Session 2.1: Taking the employer’s view helps students prepare for their job hunt
Biological Sciences
Dr Susanne Voelkel Mr Peter Alston Dr Vivian Dillon and Ms Tünde Varga-Atkins University of Liverpool
This session reports on student and staff experience of a student-led employability exercise. As part of this exercise second year students in the Life Sciences were asked to prepare a job application and review their internet profile regarding content that could help or hinder their employment success. The students then underwent a mock job interview which was chaired by a student panel. All students therefore prepared their own job application and also served as part of an interview panel which reviewed other students’ application documents conducted the interview and provided feedback. Student questionnaires revealed that the students appreciated the opportunity to practice performing at an interview and they found it useful to see the process from the employer’s view. The majority of students also revised their internet profile as part of this exercise and appreciated its potential impact on their job hunt. Interestingly they learnt more from acting as an interviewer than as an interviewee.
Session 2.2: ‘One-pot’ solution for enhancing employ-ability and life-long learning: Bringing the ‘real world’ experience to the classroom through truly inter-disciplinary enterprise education
Interdisciplinary
Dr Veronica Sanchez-Romaguera and Dr Robert A. Phillips University of Manchester
Within the context of higher education there have been several initiatives to enhance undergraduate STEM students’ employability through the development of transferable skills. Initiatives such as: inter-disciplinary units in the curriculum group work embedding enterprise within the STEM curriculum etc. Although these represent a step forwards in equipping STEM students with knowledge and transferable skills for the ‘real world’ a more holistic and transformational educational approach is needed in which the ‘real world’ is emulated in the classroom.
This session aims to describe the challenges and lessons learnt in designing delivering and assessing courses aiming at bringing the ‘real world’ to the classroom. Discussion will be based on a year 1 and year 3 undergraduate enterprise courses with students coming from a variety of STEM and non-STEM subject areas. Student learning experience and enhancement of employability skills is discussed. Ultimately this work aims to offer experience-based guidance applicable to a much wider range of situations and academic areas of study.
Session 2.3: Developing STEM skills through universities and companies working together – a marriage made in heaven?
Computing
Mrs Rosemary Borup Staffordshire University and Mr James Willingham Vodaphone UK Ltd
This paper describes the experiences of a UK University working in partnership with a leading telecoms employer to develop a Foundation Degree in ICT and Telecoms. The target audience for this paper includes academic practitioners considering university / industry collaborations and others who may benefit from the insights provided by this innovative programme.
The first section will introduce the context of the programme including the national economic context and the UK government attitude towards higher education work- based learning and apprenticeships.
The following section reflects on the initial phase of curriculum planning and issues arising when this is a shared involvement between academic and industry partners.
Section three reflects on the current programme and identifies some of the key lessons learnt. This includes the perceived benefits of this programme to the three main stakeholders – the students employer and university. Finally the paper articulates a ‘vision’ for the future of this type of collaborative programme and presents arguments for further financial investment and expansion of student numbers to give more students and employers the opportunity to gains skills and experience through this type of learning.
Session 2.4: Embedding employability
Interdisciplinary
Dr Deryn Graham University of Greenwich
This paper discusses the findings of a study which analysed experiential data and the logged reports of student work placements to determine the relationship of such placements to both academic results and long term employability. The study considers placements from the viewpoints of both students and employers. It proceeds to look at the embedding of employability in the teaching curriculum specifically teaching and learning strategies for PPD (personal professional development) courses and the role of the work placement tutor.
Session 2.5: Embedding professional development and reflective practice into undergraduate degree programmes in Environmental Science and Sustainability
GEES
Dr Katie Szkornik Ms Jayne Eagles and Dr Zoe Robinson Keele University
Enhancing employability and professional practice has been a major focus of recent curriculum developments within the environmental suite of programmes at Keele University. This case study details the integration of the Keele University Skills Portfolio accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (iLM) into core modules across all three years of undergraduate study. Feedback from students suggests that these skills sessions have encouraged students to “pay more attention to self-development” “adapt to working with other students with different learning styles” and “learn how to manage time better”. Results suggest that although bespoke skills-based sessions do provide additional learning and development opportunities for students there is a need to use the formal curriculum to ensure engagement. When embedded as part of the formal curriculum students are more likely to have focused their personal and professional development on the transferable skills required for interview success and the work of work.
Session 2.6: Flipping employability: Discovering how to further embed employability into the Mathematics curriculum
MSOR
Ms Noel-Ann Bradshaw University of Greenwich
The stereotypical computing/maths graduate is shy and non-communicative. Employers want someone who is good at problem solving with strong technical ability but is also a good communicator and team member. This workshop seeks to help staff understand the importance of embedding employability within the undergraduate curriculum and provides suggestions as to how this can be done without detracting from the academic material needing to be covered.
The workshop will be run using a ‘flipped’ approach. Delegates are encouraged to read the papers listed on the resources list beforehand to enable them realise how this method can be used effectively to help students grasp key concepts relating to their own employability without taking up hours of lecture time.
The workshop will consist of activities and discussion to encourage delegates to effectively embed employability into their curriculum in order to maximise the benefit to students whilst minimising the loss of other content.
See resources below.
Session 2.7: Embedding professional recognition of employability attributes through engagement with The Science Council’s Registered Scientist framework
Interdisciplinary
Dr Judith Wayte Mrs Kelly Vere Mr Ali Orr and Dr Lisa Coneywort University of Nottingham and Science Council
This “How to” presentation will show how our partnership approach with the Science Council maximises the value that students get from additional employability-oriented university experiences. We will explain how our methods engage employers and industry with higher education learning outcomes and enable students to take ownership of their skills development.
In detail we will:
- demonstrate how we have used the University of Nottingham’s e-portfolio technology and Registered Scientist (RSci) professional standards to enable students to log and validate the skills developed during work placements
- share students’ experiences of how engagement with the RSci standards and collaboration with professional bodies (by Skype links) enriched their placement experience.
We will also share how we have developed our partnership further by extending this work to students taking a summer placement and additional taught courses as a way to embed professional recognition of employability attributes at an early stage of professional practice.
Session 2.8: Embedding employability: A case study exploring students as researcher-practitioners
Psychology
Dr Bryn Alexander Coles Miss Aska Anwar and Miss Rebecca Fellows Newman University and Staffordshire University
Embedding employability in educational practice is increasingly seen as a contentious issue. An alternative to explicit skills training is in encouraging students to become learner-practitioners by engage in practices reflective of the requirements of their future professional careers. Two case-studies are presented of students who engaged in Newman University's 'Students as Academic Partners' research scheme. Students worked alongside a professional academic on a novel research project. Students were not treated as students but rather as learner-practitioners engaged in the development design implementation analysis and dissemination of a novel research project utilising skills acquired over the course of their undergraduate degree. Learner-practitioners collected self-reflections of their experience of conducting research and the impact on their social identity. Learner-practitioners reported positive effects upon their sense of professionalisation their self-perceived role within the academic community their self-perceived status ability and self-efficacy. Implications of this approach for teaching and mentoring are discussed.
Resources:
- Archer W. and Davison J. 2008. Graduate Employability: What do employers think and want. London: The Council for Industry and Higher Education. Available at: http://aces.shu.ac.uk/employability/resources/0802grademployability.pdf [Accessed 15 October 2015]
- Bradshaw N. 2014. Employer-endorsed employability assessment: an assignment delivered in an operational research course to second year mathematics students. HEA STEM 2014. Available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/resources/msor-130-paper.pdf [Accessed 25 May 2015].
- Challis N. Robinson M. and Tomlinson M. 2009. Employability Skills in Maths Courses. MSOR Connections 9(3) pp. 38-41. Available at: http://www.mathscareers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/MMG_MSORConnectionsVol9No3.pdf
- Pegg A. Waldock J. Hendy-Isaac S. and Lawton R. 2012. Pedagogy for employability. York: The Higher Education Academy. Available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/pedagogy_for_employability_update_2012.pdf [Accessed: 25 May 2015].
- Yorke M. and Knight P.T. 2006. Embedding Employability into the Curriculum. York: The Higher Education Academy. Available at: http://www.employability.ed.ac.uk/documents/Staff/HEABriefings/ESECT-3-Embedding_employability_into_curriculum.pdf [Accessed 25 May 2015].