1. AGCAS Heads of Service Conference 2009 Employer Engagement (in an economic downturn)

2. Presenters Adam Powell Head of Employability, Bath Spa University
Ian Hodges Director, Careers and Employment Service, University of Exeter
Gary Argent Business Operations Manager, Association of Graduate Recruiters

3. Content Context How do Careers Services currently engage?
What do employers want?
How might this change in a recession?
Employer predictions on skills and knowledge gaps
What can Careers Services do to help?
Action points to take away

4. Context Latest official figures
1.86m people (6% of those of working age) were unemployed up to November 2008 Highest number since 1997
1.07m people claiming jobseeker’s allowance in November 2008 Highest figure since July 2000
562,000 job vacancies in the three months to November 2008 Lowest figure since comparable records began in 2001.
650,000 graduates left HE with a degree in 2006/7 More than ever before
And now ...
70,0000 job losses in last three months
600,000 job losses predicted in 2009 – equates to a job going every 52 seconds
But is the future bright?

5. Employer engagement at Exeter (in one slide!)
Events (inc 6 Fairs)
Vacancy Services
Employer led Skills Sessions
The Works ‘job shop’
SHELL STEP (Agency of the Year, 2008)
Graduate Business Partnership (GBP)
Sponsorship opportunities
Links to Business, the Students’ Guild and Exeter Award

6. Employer engagement at Bath Spa (in one slide!)
Re-positioning of Careers Service
Informing curriculum (re-)development
Employer-led placements and projects: curricular and extra-curricular
Bath Spa Plus
Local/regional networks
Industry mentoring scheme
Graduate Career Development events
Co-ordinating employer engagement?
“Would you like fries with that?”

7. What is on recruiters’ minds right now?

8. What is on recruiters’ minds right now?
The financial downturn
Budgets
Questions about the efficiency of their process
Questions about the value that graduates add
The need to be flexible
Graduate Development
Assessment
Not just the best, but the best fit
Adaptability
Understanding motivation
Collaboration
The wider graduate pool

9. Ways that you help already
The financial downturn
Budgets Cost effective, innovative engagements
Questions about the efficiency of their process
Questions about the value that graduates add
The need to be flexible Close relationships
Graduate Development Deeper understanding of the university model
Assessment
Not just the best, but the best fit Placements / work experience
Adaptability This, and other skills…
Understanding motivation
Collaboration Willingness to support sector initiatives
The wider graduate pool

10. Practical examples of good engagement
Access to industry experts for course design, review or delivery
Helping CAS engage with first years
On campus skills sessions
Access to alumni
Mentoring programmes
Campus based “drop in” information sessions
Support to societies
Job swap
Dedicated placement schemes
What else would you like to see?

11. What else could you do? The financial downturn Budgets
Questions about the efficiency of their process
Questions about the value that graduates add
The need to be flexible
Graduate Development
Assessment
Not just the best, but the best fit
Adaptability
Understanding motivation
Collaboration
The wider graduate pool

12. What is the AGR doing? The financial downturn
Riding the recession and Measuring Return On Investment
The survey and encouraging best practice
Brokering more discussions, face to face and online
Graduate Development
The AGR awards
The one day conference and regional graduate developer networks
Assessment
The AGR Standard
Collaboration
The sector focus groups
The wider graduate pool
The Hidden Graduate Pool
Widening their horizons
INGRADA
Brokering face to face – mention SFG, speaking / writing for AGR, conference, specific requests for support
Brokering online – website, forums
Collaboration – CAS days, WIAA, conference presentations
Wider pool – 2ii vs. 2i, visiting other universities
20. Mai 2018 | Title of Presentation

13. Employer prediction: shortfalls in hard skills

14. Employer prediction: shortfalls in soft skills
Note – survey going to all VCs from now on
20. Mai 2018 | Title of Presentation

15. Employer prediction: shortfalls in knowledge areas

16. It needs to be two way though…
What do you want from these engagements?
How well do recruiters understand what is on your mind?
How can AGR help you to get the message across?
Mention Christina Kerr – “the CAS are your clients….”
Getting the message across – me, conference, master classes, Graduate Recruiter, web debates, SFGs
20. Mai 2018 | Title of Presentation

17. Questions or comments?
Adam Powell Head of Employability, Bath Spa University
| |
Ian Hodges Director, Careers and Employment Service, University of Exeter | |
Gary Argent Business Operations Manager, Association of Graduate Recruiters | |
Return to original flip chart of aims to make sure we have covered everything
20. Mai 2018 | Title of Presentation