: __________________________________________________________
Line Manager: ________________________________________________________________
Line Manager phone number: _________________ email address: ______________________
Placement name/brief description: ________________________________________________
Practical Information
Placement start date: _________________Placement end date:_________________________
Placement structure/days of the week (i.e. when you are expected to attend your placement): ____________________________________________________________________________
Working hours: _______________________________________________________________
Break/lunch times: _____________________________________________________________
How will you travel to/from your placement?_________________________________________
Train/bus/tram times:__________________________________________________________
Fare cost per day/week________________________________________________________
Lunch arrangements: __________________________________________________________
Dress code: _________________________________________________________________
Any special clothing/equipment required?: __________________________________________
Any other important information: _________________________________________________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 9
BEFORE YOUR INDUSTRY PLACEMENT
About the organisation and your role
What type of organisation is your industry placement taking place at? What product or service to they offer? Who are their customers? How many people do they employ? How is the business organised? How many years have they been in business?
What is the role and what are your responsibilities? What do you expect to be doing day-to-day? How will you contribute to the success of the organisation?
Describe the attributes, technical abilities and/or practical experience that will help you to succeed in this role.
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 10
Objective Setting
Copy over the Key Development Objectives as set out between yourself, your college and employer in your Industry Placement Agreement:
Based on the above and your responsibilities as agreed with your line manager, what are your objectives for your industry placement? These should be SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound).
SMART Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 11
Reality
What is my current level in relation to my goals?
Obstacles
What might get in the way of me achieving my goals?
What will I do?
What do I need to do to achieve my goals and overcome any obstacles? Who will support me and how?
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 12
Employability Skills
Employability skills are the transferable skills that employers are looking for in all individuals. Please complete the two tables below – we’ll return to these to check your progress at the end of your placement.
If you already completed a student self-assessment survey you can copy across your responses.
1. How confident do you feel with regards to each of these statements?
Not confident at all
Not very confident
Neutral Confident Very confident
I can speak clearly to employers about my skills and experiences at an interview.
I am prepared for work.
I understand the skills that employers are looking for.
I have the behaviour and social skills that employers need to do the job I want to do
I have the knowledge and technical skills that employers need to do the job I want to do.
I can get a job related to my qualification.
I have a good understanding of what life is like for people who are different from me.
2. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Strongly disagree
Disagree Neither agree / disagree
Agree Strongly agree
I am good at communicating my thoughts and ideas in a way that is easy for others to understand.
I am good at organising my time and the things I have to do.
I work well as part of a team.
Most people are generally trustworthy.
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 13
ON YOUR INDUSTRY PLACEMENT
Induction Checklist
☐ I have been given an overview of the company products, the industry, and the work carried out at this particular site.
☐ I have been told about my itinerary for my placement, which departments I will be working in, and the type of work I will be observing, learning about and doing.
☐ I understand the start and finish times of my working day.
☐ It has been explained to me who will be my immediate line manager for my industry placement and who to speak to if there is a problem.
☐ I have been shown the location of the restaurant and toilet facilities, and I am aware of the break times that I can take.
☐ I have been told the areas which are restricted to me or that I must remain with my line manager/an employee at all times, due to security reasons (where applicable).
☐ I have been briefed on potential hazards/safety issues, if any, that I could be exposed to during the industry placement.
☐ I have been told about safe working practices to adhere to while on my placement.
☐ I understand that I am not permitted to operate any machinery without the permission of my line manager, and without first receiving the appropriate training.
☐ I have had the importance of safety equipment explained to me, such as PPE, where it is kept, which areas it must be used in and why.
☐ I have been told that I must report any injury/accident to my line manager immediately, who will be able to locate the nearest first-aider.
☐ I have been told what I should do in the event of a fire, and how I will know if a fire alarm has been raised.
☐ I have been told the emergency procedure and where the assembly points/emergency exits are. I understand that I should speak to my line manager if I am unclear which emergency exit to use on the site, in case of an emergency.
☐ I know that I should not run during an evacuation.
Student and industry placement provider to read and agree this checklist:
Signed organisation: Signed student: Dated:
.................................. ......................................... .........................................
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 14
Student Diary
The student diary is for you to use during your industry placement so that you:
● Keep track of and reflect your learning and development during your placement
● Have a record of your achievements to refer to
To complete the student diary you should:
1. Discuss the questions and fill in the answers in the regular catch-ups with your industry placement line manager
2. Discuss the answers with your tutor in your regular catch-up
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 15
STUDENT DIARY <<Provider to edit frequency as relevant for placement>> e.g., Week 1
What types of tasks and activities did you do today/this week?
What progress are you making towards achieving your goals?
If you have any problems/obstacles, what actions could you take to overcome them?
Provide evidence of skills and strengths that you demonstrated today/this week.
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 16
STUDENT DIARY <<Provider to edit frequency as relevant for placement>> e.g., Week 2
What types of tasks and activities did you do today/this week?
What progress are you making towards achieving your goals?
If you have any problems/obstacles, what actions could you take to overcome them?
Provide evidence of skills and strengths that you demonstrated today/this week.
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 17
STUDENT DIARY <<Provider to edit frequency as relevant for placement>> e.g., Week 3
What types of tasks and activities did you do today/this week?
What progress are you making towards achieving your goals?
If you have any problems/obstacles, what actions could you take to overcome them?
Provide evidence of skills and strengths that you demonstrated today/this week.
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 18
STUDENT DIARY <<Provider to edit frequency as relevant for placement>> e.g., Week 4
What types of tasks and activities did you do today/this week?
What progress are you making towards achieving your goals?
If you have any problems/obstacles, what actions could you take to overcome them?
Provide evidence of skills and strengths that you demonstrated today/this week.
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 19
STUDENT DIARY <<Provider to edit frequency as relevant for placement>> e.g., Week 5
What types of tasks and activities did you do today/this week?
What progress are you making towards achieving your goals?
If you have any problems/obstacles, what actions could you take to overcome them?
Provide evidence of skills and strengths that you demonstrated today/this week.
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 20
STUDENT DIARY <<Provider to edit frequency as relevant for placement>> e.g., Week 6
What types of tasks and activities did you do today/this week?
What progress are you making towards achieving your goals?
If you have any problems/obstacles, what actions could you take to overcome them?
Provide evidence of skills and strengths that you demonstrated today/this week.
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 21
STUDENT DIARY <<Provider to edit frequency as relevant for placement>> e.g., Week 7
What types of tasks and activities did you do today/this week?
What progress are you making towards achieving your goals?
If you have any problems/obstacles, what actions could you take to overcome them?
Provide evidence of skills and strengths that you demonstrated today/this week.
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 22
STUDENT DIARY <<Provider to edit frequency as relevant for placement>> e.g., Week 8
What types of tasks and activities did you do today/this week?
What progress are you making towards achieving your goals?
If you have any problems/obstacles, what actions could you take to overcome them?
Provide evidence of skills and strengths that you demonstrated today/this week.
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 23
STUDENT DIARY <<Provider to edit frequency as relevant for placement>> e.g., Week 9
What types of tasks and activities did you do today/this week?
What progress are you making towards achieving your goals?
If you have any problems/obstacles, what actions could you take to overcome them?
Provide evidence of skills and strengths that you demonstrated today/this week.
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 24
STUDENT DIARY <<Provider to edit frequency as relevant for placement>> e.g., Week 10
What types of tasks and activities did you do today/this week?
What progress are you making towards achieving your goals?
If you have any problems/obstacles, what actions could you take to overcome them?
Provide evidence of skills and strengths that you demonstrated today/this week.
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 25
AFTER YOUR INDUSTRY PLACEMENT
Summarise your learning from your placement
What progress have you made against your SMART learning objectives?
What new skills, knowledge or experiences have you gained?
What did you most enjoy?
What did you find difficult or challenging?
How will the knowledge, skills or experience support you in your future studies and plans? What will you do next?
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 26
EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS Now you’ve completed your industry placement, rate yourself against the below statements again.
1. How confident do you feel with regards to each of these statements?
Not confident at all
Not very confident
Neutral Confident Very confident
I can speak clearly to employers about my skills and experiences at an interview.
I am prepared for work.
I understand the skills that employers are looking for.
I have the behaviour and social skills that employers need to do the job I want to do.
I have the knowledge and technical skills that employers need to do the job I want to do.
I can get a job related to my qualification.
I have a good understanding of what life is like for people who are different from me.
2. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Strongly disagree
Disagree Neither agree / disagree
Agree Strongly agree
I am good at communicating my thoughts and ideas in a way that is easy for others to understand.
I am good at organising my time and the things I have to do.
I work well as part of a team.
Most people are generally trustworthy.
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 27
Have your responses changed? What are the biggest differences from the start of your placement to now?
What do you still need to develop? How will you do this?
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 28
PLACEMENT FEEDBACK
Would you recommend the placement to another student? Why/why not?
What improvements could be made to the placement?
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 29
EMPLOYER REFLECTIONS
To be completed by the line manager at the end of placement and discussed with the student.
How has the student progressed against their learning objectives?
What improvements did the student make from the start of the placement to the end? These can be technical skills or employability skills.
What could the student have done better? What can they do to further improve?
Any other comments:
Student’s signature__________________________________________ Date: _____________
Tutor/industry placement line manager signature _____________________ Date: ___________
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 30
DAILY TIMESHEET
Company:
Student Name:
Supervisor Name:
Date Start Time Finish Time Break Total Hrs Supervisor Initials
Student Signature:
Supervisor Signature:
Date:
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 31
STUDENT TIMESHEET
Student Name:
Week Commencing:
Industry Placement at:
Industry Placement Address:
Day AM Lunch PM Comments
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
I declare the information provided on this timesheet is accurate
Employer Signature: Date:
Student Signature: Date:
Key: Holiday (H) Sick (S) Authorised Absence (AA) Unauthorised Absence (UA) Late (L)
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 32
MIDPOINT REVIEW OF STUDENT PROGRESS
Name: ___________________________
Course: ___________________________
Provider: __________________________
Employer: _________________________
Date: ____________________________
For each of the aspects for review, please mark (with an X) whether the student does not meet
expectations, meets expectations, or exceeds expectations at the industry placement at the
midpoint.
Please refer to the Behaviour & Social Skills standards in the Appendix as a reference guide
outlining standards we expect students to be meeting. Please use the Knowledge & Technical
Skills relevant to their course of study to determine their readiness.
Behaviour & Social Skills Knowledge & Technical Skills
Does not meet expectations
Meets expectations
Exceeds expectations
Feedback/Notes:
[Please provide any feedback on where the student is not meeting expectations and what
improvements you would like to see so that the student can make the most of the industry
placement. Outlining next steps may be useful.]
Review progress against development objectives (outlined in the Industry Placement
Agreement):
What specific knowledge has the student improved and/or acquired so far?
What practical skills has the student applied and/or further developed so far?
What knowledge/skills will be focused on during the remaining time on this placement?
Please assess the quality of support given by the employer:
___Below Expected Standard ___Meeting Expected Standard ___Exceeding Expected
Standard
Signed by: _________________________ (Provider)
Signed by: _________________________ (Employer)
Signed by: _________________________ (Student)
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 33
FINAL REVIEW OF STUDENT PROGRESS
Name: ___________________________
Course: ___________________________
Provider: __________________________
Employer: _________________________
Date: ____________________________
For each of the elements, please mark (with an X) whether the student does not meet
expectations, meets expectations, or exceeds expectations at the end of the industry
placement.
Please refer to the Behaviour & Social Skills standards in the Appendix as a reference guide
outlining standards we expect students to be meeting. Please use the Knowledge & Technical
Skills relevant to their course of study to determine their readiness.
Behaviour & Social Skills Knowledge & Technical Skills
Does not meet expectations
Meets expectations
Exceeds expectations
Feedback/Notes:
[Please provide any feedback on how the student has performed on the industry placement
overall and any changes since their Midpoint Assessment.]
Review progress against development objectives (outlined in Industry Placement
Agreement):
What specific knowledge has the student enhanced and/or acquired during this placement?
What practical skills has the student applied and/or further developed during this placement?
Signed by: _________________________ (Provider)
Signed by: _________________________ (Employer)
Signed by: _________________________ (Student)
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 34
BEHAVIOUR & SOCIAL SKILLS STANDARDS
BEHAVIOUR &
SOCIAL SKILL
DOES NOT MEET
EXPECTATIONS
MEETS EXPECTATIONS EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
PROACTIVE PRODUCES POOR RESULTS
• Does not seek support or ask for
clarity when unsure of what to do
• Has no clear system for
recording information
• Misses deadlines
• Submits work without checking it
or continues to make the same
mistake after they have been told
about it
WORKS HARD TO
GET THINGS DONE
• Asks for clarity when presented
with a task
• Has an electronic or paper diary
and to-do list that is up-to-date
• Completes tasks by the agreed
deadline. Where deadlines are
going to be missed, manager is
informed with reasonable notice
• Checks work so that it contains no
simple errors
• Looks after him/herself both
physically and mentally. Seeks
support and advice when needed
PRODUCES EXCELLENT RESULTS,
MORE THAN WHAT IS ASKED FOR
• Takes appropriate initiative when there
are not clear guidelines or when things are
not going to plan
• Has a clear system for recording
information. Plans work a week at-a-time
and can realistically assess how long
tasks will take
• Completes tasks to a high standard,
doing what needs to be done, even if not
in the original brief
• Is fully aware of how important wellbeing
is and actively seeks out advice and
support to look after him/herself both
physically and mentally
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 35
TEAM PLAYER /
EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATOR
IS NOT A TEAM PLAYER OR
DOES NOT COMMUNICATE
EFFECTIVELY
• Fails to listen to colleagues or
responds negatively to views
different from own
• Refuses to do tasks not in their
usual job role to support the team
• Shows little empathy for
colleagues
• Examples of poor
communication:
Phone - Slang/non-formal English
used, mumbling, afraid to
make/receive phone calls
Email/Written - Large number of
typos, not responding to, or losing
track of, important e-mails
Face to face - Bored and
uninterested body language/facial
expressions, using slang/non-
formal English
IS A TEAM PLAYER AND
USES PROFESSIONAL AND
APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE
WHEN COMMUNICATING
• Listens to different points of view
and responds in a professional way
• Supports the team when asked to
do tasks not in the usual job role
• Contributes ideas when the team
faces a problem
• Examples of appropriate
communication:
Phone - Appropriate greeting is
used, takes and leaves phone
messages that capture all the key
information, prepared for
outgoing calls
Email/Written - All emails are proof-
read, using a formal but friendly tone
Face to face - Having an acute
awareness of appropriate body
language and professional
boundaries
ACTIVELY SEEKS OUT WAYS TO
SUPPORT THE TEAM AND IS A HIGHLY
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR
• Uses the most appropriate form of
communication and adjusts to the
audience
• Is proactive in offering to help out with
tasks not in their usual job role
• Can adapt role within a team at different
times, e.g. taking a lead or knowing when
to follow instructions
• Examples of outstanding communication:
Phone - Able to handle complex questions
over the phone and summarises any
actions agreed at the end of the call
Email/Written - Using formatting effectively
(bold, bullet points, italics) to convey
meaning, trusted to send clear
communications and able to represent
her/himself and others well, writing e-mails
in a time effective manner
Face to face – Comfortable liaising with
people at different levels of seniority
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 36
RESPONSIBLE FAILING TO TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTIONS
• Frequently needs to be told what
to do, regularly blames other
people for poor performance or
gives excuses rather than taking
ownership of tasks
• Reacts overly defensively to
constructive feedback or acts as if
s/he thinks s/he “knows it all”
already. Alternatively, they may
not respond to feedback at all
• Misses meetings without
notification, or arrives at meetings
late and unprepared
TAKES RESPONSIBILITY
FOR ACTIONS
• Volunteers for additional
opportunities where able
• Notes down and acts on
feedback given, recognises when
s/he has underperformed
and does not shift the blame
• Comes to meetings on time
and prepared
IS PROACTIVE AND ALWAYS
LOOKS FOR OPPORTUNITIES
TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
• Spots when things are going
wrong and shares this/acts on this early
on
• Being in a position to take on more
tasks, doing what needs to be done, rather
than just what is asked of him/her
• At meetings, is able to summarise the 3
key points from any meeting and
contribute insights
• Can give advice on how they like to be
managed, asks for more feedback and is
able to give feedback to others
• Keeps a clear record of feedback and
targets and acts on this regularly
Industry Placements | Placement Support for Employers 37
PROFESSIONAL IS UNPROFESSIONAL
• Often arrives late to work and/or
is late to most internal meetings
• Tends to miss/forget things
• Is easily distracted from work or
inattentive, for example, plays on
phone
• Any conduct that is against
company policy and causes
concern, such as not following the
dress code or behaviour
IS PROFESSIONAL
• Always comes prepared to
meetings with a notepad and pen,
takes relevant notes and
takes an active interest in
content
• Aims to arrive 15 minutes
early to work, apologises for
occasional delays and makes up
any missed time at the end of the
day
• Punctual to meetings
• Suitably dressed 100% of the time
• Treats others with respect and as if
their time is important
IS ALWAYS PROFESSIONAL AND A
FANTASTIC REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
ORGANISATION
• Arrives to work early every day and
arrives 5 mins early to meetings to
prepare. Is proactive about timing
throughout the whole day (considers travel
time and potential delays)
• Able to maintain calm when under
stress/pressure
• Being aware of the organisation’s culture
and tailoring how to act depending on the
context and audience
These materials have been created by The Challenge. For all enquiries regarding industry placements, please contact the Education & Skills Funding Agency Service using this online enquiry form, or by searching gov.uk for the Industry Placements page.