EMPLOYABILITY

Making it work in Higher National Certificates and Diplomas

Cathy McSkimming/John Laird

Cardonald College

April2007

Employability – what is it?

• “...the combination of factors and processes which enable people to progress towards, or get into employment, to stay in employment and to move on in the workplace…” (Scottish Executive 2006)

• “…the possession by an individual of the qualities and competences required to meet the changing needs of employers and customers and thereby help to realise his or her aspirations and potential in work..” (CBI, 1999)

• “…a set of achievements- skills, understandings and attributes - that make individuals more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations…” (Learning to Work – SFC 2004)

Where do colleges fit in?

• Major providers of vocational education

• Partnerships with employers and HE

• Extensive experience in delivery of core skills

• Awareness of ‘soft skills’

• Flexibility in approach

Revised HN – the opportunities?

• More holistic assessment• Greater number of generic units• Graded Unit• SCQF levelling• Opportunities to develop Core Skills• Updating of vocational relevance• Collaboration between QDTs• Continuation of QSTs

Revised HN – the threats

• More difficult to find placements/work experience

• Frameworks haven’t all embedded employability at the design stage

• Staff workload

• Staff development required

• Sourcing appropriate materials

What can colleges do?

• Devise a college strategy• Carry out an employability audit• Deliver staff development• Amend frameworks• Encourage innovative use of materials/units• Develop repositories of relevant materials• Raise student awareness and understanding• Think and act ‘outside the box’

EMPLOYABILITY QUIZ TRUE or FALSE?

1. Students understand what employability is and what they have to do to get and keep a job.

2. Work experience/placements are vital for giving students employability skills.

3. Employability is about addressing the agenda of the current government.

4. Employability skills are demanded by employers and are essential to get and keep a job.

5. Employability has already been embedded in HN programmes.

6. Employers rate vocational skills higher than skills such as communication and problem-solving.

7. There are no units written for HN which deliver employability skills.

8. Employability should be delivered through core skills.

9. Employability is a distraction from learning and teaching.10. Employability is part of the contract between the College and the

student.

FALSE

TRUE

TRUE

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE

FALSE

FALSE

FALSE

TRUE

Carry out an employability audit e.g.

Planning and Organising

Problem Solving

Flexibility

Enthusiasm

Self Confidence

Personal Presentation

Team Work

Attitude

Reliability

IT Skills

Writing and Numeracy Skills

Motivation

Assess Your Employability

Deliver staff development e.g.

Employability Skills

Raise Student Awareness e.g

For Example…

Problem :Work placements in your area are scarce……

Solutions might include:• Live projects with in-built employability• College-based simulations • Entering skills competitions• Employer briefs• Engage in voluntary/charity work or community

projects

Encourage innovative use of materials/units e.g.

For Example…Problem :Work experience unit doesn’t meet the needs of the

students so…adapt it to what the students need….

Solutions might include:• Alter the timing of work experience (Xmas, Easter etc) • Improve use of their part time employment• Use an alternative unit (a ‘carrier’) to improve

employability• Use voluntary or charity work• Replace it with the PDP unit (DE3R 34)

Encourage innovative use of materials/units e.g.

For Example…• Focus on Learning 2 projects on employability

included:– a team play computer game– Life-coaching– Visualisation techniques– Training staff in EI and STEPS techniques– Videos of local employers

• Don’t be afraid to change the timetable, attendance pattern, college year, framework, delivery modes or assessment instruments

Think outside the box e.g.

The Scottish CBI came up with a one word definition of employability.

What is it?

ATTITUDE!

Finally….