The UK’s European university THE SCHOOL OF HISTORY TRANSITION AGENDA A case study involving new and returning students with regards to the student experience and employability STARTING FROM SCRATCH

THE PROBLEM WITH HUMANITIES STUDENTS Page 2 Unhelpful!

SCHOOL EMPLOYABILITY STRATEGY The three aims of the School’s strategy: The integration of the employability agenda to the School’s curriculum, and the inclusion of work-related skills and experience modules and assessments. Engagement with the employability-related activities, schemes, and awards run by the University, Kent Union, and national and international bodies. The development of extracurricular schemes and activities run by the School of History, or by discipline-related bodies, encouraging the use and development of their discipline-related skills in the workplace. Page 3 ‘History in Practice’

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT Pre-term Welcome letter from the Head of School Employability Handbook Employability Portal Week 1 Employability at Kent talk Week 6 Employability Week Ongoing CES newsletters s regarding updates to the Employability Portal with new opportunities Work with student societies and course reps I am always available to students Page 4

EMPLOYABILITY IN THE CURRICULUM Subject-related guest speakers Work Experience modules Skills-based activities and assessments Artefact examination and presentation with the Beaney Assignments requiring students to write articles intended for public consumption Personal Development Planning Page 5

ENGAGING WITH UNIVERSITY-WIDE SCHEMES Careers Employability Award Employability Points Scheme Kent Student Certificate of Volunteering Kent Union Toolkit Professional Placement Year Studying and working abroad Page 6

ENGAGING WITH UNIVERSITY-WIDE SCHEMES Given the diversity of schemes – principally owned by the CES, Kent Enterprise, and Kent Union – that I felt it was important to tie all the various schemes and initiatives together for the students in one place. Page 7

SCHOOL SCHEMES Establishing long-term relationships National organisations – National Trust, British Library, the National Maritime Museum… Local organisations – Royal Engineers Museum, the Beaney… Short-term partnerships Kent in WW1 exhibitions, Leonard Chesire Disability, Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment museum… Aiming to use the existing contacts of the School’s members of staff to develop these opportunities for students. Page 8

SCHOOL SCHEMES Student Research Assistantships Part of the CES’s Work-Study Scheme Students can work for academics as research assistants Paid, meaningful work experience Expected to be a great conversion tool Paid from academic’s research allowances Undergraduate Student Conference Giving Stage 3 students the opportunity to give a paper at an academic conference. Open to Kent students and those from other south-east institutions Again, hoped to be a good conversion tool Page 9

FUTURE PLANS Continue to develop the School’s relationships with local placement providers Hold a ‘Volunteering Day’ for local organisations to advertise the School’s students Improve the avenues of communication for employability-related news and information Create an employability calendar for students by stage Page 10

THE UK’S EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY Jon Beer School of History