JISC

Policy developments around increases in student fees, tougher Access Agreement requirements and the sharpening of employability agendas require institutions to respond by demonstrating they have excellent processes in place for supporting high quality placements and work experience, to optimise students’ chances of progressing to good graduate jobs. This project aims to maximise both student satisfaction and administrative efficiency in the placement experience and to make a significant contribution to students’ readiness for career progression. The technology that already exists to support placement management is largely designed to meet administrators’ needs. This project will research and represent in a blueprinting and service redesign process key features of what students regard as an enhanced experience of placement, bringing benefits to learning, personal development and employability. Process analysis carried out with the main stakeholders (including strong representation of the student voice) and across a variety of scenarios and current technological solutions will inform design of a generic process. This will be piloted and evaluated using existing and new IT tools to provide a University of Nottingham Relationship Management 13/10 2 modular, service-driven demonstrator, fully consistent with University strategies for Information Services and Learning & Teaching and championed by senior managers, to maximise the potential for institutional change and embedding. Consultation and dissemination will have national reach through active collaborations with national sector bodies. The service design and technical outputs will provide a useful resource and reference point for the whole sector.