Previously we have set up placements based on picking specific target organisations and contacting them directly, based on likely prospects for high quality placements that could be set up quickly and effectively. With the latest two having at least a delay, and time moving ever swiftly on, we are now taking a broader approach. An email has gone out today to a list of contacts who have expressed interest (or been indicated as interested) in potentially hosting a placement.
If you didn’t get the email and are reading this and think this may apply to you, please read further!
Text of the message follows below the ‘fold’ (click for more).Message text that was sent out:
Greetings,
You are getting this email because I’ve previously talked to you about the ‘SHEEN Placements’ project (https://sheenplacements.wordpress.com), and/or because you were kind enough to take part in a survey that we did earlier in the year as part of the project – or were indicated by the person in your organisation that did the survey as the best person to contact.
The SHEEN Placements project was set up to look at developing links between the voluntary sector and the university sector aimed at creating work experience placements for students in voluntary sector organisations. A big part of the project is running a small number of pilot placements. So far we have had two very successful placements hosted by Samaritans Scotland, and we have two more in the process of starting with Citizens Advice Bureaux.
I’m sending this out because we are looking for more pilot placements!
We have a small budget available with which we can create short paid placements (or support the expenses of voluntary ones), open to students or very recent graduates. These placements should be working on a clear and definable project, ideally with a demonstrable completion point and result. The experience should offer a student or fresh graduate the chance to gain useful practical skills and knowledge, especially for the voluntary sector, and the chance to gain a small insight into the career options offered by the sector. So we are not looking for a generic “More volunteers? Yes please!” response, but more of an “Actually we’ve got an idea for a small piece of work that’s needing done right now and would be great to get a student in for” variety!
If your organisation might be interested in taking on such a placement, please get in touch ASAP.
We are looking to set these up on a very short timescale, as the project report is due in February. While the details can be very flexibly worked out between us, our thinking is along the lines of 4-6 week placements, up to full time. We already have an established way to keep the admin involved in setting the placements up to an absolute minimum so please don’t be put off by that.
For further information or to discuss a placement proposal, please email me at dain@phylmeyer.net or call on 07779790070.
In addition, if you already have students involved in a role of this kind within your organisation we’d be very grateful to hear about this, as we may be able to capture the experience as further data for our project.
Best Regards,
Phyl Meyer
Project Consultant
“SHEEN Placements”
Dain Consulting
http://www.dainconsulting.co.uk
SHEEN student placements project 