ABSTRACT
For many years vocationally orientated degrees have operated a variety of schemes designed to ensure that students get first hand experience of the workplace. In particular sandwich courses involving up to a year or more in the workplace, particularly in the technology and manufacturing sectors, have been successfully organized and delivered for many years. While students certainly develop specific skills on these sorts of programme there has always been an additional curricular aim of exposure to the realities of the industrial or marketplace setting. Additionally, for some students, the placement will be their main opportunity for independent learning.
