1. Connecting Pacific Peoples research mindedness with employability skills
Sue Bandaranaike, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
John Willison, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia

2. OBJECTIVE
Determine how Work Skills could contribute to employability thinking among Pacific Peoples in a way that articulates with, and builds on, USP’s development of research skills in the curriculum.
JW to present

3. The Outline Work Integrated Learning
Work Skill Development (WSD) framework
Connecting the WSD and the RSD
Benefits to the Pacific Peoples SB

4. The Work Skill Development [WSD] Framework
How do you extend the thinking skills of research to the thinking skills required for work?
The Work Skill Development [WSD] Framework

5. Research Skills Thinking
RSD – WSD connection
Research Skills Thinking
SB/JW
Work Skills
Thinking

6. The Work Skills Development Framework [WSD] [a] Employability Skills [after Bandaranaike & Willison, 2009 / 2016] SB

7. Aspirationally
embark & clarify
goal directed work role
Diligently find & generate data/knowledge using appropriate skills & technology
Constructively
communicate &
collaborate
as a professional
in a team
What is my role?
Critically
evaluate role
& reflect on
lifelong learning
skills
JW explains Pentagon
Sensitively
create solutions through analysis of data and synthesis of ideas
Harmoniously organise information/data and manage self & others

8. The Work Skills Development Framework [WSD] [b] Levels of Autonomy [after Bandaranaike & Willison, 2009 / 2016] SB
Open-ended
Unbounded

9. Levels of Autonomy & Thinking Processes
Works with self-determined guidelines
How do I initiate change?
What are our future goals?
Level 5
Works innovatively
Use self-determined criteria?
Use critical thinking & analysis?
Level 4
Autonomy
Works independently
What’s missing?
Match between Theory & Practice?
Level 3
Limited direction
What else?
What’s the format?
Level 2
Highly structured guidance
Where to start?
What to know?
Level 1
Time / Experience in context

10. Any Questions?

12. WSD as a conceptual framework that works in concert with the RSD, has the capacity to address some of the gaps around employability and enable the Pacific Peoples to transition from research skills to work skills.
It supports professional practice through informed experience, engagement and critical thinking/reflection.
Unlike other WIL frameworks, the WSD is able to measure the level of context-specific competency in each work skill and identify levels of autonomy students operate at for each work skill.
The framework is adaptable to understanding cross cultural variations in the workplace, and can be adapted to measure variations in cognitive and affective applications of work skills in the workplace.
The WSD framework was trialled internationally and across disciplines is very flexible and may be adjusted to the Pacific Peoples’ needs in alignment with USP graduate attributes and outcomes.