Learning to be professional: A synthesis of student stories of their professional training year

Lori A. Riley, SCEPTrE, University of Surrey

This session presents a synthesis of students’ accounts of how they learned to be professional from their Professional Training Year (PTY) experience based on 28 stories that were submitted to a competition in October 2008. At the University of Surrey, the PTY experience is the first major transition for many students from university life into the professional world of work. SCEPTRE values the learning opportunities which the PTY experience provides, and hence offered a story-telling competition for students to share their experiences first-hand.  The results have been compiled into a booklet encompassing the collective experiences of twenty-eight returning placement students from a range of academic disciplines and professional fields. Key components of this session will discuss how students: a) perceive their work placement context, b) draw connections to life-wide learning, and c) learn to maximise their personal agency. The intended aims of the research are twofold: to serve as a reflective account of students’ experiences of learning to be professional and to provide practical tips for educators to advise future placement students. 

Presentation