1. 3 July 2013 • Sally Smith & Dr Colin Smith

2. Introduction • Employers as partners through placement creation – a regional perspective • e-Placement Scotland project overview • Findings • Recommendations • Q/A

3. Project Objectives • Create 750 paid placements for computing students across Scotland; in HE and FE • Partnership between Edinburgh Napier University, ScotlandIS and e-skills UK – started August 2010 • Employers pay students – average salary is £15K pro rata • Placements to last between 3 months and one year, full-time or part-time

4. Outcomes • Employer stats: • Student stats:

14. What’s working? 1. Sector focus • Sector focus – tie in with subject discipline • Programme leader engagement – in-lecture presentations • Directed advice to students – CV for computing jobs, assessment centres for computing etc

15. What’s working? 2. Regional focus • Visits to employer premises • Network with employers locally around their interests • Employers offering masterclasses to bring students in – not all will be placed –added value

16. What’s working?3. Skills-based recruitment campaigns • Registration and “matching” service • Tackling low numbers applying? • Campaigns – knowing the HE placement landscape • Flexibility – employers rose to the challenge eg p/t • Listen to employers in your sector – in computing, 3 month summer placements for third year students is the dominant model

17. What’s working?4. Collaboration to widen access to SMEs • Over 200,000 businesses have been created since 2011 (BIS, 2012) • 53% of our placements in SMEs • Not easy but build brand – reputation, repeat custom,

18. Three secrets to accessing SMEs • Trade bodies – formal & informal networking • Regional approach – manageable regions eg across Scotland • Help & support – development of job specifications, IP statements, contracts, shortlisting, H&S checklist

19. What’s difficult? • Application rates were an issue initially – students intimidated by job specifications – e.g. 7 essential skills, 6 desirable skills • College students gaining placements – employers want highly qualified students. Many students who articulated from college were successful.

20. Finally, paid/ unpaid • Academic credit OR pay OR both (never neither) • We looked at placement projects across Scotland • Can pay, should pay? – funded by HEA • e. g. Smith, C., Smith, S., Irving, C (2013) Can pay, should pay? Comparing employer and student outcomes of paid and unpaid work opportunities, HEA STEM Conference April 2013, Birmingham

21. References • Wilson T (2012) A review of business–university collaboration • https://www.ukecc-services.net/ukpbata.cfm • http://www.britishservices.co.uk/associations.htm • Federation of Small Businesses http://www.fsb.org.uk/ • Smith, C., Smith, S., Irving, C (2013) Can pay, should pay? Comparing employer and student outcomes of paid and unpaid work opportunities, HEA STEM Conference April 2013, Birmingham

22. Any questions?