Skills awards

How can universities continue to add value to the employer

Sonja StocktonPwC Director, Talent

www.pwc.com/uk/careers

PwC

Educational and Employer landscape is changing

• Degree = employment70s

• Degree + extracurricular = employment80s• UCAS tariff + 2.1 degree + good university + extracurricular + work experience = employability90s

• Higher UCAS tariff + 2.1 degree + top university + extracurricular + work experience of measurable value + own personal brand ‘Me PLC’ = employability

Now

• What will the future be??

January 2012

PwC

The changing landscape for Graduate Recruiters

January 2012

Graduate Recruitment

Schools Programmes

Educational Changes

Work Experience and Internships

Access to Professions

Apprenticeships

Immigration Caps

Tuition Fees and student debt

Business Change

PwC

The workplace is changing…

Working in a team

Multiple & collaborative teams

Working in a location

Multiple & virtual locations

Having a job

Having a portfolio of projects

One or two

employers/

careers

Multiple employers/careers

Working for a big employer

Working for self or small enterprises

Working with

technology

Technology enables flexibility and more work/life

integrationJanuary 2012

PwC

What does this mean for students?

•Value of degree -Return on investment

•Choice of routes to employment

•Place of study – cost versus reputation, choice and student experience

•Need to develop skills outside academic core curriculum

•Hold positions of authority to stand out or demonstrate leadership, something distinctive

•Desire for work-life balance from students to be replaced by

work -life integration (How do employers accommodate this?…)

January 2012

PwC

A PwC perspective - Navigating the landscape

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Talent

Choice

Employability

PwC

What PwC is doing to help students develop employability skillsCreating a supportive framework for students to identify, grow and articulate their skills;PwC Talent Academy

Inspired Talent entry route

Entrepreneurship competitions, recognising student creativity

Campus Employability Campaign which includes one –to-one employability sessions

Online Employability brochure, quiz and videos

Skills sessions including specific Employability session & employability themed sessions woven across suite: commercial awareness, presentation skills, teamworking, time management etc..

Close relationships with Careers Advisory Services

Involvement with a number of universities’ own employability programmes

Developing employability partnerships to provide PwC content on third parties’ sites

January 2012

PwC

Being transparent to students about our core competencies we recruit against

- Be curious: learn, share and innovate- Lead and contribute to team success

- Build and sustain relationships- Be passionate about client service

- Demonstrate courage and integrity- Acquire and apply commercial and technical expertise- Manage projects and economics- Be open minded, agile with change and practical

- Communicate with impact and empathy- Develop self and others through coaching

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Enhance value through quality We put ourselves in each other’s shoes

Share and collaborate Invest in relationships

PwC

Some examples of what Universities are doing

The Bath Award

Bristol Plus

The York Award

Durham Award

The STAR Award – Aberdeen

Global Advantage Award – Warwick

Personal Skills Award – Birmingham

Loughborough Employability Award

Nottingham Advantage Award

Leicester Award

January 2012

PwC

CMS Modules – Leeds

Skills for Success – Sheffield

Graduate Passport – Southampton

Personal Development and Effectiveness training – Manchester

Employability Week – St Andrews

The STAR Award – Aberdeen

Global Advantage Award – Warwick

Personal Skills Award – Birmingham

Loughborough Employability Award

January 2012

PwC

How does this relationship add value to employers?

We work with a number of these programmes.

By continuing to engage with employers, award managers can continue to develop their offerings in line with the changing landscape of employment.

Awards can bridge the gap between university and employment and provide a platform for the messages of employability.

Each award is slightly different. How can employers begin to recognise and understand an awards value? How can they become more measurable?

January 2012

PwC

Employability skills of the future…

January 2012

Innovative Thinkers

Curiosity Determination Pragmatism Agility Resilience Networked Collaborative

= Entre & intre-preneurs

PwC

What more could be done? Universities

Could Universities be more explicit in building employability skills into the University curriculum?

Perhaps more consistency or a universal approach to offerings from Universities for employability?

Could universities help employers appreciate and understand the value of the university programmes? For example how will ‘HEAR’ add value to the student and the employer?

Be able to report on awards and destinations to ‘validate’

Greater collaboration between employers and schools in developing skills for the future and creating ‘aspiration’ for different careers / professions

January 2012

PwC

What more could be done? Employers

Work even closer with Universities and develop stronger links with academic departments.

Clearly articulate what they’re looking for and actively seek to help students understand their strengths and create their own personal brand ‘Me PLC’.

Look beyond the classic blunt selection tool of a 2.1 to recognise a broader context for talent.

Work with students from year 1 at university and build employer relationships earlier

January 2012

PwC

In Summary

January 2012

Talent Choice

PwC

Thank you

January 2012