Digital industry placements - Post-placement

Key questions

Considerations

Who is responsible for the review process?

• Providers are responsible for deciding whether students have satisfactorily completed their industry placements
• Providers must evidence their decision against the industry placement completion criteria
• Employers are expected to contribute to student review meetings and to the provider decision at the end of the placement as to whether a student has demonstrated necessary progress towards their learning goals Employers can use the end of placement review template to record their appraisal

Has the student demonstrated satisfactory progress towards their learning goals?

• Providers should have been making judgments against the progress indicators throughout the placement. Now they should make judgments as to whether the student has demonstrated satisfactory progress toward their learning goals
• This is likely to involve a detailed discussion between the provider and employer
• Providers must use their professional judgement in making their decisions, incorporating the employers’ feedback, and making sure their decisions are backed by evidence
• Where students have been on a shared placement with two employers, the evidence of their progress against their learning goals must be reviewed at the review meetings with each of the employers
• Where students have switched between departments and locations during placement, evidence of progress must be obtained from all of them

Has the student been on the placement for a minimum of 315 hours?

• Providers can use completed logbooks, timesheets, or online logging mechanisms to demonstrate hours
• Providers can also demonstrate minimum hours using records of time spent in taster sessions

Does the student have the necessary evidence?

• Providers can collect evidence using the following:
• A student-specific, signed industry placement agreement. This should contain a clear set of learning goals, based on examples of both types of objectives, for each of the pathways on the digital route
• A completed student logbook, preferably in a digital format, with a record of activities undertaken and self-reflection
• Evidence of time spent (timesheets/logs)
• Evidence of discussions at the formal review points, including a record of the student’s progress against their learning goals
• Signed industry placement completion declaration form
• SEND evidence (where applicable)
• Employer appraisal (using end of placement review template or similar)
• Confirmation of judgment against the progress indicators

Has the student started progression planning? (See 3. Progression planning)

• The placement should have helped the student to make an informed digital career choice
• It may have given the student more insight into the range of digital career roles
• The employer may have offered the student a further opportunity, e.g., apprenticeship, temporary or permanent job role, internship
• The student should have developed an understanding of the routes toward career goals

Has the student given feedback?

• Students do not contribute to final judgments, but providers should consider their views when assessing the placement
• Students should be aware that employers may ask them to do a short presentation at the end of their placement about what they have learned
• The employer and student should agree on presentations in advance, and the student helped to prepare

Key questions

Questions to discuss with the student – the student should be encouraged to reflect upon their answers explaining how and why.

How has the placement influenced the student’s future intentions and goals?

• Has the student been able to consider their career goals and progression options during the placement?
• Has the placement confirmed their career choices, or made them think differently about the options?
• Has talking to work colleagues and managers during the placement opened their eyes to other options?
• Has it widened their perspective, learning about distinct roles or roles in different departments?
• Are they still unsure of what options are open to them?

How prepared is the student to take the next step?

• Has the placement developed the right mix of skills, knowledge, and behaviours to support the student’s career plan?
• Does the student have a clear idea of how to achieve their career goal?
• Do they know what educational pathways are open, including higher apprenticeships, higher technical qualifications, and university?
• Do they know which job sites are useful and how to search for jobs in the industry using keywords?

How realistic are their plans?

• Does the student know the minimum entry requirements for their chosen occupation or role?
• Do they meet the entry requirements to other further or higher education?
• Have they researched the entry requirements of jobs advertised on job sites?

Has the employer offered any opportunities at the end of placement?

• Has the student been offered a further opportunity with their placement employer, such as an apprenticeship, temporary or permanent job role or internship?

Is the student ready to apply for jobs in a relevant technical occupation?

• Does the student know how to apply for jobs?
• Have they created an up-to-date CV which shows their skills and experience and demonstrates their employability?
• Are they open to applying for jobs in areas other than the occupational specialism they have studied in the T Level?
• If so, do they know whether they must need to gain new skills and experience at an equivalent level to the T Level, and how to go about this?