Developing an Institutional
Framework for Employability
Professor Sylvia Johnson
PVC Faculty of Development & Society
Sheffield Hallam University
knowledge education and skills which make a difference
Employability
Retention &
Progression
Entitlements
Improving the Quality
of the
Student Experience
Professional
Development
Improving the Quality of the Student Experience
Starting Points
+ -• Employability CETL in
final year• Committed team of
enthusiasts• Curriculum materials• Strong record of
sandwich provision• Wide ranging links with
Employers
• Active but stretched Careers and Employment Service
• Pockets of excellent practice and areas of limited engagement
• Project methodology ingrained
• Depth of knowledge of the complexities
Challenges
Opportunity for some
Best practice 'totality'
Staff enthusiasts
Local systems and processes
Entitlement for all
Identifying a core
Staff majority
Corporate systems and processes
Initial ideas
Framework elements
• Build on existing employer engagement and professional involvement in courses
• Explore the possibilities for a significant University work offer
• Develop curriculum activity in targeted areas.• Explore ways to scale up career planning, advice
and guidance• How do we measure progress?
So what did we do?
Executive Sponsor
Steering Group
Curriculum
Placement, WRL
EmployersInfrastructure
4 Faculty Leads and staff Central Directorate Leads & staff
Careers, MI, Marketing, Quality
An initial action plan to Executive, securing development funding
Curriculum and core entitlements
• Audits
• Long list to short list
• Delivery mechanisms and materials
• Local course modifications and work with targeted course teams to embed skills development
Work placement and work related learning
• Audits
• Local initiatives – sport, law,
• Pilot projects – BESY, Employment agencies
• Expansion and review of WRL opportunities – Venture Matrix
• Creation of a WBL/WRL Typology
Infrastructure
• QAA audit and framework for QA of all types of placement
• Identification of a base line
• Identifying ways to monitor progress and collect data systematically
• Corporate Placement Management project
Drawing in other initiatives
• HR Employment framework for placement students and graduate interns
• Upgrading of website and preparation of Unistats statement
• Review of Careers and Employment Services and other services for students
• Portfolio Review for each Department• Local action plans and strategies
An emerging framework:EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
Revised aims• Distinctive employability offer for all• Top quartile levels of graduate employment• Enhance Employer Engagement • Effective use of university-based
placements/internships
An emerging framework:EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
Entitlement for all students:• Well structured, supported and accredited work-related or
work-based learning • Development of high-level employability-related
transferable ‘skills’ and attributes• Integrated and timetabled career planning and preparation
for employment • Personal and professional development planning and
personal academic tutorial support to monitor their progress and support their transition to the world of work
Enablers
• Faculty Teams and Departmental targets• HR framework• Careers and Employment Services• Automated MI to enable local teams and senior
managers to monitor progress• Corporate processes that
support local variation -
quality, WBL, etc• Corporate Governance
Where are we now?
• Funding streams being determined - this is not cheap
• Discussions with key external partners for delivery of some elements especially of the ‘outduction’ entitlement
• Preparation for full implementation of individual academic tutorials
• Base line data collated
Next Steps
• Incorporation into a wider set of entitlements• Detailed Implementation Plan over 3 years• Automation of monitoring over 2 years• Communication strategy implemented• Staff development programme• Revision of wording of entitlement
for M level and Research students
Outstanding challenges
• Scaling up of WBL/WRL for all students especially in more traditional academic areas
• Opportunities for International students• Helping students manage the dual pressure of
finals and securing employment in their final year
• Getting the key messages right for everyone and securing their positive involvement
• The SY economy