Students on all undergraduate Climate Change and Society course at Staffordshire University can opt to undertake a placement (sandwich) year; a structured work experience opportunity which enables students to develop and implement both their sustainability and climate change expertise and general transferable skills whilst getting a flavour of a professional working environment. The purpose of this module is to assess the placement period that students have undertaken within a workplace environment related to sustainability and climate change. The placement activity and the assessment associated with this module will provide students with the opportunity to reflect upon the: (i) practical experience of working within, and for, an organisation; (ii) application of sustainability and climate change knowledge and understanding within a workplace environment; (iii) development of appropriate professional behaviour, interpersonal and communication skills for a workplace environment; and (iv) development of their career management skills. This experience is designed to integrate with and complement the academic studies that students undertake as part of their Climate Change and Society degree.

To complete this module, you are required to submit two pieces of related assessment at the end of your placement year:

1. A 3000-word placement activity log – this contains a log of your activity in the workplace (a minimum of 9 entries – one entry per month) that has been signed on a monthly basis by the Workplace Supervisor and, an assessment by the Workplace Supervisor of your performance on placement (does not contribute to the word count) (Learning Outcomes 1 – 3).

2. A 3000-word reflective report – This report will focus on your learning experiences during the placement, how you have applied your sustainability and climate change knowledge and skills within the workplace, and how this has contributed to your continuing professional development whilst also evaluating your future development needs (Learning Outcome 1 – 4).

Placements take place between levels 5 and 6 of our undergraduate degrees and last for a period of 9 months (from September to June) with students working at least three days per week (normally a minimum of 720 placement hours). The Placement Year is an assessed, pass/fail, year that is added to the existing programme of study.

Throughout your placement period students will be supervised by a Workplace Supervisor (usually their line manager) within the employing organisation, and they will maintain contact with the University through a Placement Supervisor (these will be appointed at the start of the first semester and will normally conduct a first visit around Christmas). The Placement Supervisor will establish contact via telephone, e-mail or video conference. Students will normally receive three visits from their Placement Supervisor during their placement year. These visits will usually be conducted remotely but can be in person if deemed necessary by the supervisor or the line manager in the workplace.

Academic staff are responsible for briefing students prior to the placement, monitoring the placement and debriefing the student after it. They are also responsible for marking assessment work in respect of the placement. Whilst the staff of the placement provider are responsible for day-to-day supervision, students on placement will be visited (remotely OR in person) by academic staff and regular communication will take place to assess student progress. University staff will also be available to respond to problems of a more urgent nature which may arise between visits and meetings.

Module Learning Outcome
1. Evaluate the appropriateness of the different approaches that can used to manage climate change and associated environmental and sustainability problems within a workplace environment and propose appropriate responses to the climate change and sustainability issues identified during the placement.

University Learning Outcome
Analysis Problem Solving

Module Learning Outcome
2. Communicate climate change and sustainability concepts and management responses to a range of audiences within a within a workplace context.

University Learning Outcome
Communication

Module Learning Outcome
3. Apply knowledge and understanding of climate change and sustainability theories, concepts and response strategies within a variety of workplace contexts whilst on placement.

University Learning Outcome
Application

Module Learning Outcome
4. Exercise increased personal responsibility and decision making to undertake self-directed study, to reflect on personal development in the workplace and evaluate how transferable skills and abilities have developed whilst on placement, and relate to future learning and employability.

University Learning Outcome
Reflection

Employers' resources as appropriate, University resources as required.

Placement resources provided by the School and the University Careers Service.

Climate Change and Society Placement Year Handbook.
Bassot, B. (2016) The Reflective Journal Diary. Palgrave.
Bassot, B. (2015) The Reflective Practice Guide. Routledge.
Bolton, G. & Delderfield, R. (2018) Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development. Sage Publications.
Cottrell, S. (2015) Skills for Success: Personal Development and Employability. Macmillan Study Skills.
Williams, K. (2020) Reflective Writing (2nd edition). Red Globe Press.

Students must be registered on an undergraduate Climate Change and Society degree programme, and have passed all credits at level 5 to be able to progress on to the placement year.

This module will enhance students professional development through reflecting on the period spent within a workplace environment and identifying how it has helped them to use and develop their sustainability and climate change knowledge and skills, as well as a range of employability skills.