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Careers Centre
Enhancing Students’ Employability through the use of ICT in a Cross-Medial approach to Career Development.
Gill Barber: Senior Career Consultant
Susan Hawksworth : Senior Career Consultant
Origins of the module…
1997 : UK student numbers have doubled in previous 20 years
Dearing Report: fall in real cost of unit funding for Higher Education of 40%puts more strain on support services.
Subject-specific focus on the Environment encourages integrated Career Planning Module.
Careers Centre already running a series of Careers-related workshops in Earth and Environment.
Origin of the module…
Student feedback demonstrated a preference for more workshops.
Feedback also showed a preference for fewer external speakers.
Interactive, experiential learning gaining credibility across the University thanks to the Teaching and Learning Development Unit, centrally funded by the University following a government “pump priming” 3 year fully funded pilot scheme.
Universities needed to be seen to be addressing the issue of graduate employability, identified by the Dearing Report.
Course structure
Team Working
Skills Development
CV’s, Applications and Interviews – J2 Co
Peer-assessed interview
Mock Interview – conducted by Careers Centre staff, employers and academics.
External speakers
Skills Challenge
Learning outcomes
Acquisition of knowledge in the use of observation exercises in career assessment
Experience of completion of aptitude and psychometric tests
Experience in completing graduate CV’s and application forms
Practice in performing effectively at graduate job interviews
Acquisition of knowledge about a range of careers
Understanding of the specific and generic skills graduate recruiters expect from environmentalists
Understanding of place of undergraduate studies in lifelong learning
Assessment Breakdown
10 credits (120 credits in each academic year)
Written critique reflecting on the J2co Case Study, to include reflection on both application and interview performance, 1500 words: 30%
Performance at interview, peer and examiner assessed: 30%
Skills Competition: 40%
Skills Challenge
The Process:
Research an organisation.
Identify what they are looking for in graduates.
Best if the role is not discipline based
Skills Challenge
The task:
Identify how you, as an “Environment” student can evidence that you have those skills
Draw upon your discipline and other experiences, e.g. work.
Skills Challenge
Defend their analysis to academics, employers and Careers Centre
Presenting “on their feet”
“Why should I appoint you as an environment student rather than a Physics student?
Skills Challenge
Ability to articulate the attributes of Environmental Studies graduates.
Submission of a wide range of evidence drawn from learning experiences
Ability to demonstrate a good understanding of the requirements of the organisation/company into the 21st Century.
Ability to demonstrate a high level of creative communication to attract and hold the attention of the assessors, both visually and orally.
Ability of individuals to justify the claims by personal illustration as well as group evidence.
Our focus today…..
The Use of ICT in a Cross-Medial Approach to Career Development
J2co
http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/j2co
Integrated approach
Discipline- relevant element
Career/Company Research
Application simulation
Interview simulation
Assessed reflective critique
J2co: The Organisation
A “virtual” company, with a dedicated website.
International oil and petrochemicals giant
Environmental and non-environmental graduate opportunities
Charitable foundation
Ethical concerns, linked to news releases
On-line application form
Interview for position student has chosen
The J2co website
Let’s explore the pages together!
Careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/J2co
Group Work
In pairs, thinking as if you were second year undergraduates:
List the top 15 skills employers are looking for in the order of importance to the employer
(Identified by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR)).
What Employers Want!
Effective Communication
Team Work
Leadership
Commercial awareness
Ability to solve problems
Self skills
Flexibility and adaptability
Analytical Skills
Decision making skills
Logical argument
Numeracy
Enquiry and research skills
Imagination and creativity
Use of IT
Specialist Subject Knowledge
J2Co Assessment
Mock interview
Non-Verbal Communication
Evidence of Research
Use of Examples to support argument
Ability to Self-Evaluate your performance
Ability to “think on feet”
Issues
Multi-tasking for the interviewers: highly people intensive
Time required from academic staff and employers
Resourcing: require extensive dedicated interview space
Rigour: How to secure objective and consistent assessment from diverse assessors? Moderation vital.
J2Co: New Developments
New Website for 2006
Peer assessed interviews:
Experience as both the interviewer and interviewee
J2Co Assessment : de-brief
To critically review your application.
Review your application form – changes –why?
Highlight good aspects and explain why?
Respond to the points made by your interviewers on your application appraisal sheet.
Critically review both of your interview performances. Which questions did you think you answered well? Why
Which questions did you find difficult? Why?
Include feedback, both positive and negative, from your interviewers.
How do you think you could be better prepared for a “genuine” interview.
Outcomes
Student feedback shows awareness of the benefits of the learning experience
Generates preparedness and confidence to approach the recruitment process positively
We do not know whether or not the module increases the employment rate of Leeds environmentalists because of the methodology prescribed by the British government for the collection of graduate destination statistics.
We continue to deliver the module in the belief that it supplies the tool-kit for engagement when the graduate is ready to enter the marketplace.
Over to you……