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.