Dr Sandra HillRay McMasterLindsay McDonald
Enhancing Employability: Policy, Practice and Reality
Agenda
•UWS approach to graduate attributes and employability
•What is a modern graduate?
•How the Employability Link facilitates employability
•Careers Service role
•Linking research and teaching – social capital, graduate attributes and employability
UWS Approach
No single statement of graduate and employability attributes
Embedded within curriculum using
• Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework (SCQF)
• Student Employability Profiles produced by Higher Education Academy(HEA)/Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE)
Link with PDP
Joined up approach – Faculties and Support Staff
Agenda
•UWS approach to graduate attributes and employability
•What is a modern graduate?
•How the Employability Link facilitates employability
•Careers Service role
•Linking research and teaching – social capital, graduate attributes and employability
What is a modern graduate?
TEAMWORKING SKILLS
Positive Attitude
Business Awareness
Communication Skills (written and verbal)
Information analysis/data
CONFIDENCE
WORK EXPERIENCE
Literacy & Numeracy skills
Entrepreneurship/innovation
Planning & organisational skills
IT skills
Flexibility and readiness
Self management and motivation
• Careers Service• Placement Centre
• Employability Developer• Job Shop
How do we as the facilitate employability.
Careers Service
• lunchtime seminars
• Drop in sessions outwith department location.
• (IM)PROVE yourself programme
• Links with local volunteering centres
Sector Based events
• CSI event
• Computing Employability session
• Creative Choices Festival
Embedded Curriculum Activities
• PDP slots within the timetable
• Employer visits and sessions
• My LINC (input into PDP activities)
• Cross Campus & Cross Departmental working
• Placement Team
Developing Employability through Social Capital
Dr. Sandra Hill
12 recent first generation graduates from the Business School were invited to reflect upon how employability skills and attributes were developed during their course of study.
The focus was on making connections with others, in the internal learning environment and with the business community
The Study
Bonding describing the ties between people in similar situations
such as family and friends (getting by),
Bridging relating to more distant ties of like persons such as
workmates and loose friendships (getting on), Linking
referring to reaching out to unlike people and dissimilar people who are entirely outside the community thus engaging a greater range of resources than are available within the community (getting around).
Levels of Social Capital
The support offered by family and friends was often the catalyst for continuing with education but the lack of access to information and other resources and the dependence it created restricted choice of course and location of study.
Bonding Social Capital
When students begin to connect with other students and staff in the institution
Structures and support are needed to enable this to happen
Students need to connect with new networks when existing groups inhibit their studies
We must not assume that skills and capabilities to confidently connect with others already exist
Creating Bridging Social Capital
Demonstrating commitment to study Seen to be contributing in class Achieving academically Regular attender
“ I knew at the end of second year that I was going the wrong way. If I kept doing what they were then I was not going to make it. I wanted to work with a group that was more confident, more committed sort of thing. I thought some of their confidence might rub off on me”.
Aspired Characteristics of Students
Students are restricted in accessing some groups because of past behaviour or lack of confidence in making connections
“ She had let me down in the past. I just made sure I didn’t work with her again.”
“They left everything to the last minute. Even though their work was good. I did not want to be with someone like that. I just couldn't trust them in the group to do things on time”.
What happens to those who do not display admired characteristics?
Some groups become closed and restrict access (bridging to bonding social capital)
“ We were a very closed group. It was into class and heads down. It would have been too difficult to let anyone new come into the group”.
Groups need to be aware that this will restrict access to different behaviours and ideas
What happens to those who are not let in?
Students often feel unprepared for working in groups◦ Clarifying group objectives ◦ Knowing how to manage group behaviour and
processes◦ Developing skills and attributes◦ Dealing with conflict and applying sanctions◦ Reflecting on group and skills development◦ Reflecting on employability
Formal Work Groups
When students have opportunities to connect with more remote networks
Gives access to information and resources not normally available within the immediate learning environment such as business experts
Can be challenging, exciting and daunting Students need to recognise the skills and
attributes which enable them to make connections confidently and competently.
Linking Social Capital
Increased confidence
New ways of working
Practising skills and behaviours
Applying them to relationships with diverse others in the external environment (linking social capital)
Reflecting on experiences
Access to new ways of thinking and behaving
Access to new ideas and a trigger for creativity
Development of skills, competencies and capabilities relevant to employability
Support and encouragement needed from staff
Role for staff in encouraging reflection of informal learning
The Learning Space in Networks
Interpersonal skills and competencies to communicate with diverse others
Knowing who to connect with, how to make and sustain connections and recognising potential benefits
Knowing how to transfer skills and capabilities to other situations
Confidence comes with feedback and success
Developing Employability
Skills and attributesdeveloped• speaking to others• improved self confidence • managing groups• dealing with conflict• learning to trust• dealing with breakdown in
trust• self belief• improves self-image• valuing others
Generic Competencies (CIHE)• planning and organising• influencing• written communication• questioning• listening• teamworking / working
with others• interpersonal sensitivity• organisational sensitivity• lifelong learning
Personal Capabilities(CIHE)• Personal Development
Planning• Creativity• Decisiveness• Initiative• Adaptability / flexibility• Achievement Orientation• Tolerance for stress• Leadership
Bonding Social CapitalFamily and Close Friends• support and
encouragement • shaping identity
but restricting options
Bridging Social CapitalBrokering new relationships at college• Relating to staff• Building new networks• Developing identity• Changing values• Building skills and
capabilities • Opportunities to practice
and reflect on development
Linking Social CapitalConnecting with the external environment• Building self confidence• Feedback reinforcing
confidence• creating identity as a
business graduate • Opportunities to practice
skills and capabilities in the 'real' world
New forms of social capital Imagined (Quinn, 2005)
using imagination to explore possibilities about new identities, raising aspirations and expectations.
Unimagined (Hill, 2009) where the advantages to be gained through widening
connections and networks are not recognised, where people are unable to see the benefits of connecting to others
Unimaginable (Hill, 2009) that which is undreamt of, beyond current belief and
unthinkable.