DA placement allocation process

Please note that there is a new allocation process for all NEW apprentices starting March 2025

As part of the apprenticeship funding rules it is the employer's responsibility to ensure that they support the apprentice to complete all aspects of the apprenticeship programme, with a commitment to allow them to have a breadth of experience to meet the full requirements of the apprenticeship standard and HCPC/PSRB competencies.

Therefore, from March 2025 we are now advising that sourcing placements for an apprentice will be the employers responsibility as required for the full duration of the apprenticeship programme.  Placements must provide the apprentice with opportunities to meet the Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB’s) and other programme requirements outlined in the apprentices training plan.

Apprentices who began on programme prior to March 2025, we encourage employers to source placements where possible, but we will continue to support where necessary.

Further guidance and requirements can be found here SHU-Placement-employer-V3-14.2.25.docx

Sheffield Hallam University will still have oversight and will check that all placements sourced allow apprentices to have sufficient opportunity to meet the KSB’s and other programme requirements, including sufficient hours and breadth of experience.

This will in many cases require a joint approach across a range of organisations to be able to source placements, therefore we are proposing to create an Employer network to allow you to work together and share contact information to source all relevant placements.  If you would like to form part of this network, please let us know and we will facilitate this.

https://blog.shu.ac.uk/apprenticeship-resources/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/05/SHU-Placement-employer-V3-14.2.25.docx 

Process for existing apprentices (before March 25 start)

The Sheffield Hallam Placements Team will support allocation where possible and inform apprentices of their placement allocations.

The placements team will contact employers directly for placement offers. We do not allow apprentices to self-source their own placements. Should an apprentice have a contact for a possible placement they can share this with the placements team via email at AHPPlacements@shu.ac.uk. The placements team will then contact the area and see if this is suitable and ensure employers are aware of this.

To find out more about the placements team process as well an example offer request and how employers should complete this, please see below.

Placement Allocation Process

Beginning of the academic year:

Apprentices will be asked to complete a placement planning form to provide basic information such as whether they drive a car. We will request they complete this via PEMS, our allocation system.

12 weeks before placement:

12 weeks prior to an apprentice’s placement we will contact their employer for a placement offer by sending them a PC1 form to complete.  Should employers let us know they are unable to support in this, we will begin looking to source an apprentice’s placement for them.  

8 weeks before placement:

An apprentice’s provisional placement allocation will be released to them via PEMS no later than 8 weeks before they begin their placement.

If they cannot attend this placement, then they should complete an ‘exceptional request for placement change’ form. The details of how to do this will be provided when their provisional placement is released. The placement allocation change policy contains further information on what to expect from this process.

6 weeks before placement:

Final placement allocations will be confirmed with placement providers, employers and apprentices.

We ask apprentices do not contact their placement provider until two weeks before placement begins. If they do, they will be breaching their professional behaviour standards.

2 weeks before placement:

Apprentices should now contact their placement provider to introduce themselves, arrange shifts, confirm travel arrangements and find out who they will be working with.

How the placement team request placement offers for Apprentices:

The placement team will request offers from employers 12 weeks prior to the placement beginning. We do this by sending a PC1 form to the placement lead contact which is provided through the onboarding survey.

A template PC1 form so employers can know what to expect can be found here.

Employers will be required to complete the Completed by Provider section. A description of what is expected to be provided on the form can be found on the template.

Employers are expected to provide a placement offer corresponding to the number of apprentices within the cohort. For instance, if an employer has 2 apprentices enrolled in the course, we anticipate receiving 2 placement offers. In cases where the provided offers are not suitable for an employer’s apprentices, such as due to the specific area of work, we aim to reallocate these offers to another learner on the course. If employers are unable to offer any placements for the block, we request they notify us at their earliest convenience.

Employers can inform us of this by contacting the team via email at AHPPlacements@shu.ac.uk

PEMS – Practice Education Management System (PEMS)

What is PEMS?

PEMS is the database we use for all apprentice’s placement allocations. Apprentice’s will receive their placement allocations on this system and be notified once they have been released by email. PEMS will allow learners to view previous placements, their placement planning form and any upcoming placements as they are released.

Access PEMs here or view our user guide.

PEMS statuses explained:

No placement allocated – We will have been informed that an apprentice does not require a placement for this block ie they are completing academic work only or have taken a break in study.

No current placement available – This means we did not receive enough placement offers from placement providers. We are working with the course team to find an alternative solution.

Not clear for placement – If an apprentice is marked as not clear for placement this means that we do not have confirmation of your DBS, mandatory training, immunisation or, if relevant, occupational health referral information.