The presentation gives 10 ideas, some new and some not so new and some which you may not have thought of, for generating new work placements for undergraduate students. It is based on over 30 years of experience of working with university students in helping them find good quality employment as an integrated part of their degree programmes.

1. ????
CAS
……… for Internship/Work Placement/Stage & Practicum Organisers

2. Tip
Create a LinkedIn
account if you
don’t already
have one
Target




Former students (alumni) –
particularly those working abroad
Companies in job fields of
interest
Middle managers in the above Identify from year of graduation
- go for 30 to early 40s age range
Contact these people
Establish your presence
& set out your stall



Link to SlideShare and Box
Upload information about
placements, your
experience, expertise etc
Join relevant groups and
post comments

3. Tips
Be a good listener
and not self-centred
Wear something
distinctive so you
are remembered
Attend conferences



Make sure you have an eye-catching
business card
Network as much as you can there
Always offer to provide further information
and DO SO PROMPTLY!

4. European
Enterprise
Promotion
Awards
2013
Tip
Make sure what
you can offer has
synergy with
the established
collaboration
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
MEMO
Brussels, 30 September 2013
European Enterprise Promotion Awards 2013:
Promising projects to kick-start new businesses
There are many and varied ways to create much needed new businesses
and jobs. Some outstanding initiatives to promote entrepreneurship
recently competed in national competitions for a chance to represent their
country in the 2013 European Enterprise Promotion Awards. Out of several
hundred candidates, nineteen projects were shortlisted in six categories,
including the new category: "Supporting the development of green
markets and resource efficiency". The Awards scheme received entries
from 26 EU countries – including new EU Member State Croatia – as well
as Turkey and Serbia. Winners for each of the six categories will be
announced by European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani at the
SME Assembly on 25 November 2013 in Vilnius, Lithuania. One project will
also receive the prestigious Grand Jury Prize.
A high-level jury representing business, government and academia
reviewed the 53 national winner entries to establish this year's shortlist.
Shortlisted projects came from Belgium (2 projects), Cyprus,
Denmark (2 projects), Finland, France, Ireland (2 projects), Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Serbia (2 projects), Slovakia,
Turkey, and the United Kingdom, and are listed below according to the
category in which they competed.
Collaboration



Many European collaborative projects are
funded by the European Commission and
details of participants are published
Data mining of this information will reveal links
between industry, commerce and the academic
community
Most importantly it reveals names of potential
contacts

5. Exhibitions & Trade Fairs
These events are primarily designed to sell items and
opportunities to customers and often involve
international companies
Go to Exhibitions & Trade Fairs



Selling to the ‘sellers’
You can successfully ‘sell’ your
product, ‘students for placements’
without even paying for exhibition
space!
Often more senior people with whom
you can ‘press the flesh’ will be
lurking in the wings at these events
Tip
Wear a badge
with your
affiliation and
name clearly
displayed!

6. Tip
Television and radio
schedules can be
particularly useful
in this respect
Television and Radio interviews



Always have a piece of paper and a pen standing by
when you listen to the media! Most importantly
broadcasts will reveal names of potential contacts
Be discerning but remember, people like to talk and
will be mildly flattered that you have seen or heard
them
Contact them! Google or one of the various search
engines should come up with a means of locating
them BUT you have a precious commodity – A NAME

7. Tip
Try to set aside
‘social time’ with
students from
day 1 when they
enter university
Student contacts


….. and don’t
overlook the
students either!
Often students
themselves or their
parents have contacts
which with guidance
and smart thinking
can be developed
into an actual job

8. Tip
Write to them along
the lines, “Our
university has
established good
working relations
over many years
with the ‘Buggins’
International Hotel
chain through
our …….” and
away you go!
Lateral Thinking

Placements for
hospitality
students could
lead to placements
for microbiology
students
Extrapolating the connections
International
Hospitality
Management degree
students
International hotel
chain
Catering with group
supply/ purchasing
Food safety
Microbiology (central
bacterial
monitoring/checking
of suppliers)
Microbiology degree
students

9. Tip
Sometimes these
organisations
have breakfast
meetings and
clubs
Investigate Local Business
and Trade Organisations


Such organisations have
meetings – for example
Chambers of Commerce,
Federation of Small
Businesses etc.
Contact them and try to get
invited along to talk about
student employability

10. Tip
Take your business
card with you and
get talking!
Don’t switch off entirely when
on holiday!



It is surprisingly easy to make new
contacts when staying somewhere
or visiting an attraction for example:
Hotels, wild life sanctuaries,
museums, outdoor pursuit centres
etc. are fertile sources of contacts
Such places in turn have their own
links for instance to suppliers of
specialised services etc.

11. Tip
Pen and send your
email, “Dear Dr X,
I was particularly
taken by the
feature article
Read Trade & Professional
magazines



These often feature articles about
individuals revealing key information
Newspapers too, particularly in the
business sections, will profile people
Even careers and individual
organisation’s publicity leaflets can give
a key name and job function of someone
who would be suitable to contact
about your company
which provided a
fascinating
insight …….”
and you are on
your way!

12. CAS
dr_ray_wallace@hotmail.com
+44 (0) 7531860983
©© Ray Wallace 2013