Florence and the machine that is the Placement Unit
Computing and Engineering Placement Team Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:15:00 GMT
The European University Institute (EUI) in Italy has been providing students from the University of Huddersfield with valuable placement opportunities within its organisation for well over 20 years.
Based in Florence the EUI is a world-class postgraduate and postdoctoral research institute for Economics, History, Law, Political and Social Sciences.
Eric Gallo, Placement Advisor at the EUI
Initially the institute only employed one student for a placement year with them. 20 years on the EUI now recruits up to seven Huddersfield students to experience a 12 month placement at the institute.
Working closely with the University’s Placement Unit in the School of Computing and Engineering for such an extended period of time, Eric Gallo, Placement Advisor at the EUI has become one of the Unit’s biggest advocates.
“As long as we need placement students our major contact will always be the School of Computing and Engineering Placement Unit at Huddersfield. Without a doubt!” Said Eric.
“It is important for both myself and the students that they are prepared and know what to expect when I come over from Italy to conduct the interviews. To ensure this was happening the Placement Unit set up ‘follow-up sessions’ for potential candidates, which feature past placement students of ours as well as mock interviews.”
The Placement Unit’s follow-up sessions are extremely valuable to Eric as he is only in the UK for a short space of time to interview candidates. Therefore making sure students are well prepared before they interview is paramount.
With so many graduates fighting for employment, experiencing a year in industry during their studies is something which is becoming increasingly important for students.
The University of Huddersfield prides itself on the placement opportunities it offers its students and having an award winning Placement Unit forging such strong links with companies like EUI is an invaluable asset.
Student Testimonials
Sam Norbury, 21, Secure and Forensic Computing
"It was an excellent experience working at EUI, not only did I learn a lot from working in a professional environment but I also experienced life in Italy for a year.
"When it came to finding a placement Fran and her team in the Placement Unit were great, they helped us with everything from writing a CV to how to interview. They were always available and while we were out in Italy they kept in contact with us, making sure everything was ok.
"I am so glad I took the opportunity to go on a placement year, I have learnt so much and now I can add it all to my CV."
Abdul Saleh, 26, Business and Computing with Multimedia
"I found my placement at EUI by attending some of the placement workshops held by the Placement Unit.
"It was wonderful to spend a year in Italy and at the same time acquire valuable work experience in my field.
"Although I am 26 I feel the opportunity to do a placement should be made the most of, it is invaluable experience which gives you that extra edge when you enter the job market."
Mark Hodgson, 23, Information Communication Technology
“Going on placement was an excellent life experience and it has made me decide I want to leave England once I finish my degree.
“While we were out in Italy the Placement Unit always stayed in touch with us. We had some issues with our assignments and they were always available to take our calls, even thought we were out of the country.
“If you get the chance I would definitely recommend taking a placement year, what you learn is unbelievable and it is always going to help when it comes to applying for jobs.
