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Practical Strategies for Embedding Employability in the Curriculum

LTA Conference19 June 2013

Jeff WaldockDepartment of Engineering and Mathematics, Faculty of ACES

http://tinyurl.com/m52us36

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“… is more than about developing attributes, techniques or experience just to enable a student to get a job, or to progress within a current career.

It is about learning and the emphasis is less on ‘employ’ and more on ‘ability’. In essence, the emphasis is on developing critical, reflective abilities, with a view to empowering and enhancing the learner" 

Practical Strategies for Embedding Employability in the Curriculum

Employability

Harvey (2003)

Jeff Waldock

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Socrative Studenthttp://m.socrative.com

Join room jw(lower case)

Practical Strategies for Developing Employability Jeff Waldock

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Practical Strategies for Embedding Employability in the Curriculum

Q1What 'ability' of graduates from your discipline do you feel has the greatest impact on their employability?

In your response, provide your subject area or the one you most closely identify with, e.g.IT skills (Maths)

Jeff Waldock

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QAA Subject benchmark - a 'National Curriculum' for HEhttp://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/statements/Maths07.asp

"MSOR graduates will possess general study skills, particularly including the ability to learn independently"

"They will also be able to work independently with patience and persistence, pursuing the solution of a problem to its conclusion. They will have had the opportunity to develop general skills of time management and organisation."

"They will also have general communication skills, typically including the ability to work in teams, to contribute to discussions, to write coherently and to communicate results clearly."

Maths Stats and Operational Research (MSOR)

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Example of a skills list ….

• Verbal communication•Written communication• Analysing and problem solving• Team working and interpersonal skills• Self awareness• Personal planning, time management and organisation• Initiative, enterprise• Adaptability• Numerical reasoning• Information literacy and ICT skills

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Practical Strategies for Embedding Employability in the Curriculum

Q2

Should these generic 'employability' skills form a routine part of assessed work?

Jeff Waldock

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Students may already have many of these 'employability' skills

Help students see the big picture – and how each activity they engage with helps them towards their target.

• Make the tacit explicit• Show students how and where in their programme of study

these skills are being developed.• Raise the profile; Use assessment;

Get students to use a process of reflection and action planning to recognise what they can and can’t yet do, and to tackle the latter.

Practical Strategies for Developing Employability Jeff Waldock

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Practical Strategies for Embedding Employability in the Curriculum

Q3: on 'your' programme …Is it clear how students develop employability skills through engagement with course-embedded activities?Is this made explicit?Do you think students are aware of this?

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"Almost half of all recent graduates believe their university education did not adequately equip them for the world of work” Guardian, 28 January 2011

"Whilst the total number of graduate vacancies is set to increase in 2013, recruiters expect that over a third of this year’s entry-level positions will be filled by graduates who have already worked for their organisations – either through internships, industrial placements or vacation work – and therefore are not open to other students from the class of 2013"

http://www.highfliers.co.uk/, January 2013

Work experience matters!!

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Practical Strategies for Embedding Employability in the Curriculum

Q4Does 'your' programme incorporate work-based learning?

Jeff Waldock

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Practical Strategies for Embedding Employability in the Curriculum

Q5Can your students articulate learning from work?

Jeff Waldock

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Communication skills

Oral - presentations, vivas, seminar discussion

Written - essays, reports, posters, website, blogs ..

Social networking?

Reflection and action planning

.. articulate, self-confident, self-motivated, self-aware

Practical Strategies for Developing Employability Jeff Waldock

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Communication skills

Group work, Belbin etc

Student support groups

Leadership/facilitation skills .. PAL

Team working skills

Interdisciplinary?

…. be clear about what is being assessed

Practical Strategies for Developing Employability Jeff Waldock

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Communication skills

Use of software tools .. Excel, Word, PPT etc

Programming .. especially Excel

WWW-related & 'Web 2.0'

Team working skillsIT skills

IT confidence .. ‘digital literacy’

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Communication skills

Identification of career goals, opportunity awarenessCV, job application, interview, assessment centre

Team working skillsIT skillsCareer Management Skills

OutductionEmployer connections, networkingRole models, raising aspiration & self belief

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"Developing Graduate Skills in Mathematics Programmes“a mini-project commissioned by the National HE STEM Programme Mathematical Sciences Strand (April 2010 - March 2011)

April 2011

Further work developing graduate skills in HE Mathematics

ProgrammesJune 2012

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- P4E should inform the whole curriculum- be made explicit to all participants

- a ‘pathway’- recognition via an award

Action required in three principal areas for success:

Conclusions and implications for practice

Practical Strategies for Developing Employability

Pedagogy for Employability Higher Education Academy, 2012

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- experiential learning- ‘real world’, authentic problems- challenge existing methodologies- reward employability development- ‘parity of esteem’

1. Learning, Teaching and Assessment

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- contextualises learning- integrated into course curricula- reflection on, and articulation of,

learning

1. Learning, Teaching and Assessment

2. Authentic work experience

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- employability enhancement core value- organisational practices and structures- course validation/approval processes- recognition of ‘what a degree is for’ –

especially in 2013

1. Learning, Teaching and Assessment

2. Authentic work experience

3. Institutional culture

Practical Strategies for Developing Employability

Need to evaluate initiatives and approaches

Jeff Waldock

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Embedding employability in the curriculumKey elements for success:

• Small changes can have a big impact

• Make the tacit explicit – there may already be plenty happening

• Use LTA practice - particularly assessment - to develop employability skills alongside technical skills

• Engage students as partners, explaining rationale and the big picture. Highlight skill development in all activities.

• Engage students in reflection and action planning – self-awareness

• Incorporate work experience, and realistic work-related learning

• Secure institutional support

• Reinforce and re-emphasise regularly

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What single curricular change will have the biggest effect on enhancing the employability of my students?

Discussion Question 1

• Content?• Teaching method(s)?• Assessment?• Do students recognise employability value they are getting already?• Other?

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What pedagogic tactics are successful in developing employability?

Discussion Question 2

For each approach identified:• Do you have evidence to support this?• Why do you think it was successful?• Who should be involved in the delivery?

- academic staff,- careers staff,- employers,- others?

Practical Strategies for Developing Employability Jeff Waldock