Undergraduate Placements in History, Politics and Social Sciences. Dr. Craig Morris

The HPSS placement Final year, 30 credits, 150 hours of placement time. Suitable host institution that can offer graduate level experience and improve the prospects of obtaining a graduate level job.

Assessments involve writing up research reports, reflective reports, presentations, feedback from the placement provider.

Where do our students do placements? Museums, archives and historic visitor attractions, MPs, MEPs, pressure Groups, charities, voluntary organisations, primary schools, secondary schools, SEN schools, FE colleges, children’s services, youth and community groups, local council departments (e.g. housing), mental health services … and others.

What is embedded and developed? Whilst we embed the development of employability-related skills, understandings and experience across all three years of our degree programmes, the placement addresses many aspects of the Greenwich Employability Matrix …

At least half of the criteria are being developed in the placements: Problem solving, Team working, Understanding workplace culture, Use of basic Office tools, Networking skills, Presentation skills, Understand self and self promotion/confidence building, Writing skills.

A few of our successes … Christopher Lloyd, Politics graduate, placement with Louise Ellman MP, headhunted to work on publicity for the redesign of London Bridge Station.

Carolyn Ayers, History graduate, placement at Greenwich Heritage Centre (curated an exhibition), now employed by them: “ … I gained hands on experience developing and creating exhibitions, working with visitors and looking after a museum collection. … I believe my work placement and the experience I gained helped me tremendously to gain employment in the heritage sector.”

Jade Alldis, Sociology graduate, placement at St. Mary Magdalene School (Woolwich), now employed at the same school (comes back to Greenwich to do talks for me): “The placement helped me … to decide which career path to follow … helped me grow in confidence and develop the skills I needed … helped me to build contacts in the work setting, which I used when it came to getting a job!”

In conclusion … An increasing number of our students are now choosing to do a placement and we are increasingly seeing the benefits of this.