Employability at Leicester

Bob Athwal and Stuart Johnson

Outline1. Aim

2. Context

3. Vision

4. Principles

5. The extra dimension

Aim

“To ensure our graduates have the extra dimension in order to make them the stand out choice for employers”

Context: labour market“The jobless total for 16 to 24-year-olds hit a record high of 991,000 in the quarter, a jobless rate of 21.3%”1

1 www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15271800

Context: White paper“We will radically improve and expand the information available to prospective students, making available much more information about individual courses […] and graduate employment prospects [...] including on employment and earnings outcomes...”

Context: Key Information Set

Context: how we compareWe’ve been going the wrong way the last 3 years

1994 GroupRussell GroupOther

% E

mpl

oym

ent

% Graduate Jobs

95

94

93

92

91

90

89

60 70 80 90 100

Context: University strategy

Context: employable graduates

Now

Degree = employment

Degree + extracurricular = employment

UCAS tariff + 2:1 degree + good university + extracurricular + work experience = employment

Higher UCAS tariff + 2:1 degree + top university + extracurricular + work experience of measurable value + own personal brand = employment

Context: Why employers target universities*

We have always gone there

Proximity to company premises

Calibre of graduates according to Recruiter's Guide

Course content

Attitude to employability

Relationship with university

Number of graduates hired previously

Reputation of faculty or university

3.09

3.24

3.42

3.97

4.12

4.47

4.6

5.06

*The AGR Graduate Recruitment Survey 2012

Mean ratings on a scale from 1 (not at all) to 6 (very much)

Vision

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Ensure our graduates have the extra dimension

How to tell your story (‘after’ interventions)

Funnelling and preparation (‘before’ interventions)

Students Students’ Union DepartmentsInternal

Employers Alumni ParentsExternal

Dev

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Engagement/responsibility

Example: internships

A record 36% of this year’s graduate vacancies with leading employers are expected to be filled by people who have already worked for the organisation during their studies*

* High Fliers Research, Graduate Labour Market in 2012: Annual review of graduate vacancies and starting salaries at Britain’s leading employers, 2012

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Principles• Engage key stakeholders

• Offer increased opportunities

• Provide enhanced support

Engage: students

Them coming to us – Careers Zone,

websiteUs coming to them – curriculum, ‘pop-

up’, social media

/

Engage: employers

Principles• Engage key stakeholders

• Offer increased opportunities

– co-curricular

– curricular

– extra-curricular

• Provide enhanced support

Opportunities: co-curricular• Minimum programme

OCT

NOV

DEC

3rd years

2nd years

1st years

Opportunities: curricular• Employability of the curriculum (History)

• Modules with employability applications (Maths)

• Employability modules (Geography)

Employability of the curriculum

Modules with employability applications

Employability modules

Hot of the press

What others are doing: Liverpool JMUWorld of Work

Development of soft-skills as a part of degree, with academic modules integrating simulations of workplace situations and curriculum input from employers and careers advisors. Students can receive a ‘graduate skills transcript’ upon graduation.

What others are doing: KentEmployability Points Scheme

The Employability Points Scheme rewards students who actively engage in extra-curricular activities with work-related opportunities. Students who have part-time employment, learnt a new language, engage in business engagement and enterprise activities, or are active members of clubs and societies, can earn points for their active engagement with university life. […]

What others are doing: HullThe Hull History Partnership

The University of Hull has developed partnerships with Hull History Centre and local schools and colleges to improve the employability of history students in the region. It provides training routes to and opportunities for young people wishing to develop careers in History teaching, archives and heritage work, research in universities, and work on public and community History projects.

What others are doing: ManchesterManchester Graduate Internship Programme

[…] provides opportunities for the university’s graduates to gain employment in paid graduate level positions.

All of the roles are paid, with an average salary of £15k per annum pro rata, are based in Greater Manchester, and last for between 4 and 12 months. […]

In 2011 they advertised over 180 vacancies.

Why we need to take this seriously1994 GroupRussell GroupOther

% E

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% Graduate Jobs

95

94

93

92

91

90

89

60 70 80 90 100

We’ve been going the wrong way the last 3 years

Criteria for our involvement• Compulsory attendance

• Value and impact

• Sufficient notice

• Our availability

N.B. This means some sessions we will no longer do

100 400+Increase in appointments

Why this change?

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Ensure our graduates have the extra dimension

How to tell your story (‘after’ interventions)

Funnelling and preparation (‘before’ interventions)

Students Students’ Union DepartmentsInternal

Employers Alumni ParentsExternal

Dev

elop

men

t of t

rans

fera

ble

skill

s

Engagement/responsibility

Opportunities: extra-curricularStudent

Champions

Clubs, Societies and

Events

Earn and Learn

World and Media

Volunteering

Course Rep

Student Ambassador

Mentor

Sabbatical Officer

Clubs and Societies Officer

EnterpriseAward

Clubs and Societies Member

Part-time Jobs, Internships and vacation work

Student Engagement

Team

Student Ambassador

Newspaper Journalist and Photographer

Radio Journalist and Broadcaster

Student Exchange

Programmes

Languages at Leicester

Students in Classrooms

Volunteering Projects

Volunteering Award

Students in Classrooms

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

* = Leicester Award Programme

Course RepBenefits• Represent your fellow students• Influence University decisions• Learn about University structures and governance• Meet students from other courses

Skills you could develop You could develop many skills but particularly:• planning and organising• leadership and supervising• communication• teamwork

Radio Journalist and BroadcasterBenefits• Gain essential experience• Make vital media contacts• Gain technical skills• Inform and inspire others

Skills you could develop You could develop many skills but particularly:• using technology• communication• teamwork• planning and organising

Principles• Engage key stakeholders

• Offer increased opportunities

• Provide enhanced support

Support• Before and after

• No prep, no entry

• Competitive process

Graduates with the extra dimension…

NowHigher UCAS tariff + 2:1 degree + top university + extracurricular + work experience of measurable value + own personal brand = employment

…is what employers are looking for

* CBI and UUK, Future Fit: Preparing graduates for the world of work, March 2009, p.7

** Association of Graduate Recruiters AGR Recruitment Survey, Summer 2011 Review

A recent CBI survey found that 82% of employers identified ‘improving student’s employability skills’ when asked what universities should prioritise.*

Applicants’ ability to demonstrate certain competencies is the second most cited entry requirement amongst AGR members at 63.9%.**

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Post

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Ensure our graduates have the extra dimension

How to tell your story (‘after’ interventions)

Funnelling and preparation (‘before’ interventions)

Students Students’ Union DepartmentsInternal

Employers Alumni ParentsExternal

Dev

elop

men

t of t

rans

fera

ble

skill

s

Engagement/responsibility

Development of transferable skills• Teamwork

• Communication

• Analysing

• Problem solving

• Planning and organising

• Leadership and supervision

• Using technology

• Initiative and creativity

• Self management

• Learning

• Defining work objectives and outcomes

• Managing time and priorities• Developing a realistic action plan• Using project management

methodology• Liaising with a range of stakeholders• Identifying, assessing and weighing

risks• Developing a contingency plan• Allocating resources to tasks• Carrying projects through to

successful completion

How do we know we’ve got there?

1994 GroupRussell GroupOther

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% Graduate Jobs

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94

93

92

91

90

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60 70 80 90 100

UNIVERSITY of LEICESTER

Higher Education Achievement Report

6.1 Additional information

• Leicester Award and Departmental prizes

• Internships• Consultancy projects• Competitions• ??

in future?

Work with us• Tell your students about us

• Send your students to us

• Accommodate the minimum programme

• What can you do in your curriculum?

• Map to the transferable skills framework

• Your ideas…

Save the date

17DEC

Monday

Round table discussions1. Do you have any questions about the vision/

strategy that we can take away from today?2. How will you engage your students with the central

careers provision?3. What do you think you will do following today to

help support the vision?4. How can we take forward developing employability

in the curriculum with you?