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► Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a placement to do the module?

No, you do not. Although we welcome existing volunteers to the module, we have a range of placements available to students who are looking to start volunteering with the module. See 'Placements 2013/14' on the left hand side of this page, to begin looking through the placements available for next academic year. If you have any questions, email Emily on cdm.union@ncl.ac.uk

I am a committee member of a club/society - can I do the module?

This depends - we only allow Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers of Clubs and Societies to undertake the module so any other roles are NOT eligible. Within that, we only have space for 10 committee roles for clubs, and 10 committee roles for societies, so if this is your voluntary project it is HIGHLY IMPORTANT you apply for the module early, and register with Emily (cdm.union@ncl.ac.uk) as a committee member for the module. Once the 20 places are gone, they are gone, so get organised as quickly as possible!

How do I register for the module?

The Career Development Module sign up is just like your other modules, and registration is open between 15th - 24th April. You can find out more details here.

I volunteer at x, is my placement eligible?

Just contact us with details of what your placement/project is and we can go through the details with you. Broadly, the placement needs to allow you to develop graduate skills (i.e. not picking up litter, although this could be a part of your role!) and has the capacity to satisfy a minimum of 70 hours spread from October until around April/May. Email us with details and we can give you more information.

What is the assessment for the module?

More details can be found on this page and this page - although all of the assessment will be explained to you in more detail when you begin the module in September/October. If you have specific questions regarding assessment, contact the Curriculum Unit over at the Careers service, who will be able to help you further.

How many hours will the module take in total?

You are anticipated to complete a minimum of 70 hours at or for your placement; that is doing direct work that impacts on your placement. Additional to this would be your teaching time, and any research around the topics you encounter, just like any other academic module you would be anticipated to read around the subject. If you complete more than 70 hours at your placement, this is not a problem, although you will not get extra credit for it, you would experience more, which may help you further in your assessments.

Can I get a placement at x?

Although we appreciate that people are eager to get work experience at particular placements (e.g. the BBC) or in a particular area (e.g. working with offenders) - we can only offer the placements of the charities we have contacted and approved. Additional to these are placements through SCAN (Student Community Action Newcastle), although you would need to explain the concept of the module to them yourself with our support. If you have your own contacts in an organisation and are eager to volunteer with them, we would encourage you to contact them directly, although PLEASE contact us first to inform us as we don't want charities bombarded by requests from students if they have already said they couldn't participate!

What support is there for the module?

You will be supported throughout the whole module process.

  • At your placement you will have a supervisor who will support you in your voluntary activity, keep track of your hours and take responsibility for 25% of your total module mark based on your performance in the graduate skills whilst at your placement.
  • The Students' Union will support you in finding a placement, and throughout the year with any problems you may have within your placement, be this contacting your supervisor, completing your hours or how to get the most out of your placement.
  • The Curriculum Unit at the Careers Service will assign you a module tutor who will support you in your assessments and how to get the most out of the module from an academic point of view.

Although the module is focused on self management and direction, at no point will you just be left to struggle - support is always there for those who request it!

What's the difference between a 'High Demand Community Placement' and another voluntary placement?

The High Demand Community Placements (HDCP) are in areas that are of particular interest to students who want to work with a specific group, such as ex-offenders, young people, refugees and asylum seekers or people with disabilities. Gaining a placement in one of these also means your DBS check and (reasonable) travel expenses are paid for you. Regular voluntary projects are in a range of areas, but do not include this additional financial support, which would have to be funded by either yourself or the charity. There are only 50 spaces on the High Demand Community Placements, and we anticipate these will fill up quickly.

How are placements assigned?

This depends on your route. If you apply for a 'HDCP', you need to contact Emily and confirm your top three choices. These will then be decided and assigned at the start of the academic year as to which placement you are successful in. If you are not successful in gaining a space on any of the HDCP's, we will assist you to gain an alternative placement.

If you are applying for a regular voluntary placement you need to contact Emily with three choices for these, and we will email you back the contact details for your placement supervisor. You would then arrange with your supervisor how you apply for the project - this may be an informal interview, answering some written questions or simply meeting them face to face. Each individual project has it's own recruitment procedure.

We will be able to find you a placement on the module if you have been accepted onto the Volunteering route.

How many students do the module?

We currently have 108 students on the Volunteering route, and are looking for around 150 people this year. Please note, when the 150 spaces are full, we will NOT be accepting anymore students onto the Volunteering route.

Other questions? Email Emily on cdm.union@ncl.ac.uk or sign up for an Information Session

 

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