1. DISPLAY THE LEARNING ABILITY AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO APPLY FOR AND OBTAIN A PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT ROLE, OR A RESEARCH POSITION for 40 HOURS WORK AND BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY RELAVANT QUALITIES AND TRANSFERABLE SKILLS NECESSARY FOR THE WORK.
2. WORK DEMONSTRATING EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND SENSITIVITY TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMERS AND COLLEAGUES.
3. DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORK CHALLENGES AND ISSUES EXPERIENCED BY WORKERS IN THE PUBLIC/VOLUNTARY/COMMUNITY SECTOR AND RELATE THIS TO SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY.
4. COMMUNICATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORK CONTEXT, WORK ENVIRONMENT, WORK TASKS AND KEY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCED ON THE PLACEMENT.
5. DEPLOY SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO GAINING FEEDBACK AND INFORMATION ON YOUR PLACEMENT PERFORMANCE AND IDENTIFY HOW YOUR EXPERIENCE WILL INFORM YOUR FUTURE CAREER ASPIRATIONS

A 10 min Presentation (weighted at 30% and assessing learning outcomes 2,3&4).
Your presentations must contain:
Details of the placement organisation and the work task(s) that you were assigned.
Reflections upon the work environment and your personal and professional learning from the placement experience.
A 2,000 word reflective essay containing the following sections (weighted at 70% and assessing learning outcomes 1, 2,3, 4 & 5) covering your reflections of your placement experience in relation to sociological theory, your professional CV and skills audit and feedback from your employer.
Your Reflective essay should include the following section headings and content:
Reflections on the job you applied for in relation to academic literature and policy (please include discussion about the role and work culture and policy context).
Reflections on your job application and the application process (please include in this section your skills audit reflections, CV reflections and interview reflections)
Reflections on your work performance and the context of your workplace (please include feedback from your employer, details of the skills that you have developed and displayed at work including people skills and anti-discriminatory practice)
Reflecting on future career plans (please summarise how your work placement experience will support your future plans)
Evidence of 40 hour placement completion (weighted at 0% but must be passed to pass the module). Your placement provider will provide confirmation of completed hours and feedback on your performance directly to the University. You will have a copy of this report to reflect on for your Portfolio and Presentation assessment.
Key Information Set Data:¿
100% coursework
Learners have the opportunity to submit formative coursework as part of the module. Students will receive formative guidance on their draft work

This module offers the opportunity to experience the professional world of work in a public, voluntary or community organisation or a registered charity. Particular attention is paid to an appreciation of the ethical, practical, technical and financial (resource) issues involved in working with and for these sectors in the audit-driven culture of the twenty-first century. The module aligns to the Staffordshire University Employability Framework, although there are a few aspects of the framework that will be picked up in your PDP sessions, as opposed to in the module itself.
Students will typically be working with professional staff in the support of customers who experience some form of social disadvantage and require support. Alternatively, students might be required to contribute towards, or fully conduct a small-scale research/evaluation project for the organisation. The work to be undertaken in a placement is agreed at the beginning of the placement between both the student and placement provider.
Students will learn how to understand their unique starting point by conducting a skills analysis and they will learn how to express themselves by completing a professional targeted CV. They will research different placement opportunities and apply to undertake a work placement. They will undertake a 40-hour work placement and reflect upon the experience. Students will communicate their reflections of their placement experience in a presentation and in portfolio writing. Students will acquire knowledge on anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice in the workplace in order to analyse their placement practice.
Students will:
Understand their unique starting point by completing a skills audit.
Write a professional, targeted CV – reviewed by the University Career Coaches.
Taken part in video interview practice, using Shortlist.me.
Attend related PDP sessions and support sessions with a Career Coach.
Apply for and undertake a 40-hour placement.
Develop an action plan learning contract with their placement provider.
Review placement with placement provider and reflect upon feedback and your updated skills audit.
Provide evidence of their completed placement hours.
Identify how this placement experience supports future career aspirations.
Communication your placement experience with others via presentation and in writing.

Students who have experience in a relevant workplace to their chosen career path gain paid work in the field more swiftly. This module has been developed to support you in becoming more employable in the future. The content and assessment relate to the University Employability Framework and this module requires you to engage in the module, with PDP sessions and the Career Coaching service at Staffordshire University in order to prepare and undertake a 40 hour work placement (paid or unpaid) in a related field to Criminology and Social Justice. The module leader and wider team from the Careers Service and PDP tutors provide you with support and knowledge to apply for placements and undertake your placement to maximise your employability potential. The module is delivered through a blended approach of online podcasts, face-to-face meetings and coaching sessions. By the end of the module you would have completed a skills audit and have written a professional CV as well as reflecting on the transferable skills you have gained from undertaking a work placement in relation to your future career ambitions. You will be expected to present on your learning from your work experience to others as part of your assessment, provide evidence of your placement and write a reflective portfolio for this module. You will reflect upon the importance of anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.

These Learning Strategies will occupy your time:

A series of podcast lectures available at the beginning of the placement module exploring how to apply for a work placement and how to undertake skills audits and writing a professional CV.

12x1 hour meeting with tutor to discuss your placement and reflect on the taught podcast materials

40 hours spent in the workplace over a 10 week period and negotiated with the 'employer' on an individual basis.

6x1 (or equivalent) hour sessions to take part in assessed presentations.

Your independent study hours will comprise of a mixture of 40 hours in a placement setting and 140 hours of reading and research to prepare for your assessment.

Blackboard will provide supportive information and guidance to this module and enable a space for students to Blog about their experience as part of their independent study time.

Key Information Set Data:
10% scheduled learning and teaching activities
70% guided independent learning
20% placement

Recommended Library Books and Journals appropriate to placement.
Alcock P (2010) 'A strategic unity: defining the third sector in the UK' in Voluntary Sector Review, Vol 1, Number 1 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tpp/vsr/2010/00000001/00000001/art00002
Grint K & Nixon D (2015) The sociology of work (4th ed) Polity Press
Inners, J (2012) The CV book: your definitive guide to writing the perfect CV. Pearson Business, Harlow.
Milbourne, L. (2013)¿Voluntary Sector in Transition: Hard Times or New Opportunities?, Policy Press, Bristol
Ragonese, E., Rees, A., Ives, J. & Dray. T. (2015) The Routledge guide to working in criminal justice: employability skills and careers in the criminal justice sector. Routledge, New York.
Reid, T. (2018) The academic skills handbook: your guide to success in writing, thinking and communicating at university. Sage, London.
Thompson, N. (2015) People Skills. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke
Thompson, N. (2020) Anti-discriminatory practice: equality, diversity and social justice. 7th Ed. Macmillan Education, London

Blackboard/Teams learning space for online delivery and information storage.
Flat classroom space on campus.
Computer facilities for CV writing.
Careers Coaching support from the University Careers Service.
DBS checks for students working with vulnerable groups.