Academic Advisors

You will be assigned to an academic advisor during your Personal and Professional Development modules. This is a dedicated member of staff who's job is to support your studies in any which way they can. They will be able to refer you to appropriate university support services, give advice on how to resolve problems within your studies and provide general support in professional and personal development.

Check out this video made by students on experiences with their academic advisors below at Sheffield Hallam University:

Student Support Advisor- This is a dedicated member of staff who is there to listen to you and help to advise you on a range of issues you may have, as well as advise on other specialist services you can access across the university. 

You can book into see a Student Support Adviser at any time in your student journey. Our Student Support team have a dedicated website (Hallam Help) -  please click here to find out more. Hallam Help is the first line support service- you can chat online, over the phone or make 1:1 appointments. Students can seek support and guidance for anything related to help with learning and medical needs, finance, mental health etc

www.shu.ac.uk/myhallam/help-and-support 

We strongly recommend that you tell us about any long term health conditions, learning difficulty or disability you may have. This is so we can assess whether we can deliver the course in such a way that you can meet the HCPC standards of proficiency and take part without disadvantage both in University and on placement. You can contact our disability support team: https://www.shu.ac.uk/disabled-student-support You can then apply for a disability assessment and you may then receive a learning contract.

You can develop your academic skills and strategies for independent study with group sessions, online resources and 1-1 appointments from the Library's Skills Centre. Explore the calendar to book onto an online session, or pop along to a virtual drop-in every Wednesday 4-6pm to speak to an Academic Skills Advisor.

Becoming an independent learner

To find out more about what studying at university will involve, and the key skills you'll need to develop this year to manage your own studies successfully, log into the Essential Skills e-module. The module takes 30-minutes to complete and is designed specifically for all new students joining Sheffield Hallam University.

Organising your time

Looking for strategies or apps to help manage your workload and boost your productivity? Time Management webinars offer a useful introduction to the topic or book a 30-minute 1-1 appointment with an advisor to draw up an action plan tailored to your workload. You can also book onto training sessions to learn how to use specialist software to make studying more efficient.

Developing your academic writing

When you're ready to start your first assignment, book onto a writing workshop that fits your skills, such as Introduction to Academic Writing, Critical Writing or Reflective Writing. For feedback on your drafts, submit up to 2500 words to Studiosity (in Blackboard) and get a detailed report on how to improve your structure, language and grammar.

For more information, or to explore the skills resources at your own speed, visit the Skills Centre website or email us at: skillscentre@shu.ac.uk.

Making sure you still have fun!

Making sure that you schedule time for your hobbies is important. It's part of what makes you, you. Whilst studies are important, making sure that you still do the things that you love is invaluable. Not doing these things can greatly impact your mental health and therefore lead to lack of motivation and other problems whilst at university. 

Spending time regularly exercising can be a great way to not only combat stress, but improve your physical health as well. It's a great way to get yourself in a increase productivity. 

Whether your down time is exercising, a creative outlet or simply just spending time with friends and family, you will feel a better home-work balance when you prioritise yourself as well as your studies! 

Clean Room, Clean Mind

It is proven that keeping your home or work station tidy leads to a higher level of productivity when working. It helps eliminate distractions, stress and increase general focus on what you're doing. 

You will have a work-based mentor from your employed organisation who supports you throughout your apprenticeship journey. They will receive training and have access to a work-based mentor website here

The key responsibility of the Work-based mentor (WBM) is to support growth and development of the apprentice

Key roles:

• Support the apprentice to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) in the workplace

• Enable the apprentice to progress on their individual learning journey

• Be first point of contact for the apprentice in the workplace

• Monitor and facilitate off-the-job learning

• Monitor and facilitate evidencing of off-the-job learning and achievement of KSBs

• Attend and contribute to progress reviews every 12 weeks with the apprentice and work-based coach (WBC)- 4 per year

You should normally spend about 30 hours (per apprentice) per year in supporting your apprentice. This includes the 4 mandatory progress reviews per year. How  and when you spend the rest of the time with your apprentice will depend on their individual learning needs. Fairly regular contact should be maintained throughout the apprenticeship to ensure the apprentice is completing OTJL, recording and evidencing learning to meet the KSBs. You do not need to work in the same area as the apprentice or supervise them or assess them clinically.

Summary of above WBM info on a page for employers 

What is the role of the Apprenticeship Coach?

The apprenticeship coach (AC) is a member of staff from the Business Engagement Skills and Employability (BESE) directorate within the university. Their role involves:

• Support the apprentice from on-boarding through to the end-point assessment

• Develop relationships with employer partners

• Work closely with academic staff

• Collaborate with mentors/employers to to SMART targets and support development of KSBs

• Help mentors/employers understand  and fulfil their obligation for off-the-job learning 

• Support the apprentice and employers should there be a need for break in learning

Here is a powerpoint explaining the role in further detail

Progress reviews

Progress reviews will always include:

• Check of  Off The Job Training Log- has protected time been allocated and has it been used appropriately for new learning? Is there evidence of off-the-job learning activities and how it has contributed to individual development and achievement of KSBs?

• Checking of academic progress - Has the apprentice attended teaching sessions? Have all modules been completed and assessments passed? How is the apprentice progressing and do they have any additional learning needs? Are they able to transfer this learning back into the workplace?

• Pastoral checking of the apprentice's  welfare and support Needs

• SMART action planning to enable the apprentice develop and progress

• Review of evidence for the apptrentice's Knowledge Skills and Behaviours through the competence milestones

• A focus on key aspects of your Apprenticeship explained throughout this resource (AIIR) such as British Values, Prevent, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and career development/employability

• This will involve a risk or readiness rating system referred to as BRAG (Blue, red, amber, green) 

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