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Best practice example
Every year thousands of students complete work experience with employers. There are examples
of good practice across the system which highlights the benefits of students, employers and
educators working together. For example, University College Cork has a highly successful work
placement model which involves structured pre-planning to maximise the success of the placement
for both student and employer.
In Year 1, students get CV and skills development advice, and employers meet students for the first
time. In Year 2 students benefit from guidance workshops which focus on the student’s self-
awareness of their skills and strengths. In Year 3 employers recruit students for the available
placements. Students are given a list of options to ensure they are placed into industries in which
they are interested and suited. This model leads to conversion rate of placements to recruitment
as high as 80% in some disciplines.
In Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, the Hotel School run a highly successful work placement
module for all Level 7 and 8 awards that includes a particular focus on students reflecting on their
experience. When placements are finished, students complete a formal business report on their
experience and this report is graded. This report, coupled with post-placement meetings with GMIT
staff, facilitates co-ordinated and structured reflection on the student’s placement experience. This
significantly enhances the learning outcomes for the student, institution, and the employer.
POLAND
Katowice Regional Chamber of Commerce
rig.katowice.pl/en/
The activities of the Katowice Regional Chamber of Commerce extend far beyond the borders of
Poland or the European Union, reaching Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. They make every
effort to ensure that regional, native entrepreneurs enter foreign markets effectively, according to
their needs and possibilities. Their goal is to connect global business in such a way that Polish
entrepreneurs sign the most beneficial contracts for themselves, and thus the brand "made in
Poland" becomes an important player in the global arena.
This assistance goes beyond the economic sector, as it also supports cooperation with the
international scientific sector or economic self-governments from all over the world. It organises
study-economic missions and supports inbound cooperation exchanges; implements economic
forums; organises international problem-solving seminars with the participation of domestic and
foreign experts; disseminates domestic and foreign programmes and funds supporting the
development of entrepreneurship; makes available domestic and foreign guides, catalogues,
bulletins and specialist studies; provides advice to domestic and foreign investors; issues certificates
of origin and legalise documents in foreign trade.
The Chamber authorities cooperate with foreign chambers of industry and commerce, diplomatic
and trade missions and economic development and promotion institutions, from Europe, mainly in
the implementation of EU aid programmes, together with the Polish Agency for Enterprise
Development and the Ministry of Economy.

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