UHI EMPLOYABILITY CONFERENCE, MORAY COLLEGE

HOW DO WE MAKE OUR STUDENTS MORE

EMPLOYABLE?

• UHI background

• Career managementIndividualStudent unionInstitution/career serviceGovernment

• A broader perspective

CONTENTS

UHI Mission statement

“To establish in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland a collegiate which will reach the highest standards and play a pivotal role in our educational, economic, social and cultural development”

The employability of our students is crucial to our mission

• 127 courses, 929 staff, 5080 students

.

Age profile

UHI Today

Full/PT Students

48%

52% PART TIME FULL TIME

FULL / PART TIME

• How does the mature and part time

student differ from traditional full time students

• Are their aims different

• Do they have differing attitudes to study

• Do employability strategies have to be tailored to their needs

MATURE / PART TIME

• Most mature and part time students work

• Many have family commitments

• Most are already involved with social activities outside of college/university

• Their main concerns are time and money

PROFILE

MATURE / PART TIME

How do we cope with their needs?

• No time for extra curriculum activities

• No time for union involvement

• No time for extra courses

WHO’S RESPONSIBILITY IS IT?

•The Institution

•The student

•The government

•Student Union

•Employers

INSTITUTIONS• EMPLOYABILITY EMBEDDED IN

CURRICULUM

• Personal Development Planning- How do we engage students in taking responsibility for PDP?

• CORE SKILLS - WORKPLACEMENTS

• CV, PRESENTATION, ORAL SKILLS

How do we achieve our aims

• By developing a Employability strategy

• By embedding employability in the curriculum

• By engaging with students and encouraging a responsible attitude towards PDP

• By developing modules which include core skills

How do we achieve our aims

• By providing courses which are suited to the local employment needs

• By having close links with the business community

• By having close links with Careers Scotland

Cont’

• Better methods for handling APEL/ APL

• Inclusion of vocational/ professional standards and qualifications in programme spec where possible

• Ensure industrial updating for academic staff

Cont’

• Learning and teaching strategies, and PDP should seek to make employability skills more transparent and overt to students.

• Focus on process

Student Unions

• NSLP Training & Stadia events

• In house training for class and subject networks reps

• UHISA annual conference and training

• NUS,QAA,SPARQS,COMMITTEES

UHISA will campaign for Wednesday afternoons to be free from study. This will enable students to more effectively contribute to association business and extra curriculum activities

STUDENT UNIONS

LIMITATIONS

• Student unions can only reach a minority

• Therefore exclusive

• Should unions expand training?

• What would be the implications?

STUDENTS

• Must take some responsibility

• Student unions can help

• Institutions can help

• Employers can guide

EMPLOYERS

“There are a large number of graduates looking for jobs and employers no longer recruit simply on the basis of degree status. A degree might be necessary or desirable but employers are looking for a range of other attributes when employing and retaining graduates”

Harvey, Moon and Geall (1997) A survey of employers attitudes

SKILLS EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR

• Motivation & enthusiasm

• Interpersonal skills

• Team working

• Communication

• Adaptability

• Initiative

• Problem solving

• Planning

• Managing ones own development

GOVERNMENT

• POLICY

• FINANCE

• CAN THEY DO MORE?

GOVERNMENT

• FUNDING FOR A SCOTTISH EMPLOYABILITY TRAINING GROUP

• RUN BY SPARQS/QAA/SHEFC/NUS

• WHAT WOULD IT DO?

S.E.T.G

• AN ORGANISATION DEDICATED TO IMPROVING EMPLOYABILITY IN SCOTTISH STUDENTS

• RUN SEMINARS

• PROVIDE TRAINING

• CO-ORDINATE LOCAL TRAINING

WHO GAINS?

• The student

• The institution

• The economy (government)

• Employers

WHAT DO THEY SAY

• Part time students often also mature students

• May already be in employment and looking to improve their employment.

• Don’t feel extra modules are necessary, but mature students may welcome optional short courses covering writing a CV, interview skills etc

cont’

“In many ways I feel being part of the UHI has already increased my employability”.

Many universities have a job centre as part of their student services. These centres offer placements in the area for work experience to help you on your way when you go looking for a career.

RANDOM COMMENTS

• Class times suited to parents

• Work experience (It is really, really frustrating to be told that I am not qualified for any nursery type jobs as I don't have an NC, even although I have the degree)

• Help with voluntary work?

TIME FOR THE THOUGHT PROVOKING BIT!

Comment

“Delivering a university would rank alongside the great achievements that have reversed economic and social decline in the Highlands & Islands.”

Jack McConnell, First Minister, Scottish Executive 2004

The Broader Perspective

• What does the future hold?

• What are we educating our graduates to be?

• Our graduates are the future

• Are we preparing them to cope?

Our future in the World• Can we survive as a service industry

economy?

• Where have all our inventors gone?

• Why has our manufacturing base declined?

• Where do we go from here?

What can we do?

• Change present attitudes

• Be inventive in our education delivery

• Produce graduates who can think, adapt, learn from mistakes, and not be afraid to make them

HE /FE SECTOR

• Do we accept that we have a responsibility to our society?

• Should the sector lead or react?

The future is in your hands!

But soon will be in the hands of your graduates!!!

POINTS FOR DISCUSSION

• If institutions do too much for students will it be counter-productive

• Spoon feeding could lead to un-employability

• How do we help students to help themselves?

• 14% of workers in Highland are self-employed compared to 9% in Scotland

• GDP for Highland is 8% below Scottish average

• School leavers to HE is 4% higher in Highland

THE END