PSP1

Preparing for PSP3:

Types of Work Experience & Placements

Why think about PSP3 now?

• All students in Biosciences take the module PSP3• 70% of the assessment is based on an

'employability portfolio'

The 'employability portfolio' will include items such as:• skills reviews (pre- and post-work experience);

combination of self-assessment and supervisor/tutor assessment

• written work on professional experiences• reflection on 'employability'

To produce these items...

You need some 'work experience'

This could take the form of:• a 12-month 'sandwich placement' (this will also get you a

sandwich degree)

• summer placements / projects• voluntary work• part-time work• Venture Matrix or simulated work experience

(these won't get you a sandwich degree)

12 month sandwich placement

• Start applying late summer 2013 for a 2014/15 placement

• Need a well written CV, evidencing excellent skills

• Placement opportunities will be advertised via Bb

• Students can also find their own placements• Many 12 month placements are paid

Examples of 12 month placements

What type of work can be done?

Anything that has some relevance to your degree and is at an appropriate level:

• lab work (analytical, microbiology, pathology, synthesis, research etc etc)

• non-lab work (data management, clinical trials, medical writing, regulatory affairs etc)

• field work• school-based placement

Are there limitations?

• job ad will specify the degree disciplines that are relevant to that placement

• there are placement opportunities for all degree disciplines

• hospital path lab placements require students on BMS

• if you find your own opportunity SHU has to approve it

Examples of Placements for 11/12

BMRC, SHU, FAS, BC, HB• various research projects eg MALDI-MS of skin

sensitisers• science outreach • planning, organising and delivering science based

activities to schools• £11K

Covance, Harrogate, Biology• metabolism - in vivo• sample collection, prep & processing; hplc, scintillation• £15K

Examples of Placements for 11/12

Croda, Widnes, BC• prep & analysis of sunscreen formulations• £15.2K

DePuy, Leeds, Biology, BMS• clinical data entry and inspection• journal searches / literature reviews• report writing• £14.5K

Examples of Placements for 11/12

Eurofins, Derbyshire, Biology, FAS

fieldwork:• planning, layout of trials, observation• travelling around the country

lab work:• sample prep, analysis by GC-MS

Kirkstall, Sheffield, BMS• mainly non-lab work• sales & marketing support for Kirkstall CEO• £9.6K

Examples of Placements for 11/12

James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough, BMS• MLA work initially• Cell pathology - histology• ~£6.6K• student found this themselves

Mundipharma Research, Cambridge, FAS• analytical testing for drugs under development• stability, moisture and dissolution testing• £16.5K

Examples of Placements for 11/12

RHH, Sheffield, BMS• rotate around all haematology departments• £6K• completing IBMS portfolio

Spire Leeds Hospital, BMS• running biochemistry & haemotology analysers• working on IBMS portfolio• ~£11K

Tata Steel, Rotherham, FBS, PS• Environmental analysis (PAH in air & water samples)• Trace organic elemental analysis, sample prep & analysis• £16K

Example of Placements for 12/13

Belfast City Hospital, BMS• receipt and processing of samples• data base work• voluntary placement, completing IBMS portfolio

Binding Site, Birmingham , BMS, Biology• Analysis of patient samples by turbidometer• immunofixation• paid

Brinsworth Comprehensive School, Rotherham, • school lab technical duties, prep of experiments and demos• teaching assistant helping in science classes• voluntary placement

Example of Placements for 12/13

Covance, Harrogate BMS• Genetics & Molecular Toxicology• Producing slides to show effect of test articles on human blood for cell/genetic

damage• £15300 pa

ESG Forensics, Burton on Trent, FBS & FAS• Physical and chemical comparisons of sample• Drug analysis• £6.50 per hour plus overtime available

Eurofins, Derbyshire Biology• Field work: sample treatment, collection and assessment• Opportunity for prep lab work over winter• minimum wage plus overtime opportunities

Example of Placements for 12/13

Euroimmun, Germany PS• development of genetic tests using microarray technology• €600 per month

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, Billingham BMS• HPLC, electrophoresis, plate reading• statistical analyses, report writing, presentations• £14500 pa

Intertek, Manchester BC• Routine and project work on MS• Contract analysis• £12500 pa

Example of Placements for 12/13

Merck, Germany BMS• structure elucidation by MALDI-MS• tissue imaging• ~ €750 per month

Quotient Bioresearch, Cambs, BMS• Sample prep & data processing• ELISA• £13500 pa

Reckitt Benckiser, Hull FAS, FBS, Biol• global regulatory affairs: working with compliance team checking

formulations, updating licensing etc• analytical healthcare using hplc, gc • £15800 pa

Examples of Placements for 12/13

Sheffield Assay Office, BC• sample preparation of metal samples for ICP analysis• analysis of Ag samples by dissolution autotitration• minimum wage

Sheffield Children's Hospital, BMS• Haemotology inc taking blood, cell counting, blood films• unpaid but gets meal vouchers

SHU, BMRC & Biosciences, BMS, Biol• research projects eg water channels using confocal microscopy• outreach projects in local schools and colleges• £13K pa

Example of Placements for 12/13

Synlab Clinical trials Ltd, Middlesex BMS• sample reception, serology, haemotology• £275 per week

Tameside General Hospital, Ashton under Lyme, BMS• blood analysis using a range of instrumentation• manual spot tests• voluntary placement

UoS, Bone Oncology team, BC• ELISAs, plate tests, cell culture• £600 per month

Placements for 13/14

• Tesco Stores Ltd (Technical), Cheshunt• Source Bioscience, Nottingham• Molson Coors, Burton• Sheffield Assay Office• Phico Therapeutics, Cambridge• Binding Site, Birmingham• BMRC, SHU• St James Hospital Leeds• UoS• Tissueregenix, York• Medical Research Council• Sheffield Children's Hospital• University Medical Centre, Utrecht

Placements for 13/14

• Cesas Medical, Edinburgh• Venture Matrix Scheme (Schools), SHU• Synlab, Middlesex• Various Schools / Colleges• Depuy, Blackpool• Kirkstall, Sheffield• ReckittBenckiser, Hull• Euroimmun, Germany• GSK, Stevenage• Proctor & Gamble, Newcastle• Eurofins Agroscience, Derbyshire• Warrington Hospital• Belfast Hospital• Doncaster Hospital

Placements for 14/15

Who knows?

Prepare well and you will find out!!

Other work experience for PSP3

• summer placements / projects• voluntary work• part-time work• Venture Matrix or simulated work

experience

You and a supervisor need to be able to assess your skills at the start and end of the WE using SHU paperwork

Areas of assessment:

• communication• working with others• improving own performance• problem solving• using relevant IT• application of numbers• working practice inc. knowledge, work skills,

quality of work• professional / organisational awareness

Summer placements / projects

• between years 1 & 2 and/or years 2 & 3• around 6 weeks in total (could be more)• placement team will advertise opportunities• you should also look for opportunities (company,

university, hospital web sites)• lots of useful information in this document:

http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/generic/internships/documents/find-internship.pdf

• need a named supervisor to assess performance

Voluntary work

• any discipline• unpaid• should be equivalent to around 6 weeks (may be

FT or longer PT)• any time during degree• look for areas of interest / relevance to you• http://www.do-it.org.uk/• Hallam Volunteering• Hallam Award:

http://hallamunion.org/hallam-award/

Part-time work

• any discipline• equivalent to at least 6 weeks FT• any time during degree• need a supervisor willing to assess your

performance at start / end WE• bar work, waiter/waitress, retail etc.

Venture Matrix

• SHU scheme enabling students to develop employability and enterprise skills as part of their degree

• https://www.shu.ac.uk/employability/work-experience/venture-matrix/

• likely to be between year 2 and 3 or during year 3 (depending on availability of projects / student interest)

Simulated Work Experience

• During final year of degree• unpaid• team task, contributing material to the individual

employability portfolio• development of a product (e.g. report,

presentation, demonstration) of relevance to the team's career aspirations

What next?

• should discuss ideas for gaining work experience in your Academic Tutorial groups

• assessment forms (for pre- and post-WE self and supervisor assessment) will be on Bb

• contact placement team if you want to discuss WE further