Professional and Business Skills 4 [Apprenticeship]

Code

CHEM2029

School

Chemistry

Level

2

Credits

10

Semesters

Full Year UK

Summary

Apprentices will cover a range of professional and business skills which build upon the topics covered in the previous professional and business skills modules. They will also gain experience of putting a combination of these skills into practice.   

Apprentices will learn about lean principles and techniques such as six sigma in comprehensive detail, building upon the introduction to these provided in CHEM2028 Professional and Business Skills 3. This will be reinforced by the student’s participation in a practical improvement mini project.

Apprentices will also gain a basic awareness of commercial contracts and deal making; change management;  

Apprentices will also gain an understanding of contemporary issues within chemistry and the chemistry using industries via a series of lectures/debates involving business leaders, policy makers, leading academics and entrepreneurs.   

As part of this module apprentices will participate in a business exercises that will help them to learn how to apply a combination of the skills gained during the Professional and Business Skills element of the apprenticeships programme in a commercial environment.

Target Students

BSc Hons Chemistry with Industry or Level 6 Laboratory Scientist Apprentices.

Classes

This module contains: 26 hours of e-learning material and self-directed study (including 1 hour of exam preparation Q&A with 1 hour preparation time); 2 hours of vidcons; 14 hours of workshops; 1 hour of seminar (with 1 hour preparation time), 4 hours for coursework. The lecture material is self-directed online study, with points throughout the year at which certain topics should be completed.  This is to meet with timetabled vidcons, workshops and seminars as part of the blended learning approach.  The workshops and seminars take place during on campus visit weeks, while the vidcons will be online via Microsoft Teams while apprentices are at employer sites.

Assessment

• 50% Coursework 1: Written coursework submission.
• 50% Exam 1 (1-hour): Second re-assessment: If a further re-assessment is allowed by satisfying the conditions of Undergraduate Course Regulation 19, the form of the further re-assessment for this module will be 100% coursework.

Assessed by end of designated period

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

• An understanding of continuous process and performance improvement principles and techniques and how they are applied in a commercial environment. 
• An awareness of commercial contracts, buying and selling, and change management
• An awareness of contemporary issues within chemistry and the chemistry using industries and an ability to participate in scientific debate around them. 
• An ability to apply a combination of the skills learned in the PABS modules within a commercial environment. 
• An ability to put into practice methods of accessing, assessing and critically appraising the chemical literature, methods of experimental design and methods of recording, analysis and reporting of physical data.  

Elements of the following knowledge, skills and behaviours will be built upon in this module:

S17 Use creative thinking and problem solving techniques such as root cause analysis, to challenge assumptions, innovate, make new proposals and build on existing ideas. 

S21  Lead continuous performance improvement within the scientific and technical environment using process mapping & analysis and root cause analysis that is informed by other appropriate principles, such as lean, six sigma, project and change management. 

B26 Manages time effectively, being able to plan and complete work to schedule. 

B27  Responds positively to change management processes and promotes change within work group.

Conveners

• Professor Trevor Farren