EMPLOYER GUIDE TO INDUSTRY PLACEMENTS Education and Childcare Occupational Specialism: Early Years Education and Childcare
Thank you for your consideration in providing an Industry Placement opportunity for our students. Industry Placements give young people studying towards a T Level technical qualification valuable practical experience, helping to prepare them for the workplace. Employers like you are helping to grow the talent of our future workforce by developing their technical and employability skills and building their confidence.
This guide will provide valuable information on the Placement process including: • Taking the first step • Who, what, how, why and when • Creating a job description • Selecting the right candidate to meet your needs • Grofar • Setting learning objectives • Support throughout the placement • Expectations and responsibilities
Taking the first step You may be concerned that the process of setting up an Industry Placement is complicated and time consuming but this simply isn’t the case. You will be assigned a dedicated Work Placement Officer (WPO) to guide you through the whole process and can be as involved in the selection process as you want to be. The first step would be for one of our WPO’s to get in touch to: • Discuss your business needs • Confirm health & safety responsibilities • Agree a placement schedule of dates • Outline the job description • Introduce you to Grofar, our interactive digital placement platform
The who, what, how, why and when? Who are the students we are placing: • Primarily 16 –18-year-olds, living in and around the Harlow area • Studying T Level Education and Childcare (at Level 3, equivalent to A Levels) • Skilled with basic knowledge of safeguarding, Health and Safety and Child development • Students holds a clear DBS • Pursuing a career in Education • Looking to progress to an Apprenticeship or University
What should students experience on their placement:
How have Harlow College prepared the learner for work readiness: • Growing wider employability skills and workplace behaviours throughout the course curriculum • Developing technical skills through practical tasks • Facilitating varied employer encounters throughout the course curriculum • Providing careers information, advice and guidance
Why this benefits you as an employer: • Extra resources for your projects and day-to-day operations • Addresses current and future skills shortages in your industry by growing your own workforce
• Technical tasks such as completing a range of forms with support from a qualified practitioner
• Fresh ideas from young people
• Practical tasks such as supporting children in a range of different activities to support all areas of learning as well as including hygiene, toileting and preparing food and drink.
• Strengthen your recruiting pipeline and increase diversity
• Opportunities to participate in meetings and work with parents • Working with others with different skills, expertise, and experience
• Inspiring the next generation to work in your industry
• Give your employees the opportunity to develop management and mentoring skills • Support the vision of becoming a learning organisation, build brand value and corporate reputation
When does the placement take place: • 750 hours split over the first and second year of the course • Students will be attending weekly after October half term plus also carrying out block placements throughout the two years • Placements can be split between two employers, a Primary School plus a full-time day nursery • Schedule can be shaped to meet employer and student needs
Creating a job description Defining the placement role will help ensure we match you with a student who has the right skills, development needs and career aspirations to suit your business need. Our Work Placement team will work with you to create a bespoke job description that will include: • Objective of the role • Typical activities
Selecting the right candidate to meet your needs We can be as flexible as possible when helping you select your candidate(s). You may wish to shortlist and interview several students or it may suit you to be less hands on and leave us to match the right student to your role. We can also arrange for short ‘taster’ placements if you wanted to work with a student prior to agreeing a longer placement. Either way, we will manage the process efficiently and with the minimum of fuss.
Grofar Grofar is an Industry Placement management platform that allows us to plan, track and assess placements simply and efficiently. As a placement provider you will also have access to the system which will allow you to: • Receive clear communications and directions for delivering work placements
• Prior skills and knowledge required
• Save time by responding to College requests for information through simple e-forms
• Technical skills development opportunities
• Submit all applications and supply Health & Safety documents online • Validate all student hours weekly using a simple online form • Engage more with the work placement process Your designated WPO will guide you through the simple set up process and explain the functions of Grofar.
Setting learning objectives We will work with you to align the role to the learning objectives the student is required to achieve their performance outcomes. The following table identifies the skills and knowledge students are expected to achieve through their occupational specialism. Please refer to the table on the next spread.
Occupational Specialism: Early Years Education and Childcare Performance outcome
Knowledge acquisition • Child development 0 – 7 years
Supporting and promote children’s play, development and early education
• Biological and environmental factors which may impact development • Statutory requirements of the EYFS and Key Stage 1 national curriculum • How learning outside of the setting positively enhances children’s education and development
• Different forms of attachment that children develop including the features of secure attachments.
Develop relationships with children to facilitate their development
• The positive and negative effects of transitions and significant events • Factors affecting behaviours and approaches to manage behaviour • How a range of factors can affect children’s self- concept • Effective practice to develop self-efficacy in children.
Skills acquisition
• Apply pedagogical strategies to plan and lead educational activities • Select and use appropriate resources and equipment to support development, interests and holistic development. • Promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. • Analyse and evaluate the key aspects of the theoretical and philosophical approaches that relate to current play provisions. • Use observational assessments to identify children’s skills
• Support children’s group learning and socialisation • Apply strategies to prepare and support children through transitions and significant life events • Apply strategies to support children’s self-regulations • Model and promote positive behaviours expected of children • Support children to develop a positive self-concept
Full details of the Technical Qualification specifications can be found here
Performance outcome
Knowledge acquisition • How well-considered planning and provision supports children’s educational and developmental progress
Plan, provide and review care, play and educational opportunities to enable children to progress
• The purpose of observations, assessment and planning • Developmental indicators that may indicate a child is in need of additional support • Different types of assessments types and their purpose • The importance of continued professional development
Skills acquisition • Identify the needs, interests and stages of development of individual children • Plan a range of educational opportunities • Recognise and act when there are causes for concern regarding child’s development • Use formal and informal monitoring and observation techniques • Apply assessment techniques • Carry out and record observational assessments and draw conclusion from them • Make and use of formative and summative assessment to inform next steps • Engage in continuing professional development
• The key principles of safeguarding • Different types of abuse and the associated signs of abuse
Safeguarding and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of children
• How health and wellbeing support resilience, curiosity and independence, brain development and holistic development • Signs that indicate a child needs support • The signs and symptoms of a range of common illnesses and infections • The differences between accidents and emergencies
• Identify and act upon own responsibilities in relation to health and safety, security and safeguarding • Follow safeguarding policies and procedures • Carry out risk assessments and effectively manage risk • Contribute to effective supervision to keep children safe • Maintain accurate and coherent records • Plan a range of care routines • Respond appropriately to emergencies
Support throughout the placement The College will provide support throughout the placement for you the employer, as well as the student. Your designated WPO is always available to answer any questions or discuss progress. Attendance and progress is recorded and monitored through Grofar, our digital placement platform which will also provide you with a direct communication channel to flag any concerns. During the placement the College will be completing regular monitoring visits at a time convenient to you. This is an opportunity to review the progress being made towards completing the agreed learning objectives. Once the placement is completed there will be an opportunity to evaluate the experience and hopefully plan your next Industry Placement!
The first step ... Hopefully, you are now ready to take the first step to providing an Industry Placement. To proceed, or if you have any questions please contact our WPO team who are waiting to help. Email: WPO@harlow-college.ac.uk
Email us WPO@harlow-college.ac.uk