Department of Food and Tourism Management

Hollings faculty

NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES DEGREE PROGRAMMES

INDUSTRIAL PLACEMENT

STUDENTS HANDBOOK

2014 – 2015

© Nicky Smith and Ilze Dziedataja March 2014

MY PLACEMENT 2014 – 2015

NAME ------

PLACEMENT COMPANY NAME ------

MY WORK EMAIL ------

MOBILE ------

EMERGENCY CONTACT:

NAME………………………………………. MOBILE……………………………..

My Visiting Tutor is: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Email : ………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Telephone: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

(please insert details immediately you receive notification from the placement office)

IMPORTANT CONTACTS

PLACEMENT UNIT ADDRESS:

FCT Placement Team

Manchester Metropolitan University

Hollings Faculty

Righton Building

Cavendish St

Manchester

M15 6BG

Nicky Smith Faculty Placement Manager : ++44(0) 161 247 2711

Ilze Dziedataja Placement Tutor : ++44(0) 161 247 2430

Placement Administrators : ++44(0) 161 247 2712

Public Holidays and Emergency only : ++44 (0) 7771945457

Student life office: : ++44 (0) 161 247 2603

Juliet Leeks Student Support Officer : ++44 (0) 161 247 2500

Placement Team Message to You

“Dear student,

This is a crucial time in your personal development within the nutrition and food Industries. Whether you are galloping around the globe, or making out in Manchester, you must treat this as a golden opportunity to gain as much knowledge, skills and understanding of the workplace as possible.

There will be great days and there will be not so great days … Remember, we are only a phone call or an email away and always happy to speak to you. Your placement will be as successful as you want it to be …. The more you ask to be involved in your organisation, the more you volunteer and show that positive attitude that you have already shown by securing your placement – then the greater experience you will have throughout the year!

This Industrial Placement has been carefully selected by yourselves, so use it wisely; it is what you make of it. Keep in touch – send us a postcard to let us know you arrived safely and let us have your correspondence address and contact number…and don’t forget… have fun!”

Nicky Smith Ilze Dziedataja Placement Administrators

Faculty Placement Manager Placement Tutor

LOOK AT YOUR STUDENT EMAILS ON A REGULAR BASIS!

C O N T E N T S

Page

Placement Team’s message to you 4

BEFORE YOU START YOUR PLACEMENT 7

INTRODUCTION

Linking documents

Preparation

The Industrial Placement and Experiential Learning 8

Aims

Your Placement Learning Experience

Responsibility for Placement

Codes of Practice : 1) University 2) Employer 3)Student

Student Support and Guidance

Monitoring the Quality of Industrial Placement

YOUR ROLE DURING PLACEMENT 16

As an Employee

As a Trainee

As a Student

YOUR PLACEMENT LEARNING and COURSEWORK 26

Company Report, PDP

Logbook

Issues arising whilst on placement

ASSESSMENT 26

Introduction

Assessment Objectives

Assessment Package and Submission Details

Assessment Criteria

Health & Safety Sample Template 30

HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDANCE NOTES 35

USEFUL ADDRESSES AND CONTACT DETAILS

BEFORE YOUR PLACMENT COMMENCES

LINKING DOCUMENTS

This handbook provides detailed information about the Manchester Metropolitan University, Department of Food and Tourism Management work placement Period. It complements the ‘preparation for placement’ briefing and assessment documents. It should be read in conjunction with Health & Safety Guidance for Placement Students in the nutrition and food Industries at the end of this document.

All the templates associated with your placement year can be found on placement Moodle.

Ø You are much more likely to gain a 1st class or 2.1 Honours degree if you have successfully completed your placement year.

Ø You will be more employable after completing a sandwich degree.

Ø Placement Learning helps to put the course into perspective and greatly assists you with your final year.

THE INDUSTRIAL PLACEMENT AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

(Level 5, Year 3)

Why are you doing a placement? The Rationale

The Industrial placement period is designed to provide you with the opportunity to evaluate and develop your personal transferable skills and attributes within a real work environment. Whilst performing as a valuable employee, you will develop skills for lifelong learning.

This industrial learning experience (36 weeks, full-time work) is fully integrated into your course. The knowledge and skills gained in year 1 and 2, are taken into industry (year 3) to gain a contextual understanding that, in return, greatly contributes to a successful completion of your final year of studies (year 4). When you commence your final year, you will be able to analyse the industry holistically, taking a strategic focus within your studies.

The industrial placement programme helps you develop business awareness in an ever-changing world. The deliberate prolonged period is challenging, allowing time for adjustment to a new environment, new colleagues, develop self-discipline, and above all, personal responsibility for your own learning.

The Industrial Placement programme at Manchester Metropolitan University Hollings has been running for over 50 years and has developed and maintained strong links with industry partners in the UK.

Timing

Your placement period will commence between 1st June and 18th August 2014 at the end of the second year of the course and be completed by 18th August 2015 the following year.

1.3 The Aim of your Placement

To provide you with the opportunity to develop your individual competencies and demonstrate vocationally relevant performance skills through practical experience within the nutrition and food industries:

To develop individual personal transferable skills/attributes, and provide evidence of that development

To develop business awareness, to build an appreciation of operational and business characteristic

To develop and confirm career choices

To enhance graduate employability

Your Placement Learning Experience:

At the end of the placement period, you should be able to demonstrate your ability to:

Intellectual

· Evaluate the nature of the business, and the quality of the service encounter.

· Understand the organisations structure and its profile within the industry as a whole.

· Identify the market position, and marketing methods used to promote the business.

· Identify and describe customer wants and needs within the context of the unit, and the wider economy.

· Identify and assess the impact of external/internal influences on business performance.

· Apply knowledge to solutions for practical problems within the business.

· Research and analyse data directly related to effective business management.

Vocational

· Demonstrate effective performance in maintaining a healthy and safe working environment.

· Demonstrate an effective personal contribution to the operation of the business.

· Identify evidence of achievement of a range of practical performance skills.

· Demonstrate ability to plan and manage own learning and performance.

· Understand the importance of reflective practice for professional development within the workplace.

· Identify the development of effective interpersonal communication skills (including language skills where appropriate).

· Evaluate personal skills and relate them to potential future career paths.

Duration of your Placement

It is a requirement of YOUR course that you must complete 36 weeks full-time work, of between 37.5 – 40 hours per week, within industry with ONE employer. You should have researched this in advance of the initial application process and must be prepared to work the contracted number of weeks agreed on commencement of the placement.

IMPORTANT

YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO FULFIL AND COMPLETE YOUR CONTRACTED NUMBER OF WEEKS. THE UNIVERSITY UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL CONDONE THE BREAKING OF A CONTRACT, WHICH COULD HAVE IMPLICATIONS ON YOUR DEGREE (EXCEPTIONAL FACTORS BEING THE EXCEPTION). In some cases the employer may offer the placement based on a 48/52 week contract.

PLEASE NOTE Any student who leaves a placement before the contracted date will be referred to the Examinations Board for consideration and may be deemed to have failed the year.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOURCING A PLACEMENT

You are encouraged to look and find your own placement in co-operation with the Placement department, however, you will also be guided to select from a list of established placement opportunities that have offered placements to the faculty for the coming year. Responsibility for placement does not rest with the University, and this responsibility is deemed to have been discharged when a company offers the student a placement considered suitable by the University.

A student will be required to take full responsibility to find his/her own placement if that student:

· Rejects an offer via a university placement employer for no valid reason

· Fails to attend for an arranged interview

· Fails to accept a placement position after attending 2 interviews and being offered an opportunity

· Acts unprofessionally at the interface with industry

· Does not provide the placement unit with pre-placement documentation when requested

· Does not follow the placement application procedure and timing guidelines (as prescribed in the Placement Briefing and Assessment Handbook – issued Sept 2014/15)

Ø This is an exciting, dynamic time and you need to be proactive and prepared.

Ø Companies choose to offer placements to our students because they are the best.

Ø Placements are a privilege, competition to be offered and secure a placement is high not only within MMU but also many other Universities.

CODES OF PRACTICE

The Employer, The Student and The University will: -

· Be aware of the course the student is following and the specific nature and objectives of a work placement and will endeavour to make the placement as mutually successful as possible.

The University will:

· Prepare the student learner for work – based learning within the framework of the nutrition and food industries.

· Advise on the content of work placements in order to provide learning opportunities that meet the needs of the business.

· Advise students according to the suitability of the chosen placement position, paying regard to the needs of the employer and of the learner.

· Providing year round access to general support from the placement unit and co-ordinate personal support via a named visiting tutor for the duration of the placement period who will: -

· Liaise with the Placement team in order to provide support for the student learner throughout the placement year.

· Notify the industrial mentor and the student in advance of visits to the organisation.

· Be conversant with the background of the student, their progress to date and the agreed framework of the work experience. This can be obtained from the placement unit.

· Visit the student on site of the placements on at least one occasion and on a second occasion where it is felt necessary. The necessity of a second visit should be the result of negotiation between the student, the employer and the visiting tutor.

· Include the following discussion points during the visit, when both the industry mentor and student should be seen:

· Evaluation of student performance and skills development measured against personal objectives as identified by the student

· Student welfare issues

· Suitability, content and progress with work-based project

· Review and presentation of assignment to date (work in progress)

· Health and safety issues including review of the Health & Safety Induction checklist

· Possibility of future placements

· Provide feedback to student

· Inform the Placement Co-ordinator and employer of visits which cannot be completed within the given timescale, and arrange suitable cover.

· Respond to problems that may arise between visits.

· Complete the visit report form and return to the placement office immediately following the visit.

· Assess coursework and provide feedback for the student in both written and verbal forms.

· Evaluate the placement/employer suitability and provide advice to future students.

· Respond swiftly to problems.

· Maintain responsibility for the students throughout the placement year

· Provide liaison between the University and employers through expert advice and availability of consultancy.

· Maintain close relationships with regular partners and make efforts to fill ongoing placement posts year on year to encourage consistency.

· Co-ordinate the assessment of the learning.

The Employer will: Provide the student and the placement unit before the placement begins with:

· A letter of appointment/contract

· A job description stating departments offered

· Clear details of terms and conditions of employment including start date, hours of work and pay rates (This will usually be in the form of a written contract)

· Clear details of health and safety standards, dress code and other company policies,

· Complete the University Health & Safety (HSE advised) checklist and return signed and stamped prior to employment commencement.

· Conduct Health and Safety, and fire training with the student within 2 weeks of employment commencement.

· Identify, and agree with the student, a placement mentor who will discuss opportunities and give advice throughout the placement year.

· Provide induction on the first day of employment covering the terms and conditions of employment, introduction to appropriate staff and mentor, dates for health & safety and fire training, application of planned learning programme, grievance/disciplinary procedures and welfare arrangements

· The Industry mentor will be responsible for the student during the period of work experience, and will be fully conversant with the aims and expected learning outcomes of the period. S/he should: -

· Encourage the student to identify learning opportunities and recognise achievement.

· Provide regular feedback relating to the students progress, via periodic meetings at 3 monthly intervals (as a minimum). Such issues will include the students learning contracts, amendments to initial structured programme, opportunities for promotion, and academic assignments.

· Be available to meet the visiting tutor in order to discuss the student’s progress.

· Ensure that a final evaluation is made, both in the form of a 1-2-1 personal de-briefing, and provide the student with a written evaluation (See employers report in the assessment section)

· Notify the placement unit of any disciplinary proceedings being taken against the student and, in particular, before any action is taken, particularly if termination of a student’s placement is anticipated.