1. Building Blocks - The development of an e-Portfolio system to support students with disabilities in the transition to employment. Claire Gleeson, Dr. Clodagh Nolan, Kieran Lewis Friday 20 th March 2015

2. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

3. Presentation Objectives Background and need for supporting students with disabilities transition to employment Development of Career Pathways The Transition Planning Tool- ePortfolio Demonstration of e-Portfolio Future Directions

4. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Increase in the number of students with disabilities entering college Support at 3 rd Level provided = greater progression & retention Educated Graduates seeking employment Difficulties making the transition to employment

5. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Transition into Employment EU - approx. 40 million people have a disability (Kim & Williams, 2013) Ireland- people with disabilities; 2.5 times less likely to be in work than non- disabled people (NDA 2014) AGCAS- Seen  in graduates with MH difficulties- 678% increase over 8 year period. (AGCAS, 2013). AHEAD- (2008); 70% of graduates were employed. 59% in full-time employment; 18% part- time. 80% of those ‘seeking employment’; do not always disclose their disability Work experiences essential in influencing the employment prospects of graduates with disabilities. NDA- National Comprehensive Employment Strategy- Objective; Transition from College to Employment

6. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Development of a Transition to Employment Support Building personal strategies Enabling and Building your Career Transition Planning Tool Disclosure & RAs Fit Advice for Students & transition to work Enabling the Work Environment Career Pathways Service & Resources (Nolan & Gleeson, 2015)

7. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Career Pathways Exploring your Career Building Your Career Launching your Career

8. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin E-Portfolios An e-Portfolio encourages graduates and employees to consider their studies and experiences in a broad career development context. A clear understanding of transferable competencies, such as communication, problem solving, initiative and enterprise, planning and organising, self-management, and teamwork, will assist workers not only in their transition from higher education to the workplace, but also with their ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.

9. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin What is the Transition Planning Tool? Individual on-line system for students to gather ‘assets’ throughout college career. Assets can be anything the student wants such as reflections on placement, a worksheet on disclosure, a record of a meeting with staff members, a personal insight into self-management, a project with associated reflection. Students can then use these personal ‘assets’ to create a CV, Webfolio, or for interview preparation, or as a private resource of personal development to application to the workplace. Students are also provided with ‘Resources’, developed by Careers and Disability Staff, and other students to be developed into their assets.(i.e; Exploring my Career Worksheet)

10. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Why a Transition Planning Tool? Repository- To support students to track their transition from college to employment in one place College- development of work related skills and experiences- Log of this learning Establish and explore career aims and objectives Create a toolbox of resources and strategies Customise and devise forms making it easy to scaffold frameworks to help students reflect on their experiences and encourage deeper learning Develop CV, Web Folio Reflect and log work related skills and experiences Log meetings with CA and OT/attendance at events

11. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Using Pebble Pad Software Pebble Pad is a web based, Personal Learning Space, used in colleges, universities and professional bodies; by learners, teachers and assessors. To support work based learning, activities and the collection of evidence (through different ways) Medium/platform to support the student to log/reflect- offers tools Provides a secure, online environment Interface and resources available & can be developed Can manage large student usage Provides statistics

12. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Transition Planning Tool CV Personal Professional Academic Gathering experiences and reflections Worker Needs Summary Reflection on RA CP Profile AT Assessment LENS Report Placement Planning My Personal Workbook Meeting Forms Disclosure WSMP FMP Career Specific approaches Application to the workplace

13. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Pebble Pad: Transition Planning Tool

14. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

15. Using The Transition Planning Tool with Students Students meet with CA or OT and are provided with personal log in details Assets- Use worksheets, CV builder – to reflect and log experiences Resources- Uploaded by Career Pathways Team-Students can use Template Builder- students can devise personal worksheets, reflection logs, upload specific work related files Upload Files

16. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Pebble Pad: Transition Planning Tool Resources for students to avail of: Career Pathways Profile CP Meetings Understanding Disclosure Matching my skills to the Job Prep for Interview Development of CV/Web-folio

17. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Resources

18. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

19. Pebble Pad App – Pebble Pocket The app is designed to support reflection-on-the-go rather than attempting to provide everything that the full PP (either desktop or mobile) can do. Users have a choice of post, activity and reflective templates as well as being able to add/take images and video. Offline capability

20. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Benefits of The Transition Planning Tool Providing and delivering information via the transition planning tool ensures a sustainable model Repository for life- ensures and also reduces the use and reliance paper-based approaches which get lost Creative means of communicating employability skills Personal and unique to the student Innovative and unique Promotes the concept of Continuous Professional Development – greater visibility of progress and development Sinks with other on-line work related sites such as LinkedIn

21. Demonstration of Pebble Pad http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/

22. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

24. Future Directions Conduct research on the use of Pebble Pad in supporting students/graduates in their transition to employment Refinement of the resources following feedback from students and HEI partners App on i-phone – further developments of Pebble Pad TCD Strategic Plan – Roll out across College Liaise with Pebble Pad re: dissemination of its use in Career Pathways

25. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin References AHEAD. (2008). Willing Able Mentoring – Dis-abling-ability? A Study of the Employment Context of Graduates with Disabilities within Ireland. AGCAS. (2013). http://www.agcas.org.uk/agcas_resources/17-What-Happens- Next-A-Report-on-the-First-Destinations-of-Disabled-Graduates Kim, M.M., & Williams, B.C. (2012). Lived Employment Experiences of College students and Graduates with physical Disabilities in the United States. Disability and Society, 27:6, 837-852. National Disability Authority, (2014). URL: http://nda.ie/Disability-overview/http://nda.ie/Disability-overview/ Nolan, C., & Gleeson, C.I. (In press). The Transition to Employment needs for Students and Graduates with disabilities. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. Pebble Pad (2015). http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/

26. Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin Useful Links Career Pathways- 3 Stages: https://www.tcd.ie/disability/career/Pathways/3stages.php https://www.tcd.ie/disability/career/Pathways/3stages.php Pebble Pad Website: http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/

27. Any Questions? Thank You