Sarah Etchells Dr Sebastian Rasinger Department of English and Media Implementation of an Employability based Personal Tutoring system: A pilot Sarah Etchells Dr Sebastian Rasinger Department of English and Media

Background Undergraduate courses in the Department of English and Media have seen a considerable decrease in employability amongst our graduates. In the most recent DLHE survey, 5 of the 6 courses with returns have seen a drop in graduates in work or further study, with all drops exceeding 1% from the previous year

Background 2 Conversations with final year students employability activity often seen as a ‘distraction’ from their core studies. Students not perceiving Personal Tutor meetings as having a purpose – an issue that has been repeatedly raised during the last round of SSLCs, but also by staff.

Employability Tracker Allow students to track their employability activities throughout their course. It is closely linked to the Personal Tutor system, in an attempt to enhance both systems and make them more purposeful

Employability skills definition:   A set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace – to the benefit of themselves, their employer and the wider economy. (CBI) Employability Skills Do you have this skill Yes No If YES score 1 - 5 (with 1 being less skilled and 5 being most skilled) How can you evidence this skill? How can you improve on your existing score? If NO, how could you gain this skill? Consider and list potential opportunities within your degree study, campus services, paid/unpaid work, extra-curricular activities Self -Management Readiness to accept responsibility, flexibility, readiness to improve own performance based on feedback/ resilience, self-starting, appropriate assertiveness, time management, reflective learning Teamwork persuading, contributing to discussions, and awareness of interdependence with others Respecting others, co-operating, negotiating/ Business & Commercial Awareness Basic understanding of the key drivers for business success - including the importance of innovation and taking calculated risks - and the need to provide customer satisfaction and build customer loyalty Problem Solving creative thinking to develop appropriate solutions Analysing facts and situations and applying

Communication & Literacy Application of literacy, ability to produce clear, structured written work and oral literacy - including listening and questioning   Application of IT basic IT skills, including familiarity with word processing, spreadsheets file management and use of internet search engines Numeracy Manipulation of numbers, general mathematical awareness and its application in practical contexts (e.g. measuring, weighing, estimating and applying formulae) Project Management Planning, organising, motivating, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals Languages & Cultural Sensitivity Everyday conversational ability can be useful, as can a general awareness of cultural differences Social Responsibility  Awareness of current and future societal issues. Able to act for the benefit of others based in an understanding of social and civic responsibilities References: Working Towards Your Future. CBI/NUS (2011) Brilliant Career Handbook. Harlow: Pearson. Done,J & Mulvey,R (2011

The Tracker At the start of each academic year, students will use the tracker to identify their current skills levels, and, in consultation with their personal tutor, will agree a set of targets and actions to be completed throughout the year. A mid-year review will allow for an evaluation of progress and, if required, the resetting and/or modification of targets

Advantages The tracker will enable a systematic tracking of skills throughout their degree, and facilitate a purposeful and regular interaction with their personal tutors, making these meetings more than the simple box-ticking exercise it is perceived to be. In turn, we would envisage the closer relationship between students and personal tutors to be beneficial in other areas, too, including progression, retention, and the achieving of good degrees.

Process The initial project (phases 1 and 2) will include English Language and Linguistics, English Language Teaching students and English Language students.

Evaluation Student feedback via face-to-face discussion and online questionnaire as well as SSLCs Staff and stakeholder feedback Attendance at personal tutor sessions

Tests and assessments https://www.abintegro.com/Members