Skip to main content

Unit information: Year in Industry in 2020/21

Please note: you are viewing unit and programme information for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.

Unit name Year in Industry
Unit code AENG30014
Credit points 120
Level of study H/6
Teaching block(s) Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director Dr. Harrison
Open unit status Not open
Pre-requisites

In order to transfer onto the Year in Industry programme students must achieve an average of 50% in their second year units and be successful at interview with industry.

Co-requisites

N/A

School/department School of Civil, Aerospace and Design Engineering
Faculty Faculty of Engineering

Description including Unit Aims

The Year in Industry Unit has been designed to provide students with professional engagement in a structured and supervised environment to build upon knowledge and skills gained during their first two years of study in an Industrial context.

The aims of this unit are to:

  • Provide students with additional knowledge, skills and experience derived from spending a period in industry;
  • Enable students to apply appropriate knowledge and skills within a professional setting;
  • Allow students to develop and build evidence of UK-SPEC competencies that begin progression towards Chartership with one of the professional institutions relevant to their discipline;
  • Provide an insight into the use of Engineering in a commercial environment and the constraints imposed on engineers by economic, environmental and social issues;
  • Provide the opportunity for students to extend their knowledge and experience of the discipline through independent study.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of the placement, students should have a(n):

  1. Knowledge and understanding of the way in which engineering is used in an industrial or commercial context.
  2. Ability to work effectively as part of a professional engineering team and to take independent initiative.
  3. Ability to present complex issues to others through written reports and oral presentations.
  4. Knowledge and understanding of the pressures of working within financial and time constraints, and the importance of effective planning to manage this.
  5. Ability to consider and evaluate their own work in a reflective manner, with specific reference to UK-SPEC engineering competencies.
  6. Ability to manage their own learning and professional development.

Teaching Information

1 hour “Welcome Back” seminar for entire cohort in addition to the week 0 activities for the cohort into which students return,

1100 plus hours industrial placement, this would typically equate to between 35-40 hours per week for a 9 month period – it is anticipated that while on placement student will undertake basic elements of CPD which will feed through to the Reflective professional development journal

Attendance at symposium day

2 x 3 hour meetings with academic supervisor, this would typically break down to:

  • 1 hour of student, industrial supervisor and academic supervisor
  • 1 hour of student and academic supervisor
  • 1 hour of academic and industrial supervisor

Supervision during industrial placement by Industrial Mentor. It would be preferred (although not essential) that the Industrial Mentor either already be registered as Chartered by the relevant professional body or in the process of becoming registered.

Assessment Information

The assessment schedule below is designed to encourage students to reach the competency requirements for professional registration. It follows a similar structure to that required for CEng registration after graduation. The two key elements of the year in industry are the work carried out by the student and the broader personal development of the student. These are assessed during the year as follows:

1. Initial assessment (20% of unit marks, delivered 6-8 weeks after commencing the placement)

Short report (2 pages / 1,000 words) covering:

Company description
Outline of the industrial project(s) to be undertaken by the student, providing objectives, scope, purpose and schedule
Outline of planned industrial mentoring, training needs and professional development activities

The student will also give a 15-minute presentation of the above to the academic and industrial supervisors, followed by questions & answers.

2. Student placement mid-term review (pass/fail: no marks awarded, but mandatory, delivered in March) Online template based on the Bristol Skills Framework / Personal Development Plan/ Annual Review, covering placement progression and development activities that have been planned or undertaken. The industrial supervisor will provide comments and a signature. This will be submitted to Blackboard. The template will additionally reflect the Engineering Council’s UK-SPEC.

3. Final assessment (80% of unit marks, delivered in June) 3,000 word report, covering: The industrial project(s) undertaken by the student, describing the work carried out and its likely impact for the company Discussion of PDP activities undertaken The student will also give a 20-minute presentation of the above to the academic and industrial supervisors, followed by questions & answers.

Reading and References

Engineering Council (2013) UK-SPEC, UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence, Third Edition

http://www.engc.org.uk/engcdocuments/internet/Website/UK-SPEC%20third%20edition%20(1).pdf

Nicholas, J.M. and Steyn, H. (2008) Project Management for Business, Engineering and Technology Principles and Practice, Elsevier, Oxford

Nathans-Kelly, T. and Nicometo, C.G. (2014) Slide Rules: Design, Build, and Archive Presentations in the Engineering and Technical Fields (IEEE PCS Professional Engineering Communication Series), John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey

Dearden, H.T. (2017) Professional Engineering Practice, Harriet Parkinson Publishing, Manchester

For reference please see Professional Engineering Unit reading materials:

Campbell, D. and Craig, T. (2005). Organisation and the Business Environment. 2nd Edition. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.

Chang, C. M. (2005). Engineering Management: Challenges in the New Millennium. Pearson Education Inc. USA.

Chelsom, J.V., Payne, C.P. and Reavill, L.R.P. (2005) Management for Engineers, Scientists and Technologists. 2nd Edition. JohnWilley & Sons Ltd, West Sussex

Davis, M. (ed) (2005). 'Engineering ethics'. Ashgate.

Rice, A. (1999). 'Accounts Demystified'. Pitman. 2nd Edition. 1999. Stewart, D. M. (1999). 'Handbook of Management Skills'. 3rd Edition. Gowar.

Oakland, J. S. (1999). 'Total Quality Management', 2nd edition, Butterworth-Heinemann

Osterwalder, A. and Pigneur, Y. (2012) Business Model Generation, John Wiley and sons int, New Jersey

Warren, R. (1998). 'How to understand and use accounts', 4th edition, Hutchinson Business.

Feedback