Student Readiness Handbook 2021-2022 - Computing

Computing Student Readiness Handbook 2021/2022

Student Readiness Checklist Task Page ☐ I understand what an industry placement involves. 4 ☐ I understand the purpose of a placement. 4 ☐ I know who my placement coordinator is. 3 ☐ I know who my tutor is. 3 ☐ I know how to dress when I am on placement. 5 ☐ I know what good work behaviours are. 5 ☐ I know what to do when there has been an accident. 7 ☐ I know who to contact if there is a problem or I have a question. 3 ☐ I know how to keep a record of days worked and how to complete the See student journal student handbook. 7 ☐ I know what to do when I cannot attend a placement session. 8 ☐ I know who to contact to discuss expenses and finances. ☐ I have planned my journey to the placement setting. 8 ☐ I know what to do if I am running late. 7 ☐ I know what my responsibilities and expectations are. 6 ☐ I know what I need to do in order to have a successful placement. 6 ☐ I know how to prepare for an interview. 9 ☐ I know how to deal with difficult behaviour. 7-8 ☐ I have completed the preparation survey. 10 Signed tutor: Signed student: Date: .................................. ......................................... ................................. 2

Who is my Placement Co-ordinator? Name: Josephine Caldwell Role: Industry Placement Coordinator Tel: 020 8928 9088 Email: [email protected] • Speak to your placement coordinator if you have any questions surrounding travel expenses and finances. • Depending on the nature of your query, you can either contact your placement coordinator, line manager or tutor at college. • If any problems arise, please ensure you flag this at the earliest opportunity. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Who is my tutor? Name: Email: 3

What does my placement involve? • Working with an external employer for a minimum of 45 working days (315 hours). • Learning objectives agreed with your employer and set prior to the start of placement. • Your progress will be reviewed to ensure you get the most out of the placement. What is the purpose of my placement? • To build and develop your technical skills, increasing your competence and ability to progress into skilled employment. • Further develop “soft skills” such as communicating, teamwork and problem solving. • Gain deeper knowledge of the running of a business and general commercial principles. • An opportunity for personal growth: develop self-reliance, step out of your comfort zone, build confidence and learn about yourself. Identify your strengths and preferences for future career options. • Potentially secure a job or apprenticeship with the employer afterwards and on completion of your course. • Build a valuable working relationship with an employer, resulting in a more meaningful reference to use for future job applications. • Grow your network in the industry (including making contacts in other organisations), helping you to identify future job roles. 4

Dress Code Specify which dress code applies to you.  Smart business dress – you could wear trousers/skirt/dress, a shirt/blouse. (No jeans, tracksuits or hoodies)  Casual business dress – you could wear trousers/skirt/dress, a polo shirt or smart T-shirt. (No football shirts or logo tops, no jeans or tracksuits).  Sensible shoes - school shoes are ideal, no trainers, avoid extreme heel heights  Jeans (if appropriate to your setting)  No facial jewellery except where of religious significance Dress should be appropriate for the work placement environment. If required, personal protective equipment such as eye protection or gloves will be provided to you by your supervisor. You might be required to tie back your hair, depending on the task. Work etiquette Work through this list to ensure you know how to perform within the work environment.  Find out quickly how the office phone system works and whether there are any rules you need to follow, e.g. answering with a particular greeting.  Likewise, find out whether you are expected to follow any email protocols, e.g. using a particular signature file, salutation or sign-off.  Be mindful of your language. It’s safest not to swear or to use words that could cause offence.  Ensure you know who to contact if you need to take a day off sick or are delayed getting in to work.  Double-check that you understand the hours you are expected to work, for example if you need to take your lunch break at a particular time.  If invited to attend meetings with colleagues or clients, clarify beforehand whether your input would be welcome or if you are expected to sit and observe.  When briefed on a task, take notes of what you need to do and ask questions to clarify this if necessary.  Make sure your colleagues know where you are, for example if you are going into a meeting or out for lunch. 5

Expectations and Responsibilities • Work towards the objectives you’ve set in advance. • Track progress by keeping your Placement Handbook updated. • Have regular one-to-one meetings with your line manager and tutor. • Attend any necessary reviews to check in on your progress. • Meet professional standards and etiquette and abide by all rules regarding health and safety during your placement. • Maintain confidentiality regarding any of your information and do not do anything which may bring you and/or the education provider into disrepute. • Abide by all rules regarding health and safety, appropriate IT use and other policies and procedures of the employer. • Remain punctual and professional by attending your placement session on time. Adjustments Reasonable adjustments can be made in the workplace. Examples of reasonable adjustments that may be necessary for accessibility include: • Providing learning aids (checklists, picture prompts for tasks) • Allowing time out for anxiety and frustration • Creating environments suited to particular students (e.g. quiet, clean, not too bright for students who have Autism) • Physically accessible – use of ramps and lifts If there is an adjustment which you feel needs to be made in order to help you carry out your placement, please speak to your line manager, tutor or placement co-ordinator as early on as possible. 6

Attendance If you cannot attend a session, please ensure you do the following: 1. Contact your placement supervisor to let them know (do this with as much notice as possible) • In Contact the college placement co-coordinator via email: [email protected] or phone: 02089289088 Remember to complete your attendance timesheet (found on Page 18 in the Placement Journal). Running late If this happens the polite and professional thing to do is call the employer and let them know you are running late. In an emergency/accident • Inform your placement supervisor/line manager- you may need to report the incident through the company’s formal procedure. • Contact the college placement co-coordinator via email: [email protected] or phone: 02089289088 • Inform your tutor so they are aware of what is going on. Refer to Page 4 of the Placement Journal. Dealing with difficult behaviour When at work, we may come across challenging behaviour from a number of sources – our colleagues, our manager, our customers. Consequently, how you manage the difficult behaviour, may be slightly different dependent upon the context of the situation. Remember in these situations you can seek advice from your line manager, placement co-coordinator or college tutor. Top Tips- for dealing with difficult behaviour • Do not suffer in silence- let someone know • Don’t take it personally • Maintain respect for yourself • Put things in writing for evidence • Think positive – that’s worth as much, if not more, of your energy 7

Journey planning Once you have agreed a date and time, the next stage of the process is your journey plan. How will you get there? Is there public transport? Will you need a lift? How will you pay for transport? How long will it take you to get there from home or college? You can find the answers within seconds on the internet. Open Google Maps and type in the postcode and address of where you want to get to. Most companies these days also have a website and a directions page on how to find them. For information on travel expenses, speak to your placement coordinator. Complete the following table. Find three different routes to get to your placement. Mode of Bus Train Cycle Walk Transport Route Duration of journey Cost 8

Interview Preparation BE PREPARED • Do your homework on each employer. Knowing who you are meeting for your interview and gathering as much information as possible about their business will be really helpful during the interview. ● Practise at home, out loud, giving a short description about yourself. This is generally the first question for each interview so it’s worth preparing it in advance. ● Search online or ask your tutor for interview example questions or look in the student handbook for some top tips. BE POSITIVE & PROACTIVE ● A positive attitude and willingness to learn is one of the key qualities required by employers. ● Most industry placements won’t require you to wear a suit, but a smart outfit can help to give a good first impression. ● If you’re not sure how to answer a question, ask your interviewer to clarify, or to give an example of what he/she means. ● End the interview by asking one or two questions about the placement or about the company. This is a useful way to find out more and will show the employer that you are proactive and motivated to learn more about the company. 9

Student Preparation Survey How confident do you feel Not confident Not very Neutral Confident Very with regards to each of confident these statements? at all confident I can speak clearly to employers about my skills and experiences at an interview. I am prepared for work. I am ready to start my industry placement. 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. Strongly Disagree Neither Agree Strongly disagree agree / agree disagree To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? 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 with others as part of a team. I feel connected to my local community. Most people are generally trustworthy. 10

Additional notes 11

dustry raining pportunity Programme 12