Workplace Practicum
The work placement component enables students to develop professionally, learn from practical experience, and contribute to working environments with host employers. It also provides students with a great opportunity to interact with working professionals in the supply-chain management industry (SCM) prior to graduation. The types of duties that students will perform with the host organizations are flexible, but their work roles should be closely relevant to the learning objectives for the Supply Chain and Logistics PDD program (SCL).
The practicum work placements take place during the sixth (final) semester of the program. All students will spend from 8-10 weeks, up to a maximum of 20 hours per week, under the supervision of the host employer staff members at an approved work-placement facility or as a work from home arrangement option. This is an unpaid training position.
The weekly and daily schedules will be negotiated between the host employer and students, with consideration of the hosts’ respective job positions and the availability of the students. However, students must be available on a weekly schedule for up to 20 hours at the practicum facility since they are still full-time students in the program.
The overall goal for students in the SCL practicum is to demonstrate their abilities and knowledge by adding value to their work placement roles and projects. The SCL practicum provides clear benefits both for our students and for the organizations participating in the program. The benefits for the students include:
- Interacting with staff members, supervisors, and mentors
- Being exposed to organizational practices, methods, and equipment
- Developing one’s future experience, career interests, and goals
- Gaining confidence to pursue career positions in the industry
Students may be given opportunities to perform the following types of tasks:
- Assist the management with ongoing work within the organization
- Identify, analyze, and implement new procedures
- Document, analyze, and develop process alternatives
- Define objectives, deliverables, and constraints for a project
- Identify and define opportunities for continuous improvement in a work role
- Recommend fully evaluated effective solutions
- Present their findings to the host organization as written and oral reports