Placement: A Dynamic Tripartite Approach By Placement Office Queen’s Management School Lisa Burns & Jill McGrath “We have been impressed by the placement team’s genuine commitment to the students at Queen’s and their ability to act quickly and effectively in communicating the needs of our organization to the faculty and students. “ David J. Tkalcic, Morgan Stanley Abstract Within the Management School we have a dedicated Placement Office. We are a team of 4. The Placement Office has been established for over 25 years. Our remit is 3 fold – working with employers, students and academics. We work with students on the following degree programmes: BSc FinanceBSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management BSc International Business with a Modern LanguageBSc Accounting with a Modern Language BSc Economics with a Modern LanguageMSc Marketing MSc Risk and Investment Management Over the years the support structure we provide to students has been significantly improved and developed in line with student and employer needs. The Placement Office offers a holistic approach to the development of student employability skills. This has led to wider opportunities for students both internationally and professionally. This is in line with the aims of the QUB Education Strategy ‘Employability, entrepreneurship and citizenship in a global world to develop high quality graduates and postgraduates who are equipped for life in a global society and work in a global economy.’ 1.Teaching and Assessment A major aspect of our role is delivering the Placement Learning Module to students with a compulsory placement year – BSc Finance and BSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management. Each year we support over 650 students. Within the PLM we support learning/teaching in areas including interview techniques, self-reflection, CV writing, presentation skills, peer learning, one to one advice/guidance, stress management, and report writing. This model is replicated with Language and Masters students within the School. We have moved away from large group teaching to an increased amount of small group teaching, one to one support & guidance and peer learning. 2. Student and Employer Engagement In consultation with Students, Employers, Careers and Alumni Office Staff, City Leaders and Academics we have supported the implementation of initiatives such as City Scholarships, SIG Trading Game, Ireland-US Council and Citi Quest. We have introduced the Placement Awards to recognise and honour students, employers and mentors who have demonstrated excellent performance and commitment to the Placement Programme. Annual Placement Awards Ceremony Careers Fair – targeted at students seeking careers in the financial services sector Employer Liaison Meeting – Biennial Employer Engagement Meeting Master Classes: New initiatives include Morgan Stanley ‘Life of a Trade’, Blackrock ‘Insight into Hedge funds’ and BDO ‘Assertiveness and Networking Skills’ all designed to enhance the student knowledge of industry. 3. Recent and Future Innovations Timetabled classes for first year students. Internationalisation - more international placements and encouraging more international students to go on placement. On site company visits – Dublin, Belfast and Glasgow. Innovation in teaching to accommodate changing structure of the academic year and weighting of degree: Placement year is worth 10% from 2016/17 onwards. MSc programmes – engaging with employers to create projects instead of a traditional dissertation for Masters programmes. References: (Employer Videos) (Teaching Award Podcast) Contact details: Lisa Burns E: Jill McGrath QUB Teaching Award Winners 4. Successful Outcomes We are very fortunate to receive the support of a large number of excellent placement providers and graduate employers such as: BarclaysAllianz Aviva Axa Deutsche Bank PWC Citi EY Deloitte Liberty ScorMorgan Stanley Goldman SachsKPMG First DerivativesPramerica ‘’I found Mark Fitzgerald’s (Blackrock) talk to be a fantastic insight into the industry we are studying. It was completely different to our normal lectures, and by getting an industry professional in to tell us about his job and his firm, we were able to see what to expect when entering the real financial world.’’ Fionntan Connolly (BSc Finance, Placement with SIG) “We are proud to be part of the Placement Programme at QUB in order to support local students become part of the global workforce. The Placement Programme at QUB provides students with a vital insight into working in the financial sector and ensures that upon graduation they have the required skill set desired by employers worldwide." Joanna McArdle, Associate Director, Barclays Bank Plc. Mariesa Dolan BSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management completed a successful placement with Boal and Co, Isle of Man and also won a US-Ireland Scholarship with Prudential Financial New York and is currently working in a graduate post as a Trainee Actuary with Pramerica in Letterkenny. “None of this would have been possible without the support I received at Queen’s. There’s a real emphasis on employability in the Management School and their Placement Office were a huge support to me, helping me gain the experience that companies want to see from graduates. “Queen’s offers a wide variety of international placements and internships across all subject areas and they certainly provided me with opportunities that have built my skills, helped me develop as a person and prepared me for the world of work. It’s been fantastic.” Mariesa Dolan (BSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management, Placement with Boal and Co.)