Work Placement - Entrepreneurship

This module is a work placement for the Entrepreneurship programme and includes 2 options from which students choose 1:

(1) Set up a New Business - students will take an existing business plan they have previously written and implement it to set up their own small business.

(2) Work in Industry, Ideally with an Existing Start-Up - if students do not have an existing business plan, they can choose to work with and existing start-up organisation to gain experience in an entrepreneurial environment. 

The rationale for these 2 options is that some students in the BBS in Entrepreneurship programme may have an idea of a small business they would like to set up, whereas other students may prefer to work in an existing start-up environment to gain entrepreneurial experience to prepare them to set up their own business in the future. Regardless of the option choose, students will be assessed on a series of deliverables that help them define the scope of work, plan the work, and deliver the work over the duration of the semester.

The module will develop the learner professionally and personally and equip them with the applied skills, knowledge, networking, and relevant business experience to achieve their career goals related to entrepreneurship. Learners will apply the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired in their programme and enhance their communication, problem-solving and professional work skills. 

The module is a 15 credit placement which equates to 2.5 days of work over the semester duration of 13 weeks.

All aspects of work placement preparation are conducted in semester 6 with assistance from the Careers Office. This will include CV preparation, seeking and applying for a placement, navigating the interview process including mock interviews. Where a student develops their own business, they will not apply to a start-up organisation. Where a student wants to work with a start-up, the programme board may provide assistance in finding a placement at existing incubators.  

Placement will be co-ordinated, supported and supervised by a team across the programme board. While on placement each student will be assigned an academic supervisor and a workplace mentor (if working in a start-up rather than starting their own business) at the place of work who will also support the student while on placement.

Students on placement in industry will be required to sign Confidentiality Disclosure Agreements with their companies.

1. Apply the knowledge, skills and competencies they have learned in their academic modules to a working environment.

2. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the business environment with a particular focus on a start-up environment and how to excel within such an environment.

3. Participate and communicate in a professional manner in the workplace.

4. Critically reflect on and analyse the work placement learning experience and understand their own abilities and challenges in the work environment by reflecting on their skills development and performance and setting manageable short term goals.

5. Demonstrate comprehensive oral and written communication skills, individual initiative and, team work (where applicable) skills.