© University of Reading Centre for Career Management Skills April 25, 2014 Career-informed degree programmes: How might they look in practice? Helen Williams

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer2 Career-informed degree programmes How might they look in practice? Career-informed degree programmes – what are we doing and why? Introduction to a model of career-informed degree programmes Developing an enhancement process Experience of working with academic staff Applying the model Identifying areas for enhancement Discussion and questions

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer3 Why are we doing this? To understand careers education and employability from the perspective of an academic department To identify areas for enhancement of provision in collaboration with departments and work with them to provide solutions To identify good practice to be shared within Reading and more widely To develop an enhancement process model (rather than an audit tool) that can be applied in other departments or HEIs To review the operation of pervasive Career Management Skills at Reading

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer4 Scope of Research Focus on Real Estate and Planning undergraduate programme from UCAS applications through to 6 months after graduation Consider both curricular and co-curricular activity Careers education Employability activity Skills training (generic, core, transferable) Industry and professional experience Industry exposure Employer engagement Mapping activities to Dr Julia Horns developing model of Career Informed Degree Programmes

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer5

6 Understanding the REP profile Building a profile of REP students and the degree programme from available data Examining the admissions process and selection criteria Reviewing samples of UCAS personal statements to identify early career conceptions and academic and extra-curricular experiences pre-university Reviewing DLHE data for past 3 years Reviewing departmental annual reports, staff student committee meeting minutes for past 3 years Reviewing curriculum content and teaching and learning methods through Blackboard VLE and module descriptions Particular emphasis on explicit CMS content and related assessments

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer7 Enquiry based approach Qualitative rather than quantitative, seeking to capture: Academic voice – discussions with 8 key staff complete Student voice – planned focus groups for October 2008 Employer/industry voice – through Reading Real Estate Foundation and identified recruiters ongoing Careers Service input – ongoing Experimental! But seeking longer term to integrate model with periodic review Pathfinder process currently being piloted at Reading

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer8 Real Estate Academic Response Positive response to concept from academic staff and high level of co-operation to date – willingness to engage in discussion around enhancement Coincides with REP teaching and learning review of undergraduate programme and change of head of department High level of access offered to teaching and learning materials, internal documents and student data

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer9 What do academics think employability means for Real Estate graduates? a people person….reasonable degree of intelligence and integrity….self starters, problem solvers commercial awareness, knowing how to sell yourself effectively and good client skills having an awareness of the industry and being able to talk confidently about issues within the industry someone who understands the work ethic; who can demonstrate professionalism; who can respond to a clients needs, synthesise objectives and focus on what a client is actually asking for and what needs to be produced to satisfy requirements; someone who understands property 90% personality….this is a people skills business….its all about networking, being able to present to a client, being professional

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer10 Career Planning Degree part of a pre-conceived career plan Degree is essential for career progression Self awareness develops during degree programme, facilitated through personal tutorials and Careers Service interventions Career plan refined at Reading through specialist degree pathways in part 3 and industry contact/exposure Focus on role within the industry and cultural fit with potential employers

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer11 Investigating Work Site visits and field trips integral to several modules Case studies used widely in teaching during part 3 Use of industry-based professionals in the curriculum e.g. planning module Reading Real Estate Foundation evening lecture programme

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer12 Experiences Site visits and field trips Case-based learning in part 3 Work experience – essential yet not offered within the programme? Active support and encouragement to seek work experience Extra-curricular activity levels often high Reading Real Estate Foundation mentoring programme being developed

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer13 Job Seeking CV assessments in curriculum at parts 1 and 2 Regular Careers Service input during parts 2 and 3 through Effective Applications module, RREF autumn careers fair and other activities Milkround still well established at part 3 and students heavy users of Careers Service during this time Tutorial support Departmental Careers Officer support within department

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer14 Career Development Most finalists will seek APC training with RICS accredited employer Regular contact with alumni and recent graduates through RREF and in the curriculum Industry speakers both within and outside the curriculum RREF mentoring programme

To put your footer here go to View > Header and Footer15 Areas for potential enhancement Need to better co-ordinate communication between department, Careers Service and Reading Real Estate Foundation Consider flow of curriculum-based career interventions through three years of degree programme and link directly to events Duplication of CV assessment at parts 1 and 2 – consider other types of assignment to broaden learning outcomes Urgent need to define clearly the nature of the mentoring contract and consider operational issues in setting up new mentoring programme Debate the issues around offering a work-based learning element to the programme Seek to increase the visibility of the Careers Service offerings within the programme for those who might wish to consider other career destinations or who have specific needs Consider the need to be explicit to students about what the department and the university offers in terms of careers and employability support and what students are responsible for themselves

© University of Reading Centre for Career Management Skills April 25, 2014 Questions and Discussion