Digital industry placements - Pre-placement
Contents
Introduction
This section of the toolkit can help you design placements including flexibility, timing, student objective setting and making sure students are ready for their placements. It can help you:
- consider which aspects of the pre-placement process you want to review
- make sure that placements are well designed
- make sure T Level students have a clear and comprehensive picture of what the placements involve.
How to use these resources
Select the relevant resources for your needs. They cover:
- Collaboration and flexibility in placement design
- Placement sequencing and timetabling
- Student readiness and objective setting
Use them to design placements, sequence learning, and set objectives. Decide whether the templates and checklists are useful and relevant as they are, or whether they should be altered to suit your organisation
Who are they for?
Share the templates, examples and checklists with staff who are involved in designing the placements and specifying the learning activities students will undertake during placements:
- T Level course leaders and tutors
- other staff involved in placement design.
Collaboration and flexibility in placement design
This checklist and template contain the essential topics to cover when planning placement details with the employer before the student starts. It can be used to:
- guide provider employer discussions
- decide who needs to be involved in the discussions
- check that everything is in place before the student starts.
Checklist
Flexible placement design | ||
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Topics | Considerations | |
Working patterns |
Working hours |
Students may be expected to work longer hours, for example, to fulfil a brief or use weekends for systems maintenance, so that the placement meets the employer's needs. Working hour arrangements should follow working time regulations and industry placement delivery guidance. |
Working days |
Employers may have a clear preference for students to work on particular days of the week. These days may vary during the placement, for example when extra staff are needed or to match the availability of mentors. |
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Peak and seasonal periods |
Digital businesses may have peak periods, such as when a project reaches a critical stage. This could place extra demand on students and provide them with good experience of working under pressure. Placements in non-digital businesses can have seasonal patterns which can also increase demand and provide good experience. Examples are year-end in an accountancy business, summer holidays for travel companies, and festivals for food producers and retailers. Employers may have other requirements and milestones in their operational calendar which may need to be negotiated when planning placements. |
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Induction and training |
Employers will normally deliver an induction to students, which may be done in a short block, such as a week, even if the rest of the placement is day release. Students may also be required to work on different days if relevant training has been organised, for example, new software training. |
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Placement models |
Day release |
This is the most flexible model, in that it allows the placement learning to be aligned to the curriculum. Students build their understanding of theory and can apply their knowledge and skills straightaway in the work environment. For example, a large retail chain offers placements to students in its IT support team helping internal customers. In Year 1, students observe and then support an experienced member of the team, responding to user enquiries and maintaining customer response database records. Students work more independently and with less supervision in Year 2, helping staff with hardware, software, and technology products. In another example, a legal firm starts students on placement in the IT Support Desk with a short block of two weeks, introducing them to the organisation’s systems and software. Students then attend for two days a week, learning to handle ‘quick fixes’ and gradually being introduced to more business-critical and complex systems. By the end of the placement, students have become “just another member of the team”. |
Block placements |
In this model, students often build their skills and gain confidence before they join the placement for an extended period. Blocks can allow students to work closely with project teams, experiencing more continuity and a sense of completion rather than having to stop and restart. For example, Ajar Technology and Cranford College plan blocks of four weeks in Year 1 and five weeks in Year 2. This approach fits the project-based work pattern well, as students work intensively on projects. Complementary activities are planned into the blocks, such as visits from suppliers. |
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Combination |
This model mixes day release and block models, such as an initial induction block followed by one day per week in Year 1, and block placements in Year 2. For example, students on placements in the social media unit of a travel company help to develop live briefs for website development and rebranding. Regular weekly attendance in Year 1 means they see the complete cycle of social media content production. Attending a block in Year 2 allows them to develop more specialist skills in app creation. In another example, students working as part of the digital marketing team in a creative media production company contribute to one campaign each year. Attendance patterns are flexible to suit the production cycle. This allows students to experience different stages in the cycle including campaign planning, testing possible messages, developing value propositions with customers, and analysing data to understand why and how customers engage with email marketing, social media, and websites. Being progressively involved in increasingly complex work also allows students to build skills and confidence across the two years. |
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Two Employer Model |
Digital businesses include SMEs, micro-businesses, sole traders, and freelancers. If a small employer can’t commit to a whole placement on their own, they may be able to share it with another organisation, such as two businesses in the supply chain to a larger business. For example, shared placements between a high street bank and some of its customers are giving 20 students the chance to learn how the bank operates, how its systems are created and maintained and how they are used by customers. Students start their placements by understanding the bank’s regulated operating environment; learning about risk, data security, and GDPR. They then experience various banking operations including data analysis, web services and compliance. The block model allows the bank and its customers to plan and manage placements for a group of students. In another example, Hampshire Constabulary took four Fareham College students. They were initially working on day release but then a series of blocks allowed them to move between different support functions within the organisation. Four students were initially embedded in a small team of 7. As the placement evolved, they became a mini team. The team were given assignments and tasked with organising themselves into roles to take these forwards. This was like working for a client, students had to work to a brief and then present their design and development to the wider team and other in-house clients. |
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Curriculum |
Planning |
The Digital T Level curriculum is demanding, especially when factoring in project working and assessment. Matching the curriculum and placements is a two-way process which works best when providers and employers collaborate flexibly. Course leaders and tutors know the subject and can talk the right language with employers. They can explain what is in the curriculum and discuss how to shape the placement, based on when and how students develop the necessary skills to "hit the ground running" when the placement starts. Flexing the curriculum plan is likely to make the idea of a placement more attractive to employers. To ensure you have enough time to plan the curriculum and take into account local skills needs, early employer engagement is key. |
Technical skills |
The sequence in which students learn technical skills may be partly determined by curriculum considerations, but it may also be influenced by employers’ needs. For example, Fareham College recognised that some employers use Java for programming. Whilst the curriculum teaches Python in Year 1, they have added Java content. Employers may also require students to have developed some skills before they start the placement or in between placement blocks. |
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Employability skills |
Placements provide plenty of opportunities for students to gain employability skills and develop professional behaviours. Students are likely to benefit from understanding what these skills and behaviours are, before starting placement and when reviewing what they have learned during the placement or between blocks |
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Assessment |
Arrangements for assessing student work and progress while they are on placement should be agreed upon with the employer. If employers are involved, for example by providing employer statements, they should be made aware of the criteria being used. |
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Stretch |
Placements should be progressively designed to provide a suitable gradient of demand for students. Employers can play a useful part in varying the level of demand, for example, by stretching the range and complexity of programming, giving students progressively more responsibility for tasks, or increasing the level of contact with customers. |
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Timing |
Placement start |
Students should have sufficient technical skills to cope with the demands of the role before the placement starts. Employers can help to identify these skills and set acceptable standards. Students should have enough time to prepare properly. Once the placement starts, employers should be flexible in adapting their expectations and requirements to suit individual students’ strengths and areas for improvement. |
Milestones |
Clear milestones should be set for students while on placement. These milestones can relate to the development of technical and employability skills. Employers can help to devise appropriate milestones. This may be especially useful for the occupational specialism in Year 2, where employers may have specific ideas for what students should learn and accomplish. |
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Shortfall |
Time must be made available for students to make up any shortfall in hours if they risk not meeting the minimum hours for any reason before the end of the placement. This will require flexibility from employers as well as the student and teaching staff. |
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Safety and security |
Health and safety |
Employers must provide a safe environment for students and providers should be confident that effective health and safety arrangements are in place before students start their placements. Normal office safety protocols and HR practices apply, but training must be given where roles in digital support require lifting or moving of equipment. |
Insurance |
Employers’ liability and public liability insurance must cover any potential loss or liability caused by or to the student, in relation to the placement. Students on digital placements may take part in projects which involve external clients and there may be some degree of risk of data breach or programme error, for which employers must be covered. Small and micro businesses may need guidance about insurance. |
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Digital security |
If employers have concerns about digital security, Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) should be put in place, which students sign before the placement starts. |
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Safeguarding |
Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checks may be required. Although not necessarily a requirement for members of staff supervising students, checks may be required or advisable where students are likely to be alone regularly with an individual adult. |
Template - Flexible placement design
Placement sequencing and timetabling
This template and example show how to sequence and timetable a digital placement so that links with the curriculum are clearly shown. It includes a timeline of the key stages involved in preparing for and managing a placement. It can be used to:
- plan the Digital T Level curriculum
- align the placement and curriculum so that they complement each other and support the transfer of theory to practice
- share with employers the skills students will acquire and practise during the two years of the T Level.
Template - Placement sequencing and timetabling
Example
Placement sequencing and timetabling |
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Year 1 |
Autumn term |
Spring term |
Summer term |
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Curriculum content |
Problem-solving Introduction to programming Business context Employer Set Project (KWA) Practical programming skills |
Data Digital environments Employer Set Project (KWA) More practical programming |
Emerging issues and impact of digital Legislation and regulatory requirements Digital environments (continued) Practice paper Employer Set Project (KWA) Practical programming skills |
Security Practice Papers Revision – all units Employer Set Project (KWA) Practice under controlled conditions |
Employer Set Project Set by the exam board and must be completed within a specific timeframe May –June |
Revision then exams June Core Paper 1 exam Core Paper 2 exam Web development course when not in placements |
Placement |
Placement starts one day per week |
Placement one day per week |
Placement one day per week |
Placement block |
Year 1 |
Autumn term |
Spring term |
February to May |
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Curriculum content |
Develop practical skills:
Task 1: Analysing the problem and designing the solution Complete practice activities, then Task 1 of the exemplar OSP |
Develop practical skills: PHP SQL API Using PHP and SQL in a website to interact with a database. Using APIs to interact with other media Task 2: Develop a prototype design solution Students will learn about deployment methods, change management, design, and risk They will complete practice activities, then Task2 of the exemplar OSP |
Gathering and analysing feedback Evaluate the reliability of different sources of information Factors that drive change in digital products Task 3: Gathering feedback to inform future developments Task 4: Evaluate feedback to inform future developments |
OSP window opens from 7th February for 11 weeks. During this time students will complete the project set by the exam board under controlled conditions |
Placement |
Placement two days per week |
Placement two days per week |
Placement two days per week |
Placement block |
Timeline template - Key stages in preparing for and managing placements
Student readiness and objective setting
This checklist lists everything that must be considered before students start their placements, including learning objectives. It can be used to:
- prepare students in advance
- discuss with employers what they expect and require of students when they start the placement.
Checklist
Preparing students for placement |
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Technical skills and knowledge |
Does the student:
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Employability skills |
Has the student:
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Professional behaviours and attitudes |
Has the student:
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Practical placement considerations |
Does the student know:
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Support and mentoring |
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Learning objectives |
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Payments |
Consider whether students will:
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Template - Preparing students for placement
Learning objectives
This example is for the Digital Business Services Occupational Specialism: Data Technician. There are other examples of both types of objectives for each of the pathways on the Digital route. Objectives should be customised for each student to reflect the specific role they undertake using the role description (see the Enrolment section of this toolkit and delivery guidance).
Template - learning objectives
Example
Role title | Working pattern |
To be agreed by the provider and employer |
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Junior Data Associate |
Duration |
315 hours |
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Objective(s) |
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To support the data function by collating and formatting data to facilitate processing and presentation for review and further advanced analysis by others to give a clear understanding of a product, service, or issue. |
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Typical activities |
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Learning goals |
TQ Reference |
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On the placement, the student will need to further develop and hone through activity 1: Employability skills
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[Insert the corresponding reference from the TQ content] |
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Technical skills
On the placement, the student will need to further develop and hone through activity 2: Employability skills
Technical skills
On the placement, the student will need to further develop and hone through activity 3: Employability skills
Technical skills
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Downloadable resources
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