KA5046 - Work Placement Semester

This module is designed to promote your personal development and a range of interpersonal, intellectual and practical (functional) skills based around and demonstrated through a significant individually negotiated Work Placement. It seeks to raise your awareness of the workplace as a learning environment and extend your capability and enhance your individual effectiveness, employability and/or business competitiveness. It seeks to develop professional skills in the chosen subject area within the working environment and an ability to manage your own placement development i.e. managing tasks; working with and relating to others, applying knowledge, applying initiative in work problems. You will be expected to reflect on your learning derived from the Work Placement Semester.

You are required to keep Quarterly Reflective Reports of your activities throughout the placement period. You will also produce a summative Placement Portfolio of work-based outputs relevant to your career aims, which can be used when applying for future employment. Contents may include reports, drawings, surveys, cost plans, and similar work-based outputs which will be curated into an appropriate format for your course (e.g. Powerpoint presentations, posters, digital portfolio sheets etc.). A Reflective Employment Summary, demonstrating professional relevance and evaluation of knowledge, skills and behaviours, will include an updated curriculum vitae.

This module operates within a partnership between the University, employer and yourself, and provides you with the opportunity to develop core competencies and employability skills relevant to your programme of study in a work based environment.
A series of placement preparation activities are provided and organised by the Faculty during your first two years of study, such as placement briefings, CV and Interview preparation sessions, and company presentations.
Prior to the placement commencing, a placement briefing session is provided. During this session the placement experience and assessment is discussed more in depth. You are informed of how to access ‘on placement’ documentation and advice within the e-learning platform. Guidelines about placements and the assessment are also provided. You will also receive a Health and Safety briefing during this session.

It is the policy of the University that every placement has to be approved as an appropriate work placement before you can start your placement. This ensures that all relevant risk assessments, insurance checks etc. are in place before you commence your work in the work place.

You will be allocated a Visiting Tutor who is able to provide academic and pastoral support. This support is backed up by the Placement Tutor(s) and Director of Placements, and the Professional Placement Support team.

The teaching and learning strategies adopted in this module will be unique to individual learners and will be agreed with the University, when negotiating the work placement. A training agreement will be signed by the placement provider, the University and yourself.

The work-based supervisor will supervise you during the placement period. In addition some organisations also offer the opportunity to have a mentor. An academic member of staff will normally visit you once over the course of a one semester long placement period if your placement is in the UK. For placements overseas, a strategy for your contact will be drawn up at the beginning of the academic year and may include one visit. Alternatively, other appropriate forms of contact may be employed, e.g. on-line sessions between your visiting tutor, your work based supervisor and yourself. During such contact, your performance will be discussed with your work-based supervisor and your programme will be reviewed in light of your general progress and performance. Records of these events will be made by the visiting member of academic staff.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:

LO1. Draw on, apply and review prior knowledge and new learning to changing situations (component 1, 2)

LO2. Extend a wide range of specialised technical, creative and/or conceptual skills in order to make informed judgements (component 1, 2)


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

LO3. Identify, negotiate and manage tasks individually and as a member of a team which address own personal goals and organisational/professional requirements (component 2, 3)

LO4. Make recommendations for own professional development and propose a strategy for implementation and deployment (component 2)


Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA)

LO5. Communicate clearly and efficiently using appropriate communication strategies (assessment 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Formative Assessment:

Your work based supervisor will periodically give you feedback on your performance in the workplace, including discussion of quarterly reports.
Your visiting tutor will give you feedback on your progress during contact events with the workplace.

Summative Assessment:

The module assesses both your performance on placement and your reflection on the placement.

1. Quarterly Reflective Reports (2 maximum): 1500 word equivalence per report (L.O.s 1 - 5); pass/fail

2. Placement Portfolio: curated examples of workplace activites (1500 word equivalent plus illustrations); L.O.s 2, 5); pass/fail

3. Reflective Employability Summary; including Curriculum Vitae; 1500 word equivalence (L.O.s 1-5); pass/fail

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This module operates within a partnership between the University, employer and yourself, and provides you with the opportunity to develop core competencies and employability skills relevant to your programme of study in a work based environment.

You will be able to use the placement experience to develop and enhance appropriate areas of your knowledge and understanding, your intellectual and professional skills, and your personal value attributes, relevant to your programme of study, within the appropriate working environments.

This module is a Pass/Fail module so does not contribute to the classification of your degree. When taken and passed, however, the placement is recognised both in your transcript as a 60 credit Work Placement Module and on your degree certificate.

Due to its overall positive impact on employability, degree classification and graduate starting salaries, the University strongly encourages you to pursue a work placement as part of your degree programme.