D EVELOPING A COHERENT AND PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO CAREERS EDUCATION IN HE: A CASE STUDY Katharine Price Edwards and Shawna McCoy

A IMS To discuss the Criminology team’s experience of employability and careers education Share our journey, achievements, progress and challenges Informed by perspective of MA Placement student gaining professional qualification in Careers Education and Guidance To encourage open discussion about approaches to careers education

C RIMINOLOGY D EPARTMENT Employability agenda has shaped development and content of new modules Modules needed to address PDP, career management and skills articulation but we were also interested in developing critical abilities and providing excellent student support Engaged with a range of internal and external specialists to encourage student engagement and enhance employability

P LACEMENT Employed as an Associate Lecturer within the Criminology team Focus on developing careers education within the Criminology curriculum and providing careers guidance Informed by relevant careers education and guidance literature, ethics, values and code of practice

C AREERS E DUCATION Critical Thinking and Career Management Technical aspects of career management Encourages learners to think about all their activities/interests and how this relates to future careers Preparing for the World of Work Identity, education, work, ethics, values, power Interrelationship between these key themes

O UR J OURNEY Originally led by employability agenda, and aims and objectives for the department technical/practical advice Careers management and skills development and articulation PDP My studies and reading, our discussions and observations of student engagement encouraged the focus to become more comprehensive, coherent and progressive

S TUDENT ENGAGEMENT This was our main focus in the early stages – to ensure students were participating with employability At times, a major challenge. Something we are looking into with further research this summer Relationship between attendance, engagement, assessment success and self-realisation Materials and activities were easily accessible

S TUDENT SATISFACTION Key factor, and related to engagement Informed by knowledge and engagement with careers education literature Interactive Personalised Task based non-traditional tutor role Open discussion Module review – student feedback was largely positive, but varied

S ELF - REALISATION Learners developing a critical understanding of themselves and their career journeys This became the main focus and aim of the modules as we progressed throughout the year My own academic and professional development Student engagement and completion of seminar tasks and the assessment Engagement with careers guidance appointments

S UCCESS Staff and student engagement with holistic approach to careers education Student engagement with learning outcomes Understanding, critical reflection, and self- realisation. Interesting and engaging assessments High average mark, and overall the assessments were very good

C HALLENGES Student engagement and satisfaction with careers education Ensuring that assessments and learning outcomes remain broad enough to encourage holistic reflection and self-realisation Encouraging a broader range of students to engage with careers education

N EXT YEAR … Focus more on concepts of identity, self- realisation, and career journeys Ensure that the assessments encourage critical thinking, reflection, and a holistic approach to careers Develop further opportunities for reflection, group discussion, activities Continue to develop an understanding of attendance, engagement and satisfaction