Private and public sector employers in the South East
could benefit from a decision by City University in London to make
work placements compulsory for computer sciences postgraduate
students.
Undergraduate students at the university's School of Informatics
already have to complete a one-year work placement as part of their
computer sciences qualifications. However, the academic year
starting next month will be the first in which more highly skilled
postgraduate students will be offered to employers.
This September's 130-strong group of postgraduate students will
work on projects designed to produce tangible benefits for the
businesses they join.
Some 15 postgraduates took part in pilot placements earlier this
year.One student wrote the strategic plan for the integration of
two companies' systems. Another created servers and databases on a
virtual machine.
Students also identified the criteria for success and the risks
that could lead to project failure for the implementation of new
health information systems.
Another student created a website of installation procedures for
Blackberry applications by bringing together different sources of
documentation.
Virginia Williams, professional liaison director at City
University, said, "The students in the pilot often took pieces of
work where they acted rather like consultants."
Postgraduate students starting this September can expect to find
placements with both the organisations that took part in the pilot
and those that City University already uses for its undergraduate
placements.
These organisations include public sector bodies such as the
London Borough of Islington, as well as large private sector
employers such as Bank of America, Carphone Warehouse, Debenhams
and Lloyds TSB.
Williams said, "One of the advantages of this scheme is that the
employers get students who have current knowledge of IT methods,
techniques and tools that they are keen to apply."
Although the employers in the pilot scheme paid the postgraduate
students between £1,000 and £2,000 per month, individual employers
can vary the amount they pay for each placement.
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