Education Studies Degrees and Employability

Education Studies Degrees and Employability

A HEFCE / ESCalate project by

Julie Anderson & Helena Mitchell

HoD Forum July 2004 Higher Education Academy

Session overview Employability – the national context The ESCalate project - background Findings PDPs Audit Discussion Ways forward


Employability – the National Policy context

1997- report from the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (Dearing Committee) recommended that:

".... institutions of higher education [should] begin immediately to develop, for each programme they offer a 'programme specification' which .... gives the intended outcomes of the programme in terms of:

the knowledge and understanding that a student will be expected to have on completion;

key skills: communication, IT, learning how to learn; cognitive skills: understanding of methodologies, ability in

critical analysis; subject specific skills, such as laboratory skills."


ESECT HEFCE identified a shortfall between the skills students

developed through courses and those employers need. To assess the scale of the problem and to determine a

strategic approach, a 3 year project on student employability commissioned.

The project team appointed is the Enhancing Student Employability Co-ordination Team (ESECT).

ESECT's approach is to concentrate on the curriculum as the main route to improving employability.

www.ltsn.ac.uk/ESECT


AGR – Association of Graduate Recruiters Graduates comprise a key source of talent that

can bring a currency of knowledge and intellectual capacity to employers. The costs of recruiting and keeping them are relatively high. It is therefore vital that they are in a position to contribute positively to the organisation speedily and without major additional resource. Their readiness to do this is heavily influenced by the extent to which they have developed employability skills.


HEFCE, Employability and the Subject Centres The Burlington Group/ GC First phase - HEFCE funding:

8 SCs - large projects Second phase: Education - smaller funded

projects Possible third phase to come etc.


The ESCalate project With an increasing number of students on Education

courses that have no vocational element, what do such graduates do in terms of a job?

Case study: the Education Studies course at one English post ’92 institution

The findings from the project include data from a survey of over a hundred undergraduates; focus group interviews and a student workshop as well as data from employers

and academics working in England and Scotland.


What IS Employability?

Knight and Yorke (2001) clarify two concepts of employability:

1. the educational concept which relates to graduates being able to cope with graduate jobs.

2. relates to their ability to get any sort of job. Best practice in curriculum design, teaching and

assessment implies ‘education for employability’(Knight & Yorke, 2000).


“Strongly agree” – the students said employability is: For undergraduates of all ages Creating a learning environment which

develops students employment related attributes

Equality of opportunity What employers want Skills for life


Focus group students told us employability means …

“Better skills as a person” “I think quite a few transferable skills I

have got here, definitely.” ”Patience……..time management.” “But, employability … I’m not sure.”


The “Malmesbury” group said:Employability is:

*Helping students recognise and develop their strengths and weaknesses*Initiating CPD activity with students that should continue throughout their working life*About academics understanding how to help their students become employable*Creating a learning environment which develops students employment related attributes


Largely agreed with:Employability is:*Creating a learning environment which enhances students skills

*Having the right skills for the market place

*Covering key skills

*About equality of opportunity

*Learning about the world of work

*What employers want

*Meeting standards set by professional bodies

*A challenge to the traditional concepts of HE


DisagreeStatements largely disagreed or neutral about are that

employability is:

*For the less capable students

*The responsibility of the student union

*A distraction from the academic agenda

*Not related to the academic process

*Social engineering

*The responsibility of the careers service

*Doing a vocational course


Employers have said… Essential attributes they want in graduate

employees include ( in descending order of importance): Good communication skills Ability to work in a team Effective time management Critical appraisal skills


Personal Development Planning PDP is a structured and supported process

undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and / or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development.

The primary objective for PDP is to improve the capacity of individuals to understand what and how they are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for their own learning, helping students:


PDPs continued become more effective, independent and

confident self-directed learners; understand how they are learning and relate their

learning to a wider context; improve their general skills for study and career

management; articulate personal goals and evaluate progress

towards their achievement; encourage a positive attitude to learning

throughout life. http://www.qaa.ac.uk/crntwork/progfileHE/contents.htm


Employability Audit Score 0 if the audit point has not been

seriously considered at all

Score 1-4 if the point is considered to be satisfied: poorly (1)

partially (2)

adequately (3)

optimally (4)


Analysis - of points with score of 2 or less What options would satisfy the audit point? Do constraints make options unrealistic? When in the course(s)could changes occur? Which changes would most benefit

employability aspects of the course(s)? Which could be ‘quick wins’ / need longer

term planning


What next? Possible further funded projects/ work with

HEFCE ESCalate – plans for the coming year offer

opportunities for collaborative work as we develop a UK-wide resource for staff and students to support Employability activity within HE Education departments

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Education Studies Degrees and Employability