1. Workshop Developing a (within curriculum)
student-centred framework for employability
Sarah Wilson-Medhurst,
Principal Lecturer in Learning and Teaching

2. Workshop focus
The challenges in addressing a strategic approach to employability
Identification of things that work in implementing an institution action plan
Identifying future developments participants may be considering

3. Workshop structure Activity – defining employability
Short presentation – models of employability and Coventry approach
Activity – identifying the implementation challenges
Short presentation/discussion key opportunities offered by Coventry approach, other models/variations
Activity – what approach(s) are suitable for your context, what are they?

4. Context: The USEM model of employability (Knight and Yorke, 2002, 2004)

5. The capability envelope (Stephenson & Yorke, 1998; Stephenson, 2001)

6. An example of institutional employability framework
Coventry University Add+vantage scheme

7. Coventry approach (within curriculum)
Modular, credit bearing - Add+vantage suite of modules
Supporting exploration (UG level 1), review (UG level 2) and demonstration (UG level 3)
All undergraduates, exception accredited health courses

8. Challenges?
What do you suggest?

9. Challenges? Space physical and in curriculum
Appropriate ‘delivery’/L&T approaches e.g. Activity Led Learning, PBL (very important from student perspective – own research on student experience)
Buy-in – staff and students
Expertise

10. Summary of ‘what works’
Student-centred (they select the add+vantage modules according to interest/need)
Interdisciplinary opportunities provided by add+vantage scheme useful feature to draw on in supporting students in developing their reflective capacity around employability

11. Summary of ‘what works’
Interdisciplinary group work particularly effective if supported by appropriate activity design
Example of activity design: group working but marks come from reflection on experience (see Wilson-Medhurst & Turner, 2010)

12. Future work/research
Guides for tutors – designing effective activities and aligned assignments for promoting reflection in relation to ‘employability’?
For Coventry?:
How to maximise the opportunities for interdisciplinary working presented by the add+vantage scheme in terms student employability development

13. Other models/variations
Attribute driven and embedded, courses demonstrate where students have opportunity to work towards/develop attributes

14. References/further reading
Page B (1998) The new capability curriculum at the University of North London. In Stephenson J & Yorke M, eds, Capability and quality in higher education. London: Kogan Page, pp
Stephenson J & Yorke M (1998) Creating the conditions for the development of capability. In Stephenson J & Yorke M, eds, Capability and quality in higher education. London: Kogan Page, pp
Stephenson J (1998) The concept of capability and its importance in higher education. In Stephenson J & Yorke M (Eds.) Capability and quality in higher education. London: Kogan Page, pp.1-13.
Stephenson J (2001) Ensuring a holistic approach to work-based learning: the capability envelope. In Boud D & Solomon N, eds, Work-based learning: a new higher education? Buckingham: SRHE and the Open University Press, pp

15. References/further reading
Stephenson J (2001) Ensuring a holistic approach to work-based learning: the capability envelope. In Boud D & Solomon N, eds, Work-based learning: a new higher education? Buckingham: SRHE and the Open University Press, pp
Wilson-Medhurst, S., Turner, A. (2010) ‘An evaluation of the impact of ePortfolio supported pedagogic processes on students’ reflective capacity’, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Special Edition: November. Available [online]
Yorke M, Knight P, and contributors. (2003) The Undergraduate Curriculum and Employability: a briefing paper, Available [online] [last accessed 10 April 2011].