Bournemouth University placement students bring fresh perspective to local businesses

At Bournemouth University (BU) they know how important employability is to students. That’s why all undergraduate degrees – and many of our postgraduate degrees – offer the chance of undertaking a placement. This gives students the chance to place their learning into context, seeing how their studies relate to the industry in which they hope to operate. However, they also provide the placement company with considerable advantages too – bringing a fresh perspective and the latest thinking into the organisation, as well as providing support for short-term projects or a safer way to attempt to expand a business.

Two BU students who have recently completed placements are Katie Smith, a BSc (Hons) Sport management student, and Patrick Day, from our Meng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering degree. Bournemouth University caught up with them to find out how their placements have been of benefit to both them and their placement companies.

Katie spent her placement at Reid Bikes, a global cycle business with roots in Australia and a head office in Poole and enjoyed the experience of being part of a small marketing team. “Working for a smaller business meant that I quickly became part of the team, and had lots of responsibility from the get-go,” she says. “It meant I was able to get involved with a lot of different projects during my time there, which was great.”

Katie’s success came as no surprise to Reid Bikes’ Marketing Manager, Kyle Gouveia, himself a BU graduate. “I undertook a placement year as part of my degree at BU, so I already knew the importance of getting practical experience in the workplace,” he says. “When I grew my role at Reid to the point where I needed an assistant, I couldn’t think of a more rewarding way to hire someone than by reaching out to BU to hire a placement student.”

Katie was the second placement student to work at Reid, and Kyle feels it is a system that is working well for the organisation. “I can honestly say that I couldn’t have made a wiser decision,” he says of the experience. “The injection of youth and new perspectives that a placement student provides has been incredibly valuable to our business.”

As well as smaller teams, BU placement students can make an impact at larger organisations. Patrick Day, a Meng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering student, spent his placement year with ASM Assembly Systems in Weymouth, the world’s largest supplier of bestin-class equipment for the electronics industry.

“I was particularly attracted to their diverse work, which matched my ambitions to gain experience with industry experts in the technology field,” says Patrick of the reasons for his choice of placement company. “My days were varied, including design work, practical builds, testing, team meetings, and building relationships with suppliers, customers and colleagues.”

During his time at ASM, Patrick benefitted from a supportive and nurturing culture, which saw him provided with training and support whenever it was needed. He undertook product and CAD training, as well as individual development based on his own development and skills.

Ashley Chalker, Project Manager at ASM, is clear about the benefits that placement students can bring to an organisation such as ASM. “As a company, we embrace new ideas and fresh approaches to engineering and technical challenges, and placement students embody that approach,” he says.

“Patrick stood out thanks to his willingness to undertake a wide range of projects, and the way he was able to apply his strong engineering skills. Our customers have high expectations and can make challenging requests, but we knew that Patrick’s positive attitude and willingness to learn would be a great asset.”

Ashley feels that a solid support structure is key to getting the most out of a placement student, especially at a larger organisation like ASM. “We allocate a mentor to placement students, to make sure they are supported to develop their skills to meet our business challenges. This means they are able to make a fuller contribution, as we help to build on their business and technical knowledge throughout the year.”

As businesses look to build back after a challenging year, a placement student can represent a chance to bring new skills into an organisation on a short-term basis and – as the experiences of both Katie and Patrick show – can make a difference to businesses of any size. www.bournemouth.ac.uk

Patrick Day, Mechanical Engineering Student

Working for a smaller business meant that I quickly became part of the team, and had lots of responsibility from the get-go

Jim Hawkins, Delivery & Security Director of C31A

Cyber firm welcomes new legislation

A company certified by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has welcomed new legislation that will help protect people from having their devices hacked and data stolen.

C3IA Solutions, headquartered in Poole, Dorset, said the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Bill is long overdue.

Jim Hawkins from the company said that the new law will ban easy-toguess default passwords being installed on devices.

It will also require that customers are told when they buy an internetenabled product how long it will receive security updates and patches.

Jim said: “This is something that will make hacking harder and is the sort of bill the cyber security industry has been calling for.

“It is a move in the right direction and shows that legislators are beginning to understand the threats that ordinary people face.

“Easy-to-guess default passwords enable hackers to target a device and that can give them access to home networks meaning they are able to steal data or sensitive information.

“So many things are internet-connected now – from televisions to toys – and it gives criminals new opportunities.

“During the lockdowns we saw more traditional criminals move into cybercrime, and there they remain.

“The legislation will also provide a place where people can report bugs and flaws – and the whole thing will be overseen by a new regulator.

“Companies that do not comply with the new law could face large fines – and this is hopefully the stick that will create compliance. The law will apply to manufacturers, importers, and distributors.

“There will be an estimated 50 billion connectable products worldwide by 2030, and on average there are nine in each UK home.

“The bill also aims to boost the security of 5G and broadband networks.

“It is important that people don’t become complacent because the bill is not in effect yet and there are plenty of other ways in which internet security can be breached.

“As ever we would urge people to use hard-to-guess passwords on all their devices and change them regularly. A good technique is to use three random words or a password management system.

“We know that ‘1234’, ‘qwerty’ and ‘password’, as well as popular football teams’ names, are still used by far too many people.” www.c3ia.co.uk

Michelle Lane, James Owen, Rachel Saltonstall & Tracy Neal

Battens Solicitors expand their Agricultural and Rural Property team with two new appointments

Leading South West law firm Battens Solicitors are delighted to announce the expansion of their Agriculture and Rural Property team with the appointment of two new members of staff. Senior Associate Solicitor Rachel Saltonstall and Conveyancing Executive Michelle Lane are joining the team of agricultural law specialists at one of the area’s largest and longestestablished legal firms.

Rachel and Michelle bring with them a wide breadth of experience in agricultural and commercial law. Rachel has worked in the South West for the past 17 years, acting for a diverse range of clients in the private, commercial, charitable and agricultural sectors. This includes sales and acquisitions, all aspects of non-contentious landlord and tenant matters, telecommunications, and renewable energy projects.

Rachel says “I have had a long association with Battens dating back to 2004 and I re-joined the company last year. I am very pleased now to be part of the agricultural team, which is very well respected in the area for both its in-depth legal expertise and its pragmatic advice on farming and rural estate matters.”

Michelle is also returning to the agricultural team after spending some time away to bring up her young family. She is a Graduate of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and has specialised in agriculture and rural property since 2014. She advises on matters associated with the ownership and occupation of land and rural properties, such as sales, purchases, easements, tenancy agreements and borrowing secured on land.

Along with other members of the department, Michelle is very much involved in farming. Helping out on her parents’ dairy farm in North Dorset gives her a real insight into the issues farmers face: “When you talk to farmers during site visits, it definitely helps if you can speak the same language and understand the challenges they have to deal with. Most farms are family businesses, some going back for generations, so it is important to understand the family dynamics as well as the complexities involved in rural land transactions and negotiations.”

James Owen, of the Battens’ Agricultural Rural Property team said: “Rachel and Michelle are a valuable and welcome addition to the team, strengthening the expertise and service which we can offer to all our clients and helping us to build the best and most knowledgeable agricultural legal team in the area.” www.battens.co.uk