uhi employability conference, moray college how do we make our students more employable?
Post on 01-Apr-2015
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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
• 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?
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
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