Work Placements offer Variety and New Challenges

Submitted by Linda Duffy, courtesy of the Wascana Window

The expansion of partnerships between industry and adult education continues to be propelled by rapid technological change and diminishing resources in both sectors. As skills upgrading becomes a more common aspect of work life, many educational institutions are moving towards a more comprehensive level of industry attachment or work-based training.

The recent incorporation of a formal work placement into the curriculum of Wascana lnstitute's Applied Photography program in Saskatchewan has led to some far-reaching and far-ranging experiences for several students.

Recent placements have taken senior students to a portrait studio in Calgary, a commercial photography studio in Switzerland, and into the medical photography unit of a local hospital.

Unofficially, work attachments have been part of the program since 1990, but students did not receive any credit for these placements until this past Spring. "The placements were voluntary," explains instructor Gary Robins, "But over that five year period, only two students declined the opportunity to do a placement."

Applied Photography operates through a delivery system called Competency-Based Education (CBE). The curriculum is composed of 86 Competencies based on photographic skills identified by its industry-based Program Advisory Committee. The Competency on work environment skills was approved by the Academic Council and Board of Directors for SIAST (the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology) in early 1995.

Placements are unpaid and generally for a two week period. Evaluations are conducted by the program in consultation with the employer. Since last Spring, placement opportunities have expanded considerably.

"In June, we were invited to send a placement student to the Mathieson Hewitt Studio in Calgary," said Robins. "Bob Hewitt is an award-winning portraitist, and he's also a former member of our program advisory committee, so the connection was already there."

Adele Patrick, recipient of the 1995 Saskatchewan Professional Photographers Association Student Award, was selected for the placement, and returned (continued on page with many new ideas and skills, as well as a strong and positive evaluation. Students are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs for out of town placements.

Applied Photography took on its first international placement in October when student Carrie MacPherson journeyed to Zurich, Switzerland for a placement at Comet Photo. While there she assisted in portraiture, industrial and aerial photography, as well as digital imaging. "Working at Comet Photo was an excellent opportunity," said Ms. MacPherson. "I was exposed to a wide variety of photographic skills and also experienced my first helicopter ride. If I had the chance, I'd go again," she added.

An Applied Photography field trip to Regina's Pasqua Hospital last May led to an invitation for a medical photography work placement. In November, student Holly Sentz spent two weeks at the Pasqua assisting in the darkroom, doing retinal photography and assisting as a photographer in the operating room. "Doing a work placement in medical photography was a very exciting and valuable experienced," commented Ms. Sentz. "it opened up a whole new field of photography for me."

Her industry advisors agreed. "We were very impressed with both the quality and the range of her skills," said Lane Collins, head of the medical photography unit, afterwards. "This is a win-win situation, both for the student, the hospital, and the school. We'd certainly be happy to take another one of your students any time."

Other work placements continue, and have been enhanced by more formal evaluation procedure. Some students have commented that their training might be further strengthened by building in two or more work placements. Work-based training and evaluation is an increasingly important factor in ensuring that postsecondary programs remain current and relevant.

Work attachments, practicums and co-operative education programs have been rooted in a number of Wascana Institute and SIAST programs for some time, but in the midst of ongoing technological change and an uncertain economic climate, the need to ensure that training remains current and relevant has become a fundamental issue for all of the institute's programs.