The BMS Student Employability Development Team are responsible for the preparation, delivery and assessment of employability skills by the Department of Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield. The team is managed by a senior member of academic staff, Dr Gordon Cooper, and takes advantage of the departmental Learning Technologist, Neil Everill. Alison Clay is a consultant in the Careers Service with an excellent record in HE careers education, advice and guidance. The collaboration is completed by working with the Digital Learning Team, Dr Graham McElearney, and Creative Media Service, Jonny Hooton, who with their vast experience in all areas of digital literacy and media production provide a novel and forward feeding angle to our work. Our diverse backgrounds merge synergistically so that, in collaboration, the impact of cross-discipline intertwining of knowledge and strengths is magnified beyond that which could be achieved by working individually.
With expansion in student numbers and increased competition for roles in all sectors, BMS recognised the need to provide advice and training in future facing employability skills that take account of and reflect developments in technology and practice. The current team has been working together for 13 years to foster skill development. Our approach integrates delivery of traditional academic content via lectures and MOOCs, hands-on experience by working with employers and experience of novel skills through projects in website design and video production. An Employability Symposium day for Level 2 students built around employer-led workshops provides symbiotic outcomes for students and employers. This is coupled with near-peer teaching to provide valuable and unique input from finalists and postgraduate students. Critically, we promote refinement of emotional skills to round off a key but previously missing area that completes student personal development.
The most satisfying impact of our work has been a sustained 22% rise in the graduate-level employment outcomes of our students which is driven by an increased confidence in both their personal abilities and for tackling the labour market. Additionally, projects produced by the students have become valuable for showcasing the department and University globally.