Paper Qualificarion

8/13/2019 Paper Qualificarion

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$ossessing a degree can have a huge impact on accomplishing your professional goals.

( degree can get your foot in the door and allow you the chance to prove your value to thefield. ( degree sets you apart from other applicants. 0oes it mean you are smarter, morequalified or somehow better1 robably not, but it does help you by giving you the

opportunity to prove how truly wonderful and valuable you are. (ll that said, lets notundervalue the degree either. ( person with a degree has taken time and money to learn the

bones of a field and deserves to have some acknowledgement for their obvious foresight anddesire to be a strong professional.

I agree that having a degree has a bigger impact on a person's success in life than the

%cards they "ere dealt% because a degree can help one get past those cards.

3o one can control the conditions into which they are born. %owever, people do control theirattitude and their decisions. There are many eamples of people who did not let theireconomic or social conditions stop them from getting an education and having success in life.

4uccess begins with an attitude and determination. If someone wants to achieve, they will.

&es because cards can change as can the game but sills "ill al"ays remain useful.

&ven though everyone goes through periods of lucky and unlucky streaks, certain thingsremain unchanged. 3o matter what happens, knowledge one learns in college or a universitycan not be taken away. ( degree in a useful field can help people find ways out of badeconomic situations. 4kills are not disposable, and if used correctly, can be more powerfulthan luck. )ake your own luck.

I do believe that having a degree maes a bigger impact than luc.

%aving a degree, I believe, gives a person a higher chance at getting a more successful jobcompared to someone who does not have one. 5rom eperience, many places look for peoplewho just have a diploma of some sort on their resumes. n a more logical note, diplomasindicate that a person has certain skills in whatever major their diploma may fall under, whichis very important when it comes to certain jobs that companies may need to fill.

degree is important to success in life because nothing ever happens in life "ithout

"oring for it.

3othing in life is free. There are very few people who made it anywhere just by luck.&specially those who have made it big. eople like ill 6ates while not having a collegedegree worked their tails off trying to make it big. -hatever the case a degree is work. -orkmeans that you will have success. If it were differently the world would be nicer indeed. Thisis the way it is and no matter what the world must work in order to succeed and a degree is

best right now.

If you possess a degree you "ill more than liely be more successful as you "ill usually

have a greater level of no"ledge.( college degree requires a lot of hard work that is aimedat preparing you for a job. The knowledge gained whilst completing this work will result ingreater success. 7uck will be averaged out in the long term meaning that a greater success is

more likely to be achieved through hard work. 5or this reason a degree will have a biggerimpact on success.


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$ossessing a degree does have a bigger impact on success in life than the %cards that you

"ere dealt%.ossessing a degree in higher education gives you the knowledge you need towork in certain types of industries. The degree is not the only thing you need though. #ouneed the drive and the fortitude to succeed in any position. -ith hard work and a degree youcan usually get very far in life. 6ranted, pure luck may be the way some people have become

successful but pure luck is also why some have won the lottery. I think I will take my chanceswith a degree and hard work as apposed to hoping that luck will be on my side. The odds ofsuccess are much better.

&es having more education "ill stic "ith you through the bad times too.%aving adegree is something tangible that cant be taken away from you. The things you learn helpshape the person you become. &veryone has bad luck from time to time/ I don't think there'sany escaping that. %owever, having a degree is something to fall back on, it's somethingyou've worked hard for and earned and it's what you have to show for your hard efforts.

&es possessing a degree does give you a greater chance at success in life.&arning a degree

is the base of someones epertise. It is definitely needed if your will be pursuing aprofessional career such as an engineer, cpa, attorney, doctor, etc. 3ow, if you are looking tobe an entrepreneur, it might not be seen as something that's needed. %owever, it it alwayswise to have something to fall back on just in case yourself"employment does not work out as

planned. &ither way, success in life has a lot to do with the individual's character, attitude,motivation, drive and perseverance. I believe that earning a degree proves that you have someof these crucial traits needed to be successful in life.

(ord )ugar *he +est5or eample,7ord 4ugar left school at the age of 82.Then he saw a stalland took it.3ow he is the world's richest man without studying.It's not about studying,it alldepends on you.If you work very hard,of course you will get a degree and good grades.ut7ord 4ugar he did well in his business.

,iven the third degree

I've been looking for work a long time without success. #es, I still take pride in my degree,but it has been challenged severely, due to my lack of employment as well as my failure toeven get accepted into graduate school. I am what some refer to as 3&&T 93ot in &ducation&mployment or Training:. #et at the end of the day, I do have to consider that the energy andtime that I spent in obtaining my degree could have been spent on something more practical,which probably would have had a better outcome both in employment and status. Thanks for

asking me to eplain.

getting a degree doesnt mean you "ill be sucess in life

yes,everybody need an achievement in their life,same goes to having a degree,you will makeeverybody proud ,your family,your friend and so on,..but having a degree is not a guaranteeof a person's life, nowadays there's many unemployed degree holders. the most important inlife is a softskill, many people that doesnt have degree still success in ther life with their onhard work and live happily.

-no"ing the right people "ill get you further in life more than a degree.


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;nfortunately, smarts and dedication will not get you as far as knowing the right person orbeing born into a lot of money. Though a degree is well"respected, if you can not buy yourway through this world, it is going to be a lot harder. )oney is everything, here in the ;4(.

I do not believe that possessing a degree has a larger impact on a person's life more

than the sills and assets "ith "hich they "ere born "ith.

Though I do believe that a degree is always an asset, I do not believe that its impactsupersedes the impact of a person's natural advantages. In other words, people that are bornsmart and driven will find a way to succeed, with or without a degree. (lternately, peoplethat lack motivation are still going to struggle, even if they have a phenomenal education.

$ossessing a degree does not have a bigger impact on success than the %cards that you

"ere dealt% because advancement is based on sills.

ossessing a degree does not have a bigger impact on success than the , but the truth is, for real success,you need a vision and common sense.

)uccess is not defined by a degree.To be successful in life does not require a degree " ittakes an inner drive built upon having morals and a strong work ethic. -hile having a degreeis an admirable attribute, it should not be viewed as a sole source of obtaining success. Thereare many individuals who have achieved success without a degree, and it was not based onthe


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I state this opinion because I know many people who have graduated from college and are notsuccessful. n the other hand, I know many people who have not gone to college or havegotten a two year degree and are very successful. It depends on the individual's talent andhow he uses it that ascertains if he will be successful or not, and not owning a college degreethat states you went to college. There are some careers that require a degree, but there are

many types of employment where a person can climb up the ladder to become verysuccessful.

I do not believe that having a degree has a bigger impact on life then the cards you

are0"ere dealt. It is /ust "hat you do "ith those cards that matter though.I have a (degree and I am currently homeless 9living in a shelter:, and unemployed. I was raised by

both parents in a middle income home. I have a brother and a sister who are both married,middle family income homes, and living what one would call a good life. 3either my brothernor sister have a college degree.

-e all came from the same family, I am the one with the degree, and I am the one who is

homeless, unemployed, divorced, and pretty much a mess. 4o I think it is a matter of takingthe cards you were dealt with, and what you do with those cards. bviously " I didn't do verywell " but I'm working on changing my hand to a ?oyal 5lush++ @:

If you are trying to decide whether or not to go to college, you should consider all of

the ways a college degreecan help you attain the success that you desire in life.

Even if you are a genius, you will still need a college degree to obtain most high-

paying jobs. If you do not have the piece of paper that says you made it through four

years of college, all of the brains in the world will not help you get a job where a

degree is required. Though getting a college degree might seem unattainable at first,

you must remember that it is a worthwhile investmentin your future. Whether you

want to be a businessman or an artist, going to college will help you learn what you

will need to succeed in the real world. Even if you are not sure what you want to

study, a degree in just about anything will help you get a job. If your main problem is

choosing a major, it is important to realie that most people do not end up wor!ing in

their college fields of study. "eciding on a major does not mean that you are

committing yourself to one particular subject. In fact, many companies welcome

employees with diverse bac!grounds, as it helps them see their businessesfrom

different perspectives. Whether you go to a private school,a state school or a

community college, getting a college degree is the single most important thing youcan do to help you reach success in life. It is never too late to go bac! to school,

especially with all of the night school and Internet classes available to wor!ing and

nontraditional students. With just a few years of time and a little financial investment,

you can be on your way to becoming a financial success.

Why pursue a college or university degree?

#ne important answer to this question is more opportunity. $s opposed togenerations of the past, high school graduates today are unable to obtain the

number of high-paying jobs that were once available. The %.&. has beentransformed from a manufacturing-based economy to an economy based on
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!nowledge, and the importance of a college education today can be compared tothat of a high school education forty years ago. It serves as the gateway to betteroptions and more opportunity.

There are additional reasons as to why it is important to go to college. When

students e'perience a post secondary education, they have the opportunity to readboo!s and listen to the lectures of top e'perts in their fields. This stimulationencourages students to thin!, as! questions, and e'plore new ideas, which allowsfor additional growth and development and provides college graduates with an edgein the job mar!et over those who have not e'perienced a higher education.

The importance of a college education is also accentuated because of theopportunity to gain valuable resources during your tenure. The more connectionswhich are collected during your college career, the more options you will have whenyou begin your job search. #nce you have ended your job search and have startedyour career, however, the importance of a college education has not been

e'hausted. (aving a college degree often provides for greater promotionopportunity.

$ college degree in the information age is very necessary and crucial requirement forsuccess in life. )ost jobs and careers require a college degree of some !ind.(owever, this does not mean that success in life is unachievable without a collegedegree. This article is not to encourage you not to have a college degree, it isactually a guide to how to manage yourself and succeed in life if you currently haveno option in getting a college degree. This might be for many reasons, especiallyfinancial ones. *ou can use the techniques in this article to have a boost that mighteven remove any obstacles you had, and eventually help you get your degree+

Ho" important is a degree1

%ow important will having a degree be once I start to look for work1

5or years I've placed so much importance on having one, and everything during my schoolyears pointed towards university, as if it would be some sort of magic portal to a fulfillingand interesting career. I'm now A years into a %istory course at &dinburgh ;niversity and it isstarting to look increasingly unlikely that I will actually graduate, after a series of obstacles,financial and health"related, that have left me somewhat behind in my studies and severely

lacking in confidence.

It seems as if everyone, graduates or otherwise, is struggling to find a job. -hat chancewould I have entering the job market without a degree1 I am one of thousands of otherstudent cliches who would like to get into journalism or some sort of media"related

profession, and it seems there is simply no chance of getting anything without standing outsignificantly. ut is it possible to do this as a non"grduate1 -ould a non"graduate have theirchances dismissed on that basis alone1 (m I doomed to working a low"level position in a

bank or something equally soul"destroying1

oor you. That does sound like it's been hard"going. I work for a large publishing house who

take on a number of graduatesBstarters every year. (ll our advertising says 'degree orequivalent'. (nd the important thing to see is 'equivalent' here. It is up to you to interpret


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what this means and illustrate it. ut I would hope to see someone who has perhaps donesome further study 9as you have:, perhaps worked on something related to publishing 9anewsletter for eample:, is well"organi$ed 9a holiday job perhaps1: etc. I, personally, don'thave a degree but I am one of only a small number who don't. ut it is possible. 0on't getdownheartened. 6et good ! advice, use your careers advice people, get good references

9including an academic one if possible:, and think hard when applying for jobs 9tailor your!:. 6ood luck+

I wouldn't write off your time at uni C you will have gained lots from the eperience Cbeing independent, making friends, learning and picking up associated skills. (s tojournalism, I'd start blogging and writing, and once you are confident start pitching as afreelancer C if your pieces are good enough they will speak for themselves C it's not like aneditor is going to ask for your ! before publishing an article. 0o brush up on media lawthough C perhaps a night class would be a good way in1 I did a ten"week course about

pitching freelance articles C it was only once a week in the evening and quite cheap9 through my uni:

%ow important is a degree1@%ow important will having a degree be once I start to look forwork1 5or years I've placed so much importance on having one, and everything during myschool years pointed towards university, as if it would be some sort of magic portal to afulfilling and interesting career. I'm now A years into a %istory course at &dinburgh;niversity and it is starting to look increasingly unlikely that I will actually graduate, after aseries of obstacles, financial and health"related, that have left me somewhat behind in mystudies and severely lacking in confidence. It seems as if everyone, graduates or otherwise, isstruggling to find a job. -hat chance would I have entering the job market without a degree1I am one of thousands of other student cliches who would like to get into journalism or somesort of media"related profession, and it seems there is simply no chance of getting anythingwithout standing out significantly. ut is it possible to do this as a non"grduate1 -ould anon"graduate have their chances dismissed on that basis alone1 (m I doomed to working alow"level position in a bank or something equally soul"destroying1osted by andychadwick

Thanks (lison and )aureen, these posts are both etremely helpful+ I haven't completelygiven up on studies just yet, but this is all very encouraging and a big relief if things don'tquite work out as planned.

It might be worth seeing if you could keep some of your university credits and top them up at

a later date with ; qualifications C I'm not an epert in that area but I'm sure you've earntplenty of a degree C you might be able transfer to repeat your final year nearer home iffinance is an issue. 0o look into hardship grants as well C I got nearly D2,EEE of help in myfinal year as my family income meant I qualified for help.

?e@ %ow important is a degree1@

Thanks (lison and )aureen, these posts are both etremely helpful+ I haven't completelygiven up on studies just yet, but this is all very encouraging and a big relief if things don'tquite work out as planned.I think you could learn from my eperience, and hopefully you canavoid my fate.Illness forced me to drop out of university, and I lived with the painful growth

for a further 8E years during which the 3%4 repeatedly refused to provide treatment. Theirreasoning was that my situation was not life"threatening. 0uring that time, I gradually
http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/8681055http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/8701647http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/8681055http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/8701647


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scraped together the cash needed to pay for a private operation that cost roughly the same asone of today's mortgage deposits. nce my debilitating pain was resolved, I returned touniversity and achieved a first class and a masters. I've fortunately had steady work since.%owever, the responsibilities and pay available to me now are far below average for peoplemy age.5urthermore, many applications will consider only your


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9obs will change in the ne't :4 years--people will hold several different jobs in their lifetime.

The more education one gets, the greater the adaptability to change jobs. ollege will open

doors to opportunity and e'pand your horions. *ou will e'perience new points of view.

&pea!ing about grades, I honestly don;t understand why grades are so highly valued in this

society. &tudying so much to get the elusive $, losing your friends, wasting your life away,losing opportunities to e'plore the world around you, becoming a square, becoming a boring

person.


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ultimately, it's ur attitude and hard work.....

do not be bounded by the negative thinking, ?!& T%&) -?36+

G magnetgal

* posts since )ar 'E> 8= )ar JE>, 8@E2()

I dont deny the fact that some ppl are born super smart and can ace eam withoutstudying.

%owever, i feel that for most ordinary people, doing well academically do indicatehow much u can achieve in the later part of ur life.

To do well, ordinary people must haf good time management, staying focused, mustbe hardworking, pay attention in class, do ur work and hand up ur work on time, setgoals, achieve ur goals, fail and learn to climb up again and do better in the nt eam.therefore, i believe an ordinary person who can do well in studies most likely can dowell in his career, co$ he knows how to better manage his life to achieve his goals.

ut u notice i include


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2hy paper 3ualifications are no longer

enough

3ews M ublished in T&44 on 2 Fanuary, 2E824 +y5 Julia +elgutay

(ast 6pdated5

2 Fanuary, 2E82

)ection5

3ews

In an increasingly competitive market for jobs and higher courses of study, all"roundachievement rather than mere attainment is at a premium

(decade or so ago, teachers could bid farewell to their senior pupils, knowing that a solid setof 4tandard grades and %ighers would get them into the college or university " or even job "of their choice.

ut with jobs scarce in a struggling economy, and fierce competition for fewer college anduniversity places, admissions officers and employers are increasingly looking beyondacademic qualifications when it comes to selection.

(pplicants are now also required to show evidence of Nsoft skillsO, like stickability,commitment, the ability to work in a team, timekeeping, good communication and peopleskills, and a range of Nwider achievementsO to prove their employability or suitability for acourse.

N-e have an epectation of them having additionality to standard qualifications,O eplains0avid 5airweather, director for curriculum and academic planning at )otherwell ollege,which has introduced a general policy of interviewing prospective students to improve thematch between student and college.

;niversities also go beyond an applicantPs %igher results, looking more closely at personal

statements which list their non" academic achievements, says (lastair 4im, director of;niversities 4cotland.

NThis can help to give tutors a better sense of the person behind the application and indicate apupilPs dedication and passion for a subject as well as other skills like teamwork or bedsidemanner that might make them well suited to the demands of a particular course,O he says.

4chool"leavers aiming to go straight into a job are increasingly required to demonstrateNemployability skillsO which will allow them to adapt quickly to their new role andworkplace.

N&mployability skills have always been hugely important and 9employers: have alwayslooked for individuals to possess them. %owever, I think that over the last year, with rising


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youth unemployment, these skills have become even more important,O says 7auren )c3icol,policy eecutive of I 4cotland.

N4uccessful businesses continue to require people who are adaptable, can work harmoniouslyand collaboratively with others, who have differing views of the world, can solve problems

individually and in teams, can learn new things and can communicate and sell ideas,O sheeplains.

ecause of this, the government has given soft skills, in the form of wider achievements, aprominent place within urriculum for &cellence " most notably outlined in its uilding theurriculum A and * documents. N(s young people move into 4*, they will continue todevelop the four capacities to become successful learners, confident individuals, effectivecontributors and responsible citi$ens,O states t A.

NTo do so, they must continue to have opportunities that reinforce their broader learning andachievements through a range of eperiences including enhancing skills for life and skills for

work, an active and healthy lifestyle and an appreciation of 4cotland and its place in theworld.O

The opportunity to develop skills for learning, life and work is an entitlement for all learners,says (nne Fardine, director of learning and community at &ducation 4cotland. The skillsoutlined in t * " employability and soft skills " were embedded within the eperiences andoutcomes across all eight f& curriculum areas, she adds. N&mployability has to be at theheart of the 4cottish education system.O

)iss )c3icol says@ Nver two"thirds 9E per cent: of I members surveyed for our mostrecent education and skills survey want to see the development of employability skills amongyoung people at school and college made a top priority. This rises to Q2 per cent whenlooking at graduate employment.O

4ome evidence is now being collected through e"portfolios 9T&44, 2E Fanuary:, which aredesigned to capture not only attainment but also achievements in a wider sense. rganisationsin the voluntaryBcharitable sector are also becoming more involved in providing awards and

programmes for schools " some relating to sports and outdoor activities, others tovolunteering and specific skills training.

These not only take pressure off school resources, but also chime with government guidance

to offer eperiences in partnership with outside agencies. ften, to ensure relevance to theiryoung participants, these programmes lead to awards and certificates pupils can add to their

portfolios and !s.

The rincePs Trust has now run its R7 programme in schools for around a decade. 5inlay7averty, senior head of business development, says the activity programme fits in so wellwith urriculum for &cellence that it is now delivered to more than 2,>EE pupils at around8EE schools across 4cotland.

R7 can be organised in an intensive si"week to three"month programme, or over a two"yearperiod, replacing one subject from 4A onwards. The young people who take part are often

those who struggle with the demands of mainstream curriculum, who are disruptive, isolatedor bullied, lack parental support, or are just not engaged with education.


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They undertake activities in five areas@

personal and interpersonal team skills/

active citi$enship, where young people get involved in their communities/

enrichment projects, such as utward ound residentials or healthy eating/

enterprise and entrepreneurship/

self and work, which focuses on employability skills.

The aim, )r 7averty eplains, is to give an advantage especially to those young people whodo not have many other qualifications. N6et those core skills in the right place at the righttime " that is what we are hoping to do. It is about confidence, positivity, and having that can"do attitude about how they face the job market.O

( survey by the trust in 2E88 showed around three"quarters of young people felt theirspeaking skills had improved/ the same number felt more motivated and better at setting andachieving goals/ QS per cent said their confidence had improved/ and =2 per cent felt theirability to work with others had improved.

3ine out of 8E participants move into a Npositive destinationO, whether that is furtherschooling, a place at university or college, or work, after completing the R7 programme, says)r 7averty.

The 0uke of &dinburghPs (ward scheme, probably the best known of its kind, has seen anunprecendented rise in uptake recently, with some schools now moving from a 0uke of&dinburghPs (ward club to a whole"school approach.

N-e have some very interesting evidence of employers understanding that the 0uke of&dinburghPs (ward as a brand means things like stickability, resilience, teamwork, and that ishopefully highly attractive,O says arry 5isher, director of the awards in 4cotland.

Hueen )argaret (cademy in (yr offers participation in the bron$e awards to all 4A pupils.%ead )oira 6ray says her message to parents is that it is the soft skills learnt through 0o&which sell individual people to employers, universities and colleges.

NThey are looking for an etra dimension to distinguish young people who may otherwise beon a level playing field. It always has played a role, but now that the contested nature ofcollege and university entrance and employment is increasing, young peoplePs interpersonalskills, their demonstrated ability to do other things, is of increasing importance.O

roviding this opportunity to all pupils requires commitment and drive from school staff, shesays, adding that her staff are very supportive. NThere is a growing recognition in schools thatachievement is equally as important as attainment, and that is the big change. ne of the keyaspects of the culture of f& is that education is not just about attainment. It is abouteducating the whole child on a much wider basis.O


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ut with soft skills and achievements now included in the national curriculum, and demandfor school"leavers to provide evidence of their command of them, comes the need toformalise their assessment " not just for those activities run by outside partners, but also forthose run by schools themselves.

4chools want to be able to recognise what pupils have achieved, says Len unningham,general secretary of 4chool 7eaders 4cotland. ut while there are increasing numbers ofcertificates pupils can attain, there remains a question over how much schools should beassessing them.

NThere is a world of difference between saying I participated in a team eerciseP and howgood you were at it, how much you participated and what the level of activity was, or thequality of participation,O says )r unningham. NThe big issue is developing the awareness ofyoung people that these are the skills they are developing.O

(nother difficulty lies in ensuring that as many youngsters as possible get the opportunity,

because these skills are not delivered directly through the subject agenda@ NItPs broader thanthat,O he says.

If it becomes part of the Naccountability agendaO, it could be something schools have to do,despite many soft skills being better developed in an Nopen, relaed atmosphereO, he adds.

The 4cottish government is currently eamining how to record achievements such as the Fohn)uir Trust (ward, (sdan and 0uke of &dinburghPs (wards as part of its 4T(4 eam"reporting process. The urriculum for &cellence management board is also investigatinghow to produce a profile for pupils at the end of 4A and beyond which reflects these widerskills alongside attainment.

ut progress is being made. The 4cottish Hualifications (uthority is introducing a range ofnew awards this year, available from (ccess all the way to %igher level.

NThe demands of the 28st century mean we need to provide more options for students of allabilities to allow them to build a portfolio of qualifications to succeed in learning, life andwork,O said a spokeswoman for the 4H(.

NTo achieve this, we have created nationally recognised, fleible qualifications which providerecognition for wider achievement in areas such as employability, personal development and

leadership.O

The qualifications are designed to be taken alongside the new 3ational * and > courses tohelp develop and recognise skills which will increase learnersP chances of success.

The new awards will be introduced in schools, as well as some colleges. )otherwell ollegeis about to introduce the Intermediate level volunteering award, and its curriculum andacademic planning director, 0avid 5airweather, believes it will help students to prepare forNresponsibility, further education and employmentO.

-hatever their new"found popularity in the 4cottish education system, it remains to be seen

whether these awards and certificates will gain parity of esteem with NtraditionalOqualifications. &perts agree that, as an addition to other qualifications, they can give one


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candidate the edge over another. ut whether they will ever gain equality " for eample,counting as the fifth %igher in a university application or job application " is morequestionable.

;ltimately, most university courses would require minimum academic standards as a

prerequisite for entry, )r 4im stresses. N3on"academic achievements might make thedifference where there are two equally"able candidates, especially given sustained pressureon places, but one is not likely to replace the other in terms of importance.O

3;4 4cotlandPs president, ?obin arker, cautions@ Nur worry is it will be those who aremost likely to go on to university already, from the best schools and the most advantaged

backgrounds, who will get these chances, further etending the divide between them and themost disadvantaged.O

)-I(() )6MME7 6$

EU the proportion of employers who want to see the development of employability skillsamong young people made a priority at school and college

>>U the proportion of employers who find weaknesses in school"leaversP self"managementskills

2EU the proportion of employers who find weaknesses in graduatesP teamworking skills.

Q2U the proportion of employers who value employability skills.

94ource@ IB&0I &ducation and 4kills survey 2E88:

8S,S*E the number of young people who started a 0uke of &dinburghPs (ward programme in2E8E"88.

*AU the increase in participation in 0uke of &dinburghPs (wards since 2EEQ

94ource@ www.dofe.orgBscotland:

2,>EEV the number of young people who took part in the R7 programme throughout 4cotlandin 2E8E"88.

94ource@ rincePs Trust:

EM$(O&E8) 2* *O )EE +I* MO8E JO+) 9*IO

The &co"4chools scheme has wide take"up. 3ow, the employersP organisation, the I,wants to see an employability"school standard introduced along similar lines.

Its report, (ction for Fobs, launched at the end of last year, argues that while schoolssuccessfully prepare Nbright childrenO for further academic study, that model does not workfor Nthose youngsters who primarily need the competencies to succeed in the workforce

rather than the purely academic skills designed to support further studyO.
http://www.dofe.org/scotlandhttp://www.dofe.org/scotland


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4chools have to be driven by an employability mindset, it adds. (n employability standard,developed along similar lines to &co"4chool status would Nset out a clear goal for schools towork towards, based on engaging with business,O it says.

N4uch a move does not require a whole new bureaucratic system. In design, it is an etension

of a model that has already worked well in schools " in particular in the sustainabilityB&co"4chools field " and it is one that businesses will recognise from Investors in eople.O

To reach the standard, schools would have to demonstrate links with businesses, as well astheir success in a variety of indicators, including participation in work eperience placements,careers advice, curriculum content and training in work"relevant skills, such as projectworking and presentation skills.

NTo foster take"up, an element of funding should be linked to measures of employability,O thereport says. This could be done through distribution of already eisting funding streams infavour of schools that engage in these positive employability programmes.

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rannock %igh in )otherwell has been piloting 4H( personal development courses for thepast three years after two successful active research projects. The first focused on thosepupils in 4A who were, according to headteacher ?obert olquhoun, disaffected with school.

It offered them an Intermediate 8 level personal development course which would give themcredit for their activities and deliver important life skills, in areas such as home economics,

personal finance and employability. The young people also got involved in peer"mentoring,

school activities week, and the management of a showcase event.

The second project launched a %igher course in personal development to a group of high"achieving senior pupils, who got involved in the development of business partnerships,school modernisation projects, and developed leadership and presentation skills by deliveringformal presentations to professional conferences.

The school has now rolled out personal development as a curriculum choice from first year,where self"assessment and e"portfolios, delivered by IT staff, are at the heart of the course.

The idea is to recognise pupilsP eperiences and wider achievements, says )r olquhoun,

and make the youngster Nthink more carefully about the intrinsic learning that goes onO. 4&has too long been Na period youngsters didnPt quite valueO, he adds.

y the time pupils reach the redit stages of these courses, they will be able to look back on anumber of years of Nself"reflectionO.

NIf we truly believe in urriculum for &cellence and want kids to be confident andcourteous and so on, I think we need to be better at how we package that up for ouryoungsters and how we sell it " and personal development is a really good selling tool foryoungsters in mainstream school,O he says.


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In due course, he hopes the new courses will be afforded appropriate recognition post"school.In the case of his five pupils who achieved a personal development %igher three years ago, heis NsureO it attracted the attention of the admissions officer at the university.

riginal headline@ -hy the call for employabilityP skills just keeps getting louder

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