1. Nikki Abbott (HESCU funded research project)
PLACEMENTS How effective are they and why students choose not to do them?
Nikki Abbott
(HESCU funded research project)

2. A bit of background...
Employability adviser for Bioscience and Chemistry
Placement years are an important part of the course
However placements are non- compulsory
Want to know
Who chooses/ is able to go on placement?
Why don't students go on placement? ?

3. Why is a placement important?
for Bioscience and Chemistry studenta

4. Importance of a placement
25% improvement on highly skilled graduate employment/ study outcome
Former Bioscience placement students earned on average £3,600 more, 6 months after graduation
It improves grades (4% improvement)*
Based on DLHE data
(Driffield, 2011)(Gomez, 2018)

5. Problem for the department!
Only a third choose to do a placement/ are successful
Many of the placements are only funded with a loan (for example over 20 unpaid Sheffield University and NHS biomedical science roles)

6. What was I looking at? Demographic variations in placement choice
Barriers to completion of a placement year
What we can do to help

7. What did I do? Questionnaire
Final year and second year students (n=164)
Completion voluntary
Student Data analysis
2014 start cohort analysed using data from SHU's online student database (SITS Online).
Destination of Leavers of Higher Education

8. Second year students considering placement %
A placement would improve job chances 94
I am definitely wanting to do a placement
78.8
I want to work in science upon graduation
74.7
I am looking forward to doing placement year
68.7
Location is important to me
58.6
I am anxious about the application process
53.5
Being paid is important to me
52.5
I want a placement close to my family
37.1
I know what I want to do when I graduate
33.3
I want to stay near friends 29
I am confident about the application procedure
14.1
I have enough relevant work experience
13.1
I have childcare issues when considering placements
7.1
Placement choice is dependent on care issues 6

9. Mature students
Had the highest levels of unemployment and the lowest proportion of students progressing into highly skilled employment or postgraduate study.
Were the least confident in their experiences, yet were significantly less likely to do a placement.
Were statistically more likely to say that location was important to them.
Had higher proportions affected by childcare and other care issues.
Had higher proportions agreeing that being paid was important to them
Higher proportions wanted to stay in the Sheffield region and want a placement close to their family.

10. Demographics Demographics (total student population =256)
% Final Year non placement students (172)
% Current placement students (85)
male
52.9
43.4
female
47.1
56.6
non polar 3 Q1
80.8
84.3
polar 3 Q1
19.2
15.7
white
74.4
86.6
BME
16.3
13.4
no known disability
79.1
77.1
disabled
20.9
22.9
mature (delayed entry by at least a year)
29.1
14.5
non mature
70.9
85.5

11. Unemployment levels of DLHE 2016/17 full-time UG cohort
18%

12. Issues
Those most in need of local placements are those least likely to get them
This in turn means it is harder for those students to find local graduate employers (they have missed out on local networking opportunities)

13. Some of what Sheffield Hallam does:
Bioscience dept offers 1 or 2 paid placements
Recommends work experience, advertises and locates roles
Graduate internships
Mentor programmes/ fairs/ networking events
Volunteering
Venture matrix (usually devising school lessons)

14. Recommendations for an Applied University1
Practical support such as financial assistance in the form of bursaries for unpaid placements, childcare, travel and accommodation support to students (Better use of graduate internship money?)
Internal placements (both short and yearlong) as part of course
Provision of a wide variety of assessed activities within the curriculum volunteering/ venture matrix
Develop partnerships between universities and industries, specifically with local and regional companies (final year projects/ networking) 2 3 4

15. Comments from students
Comments from students.. 'I have children and wish to do a placement closer to home for childcare and travelling issues'
'lone parent/ no afterschool or sitters, with mortgage and bills. have to be home for 4 for children's' transport'
'I will have to have a paid placement and I will be doing a masters and will have to do pays fees and childcare'
'If it is close to Sheffield it would be great because I have childcare issues and I will have accommodation issues'
'I have my own home with my partner so the placement needs to be in commuting distance'

16. ' Unpaid placements': Ethical Dilemma? Best practice initiatives?
Over to you...
' Unpaid placements': Ethical Dilemma?
Best practice initiatives?