AP2EX1-Food Business Group Project I (Including Career Management Skills)

Module Provider: Agr & Food Econ
Number of credits: 10 [5ECTS credits]
Terms in which taught: Spring and Summer
Module Convenor: Mr NF Beard
Pre-requisites: AP2EQ1
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Module version for: 2008/9

Email: n.f.beard@reading.ac.uk

Aims:
The aim of this module is to provide an opportunity for students - working in groups - to participate in a consultancy project for a commercial client in the food industry in order to develop research and analytical skills, usually in relation to market research. In carrying out the project students will also acquire skills in team working, project management, and effective communication (report writing and oral presentation). The project is split into two parts with the second part being in the Autumn Term of Part 3 (AP3EX1).

The module also includes 5 credits of Career Management Skills designed to encourage students to think about, and plan more systematically for, their future careers. This takes place late in the Summer Term of year 1. This module component aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop self-awareness in the context of career decision making, knowledge of the career opportunities that are available to them, and the skills to make effective applications.

Assessable learning outcomes:
1. Food Business Group Project (5 credits)
By the end of the first part of the project students will have demonstrated their ability to review the literature relevant to their project, develop a research plan setting out clear aims and outcomes and the steps in the research process, and planned any necessary fieldwork.

2. Career Management Skills (5 credits)
Students will be able to:
• Identify, assess and articulate their skills, interests, values and personality traits in the context of career decision making.
• Develop careers information retrieval, research and decision making skills, using a variety of sources including the Internet and interviews.
• Recognise and be able to write an effective application; identify the purpose and processes of recruitment interviews and how to perform effectively.

Additional outcomes:
1. Food Business Group Project
Students will develop familiarity with the use of statistics and data processing software within an applied perspective. Students will develop effective written communication skills for a marketing and professional environment.
2. Career Management Skills
Students will develop business awareness through understanding broad trends in the graduate labour market and the personal attributes and achievements that employers require. They will develop oral communication and team working skills through practical group exercises. IT skills and information handling skills will be developed through use of the Internet. They will develop Personal Development Planning abilities through the reflective exercises and forward-looking nature of CMS, which will significantly contribute to PARs and other PDP activities.

Outline content:
1. Food Business Group Project
• Allocation of projects
• Research company profile and the market in which it operates
• First meeting with client to discuss background to project and project brief
• Review of literature and any information made available by the company
• Development of research plan for approval by the company and presentation in class
• Detailed consideration of research design including ethical clearance:
(a) data gathering: eg. focus group design, questionnaire design, sampling technique, (b) database management, (c) data analysis techniques
• Plan and begin conducting market research (eg survey) – continued in the Summer Term within module AP3EX1.

2. Career Management Skills
The module component consists of three elements that relate to the stages in effective career planning, self-awareness (Finding Your Profile), opportunity awareness and decision making (Finding the Fit), and transition skills (Effective Applications).

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
1. Food Business Group Project
The projects will be conducted by students working in groups of 4 or 5. Groups are expected to meet at least weekly to progress the project and to keep minutes of these meetings on file. A supervisor is allocated to each project to provide academic guidance and groups should liaise with their supervisor at regular intervals (fortnightly is a suggested norm).
Research skills development lectures also take place at intervals during the term.

2. Career Management Skills
Each of the three elements in effective career planning are introduced in lecture sessions supplemented by practical exercises and self directed learning using on-line materials available on the Internet at: http://www.rdg.ac.uk/Careers/cms

Contact hours:

	Autumn (year 1)	Spring (year 2)	Summer (year 2)
	CMS	FB Group Project	See AP3EX1
Lectures	8	4
Tutorials/seminars		10
Practicals	4
Other contact (eg study visits)
Total hours	12	14
Number of essays or assignments	3	2
Other (eg major seminar paper)		1 (Oral presentation)

Assessment:
Coursework
1. Food Business Group Project
• Research Plan (written report and oral presentation)
• Literature Review
2. Career Management Skills
• Personal Career Profile
• Job Study (700-1000 words)
• CV with Covering Letter and Action Plan
Each CMS assignment is given a percentage mark and equal weighting. Marking criteria are available for students to see on the CMS website.

Relative percentage of coursework : 100%

Penalties for late submission
Standard University rule applies: 10% marks deducted for work submitted up to one week late. Work submitted more than one week late will be awarded a zero mark.

Examination
none

Relative percentage of examination: 0%

Requirements for a pass
A mark of 40% overall.

Reassessment arrangements
By coursework.