More and more schools are moving from Excel and email to a digital placement platform. But the market is growing, and it can be hard to know what to compare. This guide offers a concrete checklist for schools choosing the right tool for APL and LIA.
A good placement platform brings matching, agreements, communication and follow-up together in one place, handles personal data safely under the GDPR, and saves time for both coordinators and supervisors. When choosing, the school should weigh features against security, usability and how well the tool fits its particular placement types.
Why the choice matters#
A placement platform affects many people: students, supervisors, coordinators and school leadership. The wrong tool creates duplicate work and frustration, while the right tool frees up time and reduces the risk of anyone falling through the cracks. Because the platform handles data about often young students, security and GDPR are also decisive.
Checklist: features to compare#
- Matching between student and workplace.
- Agreement management with digital signing.
- Communication between school, student and supervisor.
- Follow-up and documentation gathered in one place.
- Overview for the coordinator across all positions and students.
- Support for your placement types — APL, LIA, VFU or prao.
Our guide on digital placement management that saves the school time goes deeper into the benefits.
Checklist: security and GDPR#
Because a placement platform handles personal data, the following is important to check:
- Data storage within the EU and clear information about where data is stored.
- Role-based access so the right person sees the right information.
- A data processing agreement (DPA) governing how the data is processed.
- Transparency about the security work.
Read more in our guide on GDPR and interns and about Prakto's own security work.
Digital compared with Excel and email#
| Aspect | Excel and email | Placement platform |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Scattered | Unified |
| Follow-up | Manual | Structured |
| Agreements | Loose documents | Digital signing |
| GDPR | Hard to control | Role-based access |
| Time | Lots of admin | Less admin |
See an in-depth comparison in Prakto compared with manual handling.
Questions to ask the vendor#
- Where is our data stored, and is there a DPA?
- Does the tool support our specific placement types?
- What do onboarding and support look like?
- How do students and supervisors experience the interface?
How Prakto can help#
Prakto is built for Swedish placement types and brings matching, agreements, communication and follow-up together in one place, with data storage within the EU and role-based access. To see how it fits your school, you can book a demo and test it against your own process.
Frequently asked questions#
What should a school consider when choosing a placement platform?#
Compare features for matching, agreements, communication and follow-up against security and GDPR. Also check that the tool supports your placement types and is easy for students and supervisors.
Why switch from Excel and email?#
Excel and email rarely provide an overview and make follow-up and GDPR hard to control. A platform brings everything together in one place and reduces administration.
Is a placement platform GDPR-compliant?#
It depends on the vendor. Check for data storage within the EU, role-based access and a data processing agreement.
Conclusion#
The right placement platform saves time, provides an overview and handles personal data safely. Start from a checklist of features and security, ask the vendor clear questions and test the tool against your own process before deciding.
Sources#
- Skolverket — rules for APL and the school's responsibility.
- Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY) — guidance on the GDPR and personal data.
