This workshop primarily focused on the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors; however, lesson learnt can be applied across the STEM industries, where Cogent leads on Higher Education activity for the SSC STEM Cluster.

Alternatives to traditional placement years have been identified which encourage the uptake of students through programmes that help deliver hands on practical experience, business skills and employability with employers. Funding opportunities have also been examined to support students and industry take on placements, yet wider funding challenges remain.

We are encouraging industry to offer placements, and inform them of their responsibilities levelled with expectations, and how they might help use these options to informing and recruiting suitable students and graduates.

Through the National HE STEM Programme at Birmingham, Cogent hopes to raise the profile of placement opportunities, enable good practice between industry and universities, and provide simple access routes to STEM placement officers and business development managers for industry.

As part of this ongoing work Caroline Sudworth is working with a number of schemes to encourage and inform uptake. These include the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Veterinary College and the London Bioscience Innovation Centre, and a number of individual universities.

Click here to view the Internship Presentation
Click here to view the Placement Presentation