humanities, enterprise & higher education 10 october 2007 the centre for employability through...
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Humanities, Enterprise & Higher Education
10 October 2007
The Centre for Employability through the Humanities
Billy Frank & David Bagley
Aim of ceth
To enable Humanities graduates to be enterprising, employable
and entrepreneurial.
Realistic Work Environments
Students can gain academic credit and develop employability skills by working on projects in teams in near commercial environments: Publishing, Independent Cinema, Media Development, Theatre/Events, Museums/ Exhibitions, Gallery/ Retail.
They do not become experts but do gain insights into particular careers.
Some things we have been working on
1. Entrepreneurship
2. Active learning approaches.
1. Entrepreneurship
1. Entrepreneurship
Workshops in Enterprise.
Modules & e-learning courses.
Incubation facilities.
Grants to assist start ups.
Workshops on Enterprise(extra curricular)
1. Entrepreneurship
1.Inspiration for Starting a Business
2.Enterprise Skills
3.Managing Your Business
4.Social Enterprise
Modules & E-Learning Courses on Starting a Business
1. Entrepreneurship
Incubation Facilities
ceth has purchased 8 ‘pods’ for people planning start ups.
1. Entrepreneurship
Incubation Facilities
There is a variety of incubator spaces for start up companies.
1. Entrepreneurship
Many Humanities graduates wish to start their own business.
In future, ceth will provide 3 grants of £3000 each year to help Humanities students and graduates to start up.
1. Entrepreneurship
Grants to assist start ups
2) Active Learning
We want students to be able to apply their learning and not simply to be able
to recall what they have memorised.
A variety of methods are used to ensure that students engage with the
materials and play an active role in classes.
2. Active Learning
Live projects.
Work related learning.
Paid work placements.
History students worked for Preston City Council to produce an exhibition documenting the history of Frenchwood (an area of Preston).
a) Live projects
2. Active Learning
b) Work Related Learning
This year, students of English will work closely with small businesses to
undertake an ‘English audit’. They will assess how English is used by the
business and make suggestions as to how it might be improved.
2. Learning & teaching
Museum RWE
c) Work Placements
Last year History and Film students undertook work
placements.
2. Active Learning
Negotiated Learning Model
Student feedback
“Actually having something tangible to see/hold, like an anthology that I have helped to bring to publication, from scratch, is still making me grin, and will do for a very long time.”
“It's a breath of fresh air from ‘academic’ study, but much harder, as so much of it is to be tackled independently.”
What have we learnt? Humanities students respond well to
different teaching approaches.
A fundamental change in approach for non-vocational courses.
Difficult.
Heavy investment in staff development.
Needs commitment from all concerned.
Needs resources (time especially).
BUT . . . .
What have we learnt?
Employability can be taught!(or at least, students can learn it).
Further Information:
Billy Frank
David Bagley
www.uclan.ac.uk/ceth
UCLanPreston PR1 2HE
O1772 892250
