A service that matches employers with undergraduates seeking work
placements has gone live on the BCS Web site, writes John
Kavanagh.
The Worklink service, launched by the BCS Young Professionals
Group, has been through trials and has now gone live with strong
support from Greenwich University in London. The university has
installed a server specifically to run the service.
Worklink aims to help undergraduate BCS members to find placements
with employers during a sandwich or gap year away from university.
Students fill in an online CV which is entered into a database that
can be searched by potential employers to find the skills they need
free of charge. Once a company has found an individual who is right
for the organisation or for a specific project, it can then contact
the chosen candidate directly.
Employers can get several benefits from student placements, says
James Hickson, vice-chairman of the BCS Young Professionals Group.
"Many employers say a student can bring fresh ideas and added
enthusiasm into the workplace," he explains. "Students can bring
up-to-date knowledge of techniques and theories - and they are
easier to finance than a permanent staff member.
"Placement students can undertake specific projects that current
team members may not have time to complete, or simply provide an
extra pair of hands, freeing senior staff to concentrate on more
important projects.
"Placements usually start after the second year - IT students are
unique in that they are semi-skilled at this stage, having
undertaken major projects as part of their course."
Hickson thinks the fact that the Worklink service comes from the
BCS will make its students especially valuable to employers. "The
database is populated exclusively by BCS members, which means most
of the CVs will be from students with an active interest in IT who
recognise the need to be a member of a professional body and have
agreed to follow the BCS code of conduct," he says.
"Many student members are active in branches or have set up a BCS
group at their university. Many attend BCS events, ensuring their
industry knowledge is up-to-date. Companies looking for students
with an edge need look no further - and they have no need to run
expensive recruitment campaigns or wade through a sea of applicants
to find quality candidates."
Employers that offer work placements will also be helping the
students by giving them valuable experience of the real world of
work, says Liz Bacon, a senior academic at Greenwich
University.
"We recognise the importance and value of industrial placements for
anyone wanting to pursue an IT career," she says. "Our students
benefit greatly from a year in industry and can be found
internationally with some of the best employers. They return to the
university with some excellent experiences and insights, ready for
the challenge of the final year."
www.worklink.org.uk/