Year in Industry - 2024 entry

The Year in Industry module will provide you with an opportunity to undertake practical work experience in a business, commercial or public sector renewable energy-related environment that is of direct relevance to your development as an experienced professional. You will apply the knowledge and skills from taught modules in the workplace, which will give you important insights into your potential job role once you graduate from university. You will be responsible for finding your own placement (with support from the Student Experience and Employability Team and the Career Zone). All paperwork to support the approval of the placement must be submitted by you and approved by the module leader at least 4 weeks in advance of the start date for your placement. You can undertake your work placement in the UK, or other approved international setting.

The aim of this module is to provide practical work experience in a business, commercial or public sector setting that is of direct relevance to the subject-specific aims of your degree programme. Crucially, the module will also develop and enhance critical soft skills which are in demand for graduate roles, e.g. communication, team working, time management, planning, resilience, commercial awareness.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

 

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1. Demonstrate the acquisition of new knowledge and practical skills, the specifics being dependent on the particular work placement undertaken;

 

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

2. Apply academic knowledge to professional practice;

3. Produce a concise technical report;

4. Produce a record of Independent Personal Development commensurate with that required at a professional level to demonstrate competence.

 

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge:

5. Identify personal strengths and weaknesses in relation to the placement provider’s needs;

6. Identify key personal and professional development objectives in relation to the placement and evaluating performance and development against these;

7. Understand the placement provider’s organisation and how you fit within it;

8. Understand and demonstrating appropriate professional behaviour;

9. Use the information gained on the placement to inform career goals
 

The work that you will carry out depends on the nature and type of placement you are undertaking. However, it is mandatory that your employer gives you the opportunity to work on a substantial piece of work at an equivalent level to project work performed by level 6 students. This piece of work should form the basis of the technical report section of your Year in Industry report. The length of the placement should be no less than 28 weeks

All paperwork must be submitted by you and approved by the module leader at least 4 weeks in advance of the start date for your placement. You can undertake your work placement in the UK, any part of the European Union countries that participate in the Erasmus+ programme, or other approved international setting.

 
Finding a suitable placement:

It is up to you to find and successfully apply for a suitable Placement Organisation that meets the criteria for this module. However, support for you in identifying potential placement providers and applying will be provided via the Student Experience and Employability Team and Career Zone.

 
Before commencement of the placement:

The chosen Placement Organisation and the work to be undertaken are both subject to approval by the Module Convenor, who draws up a formal agreement to be deposited with the College in coordination with the Student Experience and Employability Team. Usually, this agreement will be made on the basis of an exchange of letters between the Placement Organisation and the Module Convenor, which sets out aims and objectives, duties and obligations of all parties involved. Once this agreement is complete, the Module Convenor will make you aware of a named link person in the Faculty who is responsible for your pastoral/tutorial support, and of the nature of this support. Where the Placement Organisation is overseas and the language spoken is not English, you may be required to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in the language concerned in tests set by the Foreign Language Centre. Before commencement of the placement, you will be issued with a copy of the Renewable Energy Year in Industry Placement Handbook by the Module Convenor. This will also be shared with the Placement Organisation to enable them to define and manage your workload in line with the module requirements.

 
During the placement:

Progress during the placement will consist of two monitoring meetings at the host organization. These will be attended by the link person within the College together with your line manager, to discuss the work undertaken so far, progress in your IPD diary, and any other matters of interest and/or concern. Where it is not feasible for the College link to visit the host organization in person, this meeting may take the form of a video call. 

 

After completion of the placement:

Towards the end of the placement, the main form of assessment takes the form of a Year in Industry report. This will be due around the middle of July, and will include:


a description of one or more technical projects you have undertaken during placement;

a reflective report, describing the skills you have learned and challenges undertaken during the placement; 

a host employer evaluation of your performance during the placement;

your completed independent professional development pack.
 

After you return from the Placement Organisation and undertake the next stage of your degree, you will also present a poster that outlines the key aspects of your placement.

Re-assessment is not available for this module. If you are unable to secure an industrial placement for this module, or you do not pass the placement module, then your programme registration will be transferred to the corresponding programme without ‘Year in Industry’.

Basic reading:

Davies, John W, Communication for Engineering Students, Harlow (1996)

Bowden,J, Writing a Report: How to Prepare, Write and Present Effective Reports, 8th, How To Books Ltd (2008), ISBN: 978-1845282936

Neugebaur, J, Making the Most of your Placement, Sage Publications (2009), ISBN: 978-184787



ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk

Web based and Electronic Resources:

My Career Zone - https://mycareerzone.exeter.ac.uk/students/

Career Mentor Scheme - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/mentor/

eXepert - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/exepert/

Career Sectors - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/sector/

Gradcracker - https://www.gradcracker.com

Reading list for this module: