EMPLOYABILITY

The Career Development Learning Needs The Career Development Learning Needs of Foundation Degree Studentsof Foundation Degree Students

14th December 2007

Laura Dean Senior Lecturer

Employability OfficeLeeds Metropolitan University

EMPLOYABILITY

Incorporate

work-related

learning into the

curriculum

Employability Office ActivitiesEmployability Office Activities

Work with academic staff to:

Plan and develop PDP and

employability inputs

Staff development Workshops and

resources

Career

development

sessions for

students

EMPLOYABILITY

How did we Conduct ResearchHow did we Conduct Research

• Interviewed – 18 students– 14 staff members

• Conducted two focus groups with students

• Ran card sort task with fifty FD tutors

EMPLOYABILITY

Are FD Students Different?Are FD Students Different?

• Diverse group

• Differing destinations

“The middle class students are quite strong and confident in being able to network, but the working class students don’t really know what is expected of them.”

• Study in a different environment

• Study in a different way – why?

EMPLOYABILITY

Don’t intend to be different in the endDon’t intend to be different in the end

• 83.1 % intend to continue onto an Honours Degree• 75 % intend to stay with either their current college or

awarding institution.

(Purcell et al, 2007)

“Many of the students who applied for the foundation degree route also applied for the BA”

• Many moving physically to a new environment• Large minority moving to a new institution completely.

EMPLOYABILITY

What Issues did Tutors See?What Issues did Tutors See?

EMPLOYABILITY

TransitioningTransitioning• “Quite a high proportion of the students have done quite

practical courses such as national diplomas and stuff, so they are quite practical when they are coming on to the course.”

• “I think we have been wrestling with this for a few years now… when they are required to do things like their dissertation, that they haven’t really had to do a substantial piece of writing before, so that’s an issue.”

• “So yes they do come in with that kids or reticence that “Oh my God, I’ve never done this kind of work before.”

• Concern centres on academic differences

EMPLOYABILITY

What Issues did Students See?What Issues did Students See?

EMPLOYABILITY

They get some CDL alreadyThey get some CDL already

• “[PDP is good because] it makes you address your strengths and weaknesses”

• “I think skills audits and stuff in PDP are good and help with what you’re doing.”

• “It [self awareness] is [built into the course] but I don’t find it that helpful. Its okay for the eighteen nineteen year olds, but for mature students they have already been through a lot of this stuff in life. “

EMPLOYABILITY

What are the Implications for What are the Implications for ResourcesResources

EMPLOYABILITY

Staff Say:Staff Say:

• “It’s not just about being able to write a good CV, it’s about real life and having that drive and awareness of the market”

• “If you want them to do the exercises is to make it part of the criteria in assessment and engage them that way. Encourage them to do it week by week, then reflect and relate it to day to day”

EMPLOYABILITY

Students SayStudents Say• “I would use a web chat thing because … you get an answer

back – though it would be nice to sit and talk to somebody.”

• “They can delve deeper into what you want to do.”

In describing what they liked about a particular careers service

• “They email as well …. Its like having a real person. “

• “Like a forum, where you have a subjects and everyone writes in – I’d find that useful.”

• “I think its always better to sit with someone.”

EMPLOYABILITY

Travelling to ResourcesTravelling to Resources

• “Never”

• “NEVER!”

• “I didn’t know we could”

EMPLOYABILITY

Careers Service UseCareers Service Use• 2 % used careers adviser• 20 % used tutor• 45 % relied solely on prospectus

(Purcell et al, 2007)

• “We all have full time jobs”

• “We are not looking to leave the service”

• “Its like when you were at school a teacher would tell you you would end up being a no good road sweeper or something”

• “It seemed my mum was the best person to talk to”

EMPLOYABILITY

Content of ResourcesContent of Resources

• Work life balance

• Progression

“Well the main thing was that Leeds Met don’t actually do a follow up course.”

• Transition

[The transition] was very difficult at first, but gradually as its going its getting better, I don’t know about the top up though”.

EMPLOYABILITY

Style of ResourcesStyle of Resources

• Second Life• Facebook• Networking Sites

Chat Boards• “Doesn’t have to be real time”• “I don’t work normal hours so that [asynchronous

communication] would be better”

Emails

EMPLOYABILITY

Style of Resources ContinuedStyle of Resources Continued

• Referencing

“If you access something for info you are not that bothered, if its an academic tool that’s different. “

• Simple/simplistic

“Got to be simple to read. I turn off if I don’t find it easy to understand”

• When looking at Destinations site

“I think it looks pleasing to the eye, but plain English it is not!”

• Foundation Degree specific

EMPLOYABILITY

SummarySummary

• Interactive resources

• Simple to use, even if less comprehensive

• Badged as foundation degree resources

• Covering: work life balance, decision making and transitioning

EMPLOYABILITY

Employability is Employability is … social engineering – 2 strongly agree, 1 agree

“At government level we strongly agree but from a group perspective this isn’t how we view employability and PDP”

… extracurricular activity – 2 strongly agree.

… covering key skills – 1 strongly agree, 2 agree

… benefiting from part time casual and voluntary jobs – 2 agree, 2 strongly agree

…. Encouraging involvement in student clubs and societies. – 2 agree.

EMPLOYABILITY

ReferencesReferencesHEFCE (2007), Foundation degrees: Key statistics 2001-02 to 2006-07

HEFCE 2007

East Midlands Development Agency (2005) Moving forward with Foundation Degrees: Researching employer demand for foundation degrees in the East Midlands. Loughborough University: East Midlands University Association.

Purcell, K., Elias, P., Adam, D., Behle, H., Ellison, R., and Nick Wilton, Applying for Higher Education – Career Choices and Plans Preliminary Findings from the Wave 1 investigation of the ‘class of 2006’ applicants for Higher Education who applied through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service to study on full-time courses [Internet], HECSU (2007) http://www.prospects.ac.uk/downloads/documents/HECSU/FUTURETRACK/Futuretrack%20Applying%20for%20HE1.pdf. [accessed 8 December 2007]

EMPLOYABILITY

The Career Development Learning Needs The Career Development Learning Needs of Foundation Degree Studentsof Foundation Degree Students

14th December 2007

Laura DeanSenior Lecturer

Employability OfficeLeeds Metropolitan University