Support during your placement

When you start your placement we will be in touch to see how you're getting on. We will also keep in touch with you throughout the year so please check your UWE Bristol email while you're on placement. 

Please contact us if you have any queries or concerns about your placement.

You aren't certain about your placement's structure

Although the structure of a placement can vary from company to company, the following basics should be in place:

• A nominated manager
• Clear and targeted objectives
• Ongoing support and review of objectives.

You're unhappy on your placement

It's not uncommon in the early days for students to find their placement isn't quite matching their expectations for a variety of reasons. Usually, a discussion with us or your manager will help to resolve any issues.

You're off sick for longer than two weeks

We need to know so we can discuss any longer-term implications and advise on available help and support.

Your placement is finishing early

You may need to find additional work experience to meet the requirements of your course, depending on the length and nature of the work you've already done. We'll work with your academic team to advise and support you to find another placement, if necessary. You may also need to talk to a Student Support Adviser about your options.

You need help with approaching your employer

We can also help if you would like advice on how to discuss with your manager so you can get the most out of your placement. This may mean discussing adjustments that can be made to allow more flexible working or access to further support.

You'll be given access to the Blackboard site for your module as part of your placement and allocated a tutor for the placement module. This usually happens in the autumn term.

Your placement tutor will be your main contact for any questions about your coursework and submissions.

We encourage you to contact them to arrange a visit to your workplace or meet via Teams during your placement so they can see how your learning is being put into practice.

Your manager will be a vital source of support whilst you are on placement. Take the time to get to know them and establish this key relationship. Don't be afraid to ask if you're not sure of something, they will be expecting questions, especially during the first few weeks.

You should prepare and plan for your meetings with your manager so you can get the most out of them. If you are keen to get some experience in a certain area it can be beneficial to politely raise this early on. If your manager knows from the beginning then they are more likely to be able to accommodate you. If you don't have any clear ideas that's fine, because as you progress through your placement you'll learn more and develop ideas which you can share with your manager.

Workplace Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Ask your manager if they have a workplace EAP. It's a confidential service that provides free support to employees on a range of issues.

Wellbeing support 

Undertaking a placement can be a challenging time. We have a broad range of support options tailored to what you need. These support services are still available to you during your time on placement. 

The Students' Union at UWE advice centre 

Contact The Students’ Union at UWE Advice Centre for free confidential and impartial advice about academic, financial and employment issues.

Library

Make use of the University library from a distance with over one million eBooks, numerous eJournals, databases and multimedia resources, you can support your learning with high-quality, electronic resources.

You can borrow resources from other libraries as part of the SCONUL Access Scheme, so don't forget to check if your placement is near a participating library.

Other support

Please contact us if you’d like to talk through any circumstances that might need to be taken into consideration when going on placement.

Going on placement may affect Disabled Student Allowances (DSAs), although there may be other funding you can receive through your employer, such as Access to Work. We recommend that you speak to Disability Service before starting your placement for more information.

If you have a disability and/or an adjustment need in the workplace or in accessing a placement you can receive support from the Career Coaching service.

You may want to discuss the following topics:

• How to share information with your employer about your disability or support needs.
• Adjustments your employer could make to support you to work comfortably and thrive in the workplace.
• How to navigate workplace cultures with a disability and or/adjustment needs.
• The government's Access To Work scheme which can help you with in-work support and funding.

Book an appointment by emailing Career Coaching at careercoaching@uwe.ac.uk