Case study
Work experience:
In at the deep end
Curriculum:
Colin Hussey from software company Serif talks about how they are supporting Nottingham IT Diploma
students with good work experience and of_f ers his advice to other employers
OTTINGHAM SOFTWARE involved in case the paperwork piles up. willing to learn. For the IT Diploma, we
Engineering success
N
company Serif has been However, there are organisations out there off er placements of two weeks minimum,
supporting the Diploma since which can help take the headache out of at certain times depending on a school’s
the beginning through its administration. Stacey Richards, Serif’s timetable. Usually, the placement takes place
software. However, we have also become HR manager, explained: “T_h e Nottingham in March and students start applying to us in
involved in delivering the Diploma locally Education Business Alliance (NEBA) has October, leaving six months to organise.
as part of a consortium of schools near our been extremely instrumental in acting as the Ensuring everyone in the team whom the
offi ces in Nottingham, including Djanogly ‘go between’. T_h e Alliance is an organisation student will be working with is fully briefed
City Academy whose students have already set up to facilitate the development of long- before they arrive is important – this will
won a number of awards for their IT term relationships between schools and local ensure the student is not sitting around with
“company”, LXB. We hope that with our businesses. After we got in touch, we were nothing to contribute to, and the team can
experience and expertise, Diploma students sent a curriculum for what students of the make use of the student’s best skills and
will really benefi t in coming to work with us. IT Diploma need to achieve, and we had to attributes. Consider making a “task list”
T_h e importance of work experience demonstrate how we could accommodate for each day the student is there, or letting
is often underestimated; students learn these students and what skills they would be them have a day or two in each department,
work-related skills that are truly valued by able to acquire while working with us. shadowing diff erent staff members.
employers like myself. T_h ey learn how to
better communicate, how to work well with
others, and how to handle themselves in a
working environment.
Benefi ts for employers are that you gain
an extra pair of hands around the offi ce,
you have the chance to unearth potential
employees for the future, and if you fi nd
a talented individual, you can virtually
‘
It is vital that the student doesn’t turn up and
the company’s staff are scratching their heads
for what they can do
“NEBA takes a lot of the planning and
“mould” that person to suit the needs of the paperwork out of the equation for S
’
An example of a learner who left Serif
erif. feeling inspired is IT Diploma student
company environment. For other businesses keen to get involved, Richard Devonport from Bluecoat School,
Often, employers have concerns about I would recommend fi nding your nearest who worked on creating promotional leafl ets
taking on students for work experience. organisation like this. Funded by each local as well as other sales and marketing tasks and
Diploma courses give guidelines on what authority, yours should be able to point you shadowing various members of the team. He
students have to achieve, which can in the right direction.” had an extremely positive attitude towards
unnecessarily put employers off . Will Brian Webb, work placement manager at his placement and it really helped to add
they have to spend hours mentoring a NEBA, added: “It is vital that the student value to his Diploma.
learner? How capable will the student be to doesn’t turn up and the company’s staff are Nigel Akers, Nottingham City’s Diploma
contribute to offi ce tasks? scratching their heads for what they can partnership co-ordinator for IT, said: “Serif
Of course a student will need a bit of time do. In order for both parties to reap the is quite rigorous about who it takes on,
and attention, but not as much as some best rewards, we encourage targeted work meaning students have to work hard to
might think; remember the learner will have placements and have worked with Serif compete for places. Experiences like these
chosen to specialise in a subject, meaning to ensure particular learning outcomes will give students an indication of what they
their motivation to learn will be high. Also, are set out in advance for Diploma would like to do, if they are heading into
the structured nature of Diploma work students. We then produce the appropriate the right industry, if they would like a job
experience helps to streamline the process, documentation, including health and safety.” straight out of school or college, or if they
giving you an idea of what the student is To make an impact and provide students would prefer to continue studying.” DD
capable of and what you need to give back. with the best all-round experience possible,
Smaller companies without HR HR asks students to send in a CV. T_h is • Colin Hussey is the education business
departments may feel wary of getting assures us that the student is motivated and manager at Serif.
Delivering Diplomas • Volume 2 No 1 Spring 2010 47
46-47 case study.indd 3 5/3/10 13:28:36
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