Learning to Work Two: work placement projects
Members of the Skills Committee and external representatives from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland independently evaluated project proposals. The Investment Committee awarded funding of £4.713 million to four work placement projects recommended for funding by the panel.
1. Education into Enterprise
This three year project, led by Adam Smith College, brings together a consortium of:
- colleges (east and west);
- the University of Abertay Dundee;
- Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC);
- Alliance of Sector Skills Councils (ASSC) and
- local Councils for Voluntary Services
to make accredited work-placement opportunities available to students enrolled in HE courses which do not currently offer this option at participating institutions.
Placements are mainly with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), micro-businesses and third sector employers as well as key sectors of the Scottish economy. The project will match around 850 students on 30 - 90 day placements with 500 employers over three years.
See http://www.educationintoenterprise.org/ for further details.
2. E-Placements Scotland
A pan-Scotland project led by Edinburgh Napier University and the E-Skills Sector Skills Council.
The project aims, over three years, to place 750 students of any discipline at any level of study in participating universities and colleges in business and information technology placements in the IT industry ranging from 3 -12 months. Placements will be paid with E-Skills Sector Skills Council employers contributing up to £9 million in student salaries over the three years of the project.
See http://www.e-placementscotland.com/ for further details
3. Third Sector Internships Scotland
A four year pan-Scotland project led by Queen Margaret University with the Open University and Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO).
The programme will place 200-300 students in flexible format paid placements (350 hour maximum) with third sector organisations. Undergraduate and postgraduate students of any discipline enrolled at any Scottish university are eligible to apply for placement opportunities offered.
See http://www.3rdsectorintern.com/ for further details
4. Making the Most of Masters
A three year partnership between the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Stirling. The project helps masters programmes source and implement work based dissertation projects. These will be aimed at companies working in Scottish Government key economic sectors and will be aimed particularly at small to medium sized enterprises not currently engaged with the participating universities. The main goal is to develop resources and tools that help enable programmes to build up relationships with organisations and to identity and successfully implement student work based projects. The effectiveness of these resources will be tested through supporting up to 300 student work based projects across the three partner universities. These resources and tools will be made available to all Scottish universities.
See http://www.mastersprojects.ac.uk/ for further details.