Since 2016 the Politics Department at Newcastle University has run a work placement module in response to student demand for work experience opportunities. It has proved very successful with positive feedback from both host organisations and students.  

 

The module is aimed at second year undergraduate students to give them an insight into the world of work, contribute to their academic studies, and provide a worthwhile contribution for the organisation they are placed with.  The ethos is very much that both the student and the placement provider gain from this experience. The work the students carry out is unpaid, but they receive academic credit that contributes towards their degree, as well as the benefits of the work experience itself. 

 

The placements should have a political aspect, but in the broadest sense, so they are not restricted to political organisations, or to work purely in the political sphere.  

 

Experience has taught us that the module works best if a specific piece of work is offered, with the host organisations gaining genuinely useful outcomes and the students using and developing a range of skills.  

 

The number of students on a placement is between one and four depending on the preference of the host organisation. 

 

Students start the placements in October and finish them by April with a total time of about 150 hours devoted to work for the host organisation.  The nature of the work depends on the requirements of the host organisation, with research work, marketing, fundraising, and event organisation among the possible options. 

 

Contact is maintained throughout between the module staff and both the students and the host organisation to ensure everything runs smoothly. 

 

There is an expectation that a nominated person within the host organisation provides supervision and is a point of contact throughout the placement. This would include drawing up a learning agreement and providing an assessment of the student’s work performance at the end of the placement (25% of the overall mark). These are not onerous or lengthy, and templates are provided.   

 

The current Covid-19 related conditions mean that there might be some restrictions or additional health and safety measures required.  We hope that students will be able to attend the host organisation in person but it might be that some work will need to be carried out remotely or even that the placement will need to be virtual.  Please let us know if a virtual placement is possible if required or if the placement can only go ahead if it the student is present in person.  In the event of a virtual placement, students will work remotely with contact maintained using, for example, Zoom, Teams, Skype, email, and/or telephone.  Note that we are open to remote placement opportunities even if not required by Covid restrictions, e.g. if the placement is not in the Newcastle area. 

 

If you think this is something your organisation would be interested in, or if you have any questions, please get in touch.

 

Contacts for the module are:  

 

David Walker – Module Leader david.walker@newcastle.ac.uk 

 

Mary Hull – Placement Coordinator mary.hull@newcastle.ac.uk