Host Organisation Guidelines for a Successful Placement

In order to ensure that both Host Organisations and TDL Academy students have the best possible experience during the Placement Programme, we ask all participating organisations to agree to the following set of rules and regulations which follow ‘best practice’ guidelines.

We understand that employers will be operating in a number of different ways in regards to remote/hybrid working. If working mainly remotely, the student will be required to be in regular contact with the host organisation during placement (daily if required) and must be provided with access to the data and any specialist equipment required to deliver the project. 

If the project requires the student to work mainly/full-time in the office and remote work is not feasible please provide this detail when submitting your project form with reasoning. It is our duty to ensure that students are working in a safe manner at all time and are comfortable with the expectations in relation to work location.

1.  All students must be paid for their time working on this Project at a minimum of the National Living Wage. It is the Host Organisation’s responsibility to pay the student. (The National Living Wage from April 2024 is £11.44.)

2.  The student’s terms and conditions of working and working pattern will be agreed prior to commencement of employment, in line with the Host Organisation’s normal HR processes. This is usually 35-40 hours. 

There are a small number of students who would be interested in undertaking a placement on a part-time basis. If this is something that your organisation would be in a position to offer please get in touch with your allocated TDL contact to discuss.

3.  Project duration is normally 8-12 weeks and must end before the submission date of the student’s academic dissertation. Any time allowed during this period for writing up should be agreed with the student and academic supervisor in advance. 

If the project does not allow sufficient time for writing up, the project must end at least 2 weeks before the student’s submission date, to be agreed with the student and academic supervisor. The duration must be agreed by all parties prior to commencement.

4. Timing of placements:  for most full-time students this will be May – August 2024. Some part-time students may wish to start their projects earlier in the year.

5.  Any background checks, on-boarding, etc must be started as soon as the student has been identified and offered the Project. Please ensure any stakeholders (including external service providers) in this process are aligned as soon as possible and that the checks can be completed well in advance of the student’s start date.

6. An industrial supervisor/s should be identified (preferably a permanent member of staff) prior to the placement commencing. The student will also have an academic supervisor who will liaise with the industrial supervisor and the student. There should also be regular meetings (at least weekly) with the industrial supervisor, academic supervisor and student.

7. All technology and data resources for the Project should be sourced and accessible from the first day of student starting with your organisation. Delays in providing these resources will result in project delays which can seriously impact the student’s ability to complete the project and their dissertation.

8. Any IP agreements/restrictions and/or NDA requirements should be discussed and resolved before the placement commences. IP normally resides with the company with the stipulation that the student has access to the elements required to complete their dissertation. The academic supervisor will be the main point of contact on IP and NDA issues.

9. Any concerns over the Project or the students’ performance must be raised, in writing, immediately with the student’s academic supervisor. If these concerns are not addressed satisfactorily by the academic supervisor, this should be escalated at the earliest opportunity in writing to the Placements team at The Data Lab. You will receive contact from The Data Lab before, during and after the placement to check on progress and provide support.

10. Should the student be offered further employment by your organisation within 12 months of the placement completion, a fee will be incurred payable directly to The Data Lab:

• Public and third sector organisations – £0
• Start-ups – £1000
• Private sector SMEs – £2500
• Private sector Other – £5000

The Data Lab reserve the right to amend these fees at their discretion. Income generated from fees is not for profit and will be used to further develop and sustain The Data Lab Academy Programme, enable the continuation of scholarship funding and industry placements in the future. If the student leaves the role within the first 3 months of further employment, your organisation will be eligible for a full rebate of the fee.

11. The Host Organisation agrees to provide all information and assistance as reasonably required by The Data Lab for the purposes of The Data Lab assessing the success of the programme, promoting the programme or as required for reporting to its funders, this shall include but is not limited to, the provision of a case study in relation to the Project.

12. For further information about how we use personal data including contact details, please see our privacy policy. The information submitted via the Project form will be stored on a third party platform for the purposes of matching, but no personal data will be transferred.

GOV.UK National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates: age, apprentices, previous years

Supported by the Tay Cities Partnership, Data Skills for Work at The Data Lab is offering eligible training and education providers funding to deliver data skills training for learners in our target groups as part of an integrated and inclusive pipeline of development. 

The maximum grant is £10,000 per course for a minimum of 20 learners, the minimum is £5,000 for a minimum of 10 learners (training must be free at the point of access to those learners). The grant will be administered by The Data Lab (TDL) through The University of Edinburgh. Courses can be delivered multiple times (and therefore applicants can apply to deliver more than one course), but all courses must be completed by 30th September 2024. 

The Data Lab is publicly funded and therefore these grants will constitute a state funded subsidy where the organisation receiving the funding is classed as an “enterprise” under the Subsidy Control Act 2022. The Subsidy Control Act 2022 permits enterprises to lawfully receive subsidies up to a total value of £315,000 over the period consisting of the elapsed part of the current financial year, and the two financial years immediately preceding the current financial year period (the “Minimum Financial Assistance Cap”).  Where an organisation offered funding is an enterprise under the Subsidy Control Act 2022, the organisation will be required to confirm that its receipt of such funding shall not cause it (together with any organisation forming part of the same enterprise) to exceed the Minimum Financial Assistance Cap. Before applying, you must ensure, where applicable, you will be able to provide such confirmation.

Once we have reviewed your application, we will be in touch to let you know if your application has been successful,  and if so, to provide you with our Provider Agreement for your review. Please note that any awards of funding will be subject to agreeing and signing our Provider Agreement.

Privacy 

We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Please read our privacy notice for full details of how we will use your information 

Please review the call guidance before submitting an application. 

Applications close on Monday 29th April

Supported by the Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal, Data Skills for Work at The Data Lab is offering eligible training and education providers funding to deliver data skills training for learners in our target groups as part of an integrated and inclusive pipeline of development. Grants of up to £10,000 per course are available for a minimum of 20 learners (training must be free at the point of access to those learners). 

Courses can be delivered multiple times (and therefore applicants can apply to deliver more than one course), but all courses must be completed by 30th September 2024.  

The Data Lab is publicly funded and therefore these grants will constitute a state funded subsidy where the organisation receiving the funding is classed as an “enterprise” under the Subsidy Control Act 2022. The Subsidy Control Act 2022 permits enterprises to lawfully receive subsidies up to a total value of £315,000 over the period consisting of the elapsed part of the current financial year, and the two financial years immediately preceding the current financial year period (the “Minimum Financial Assistance Cap”).  Where an organisation offered funding is an enterprise under the Subsidy Control Act 2022, the organisation will be required to confirm that its receipt of such funding shall not cause it (together with any organisation forming part of the same enterprise) to exceed the Minimum Financial Assistance Cap. Before applying, you must ensure, where applicable, you will be able to provide such confirmation.

Once we have reviewed your application, we will be in touch to let you know if your application has been successful,  and if so, to provide you with our Provider Agreement for your review. Please note that any awards of funding will be subject to agreeing and signing our Provider Agreement.

Privacy 

We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Please read our privacy notice for full details of how we will use your information 

Please review the call guidance before submitting an application.

Applications close on Monday 29th April

TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP YOU MUST BE REFERRED BY THE UNIVERSITY/COURSE WHERE YOU INTEND TO STUDY.   

Through our highly regarded and well established The Data Lab Academy, The Data Lab supports MSc students on a programme which focuses on applying academic knowledge to the world of industry, and developing the non-technical skills that are essential to becoming a data scientist. The Data Lab Academy Scholarship includes:

• A fully funded scholarship to cover tuition fees on an approved The Data Lab Academy course at a The Data Lab  partner university
• Sector-specific training in employability and communication skills*
• Access to networking events including Data Talent and a launch and closing event with presentations from industry experts, data scientists and The Data Lab Alumni and a Lunch & Learn programme throughout the year*
• The opportunity to apply to undertake a paid industrial placement in Scotland
• An industry sponsored innovation challenge*
• Membership of The Data Lab Community with access to a network of expertise, mentoring and a jobs board*
• Membership of The Data Lab Academy Alumni LinkedIn group
• A Masterclass on Data Ethics and Responsible Innovation*

*Core elements that must be completed by all The Data Lab Academy students (the time commitment is approximately 9 working days over a 12 month period).  See https://thedatalab.com/students/the-data-lab-academy/ for more details.

You have been recommended by a The Data Lab’s university partner for consideration by The Data Lab team for one of these scholarships. For us to make a decision on whether you meet our criteria, please complete the following form which asks for some information on you, and why you think you should be the recipient of one of our highly sought after scholarships.

The Data Lab Student Privacy Document sets out how The Data Lab will use the data you provide for the purpose of this application, including your rights under data protection law in relation to this personal information.  You can find the document here.