Centre for Inclusive learning Support Dr Val Chapman (NTF), Director Dr Michelle Webster, Project Coordinator/Researcher (NTFS project) Charlie Wise, Project Officer (EU Validating Mentoring 2 project)

National Teaching Fellowship Scheme project Title: ‘Employability and Disability’ Aim: to enhance graduate employability by equipping disabled students with skills to match employability competencies

Employability “A set of achievements - skills, understandings and personal attributes - that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy.“ (Yorke, 2005, p 8)

Background more diverse workforce in UK by 2010, 40% will be over the age of 45, and less than 20% of those working full-time will be white, non disabled men under million disabled people of working age in UK; only 50% of these are in employment compared to 81% of non-disabled people disabled graduates continue to be more likely to be unemployed (9%) than non-disabled graduates (6.3%) 54.9% of non-disabled graduates work full-time compared with only 48.9% of disabled graduates

Obstacles faced by disabled students in gaining employment: anxiety about disclosing disability to potential employers; lack of awareness about the work place due to a lack of work experience - also increases their levels of anxiety; negative views about employment - that it will be too tough; lowered self confidence due to unsuccessful job applications, coupled with concern that disability was a deciding factor in their not receiving a job offer; poor self marketing. (Matosic 2008)

Student Employability Profiles (Kubler et al, 2006) produced by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) with the Council for Industry in Higher Education (CIHE) a model that maps employability skills, competencies and attributes that CIHE employer members said they value when recruiting against skills developed through the study of a particular discipline as described in Subject Benchmark Statements (QAA,2004).

USEM model (Knight &Yorke, 2004) Understanding Skilful Practices Efficacy Beliefs Metacognition

Project’s Deliverables Literature review Audit of existing resources Web based resource titled ‘USEMYABILITY’ target users: academic staff careers staff Employers disabled students work-based mentors A set of case studies of good practice A series of dissemination activities

SCIPSSCIPS Strategies for Creating Inclusive Programmes of Study