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Work placement

Work placements are an important part of studying at a university of applied sciences. They are opportunities to learn and apply your skills and knowledge in practice.

You will also network and build contacts with different types of workplace organisations.

At its best, a work placement provides employment and thesis cooperation opportunities.

Please visit the subpages for more information on the placements in the Degree Programme in Social Services and Degree Programme in Health Care, Nursing.

Forms

All important forms concerning placement are available on the Forms page.

Before the start of the placement period

  • Follow the instructions given by your supervising teacher to book your work placement. When choosing the placement, think about what types of skills you want to practice, how the placement will help you advance your study plan, and what types of workplaces you already have experience of.
  • Contact the workplace organisation: introduce yourself, describe your skills and learning aims and ask about the objectives of the workplace in question. Be prepared to attend an interview before your place is confirmed.
  • Read the field-specific instructions on work placements and familiarise yourself with the work placement path and other documents. They can all be found on these pages.
  • If your work placement involves working with minors, request a background check via the online service portal of the Legal Register Centre and submit the document to the student affairs office before the start of your work placement. You can request the check once your place has been confirmed. You will only need to submit the document to the student affairs office once during your studies, but work placement providers may request it separately for each work placement period. The document is valid for 6 months and free of charge.

At the start of your work placement

  • Determine your personal learning aims with the placement supervisor, taking into account the relevant study modules and the objectives of the workplace.
  • Submit your learning aims to the supervising teacher. If necessary, you can revise your learning aims with the supervising teacher and the placement supervisor during your placement.
  • You will also draw up a work placement plan with your supervisor. The plan will help you monitor your progress and ensure that the tasks support your learning and goals.
  • Inform your supervisor about any assignments you will have during the placement and how much time you will need for them.
  • Sign the confidentiality agreement, if required by the workplace. In any case, pay attention to the confidentiality obligation. It also applies to social media.
  • Adhere to the working principles of the workplace organisation and work towards your learning aims. Familiarise yourself with the health and safety rules.

During the placement

  • Work towards your learning aims and find your personal way of learning on the job. Work placements are opportunities to both learn and apply what you have already learned.
  • You should be fully focused on the work placement in order to make the most of it. This means that you should avoid other work and studies during the work placement, if possible.
  • If you retake exams during the work placement, contact your supervisor to organise your work hours accordingly. If you have other course commitments during the work placement, discuss with your supervisor how you can make up for any absences.
  • Be active and ask questions. Familiarise yourself with the workplace community, its policies, practices and facilities.
  • Complete the learning assignments on time. If your tasks include a learning diary, update it regularly.
  • If you feel that you need more orientation and guidance, tell your supervisor about your needs. Be specific about what type of guidance you need.
  • Look after yourself and make sure you get enough rest.
  • Notify both your supervisor and the supervising teacher if you are absent due to illness or another reason. Your absences will be recorded in the rota according to the normal procedure. In the case of a longer illness, you should also notify your guidance counsellor. Discuss with your supervising teacher how you can make up for the absence.
  • Remember: your attitude is important! Stick to the agreed schedules and tasks and be proactive. Even tasks that feel insignificant can be useful experiences.
  • If you encounter problems during your work placement or feel that you are not getting enough guidance or that the workplace environment doesn’t support you towards your learning aims, please don’t hesitate to contact your supervising teacher or guidance counsellor. They can get in touch with the placement supervisor and arrange a joint discussion.
  • If you need additional support, contact your supervising teacher or the student welfare team.

At the end of the placement

  • At the end of your last placement day please add up the placement hours you have completed and write the the number on the hour tracking form.
  • Check that the evaluation form have signatures of your own and the supervisor of the placement. Take a copy of the form and leave it at the placement.
  • The student scans the signed forms (evaluation and lesson tracking form and any attachments) into one PDF-file immediately after the placement and sends it to the supervising teacher and the Study Office of Diak opintotoimisto@diak.fi
  • The teacher approves the placement by making a course credit in MyDiak.