Industrial Placement Year

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Undertaking and applying engineering knowledge to tasks and project work under supervision.
• The skills required to work within an organisational context.
• The business practices of your host organisation.
• A deeper understanding of technical issues from work-related projects.
• Current practice and new developments within the industry.
• Common organisational requirements, e.g. the ability to communicate effectively at the appropriate level, time management appreciation, the advantages and disadvantages of working in a team.

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Evaluate information from projects.
• Evaluate the development of your skills, attributes and behaviours over the course of the Industrial Placement Year.
• Review and synthesize professional and technical issues.
• Apply appropriate theories, concepts, methods etc. in unfamiliar situations.
• Exercise professional judgement in a working context.
• Analyse and interpret the findings.

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Understand the importance of health and safety in an engineering environment.
• Apply engineering techniques taking account of commercial and industrial constraints.
• Demonstrate effective understanding of time management and project management skills.
• Identify areas for personal and career development and how these can be addressed.
• Understand the different roles within a team and have the ability to exercise leadership.
• Carry out engineering tasks to professional standards.
• Evidence continuous professional development by the use of a personal learning log.
• Be aware of the new and developing technologies key to the future of your industry.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Study and learn independently, solve problems systematically.

Within your work placement you will apply knowledge you have gained from the taught elements of the programme. The nature of your experience will depend on the company you are working for and the Programme within engineering that you are enrolled on. You will be applying engineering concepts, developing some concepts further through project-based work, and developing your expertise as a reflective practitioner.

Teaching and learning methods

During your Industrial Placement Year you will fulfil the role of a trainee engineer and work full-time for a period of a minimum of 30 weeks. Depending on how your placement has been arranged (refer to Industrial Placement Year Handbook), either your Personal Academic Tutor (or his/her delegate) from the University of Southampton or a Placement Tutor from the School of Engineering will monitor your progress during the placement period, which may involve visits to your work place and/or a video conferences, and liaise with both you and your industrial supervisor/line manager.

The Industrial Placement Year Report (see also Industrial Placement Year Handbook) should be related to projects in which you have played a significant role during your placement. Where appropriate, your supervisor/line manager will assign a mentor who will be responsible for your day to day learning experience. At the start of your placement you should formulate a learning plan in conjunction with your Personal Academic Tutor, Placement Tutor or your industrial supervisor/line manager, taking into account the expected learning outcomes. In accordance with this learning plan, you will show evidence in your report of the learning outcomes that were weighted high in your learning plan. This should align to the competencies outlined in the UK-SPEC. Outcomes weighted low and medium in your learning plan should also be covered, but to a lesser extent. You should describe the distinctive aspects of your placement and demonstrate your understanding of the technical aspects of your work. In addition, you should indicate your role in the work described and show where you have exercised independent engineering and professional judgement (e.g. by using the STAR method – Situation, Task, Action, Result) The final section of the report should contain a reflective summary of how you think you have developed during the placement.

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

There are no generic resources for this module.. However, the following may be useful background prior to the Industrial placement Year: Industrial Placement Year Handbook - see Blackboard Module "Engineering IPY Pre-placement Information" Placement Management System: https://placements.soton.ac.uk

Assessment strategy

The assessment will consist of a reflective report (80% weighting) and a presentation (20% weighting). A combined mark of at least 40% must be achieved to pass the module. The module mark will not appear on the degree certificate or contribute to the degree grade/classification.

No repeat year permitted. Students who do not pass after referral will transfer to the non-placement year version of the equivalent programme.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.