Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 Engaging employers in re-orienting skills programmes for careers relevancy Dr Zoe Robinson School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University, UK and Gareth Digges la Touche, Golders Associates (formerly MJCA)

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 Talk outline The wider context An employers view of skills gaps Case study: reorienting a traditional physical geography skills programme Benefits and pitfalls of employer engagement

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 The Current Context The need to produce employment ready graduatesThe need to produce employment ready graduates ….with minimal effort….with minimal effort Students expect it Employers expect it

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 HE responsibilities QAA Code of Practice to ensure that [HEIs] are meeting students expectations in respect of their preparedness for their future career, and that they are producing graduates equipped to meet the demands of the employment market of today and tomorrow

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 The challenges Fear that an emphasis on employability will lead to erosion of the development of critical intellectual skills Geographers less successful than other disciplines in forming effective links with the world of employment (Jenkins and Healey, 1995) Pressures of student numbers, and reduction in the unit of resource for teaching students

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 But what we teach is relevant… But students dont easily make the linkBut students dont easily make the link Therefore were failing to fulfil (or even address?) students employment expectations

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 Case study: The starting point A series of traditional physical geography skills-based practical sessions –Soil analysis –Water chemistry –Surveying Step-by-step workbook assessment Group work, not all students do all practical work No rationale No reference to real world skills/techniques Superficial learning (if any) Limited thinking! Lack of exposure to all skills/techniques

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 Engaging employers Environmental consultancyEnvironmental consultancy a major geo employer (although students unaware of) Stages of environmental consultant engagement: –Identifying ideal skills portfolio and skills gaps –Curriculum design –Providing legislative framework –Presenting introductory material –Evaluating student work –Evaluating project

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 Employers concerns Students/graduates often lack skills in drawing together disparate sets of information to form coherent evidence- based arguments Loss of critical intellectual skills as a result of modularised system Lack skills making easy transition from university to workplace Gathering data Synthesising data Integrating knowledge Report writing

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 Aims of interventions … Emphasise career relevancy and context of skills taught Environmental Baseline Simulation - major part of work of consultancies Project aimProject aim: to produce a technical report summarising the environmental baseline conditions of a lake catchment on the Keele campus

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 The Environmental Baseline Survey

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 Student tasks Project runs over 3-4 weeks. One 3 hour session/week Student activities: –Project planning and budgeting –Risk assessment –Field data collection Surface water samples Groundwater samples In situ measurements Groundwater level measurements –Laboratory analysis –Data analysis –Report production –Personal reflection

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 Skills and knowledge Personal transferable/employability skills –Project planning –Group working, management and leadership –Numeracy and data synthesis and manipulation –Report writing –Etc, etc And subject and career specific skills (and knowledge) -Soil and hydrological field sampling and measurement techniques -Soil laboratory analytical techniques -Secondary data sources -Error analysis -Careers knowledge etc etc

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 What the students thought… Generally appreciated the careers relevance and helped engagement - the real lifeness made it a lot more interesting They enjoyed, learning the methods used by professionals that could one day be crucial to [their] careers They valued the practical skills which could be of use in careers These are the same skills that have been taught before

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 Project outcomes 80% of students had a greater understanding of careers available in environmental consultancy Greater awareness of the relationship between careers and the curriculum Looking back students saw the benefits of a report- based assessment –Preparation for dissertation –Made to think more about conclusions –Able to place different aspects of the project Does it help having an employer introduce the work? –Few students seemed to notice! –When asked explicitly one student said that it was a really good idea and showing that it was not just an academic piece of work

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 Benefits (and pitfalls) of employer engagement Benefits to all parties –Employers: Recruitment, better graduates –Students: increases careers knowledge –Academics: Helps employers understand what different disciplines do, collaboration potential… If we dont engage with employers we are seen as teaching in isolation from how the skills and knowledge taught will be applied

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008 So… Existing material can easily be reoriented to be more employment specific Involve industry… –It ensures career relevancy –Places work in a legislative/management context –Theyre willing and there are benefits Report writing based on the drawing together of disparate sets of data is a key employability skill Engagement with the employability agenda can increase critical intellectual skills Suitable approach for a range of field activities and teaching and assessment formats

Dr Zoe Robinson, Keele University. Re-orienting skills programmes, GEES employer engagement conference, Edinburgh, July 2008

Discussion 1.What are the core subject-specific employability skills of a GEES graduate? 2.How improve employers understanding of subject disciplines? 3.Ways of reorienting other types of material/assessments to give an employment context?