The industrial attachment
Key takeaways
- The industrial attachment places a Diploma in Quality Management learner in a public, private or non-governmental organisation to apply what the course teaches to real quality work.
- It is organised by the training institution's industrial attachment office, ideally under a memorandum of understanding with the host organisation, and supervised both in the workplace and by the institution.
- The learner keeps a daily logbook, signed off by the supervisor, and writes a final attachment report.
- Assessment weights are 50% for competence shown in the workplace, 20% for the supervisors' assessment of the logbook and 30% for the report; the pass mark is 50% overall with at least 25% in each section.
The industrial attachment is the part of the Diploma in Quality Management that happens at work rather than in a classroom or an examination hall. Once a learner has the foundation of the earlier levels, they are placed with an organisation, public, private or non-governmental, to gain practical insight into managing quality. The syllabus sets out the aim plainly: to align theory with practice, broaden the learner's social horizons, enrich their learning experience and improve their employability through direct engagement in the workplace.
More guidance is on its way
This is a short introduction to how the attachment works, taken from the KASNEB syllabus. We will publish more here, including guidance on keeping the logbook and writing the attachment report. Your training institution's industrial attachment office has the final word on dates, forms and requirements, so check every detail with them.
How long it lasts
The syllabus describes a continuous placement of three months, and explains that keeping the period continuous is what allows the required competencies to be covered. In its course requirements it also states that a learner must undergo an industrial attachment of at least 480 hours in a relevant organisation. Confirm with your institution which requirement it applies and how it counts your hours.
Who organises it
The training institution's industrial attachment office (sometimes called the liaison office) coordinates everyone involved. Among the functions the syllabus gives it:
- Advising on all attachment matters and setting the attachment policy, procedures and quality assurance mechanisms.
- Identifying organisations where learners can be attached and building collaboration with them.
- Arranging group personal accident insurance cover for learners while they are on placement.
- Holding briefing workshops, placing learners, organising supervision and facilitating assessment.
- Collecting learners' feedback and supporting learners through challenges during the attachment.
The syllabus advises the institution and the host organisation to sign a memorandum of understanding that sets out their agreed roles, responsibilities, expectations and requirements. Before placing learners, the attachment coordinators visit a prospective organisation to judge whether it can meet the institution's requirements. Learners are briefed on the opportunities, encouraged to reflect on their career interests and the outcomes they want, and may propose an organisation themselves for the office to approach.
Supervision
What is expected of you
While on attachment, the syllabus expects a learner to:
- Follow the institution's attachment rules and the host organisation's policies, respecting its values, staff and work practices.
- Keep a daily record of attendance, with any absence sanctioned by the supervisor.
- Take an active part in assigned tasks and reflect regularly on their own work for self-improvement.
- Fill in the daily logbook, exchange ideas with colleagues and the supervisor, and write the final report.
A learner may not end the attachment on their own accord. Any problem goes to the industrial attachment office, which deals with it, and disciplinary offences are handled under the institution's regulations.
What the attachment develops
The syllabus groups the attachment's learning outcomes into six competency areas, each carrying a share of the weight:
Competency areas of the industrial attachment, from the DQM syllabus
| Learning outcome | Competencies | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Perform assigned roles and group activities appropriately | Quality operations, attention to detail, executing assigned tasks, participating in group activities | 10% |
| Present views, exchange ideas and write reports effectively | Effective communication, customer relations, presentation, communication management, public relations | 15% |
| Apply theoretical knowledge and skills to solve work-related tasks | Risk management: identification, mitigation and communication | 25% |
| Demonstrate specialised technical knowledge to provide practical solutions | Quality management documentation and knowledge management, the documentation life cycle (creation, storage, transfer, retention, disposal), change management, classification, records management | 30% |
| Apply ICT in responding to customer needs | Word and spreadsheet processing, presentation, networking and the internet, database management, data security | 10% |
| Increase social horizons and learning experiences | Collaboration, teamwork, interpersonal skills | 10% |
Plan your placement around the weights
Quality documentation and records (30%) and risk management (25%) carry more than half the weight between them. Ask your workplace supervisor early for tasks in document control and risk work, so your logbook shows them.
The logbook and the report
Learners learn by observing the work processes of colleagues and supervisors, through group discussions, and through practical demonstrations and simulations. Throughout, the learner records in the logbook the full details of the daily work done and training received, with observations supported by any relevant sketches, drawings or pictures and references to the sources of information used. The entries are discussed regularly with the workplace supervisor, and learner and supervisor sign them off as specific tasks are completed and mastered. At the end the learner writes and submits a final attachment report, following the report-writing guidelines appended to the syllabus.
How it is assessed
Assessment weights of the industrial attachment
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Competence shown in the workplace, assessed by the workplace supervisor | 50% |
| Written or oral assessment by the supervisors, based on the logbook entries | 20% |
| The attachment report, marked by the institution supervisor | 30% |
- The overall pass mark is 50%, with at least 25% in each section: 50% to 100% is a pass (competent), and below 50% is referred (not competent).
- A learner who does not reach the pass mark has a supplementary evaluation and may have to repeat the attachment at a later date.
- Assessment follows rubrics, and the tasks are to be explained to learners before the attachment starts, so ask for them at your briefing.
To keep the programme's standard, the attachment office reviews the attachments for the institution's quality assurance committee, an external programme assessor examines the programme's integrity from time to time, and external examiners help assure the credibility of the assessment.
Self-check
Before your placement starts, your institution supervisor asks you to explain how the attachment will be assessed.
(a) State the three assessment components and their weights. (3 marks)
(b) Explain the pass rule. (2 marks)
Show worked answer
(a) Competence shown in the workplace, assessed by the workplace supervisor, 50%; a written or oral assessment by the supervisors based on the logbook entries, 20%; the attachment report, marked by the institution supervisor, 30%.
(b) A pass needs 50% overall and at least 25% in each section. Below 50% the learner is referred (not competent), has a supplementary evaluation and may have to repeat the attachment.