March 2009Reading Conference

Destinations ® : Internal & External Collaboration

The Irish JourneyMary Sweeney

University of Limerick

Reading Conference March 2009

Overview

• Context – Profile of UL• UL Project Details• Customising Destinations®• Collaboration: Internal & External• Outcomes & Reflections• ???

Reading Conference March 2009March 2009

UL’s Living Bridge

Reading Conference March 2009

Profile of UL

• Young, dynamic, different• Diverse range of programmes

– 10,000 undergraduates; 2,000 postgraduates• Role in social & economic development

– Strong employer links – Cooperative Education programme– Focus on graduate employment

• Integrated Cooperative Education & Careers Division– Careers Staff = 5 people

• Irish higher education– No PDP requirement– Network of HE Careers Services - GCI

Reading Conference March 2009

The Beginning

• Once upon a time in 2001…..• Experience with Reading CMS• Reading Conference 2007• Appeal of Destinations ®• Options

– Commit and compete– Wait and buy– Pass it by

• ‘Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there’

Reading Conference March 2009

UL Project Plan

• Customise website for Irish students– Identify Irish links and resources

• Pilot Destinations® with career module– Business, Public Admin, Language, Music, HPSS

• Develop as resource for work placements• Promote through careers website• Provide student feedback• Disseminate outcomes to GCI colleagues

Reading Conference March 2009

Project Strategy

• Minimalist approach to text changes– Amend, correct, or add value

• Units requiring significant amendments– Careers & Employers– Postgraduate Courses & Directions– Work Experience– Enterprise– Links and resources throughout

• Video Clips: Editing and transcripts• Seamless integration

Reading Conference March 2009

The Greening of Destinations®

• Linked to website• Added, deleted, amended text

– 750 files out of 2006 files– 110 new links created

• Created new video clips– 7 employers, 38 video clips– 16 students, 40 video clips

• Amended teaching resources• Customised graphics• Designed posters & flyers• Shared outcome with GCI

Reading Conference March 2009

Collaboration

• Internal – Cross functional project team– 3 Careers Advisors, Coop Ed Manager, Placement

Officer, IT Coordinator, 2 Academics, Teaching & Learning, UL Web Editor, Student, Multimedia expert,

– Monthly meetings, shared workload

• External– Employers & students– Partner institution– Irish Careers Services (GCI)– Reading Pilot Partners

Reading Conference March 2009

Outcomes

• Collaboration as catalyst for change– high energy level in project team– Sharing of expertise and perspectives– Fostered sense of joint responsibility and ownership– Supported professional development of members– Prompted involvement in VLE– Influenced integration of CMS into academic courses– Demonstrated expertise & role of Careers Service– Contributed to wider HE careers community

• Assessment of Destinations ®– Great careers resource, developed by experts– Flexible, versatile, accessible, relevant– Excellent teaching resources– Low cost – high benefit: win-win solution

• ‘Success is the sum of small efforts – repeated day in and day out’

Reading Conference March 2009

Destinations Posters

Reading Conference March 2009March 2009