By David Coomber, Keller Ground Engineering

It’s unfortunate that the industrial placement year became known as “a year out” since it is anything but. Effective placements stretch students – allowing employers to delegate responsibility and variety of work beyond expectation by the end of 9 – 15 months. Students may be surprised by the extent to which they can influence the experience simply by demonstrating flexibility, commitment, willingness to communicate and above all, enthusiasm, in the early months. In fact, a recent Quality Assurance Agency assessment of work experience placements included the views of 13 employers. These included contractors and consultants, utilities companies and transport organisations. With variations of emphasis all clearly valued the concept of work placements.

 

What’s in it for me?

Potential gains include:-

• Real experience compared with classroom or laboratory simulation
• Additional knowledge absorbed alongside experienced professionals
• Understanding of the workplace environment and pressures
• Confidence gained from making a practical contribution.

I cannot overemphasis the last on this list. Increased self-confidence is quoted as a benefit almost without exception by students who have invested time and effort in their work placements. In most cases a successful placement generates renewed enthusiasm for completion of the academic course, perhaps even attainment of a higher degree standard. This selfconfidence comes from understanding what happens in real life, outside the classroom. For example, real experience includes understanding that, in practice there is an elusive balance to be struck between quality, production, safety and economy. Work experience can help a student to understand that team working and dealing with people are at least as important as technical knowhow.


Other benefits of work experience are – enhanced employability and money! The former is self-evident when the job market is competitive and any track record of work experience helps differentiate a student’s application. Whilst based on site the more imaginative of placement students develop creative skills to select accommodation that rival even those of the site operatives – leading to marginal profit on subsistence allowances and supplements to training salaries!

What will I do?

Most placements include experience in setting out, basic surveying, drawing production, quality control testing principles and practice, computerized technical data manipulation, assistance with technical proposals, design calculations or method statements. Responsive students may also gain first exposure to contractual relationships, terms and conditions of contracts, compliance requirements (e.g. quality assurance, health and safety management, environmental requirements, and equal opportunities). Under supervision the good student might also deal direct wit h the labour force and clients, assist with cost measurements and control, procurement and plant maintenance issues. These are the areas of knowledge which set academic learning in context and allow future engineers to market their practical understanding with confidence at interview. You should make a point of reflecting on work experience whilst it is fresh in your mind so that you capitalize on the knowledge and skills gained. Write things down if it helps.