MyPlacement

Once you have found a work placement, you will need to provide the following details: 

• Employer name and location
• Placement start and end dates
• A job description
• Salary information
• The number of days of annual leave you will receive
• Details of where you will be working - on-site, remotely, hybrid
• Contact details for your employer - your line manager/supervisor and a Human Resources contact

You might not know all of the details; add what you can and provide the missing information once known.  Your record must be complete and fully approved by the time you begin your placement. 

If the company or branch at which you will be working does not already exist in MyPlacement, you can create a new organisation or site record for approval by your School.  Be careful not to create duplicates.

Your application for the Year in Enterprise should be submitted via MyPlacement before the deadline.  If you are successful, a Year in Enterprise record will be partially created for you.  You will then need to provide further details including: 

• Your main work location and details of whether you will be required to travel within the UK or internationally 
• Whether your business is registered with Companies House
• Whether you are registered with HMRC as a sole trader
• Whether you will be working on your own, or running the business with a friend or family member

You might not have all of the answers at this stage but the information will help the Year in Enterprise Team to have a better understanding of your plans.

If you are taking supplementary activity such as a course or virtual internship to make up the required weeks for Part I, you will need to provide details including:

• The name and address of the provider
• Details of the activity - content or subject area
• Whether the activity is in-person or online
• The duration of the activity (expected learning hours)

If the provider does not already exist in MyPlacement, you will be able to create it.

For work-based activities, you will need to provide similar information as for work placements.

The exchange application process is not part of MyPlacement.  If you are successful in your exchange application, an initial exchange record will be created for you.   You will then be able to update the record with additional information including:

• The campus at which you will mainly be studying, if the institution has more than one
• Confirmed start and end (study) dates
• Expected travel dates

You will also need to upload your Learning Agreement once it has been signed by both your host institution and your School.  A blank Learning Agreement will be issued to you to record the modules you will be studying during your exchange.  If your modules change, you must update this document.

If the campus at which you will be studying is not visible in the system, contact your School Exchange Officer.  

Your Health and Safety Quiz must be completed prior to the start of your activity, after you have engaged with the training from your School.  This may take the form of an in-person briefing, or materials on Learn.  Your School will provide further details.

The risk assessment form is essential as it allows the University to assess whether it will be safe for you to proceed with your planned activity.  You will need to consider the risks/hazards which might be present and how these will be mitigated (reduced or managed).  

Work placements, exchanges and relevant supplementary activity

Until your risk assessment is completed and approved by your School, your activity is not fully approved and you may not start it. 

The risk assessment form will become available to you eight weeks before the start of your activity.  You must ensure that you add the exact start date to your activity record as soon as it is known; if you enter an estimated start month, your start date will be deemed to be the first of the month for this calculation. 

Your risk assessment must be completed no less than four weeks before your activity is due to start, so that your School has time to check and approve it.

If you are unsure of the details for your activity - e.g. the hazards which might apply to your role - you should speak to your placement employer.

If the risk profile for your activity changes - e.g. your job duties change significantly or the risk level for the country in which you are located rises - you must submit a new risk assessment within 14 days of the change.

Part I Year in Enterprise

Year in Enterprise students will be required to complete the risk assessment during the induction week, after training has been provided.  This will consist of some generic risk questions (e.g. working hours and travel) and an assessment which is specific to your business.  You will need to keep your risk assessment up-to-date throughout the year.

The Host Organisation Declaration Form (HODF) is a fundamental part of the health and safety assurance process for work placements.  The HODF is an online form, completed by your placement employer, which confirms key details relating to the employer’s health and safety processes, insurance, and the arrangements for your supervision.

If the HODF is not completed by your placement employer, your placement is not fully approved and you may not commence work.

As part of the process to register your placement, you will need to confirm the details of an individual at your host organisation who is able to sign this declaration.  This may be your line manager or a Human Resources Officer.  The system will email a time-limited link to that individual to complete the declaration; it does not give access to your MyPlacement record.

Your employer must complete the HODF prior to your placement start date.  Occasionally it can take some time to obtain a completed HODF and your School will liaise with the employer if there are any difficulties.  Please send the HODF request as soon as you have the required contact details.  If your employer gives you a document which they would like to be considered instead of signing the HODF form, you should upload this to MyPlacement for your School to review.

A HODF is not required from partner universities for exchange students.

If you are taking a work placement, you must submit the induction checklist within 21 days of your start date.  The checklist helps to confirm that you are settling in and have received the necessary induction from your employer.

When you are added to a cohort, you will receive a system-generated email from MyPlacement to your Loughborough University email. If you cannot find this message, check your Junk Email folder.  You are advised to add the MyPlacement email (placements@lboro.ac.uk) to your Outlook safe senders list.

If you are expecting to take a work placement in the next academic year or would like to apply for the Year in Enterprise and have not been added to a cohort by the end of the first working day in November, please contact your Placement Officer.  

If you secure a Part I placement whilst you are in Part A, please wait until you are added to a cohort in Part B before attempting to register the details.

Please ensure you have agreed to the Student declaration.  Once this is submitted, you will be able to add a work placement or apply for the Year in Enterprise (if eligible).  If you wish to add Part I supplementary activity, please contact your Placements Officer.

Every year, lots of students who had not originally planned to take Part I change their mind.  We therefore add all Part B students to a cohort.  If you are certain that you do not wish to take Part I, you can log into the system and register this: 

1. Sign the declaration
2. View 'Your off-campus activity plans: 20xx/xx'
3. Select 'not intending this year'

You will receive a confirmation email but no subsequent automated messages from MyPlacement.  If you change your mind and secure a placement or want to apply for an exchange or the Year in Enterprise, you will still be able to use MyPlacement to record the details.

Yes.  You must also submit a route transfer request via MyProgramme to add Part I to your programme. 

Typically, only postgraduates who need to register their activity using MyPlacement will be added to a cohort.  Your School will provide further information. 

No – MyPlacement is currently only used for activities which are an assessed or compulsory element of a Loughborough University degree programme.

Detailed user-guidance is built into MyPlacement.  You will find instructions and explanations relevant to the section you are using by clicking on the in-system help text symbol (a white question mark in a black circle).

If you need more support, contact your School Placements or Exchange Officer.

You can add information as it becomes available, although your activity will not be approved unless all key information is provided.

It is essential that you keep MyPlacement up-to-date with any changes, including start and end dates, location, duties and company contacts.

If your placement is unpaid or freelance and you do not have a formal job description or contract, ask the organisation for written confirmation of the following:

• A summary of the duties you will be undertaking
• Working days and hours
• Breaks during the day, e.g. time allowed for lunch
• Whether work-related expenses can be claimed, and how to claim, e.g. by submitting receipts for travel
• Details of any other payments in kind – e.g. commission or accommodation
• Any ‘holiday’ or ‘annual leave’ entitlement

Most of your personal data including programme details, personal pronouns and term-time address are read across from your main student record.  If you wish to update your personal details, you can do so using the Self-Service portal.  Details in MyPlacement will then be updated overnight.

The email will be added to your record and will be visible to your School Placements or Exchanges staff and designated tutors.  You do not need to email their School mailbox separately.