PRACTICUMS : ARANZ POSITION STATEMENT

There has much discussion both on and off the NZ Records Listserv this past few weeks about Practicums. This was a matter of considerable discussion at the recent ARANZ National Council meeting and, as ARANZ was proposed for a role of sorts in furthering these ideas, Council has prepared the following position statement on practicums.

ARANZ is supportive of the practicum concept where these are formally tied to a recognised educational outcome and qualification. To add value to all parties - the trainee, the host organisation, and the profession they must be managed and monitored. At a glance, practicums sound simple and appealing - universal panaceas - but they can not be entered into lightly as, like all things, they carry their own risks. Only when there is a clear and well-managed learning outcome, adequate supervision and training within the context of a wider qualification can they add true value.

ARANZ encourages its members (both individuals and organisations) to give practicums consideration and to investigate these opportunities further if they feel that there may be value to the individual (for educational advancement) or to the organisation (contributing to a student’s professional growth).

Both the Open Polytechnic and Victoria University already have practicum options in some of their courses. Organisations interested in participating as a practicum host should contact the tertiary institutions in the first instance for advice on how you may be best able to offer an opportunity for a student through their framework.

ARANZ Council, June 2004