1. Some Approaches to Employability in the Curriculum l Pete Watton, Educational Development Services l Marc Lintern, Head of Careers Service l Tracy Bunyard, School of Sociology, Politics and Law

2. Workshop aims l To outline the University of Plymouths approach to enhancing student employability l To explore some specific curriculum initiatives related to enhancing student employability l To identify and share good practice with other participants

3. Skills Plus - The University of Plymouth approach to enhancing student employability l Developed within the context of the Learning and Teaching Strategy l Developed on the basis of feedback from staff, students, graduates and employers l A coordinated strategy addressing the policies on the development of Graduate Attributes and Skill, Personal Development Planning and Employability

4. Some underpinning principles l Effective development of employability skills requires them to be coordinated, integrated into programmes, for there to be clear progression and for them to be assessed l The diversity of University programmes and student needs require a flexible approach to enhancing student employability

5. Some underpinning principles l There is substantial good practice both within the University and externally, which should be identified, publicised and built upon l The strategy should aim to minimise additional work for staff

6. ESECT and Graduate Employability – a set of complex achievements …there is a considerable degree of alignment between education for employability and good student learning (and the teaching, assessment and curriculum that go with it). Yorke, M and Knight, P (2003) The Undergraduate Curriculum and Employability. ESECT

7. The USEM Model Employability is influenced by four broad and inter-related components: l Understanding l Skills, or skilful practice l Efficacy beliefs, the extent to which students feel they might able to make a difference l Metacognition, self awareness of learning Yorke, M and Knight, P (2003) The Undergraduate Curriculum and Employability. ESECT

8. The Employable Graduate will need to be able to … l Demonstrate and apply Graduate Attributes and Skills l Demonstrate and apply career management skills l Demonstrate and apply life-long learning skills l Demonstrate business and organisational awareness l Demonstrate an international outlook

9. Specific curriculum approaches l Career management skills l Work related learning l Sociology: the experience within programmes

10. Career management skills l Key principles of embedding Start early Deliver in appropriate ways Build on existing practice and fill gaps Assess and credit rate l Define career management skills DOTS Model e.g. identify and illustrate the specific skills and qualities required or preferred in their chosen opportunity l Make links with related agendas

11. Career management skills Civil engineering l Group design project; 1st Years to Finalists; 1st years apply for junior roles, finalists recruit them; complete design project working in student groups. Art & Design l Graduate Enterprise; plan & manage all aspects of Final Year Exhibition; business plan; apply for roles; reflect on skills gained. Maths & Stats l Research career areas; group presentation Environmental Building l Group design project; add competence-based questions to final report + preparatory session

12. Work related learning Model developed through the JEWELS Project based on Kolbs experiential learning cycle Planning for a period of work experience Undertaking the work experience Reflecting on the experience Making sense of the experience, in terms of how the organisation operates and their own development

13. Links to the Employable Graduate l Developing, recording and reflecting upon Graduate Attributes and Skills l Developing career management skills in planning and reviewing the experience l Planning, recording and reflecting on learning l Gaining understanding of business and organisations l In some instances applying these skills in an international context

14. Application of the Model l Credit bearing Independent Work Experience modules, focused on part-time work, vacation work and volunteering l One year sandwich and other placements l Foundation Degree Work Placement modules l Non credit bearing Earn and Learn Award / Volunteer Award l As a flexible resource for staff to use in other work related contexts

15. JEWELS Materials and Resources l JEWELS website www.jewels.org.uk l JEWELS II l Information for Practitioners

16. SOCIOLOGY & SOCIAL RESEARCH: the experience within programmes l Introducing initiatives to enhance the employability of sociology/social research graduates l work based learning module - stage two l social research practice module - stage two l dissertation l volunteer placement scheme l self study career planning workbooks

17. SOCIOLOGY: Work-Based Learning l Optional 20 credit module at stage II - term 1 & 2 l Term 1: Preparation l Workshops incl: self awareness selling your skills application forms interview skills l Finding placements l Selection process: application forms and interviews

18. SOCIOLOGY: Work Based Learning l Term 2 l 10-12 day placement l Post placement workshop l Assessment: application form reflective account report

19. SOCIAL RESEARCH: Research Practice l Compulsory 20 credit module for SRE Majors - term 1 & 2 l practical experience in design, preparation and execution of a research project l Based within an organisation l Attend work-based learning career management workshops l Assessment:research proposal and research report l Links with other core social research theory modules

20. SOCIOLOGY & SOCIAL RESEARCH:Third Year Dissertation l Introduced a preparation module l includes a workshop Selling your dissertation to Employers identifying the skills they have developed so far, and recognising the skills being developed in their final year how does a sociologist/social researcher find a job? examples of graduate posts

21. SOCIOLOGY & SOCIAL RESEARCH: Volunteer Placement Scheme l New for 2003 l First projects aims: l to increase the number of placement opportunities within voluntary organisations l to encourage students who are not taking the WBL module to do a volunteer placement l non-assessed, but certificate and open reference from voluntary organisation

22. SOCIOLOGY & SOCIAL RESEARCH: Additional materials l Career workbooks at stages 1 & 2 - self completed l Career Resource Guide for final year students l module guides identify key graduate skills

23. Discussion l What specific strategies have you used to help embedding take place? l What learning activities have worked well for you? l Are there any resources you can suggest?