Skip to main content

Supporting a student while on placement at your organisation

What we expect from you as an employer and what the University will do to support a placement student.

What we expect from your organisation

You must give the student an induction to your organisation. We recommend you include:

  • an overview of the organisational structure
  • training in the use of equipment and systems the student will use
  • relevant health and safety policies
  • a set of clear aims and objectives for the student

You should integrate your student into your organisation, project and relevant teams. We will explain your role in the assessment of students.

You should meet with the student regularly to monitor their progress and discuss future development.

It is helpful if you can offer an appraisal for the student on completion of the placement.

Health and safety

We have a duty of care to ensure that our students are working in environments that are suitable and meet health and safety standards. You must make the student aware of any potential risks in the workplace and make sure they receive training, induction and supervision.

We provide a health and safety form which must be completed and returned. You can do this before the placement starts, or the student can do this within one month of their start date.

The support we will provide

Placement briefing

We brief students before they start their placement and provide a handbook. The handbook includes information on:

  • health and safety issues
  • the student’s responsibilities during placement
  • what will be expected of them by the University when undertaking a placement
  • how the student will be assessed

Contact with the University

We will assign a Placement Officer or Tutor to the student. We stay in touch with you and the student to ensure everything is going well throughout the year. Students complete a personal development plan and send us regular reports on their progress.

The Placement Tutor will visit the student, usually between November and February. They will also expect to meet with the student’s supervisor. If the placement is overseas, the Placement Tutor will contact the student by Skype and/or email.

Contact us

Each Faculty has a dedicated Placements Team:

On this page