This session took place as part of the 2021 Conference. The presenters were Govind Panesar, Taylor Atkinson and Katy Elliot.

Abstract:

We are a group of placement year students working within Careers and Placements at the University of York. We are based within the Employer Engagement and Events Team, Student Development and Leadership Team and York Cares. We will be reflecting on our expectations, experiences and skills learnt throughout our placements, highlighting how the year in industry has improved our employability in the context of the Covid-19 crisis.

We initially felt that starting our year in industry during a pandemic would present setbacks, as we had to adapt to virtual working as well as transitioning from being full-time students to full-time employees at the University. Despite the ongoing uncertainty, we have still been able to integrate into the workplace culture, our individual teams and across the wider careers and placements service. We expected to develop broader skills such as communication and project management but have also had the opportunity to further develop skills such as flexibility, adaptability and resilience as a result of the current circumstances.

In our presentation we will articulate our experiences, as well as demonstrate the wider benefits of employability within higher education. All three of us work within different teams across the Careers and Placements service which has enabled us to support one another in our roles, bringing different perspectives to our discussions. We now have a wider perspective on how the university operates, the importance of employability within higher education and the positive impact that placement year students can have.

You can access the recording of this session at this link here:

Undertaking a Placement Year in the Covid-19 pandemic (UoY Panopto log-in required)