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Guidelines for completing the Cooperative Education Evaluation Report

Guidelines for completing the Cooperative Education Evaluation Report 1

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 2

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION REPORT (REVISED GUIDELINES IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19) 3

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION EMPLOYABILITY PATHWAY (CEEP) 6

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION EVALUATION REPORT GUIDELINES AND FAQS 7

Guidelines for completing the Cooperative Education Evaluation Report 2

Introduction The mission of the Cooperative Education & Careers Division (CECD) is to support you in developing the skills, understandings, knowledge, attitudes and achievements that will make you more likely to gain sustainable employment (including self-employment) and to be successful in your future career. Your Cooperative Education placement is an opportunity for you to develop your “graduate capital”. By this we mean your:

Human Capital – your formal knowledge and skills

Social Capital – your networking and relationship-building with employers and your awareness of future career opportunities

Identity Capital – developing your professional identity and telling your “employability story”

Psychological Capital – building your career resilience, learning about contingency planning and managing career expectations

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that many of you have experienced significant disruption and uncertainty during your Coop placements. For some of you, your placement may have finished early. For those of you who have remained in the workplace, you may have had to transition to a remote working model, for example. The challenges, though difficult, also represent valuable learning opportunities. As students directly experiencing the realities of the world of work, you have shown great resilience and agility in adapting to these unprecedented challenges. We encourage you to reflect on this experience in your Cooperative Education Report and very much look forward to hearing your account.

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Cooperative Education Report (Revised Guidelines in response to Covid-19) All students must submit a report on their placement as part of the formal evaluation of the placement. Your Coop Report should give a sound insight into your Coop placement, and should show the link between your studies and your placement. Your report is assessed by an academic member of staff and graded on a pass/fail basis. There are three ‘streams’ of Cooperative Education Report Guidelines, depending on the how many weeks of Cooperative Education placement you have completed. Specific details of the report’s structure follow here.

1. Summary of Placement (min. 1 page) 2. Brief history of the company, including details of the product/service (min. 1 page) 3. Structure of the organisation and student's department (min. 1 page) 4. Student's main responsibilities (min. 2 pages) 5. Opportunities for Learning during Coop (min. 4 pages) - Use your pre-Coop and post-Coop Skills Assessment Forms as a

guide for writing this section. From the Reflective Assessment section of the website, choose a minimum of four skills categories and discuss the role of Coop in developing those skills. You should write a minimum of one page per skill category.

6. Reflection on Covid-19 and the world of work: in this section you should reflect on the effects of Covid-19 on your placement and on your Coop employer; how you responded to the changes and disruption caused by the Covid pandemic during your placement e.g. work-related uncertainty, switch to remote learning (1 page)

7. Appendices: Pre and Post Coop Assessment Forms

22+ Weeks Completed

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Guidelines for completing the Cooperative Education Evaluation Report 4

Part A is based on your completed Coop experience and should include:

Part B is based on your completion of the Cooperative Education Employability Pathway (CEEP):

1. Summary of Placement (min. 1 page) 2. Brief history of the company, including details of the

product/service (min. 1 page) 3. Structure of the organisation and student's department

(min. 1 page) 4. Student's main responsibilities (min. 2 pages) 5. Opportunities for Learning during Coop (min. 2 pages) -

Use your pre-Coop and post-Coop Skills Assessment Forms as a guide; you must also include copies of these forms in the appendices. From the Reflective Assessment section of the website, choose a minimum of two skills categories and discuss the role of Coop in developing those skills. You should write a minimum of one page per skill category.

6. Reflection on Covid-19 and the world of work: in this section you should reflect on the effects of Covid-19 on your placement and on your Coop employer; how you responded to the changes and disruption caused by the Covid pandemic during your placement e.g. work-related uncertainty, switch to remote learning (1 page)

7. Appendices must include your Pre -and Post- Coop Assessment Forms

1. Write a 1,000-word reflection on Understanding Yourself (your personality type, your values, interests and motivations)

2. Write a 1,000-word reflection on Research What’s Out There (identifying career options, entry requirements, potential employers)

3. Write up your CV, based on your learnings from the Take Action CV workshops and discussions.

8-21 Weeks Completed

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Guidelines for completing the Cooperative Education Evaluation Report 5

Part A is based on your experience of Cooperative Education “journey” to date and should include:

Part B is based on your completion of the Cooperative Education Employability Pathway (CEEP):

1. Description of your employing organisation – nature of the business, history of the company, organisational structure (min 1 Page).

2. Reflective account of your learning during your Cooperative Education Journey – you could focus on areas such as:

Pre Cooperative Education Placement experience – Employability Programmes, CV preparation, Interview preparation.

Cooperative Education Interview Process

Summary of your Placement Experience – any work or training you engaged in.

If your Placement required you to relocate, describe your experience.

Your reflections on Covid-19 experience- what was your experience, how did you respond, what did you learn about yourself from having gone through this experience.

Appendices – Pre- and Post-Coop Assessment Forms.

1. Write a 1000-word reflection on Understanding Yourself (your personality type, your values, interests and motivations)

2. Write a 1000-word reflection on Research What’s Out There (identifying career options, entry requirements, potential employers and sectors)

3. Write up your CV, based on your learnings from the Take Action CV workshops and discussions.

0-7 Weeks Completed

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Cooperative Education Employability Pathway (CEEP) In the Cooperative Education and Careers Division, we are very keen to ensure that all students will still have the opportunity to develop their graduate capital, despite the disruption to many placements. To support you in this, we have devised a pathway to support you in developing your career readiness and your employability skills. Called the Cooperative Education Employability Pathway (CEEP), it will help you to identify and strengthen your skills, reflect on your learnings and gain a competitive edge in the future graduate workplace.

CEEP Pathway Structure: CEEP is a programme of online employability workshops (live and recorded) that will help you to:

1. Understand yourself – Help you to develop an understanding of your individual traits, interests, talents, preferences, values and motivations.

2. Research what's out there – Support you in making informed decisions around your career options – which are aligned with your profile and the future world of work.

3. Action – You will learn the practical tools for navigating future graduate employment, e.g. how to write an effective CV, how to prepare for interview and how to approach prospective employers.

If your placement was less than 22 weeks in duration, you are required to complete the CEEP programme and to reflect on it in your Coop Report.

How to Access the CEEP Pathway: To access your pathway, you must log into Careers Connect via the following link: https://careersconnect.ul.ie/home.html Please note that Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are the best platforms to access this Pathway. Access from other platforms may be limited. This short video will give an overview as to how to access the Pathway:

If you are experiencing any difficulties accessing Careers Connect please contact careers@ul.ie for assistance.

Guidelines for completing the Cooperative Education Evaluation Report 7

Cooperative Education Evaluation Report Guidelines and FAQs

How long should my Cooperative Education Report be?

Cooperative Education Report must be a minimum of 10 typed pages, not including log books (if applicable) and appendices. Students undertaking the CEEP must clearly label this as Part B of the Coop Report. You must use A4 paper, single line spacing in 12-point font. Note that the regulations regarding plagiarism also apply to Coop Reports.

When do I submit my report?

The deadline for submitting your report is normally in week 1 of your college semester. Please note that these deadlines apply to all students, regardless of the location of your Coop.

How do I know which stream of Cooperative Education Guidelines applies to me?

The stream will depend on the number of weeks you spent on placement. Please refer to the advisory guidelines on pages 3-5 of this document. If you have queries in respect of any aspect of your Cooperative Education experience please contact coop.info@ul.ie

Where do I submit my report?

Online Submission Process – details to follow

Does my employer need to sign my report?

Your Coop Report must be signed and stamped by your company supervisor. The content of the report must be approved by your employer who may require you to make changes to meet with their policy on Confidential or Proprietary Information. If you are unable to obtain a signature from your employer, we will accept an email from your employer which confirms that they approve of the content of your Report. For students who completed less than 22 weeks placement, your employer must sign off on Part A of your Cooperative Education Report. Your employer is not required to sign off on Part B (the Cooperative Education Employability Pathway).

What happens if I don’t submit my report by the deadline?

Fines may be imposed for late submissions. Incomplete reports will not be accepted and may be liable for the fine after due date.

Guidelines for completing the Cooperative Education Evaluation Report 8

What Should I Write About?

There are formal and compulsory Coop Report Guidelines for all students. They are there to help you to present and structure your report. Before writing your report, you should think about the following:

Describe the company/organisation, its activities, locations, employees, culture, goals, structure and customers.

What are your daily responsibilities? Give details of meetings you attended and the level of your involvement. Describe any projects and work completed. Describe your contribution to the overall operation of your employing organisation? Have you had any successes or any difficulties that you've had to overcome? Are there things that have turned out differently to what you had expected? What skills have you developed on the job? What is the most enjoyable part of the job? Least enjoyable? Overall, how would you rate this experience?

Remember (!), the most interesting reports:

Give a real feel for your organisation and your role within it

Demonstrate the link between the worlds of work and study

Demonstrate a personal, authentic reflection on your learning

What Should I Include in Appendices

Copies of your completed pre- and post-Coop Skills Assessment Forms (compulsory).

Copies of reports, drawings, etc. produced for the company (optional). Remember if you are reproducing any documents, you must ask permission from your employer to do so.

Log book (for Engineering students excluding Product Design & Technology).

Journal (for Performing Arts students).

How Do I access Pre and Post Coop Skills Assessment Forms?

For the Pre-Coop form, follow this link: http://www.ul.ie/coop/coop/students/pre_coop_skills.php For the Post-Coop form, follow this link: http://www.ul.ie/coop/coop/students/post_coop_review.php

Cover Page and Contents

The cover page of the report must include details such as the submission date, your name and ID number, your course, employer, employer address, the start and end dates of your placement, your supervisor and the university academic staff member who completed your faculty visit. Click here to access the Cover page template. Table of contents must be included in your Cooperative Education Report and should clearly list each of the sections required for your specific stream. Please refer to the advisory guidelines on pages 3-5 of this document.

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How does the Cooperative Education Employability Pathway (CEEP) Work?

Completion of the CEEP is a compulsory requirement for all students who have completed less than 22 weeks Placement. For full details on how this Pathway works please log into Careers Connect via the following link : https://careersconnect.ul.ie/home.html If you are experiencing any difficulties accessing Careers Connect or Cooperative Education Employability Pathway please contact careers@ul.ie for assistance. Please note that Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are the best platforms to access this Pathway. Access from other platforms may be limited.

I Have completed a Split Placement, how should I write about my experience?

If you complete a split placement, only one Cooperative Education report is required to cover both assignments. This report will not be significantly longer than the standard Coop report. However, you may spend more time reporting on one Coop placement rather than the other, particularly where an enhanced learning experience has taken place. Complete section 5 of the report "Opportunities for Learning during Coop" only once. In addition only one set of pre and post coop learning assessments is required when submitting your report.

Course Specific Cooperative Education Report Guidelines

All Cooperative Education Reports must adhere to the guidelines outlined above, however there are certain courses where guidelines vary slightly due to the nature of the placements: Performing Arts students and Equine Science students, who must adhere to different guidelines.

Coop Grading Sheet

Coop Grading Sheet is compulsory for all students in the School of Engineering (Mechanical, Aeronautical, Biomedical and Design & Manufacture) and should be included in your report directly after the cover page.

Log Book

This is compulsory for all Engineering students excluding Product Design & Technology students and should be attached to the Appendices section of your report. All Engineering students must keep a written record of their training in a Log Book. It's a good idea to write up your log book weekly. Most students compile it electronically. It's a helpful way of tracking your progress and your academic visitor will expect to see it during a faculty visit. Your log book is a compulsory element of your Coop Report and should be attached as part of the Appendices section. See a sample log book.