School of Computing and Communications
Knowledge Business Centre
InfoLab21 Industry Placements
Company Handbook 2012-13
Contents
Introduction 4
Placement Format 7
Health, Safety and Insurance Requirements 13
Placement Timeline 19
Commonly Asked Questions 20
Appendices 26
1. Introduction
The overall objective of the InfoLab21 Industrial Placements programme run by the Knowledge Business Centre (KBC) team at InfoLab21 is to enhance the employment prospects of undergraduate students, whilst introducing transformational ICT business improvements and technological development opportunities into participating companies.
It is now widely accepted within the UK Higher Education sector that graduates require a diverse mix of skills for professional employment, some of which can be more effectively developed in a work-based setting than in a classroom, library or laboratory. At the same time it is recognised that traditional ‘work-experience’ can be limiting in that it often does not provide adequate opportunities for students to apply or develop their subject specific knowledge.
The need for ICT support within businesses (particularly the Small to Medium sized Enterprise sector (SMEs)) is equally well documented. Various studies from business support agencies and Government departments have identified growing pressures upon businesses of all sizes from ICT legislation, stakeholder demands, and an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Studies suggest that although ICT support available to business has continued to grow, in particular SMEs are still struggling to meet the demands of increasingly stringent legislation, and are unable to capitalise on the opportunities available through improved performance. Companies report the reason for this to be chiefly associated with a lack of human resource, or ICT expertise in-house to drive forward productivity, or dedicate time to ICT research.
InfoLab21’s Industrial Placements are designed to bridge this gap by providing a dedicated ICT resource to participating companies, whilst allowing graduate students to demonstrate they have developed a full range of skills by the time they complete their courses.
Companies providing placement opportunities benefit by gaining access to a high calibre, motivated individual with an ICT focused background, to deliver a key piece of hands-on ICT development on behalf of the organisation. It is an excellent opportunity for participating businesses to begin addressing their most pressing ICT concerns, and for participating students to utilise their skills and demonstrate their capabilities to prospective employers.
It is in each student’s best interests to produce a high quality piece of work for the host organisation, and in return secure the valuable experience of involvement in a commercial environment, (and the improved future employment prospects that experience brings). Several of the placement projects undertaken over the last few years have resulted in participating students being offered employment within host organisations; an achievement which has benefited all parties significantly.
2. Placement Format
A description of the arrangements and requirements of each of the placement scheme is covered over the next few pages.
Placement projects are designed to provide companies with access to a Computer Science or Communication Systems graduate to undertake a succinct and self-contained piece of work over an eight week period. These projects provide companies with a dedicated resource to focus upon a very specific topic. In return students gain a taste of work in a commercial environment, and an introduction to the application of ICT in business. These projects are ideal for companies that lack the time and ICT ‘know how’ to commit to solving a specific problem.
Duration and Timing
o These placements typically take place over an eight week period during which time the student is expected to be based at the company’s premises. Work undertaken on behalf of the company ought to take place on site (to be agreed between both parties), and the student is required to provide progress reports to the company on a weekly basis.
o Projects traditionally take place during the summer vacation starting third week of May and lasting eight weeks, although it is sometimes possible to arrange short projects to take place at other times of the year dependant on timetable commitments of the students.
Requirements upon the Placement Provider
o Prior to commencement, Placement Providers are asked to develop a 1 page A4 Project Brief detailing a short background of the host company, and a description of the work it would like to have undertaken.
o Placement providers are also asked to nominate a representative from within the company that the student can report to, and seek guidance from.
o Placement Providers should arrange for a suitable workspace, including a desk and other equipment (telephone and IT equipment etc) to be available if necessary for work to be undertaken on site by the student.
o The Placement provider is also required to supply the visiting student with appropriate information relating to the workplace in the form of an Introductory Induction at commencement of the project. (Further guidance on what this induction should cover can be found later in this booklet).
o The Placement provider is asked to confirm that appropriate Health, Safety and Insurance provision is in place to cover a visiting student prior to the commencement of any project (further guidance can be found later in this booklet).
o Placement providers are asked to reimburse students for the cost of any out of pocket expenses including travel to and from the placement site, and on behalf of the company.
Responsibilities of the Knowledge Business Centre Team and the University Departments
o The School of Computing and Communications’ KBC Team play a role in facilitating placement projects and serve as a point of contact to both the placement provider and the student taking on the project.
o The Knowledge Business Centre Team are instrumental in marketing the availability of placement opportunities to prospective providers, and can offer assistance in developing Project Briefs with partner companies if required
o All Project Briefs from participating companies are collated by the KBC Team and offered up to students registering to undertake an industry focussed placement in October each year.
o The KBC interview all students registering on the placements programme and allocate students to companies based upon their suitability, experience, academic interests and personal preferences. Students are not guaranteed to be allocated a project if unsuitable, and similarly companies are not always allocated a student if the necessary prerequisites cannot be met.
o The KBC Team work with the students towards developing the Project Brief into a work plan. It is the responsibility of the student to take ownership of this plan and to drive project progress from the outset.
o The KBC also plays a role in ensuring that satisfactory provision is in place to cover Health, Safety and Insurance requirements for students whilst on placement in companies (covered in further detail later in this booklet).
o The KBC is on occasion required by its funders (The European Regional Development Fund) to collect baseline company information from participating organisations, and to draw up proposal agreements with host companies. This information is used to formalise the scope and limitations of the project as agreed between the host company and the University/student; and to demonstrate that European funds have been used for eligible activity in supporting environmental business improvements in North West companies via the scheme.
o By benefiting from these placements, participating organisations agree to Lancaster University having the option to prepare a case study on the work done. This case study will not be circulated, published or in other ways distributed without the organisation’s prior approval, and may, at the organisation’s request, be made anonymous before such dissemination.
Outcome / Project Reports
o On completion of the placement period the student is required to present a project deliverable to the placement provider and the KBC.
o Successful completion of the placement can often lead to the development of longer placement projects (if agreeable to all parties), outlined in greater detail in the next section.
o The KBC collect feedback from participating placement providers and students, and attempt to measure the business benefits achieved through the scheme.
o Where appropriate and with the agreement of the placement provider the KBC may ask to produce a Case Study detailing the outcomes of industry based projects. Case studies will be used to showcase projects on the scheme website, and to promote its value to prospective companies and students (no case study material will be produced or released into the public domain without the prior approval of the participating company).
3.Health, Safety and Insurance Requirements
The University has a responsibility to ensure that organisations offering placements can provide appropriate standards of health, safety and welfare for students during any time spent on site, and that employers are aware of their health and safety duties. The following sections outline the key health, safety and insurance requirements of both long and short term student placement projects, and sets out the responsibilities of each of the parties involved.
Employer Responsibilities
A student on placement at the employer’s workplace is classed as an employee as a consequence of the Health and Safety (Training for Employment) Regulations. As such, the employer has a duty so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of the student, and the primary responsibility for this rests with the employer whilst the student is on placement. This may involve the provision of relevant health and safety information, and issue of personal protective equipment if appropriate.
The University requires Placement Providers to complete a Health and Safety Checklist confirming the existence of appropriate Health and Safety provision prior to the commencement of any placement (an example can be found in the Appendix Section at the back of this booklet). The University cannot allow any placement to commence without the satisfactory completion of this form.
Placement providers are also asked to provide students with appropriate information to ensure safe working practices and compliance with company procedures by undertaking a brief introductory induction with the student at the commencement of the placement period.
This session should include general information such as the introduction of key staff members, location of toilet and canteen facilities, dress code etc. as well as an introduction to the company Health and Safety provision. Students are supplied with an Induction Checklist (an example can be found in the Appendix section at the end of this booklet) which they are required to complete with the Placement Provider on arrival, and return to the KBC Team at the University within the first week of the placement period. Again the University cannot allow any placement to continue without the satisfactory completion of this form.
Providers are also required to confirm that adequate insurance provision (both Employers Liability and Public Liability insurance) is in place to cover students undertaking work on site (covered in greater detail in the following section).
Student Responsibilities
Students on placement have the same health and safety responsibilities as other employees in the employer’s workplace. They must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of other persons who may be affected by their actions. They must also co-operate with the employer in complying with the latter’s legal duties.
During the Induction sessions arranged for students by the KBC team each student is issued with a personal copy of the Basic Health and Safety at Work Guidance Notes produced by the Safety Office at Lancaster University. Students are required to read this document carefully and to sign a sheet acknowledging receipt of the document, and agreeing to follow advice contained in it throughout the placement period. They are also required to complete the Induction Checklist described above with the placement provider at commencement of the project, and to return this to the KBC team within the first week of the project.
Completion of the necessary Health, Safety and Insurance documentation by both the Student and the Placement Provider is an ESSENTIAL element of the project organisation. Without full completion of the necessary documentation at commencement of the project the University cannot allow placements to continue.
Travel
Although Placement Providers are asked to reimburse students for out of pocket expenses including travel incurred when travelling to and from, or on behalf of a company, it remains the responsibility of individual students using their own transport for placement related journeys to ensure that their private car insurance policy covers these journeys.
Insurance Requirements of Placement Providers
In the UK it is a legal requirement for employers to hold Employers Liability Insurance, and UK employers liability policies classify work experience or placement students as employees. Therefore in the event of an accident at work arising from a Placement Provider’s negligence, a student is covered in the same way as a company employee.
Sole traders are not legally required to have Employers Liability Insurance as they do not have employees. Should a Sole Trader agree to host a student placement project, the student effectively becomes an Employee, and the Sole Trader becomes an Employer, (despite the student only receiving an allowance for the work being undertaken). As an Employer the organisation is required to have Employers Liability Insurance, and is advised to take out suitable cover from commencement of the project.
Although it is not a legal requirement, all reputable employers in the UK should also have a current Public Liability Policy, which will also protect the student against claims brought against the Placement Provider by other third parties.
In line with the paragraphs above, because placement companies need to have both Employers Liability and Public Liability policies in place to meet their legal liabilities towards students, the University asks that all potential placement companies have adequate (minimum £5m) and current policies in place.
o Before a placement is approved, the placement company is asked to declare:
Employers Liability: Limit of indemnity