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Employability in Geology at Leicester: embedding interaction with industry
throughout the degree course
Dave HolwellCareers tutor, Department of Geology, University of Leicester, UK.
Stand alone vs embedded• Stand alone activities
– Careers Day– Careers-orientated talks– Industry talks (often
through student societies)– Work placements...
• Embedded– Industry input to courses– Bursary schemes– ‘Feeder’ placements
Industry input into courses“You guys just aren’t producing graduates with the right set of skills or technical knowledge”
• Need to involve industry in our teaching• Not necessarily to teach industry skills – not our job• To expose students to how their subject is applied in the
real world – i.e. when they graduate
How?• Guest lectures in courses• Practicals designed as real life exercises (as would be
done as graduate geologists)• Soil logging to British and European standards in
Engineering Geology module
Example: exploration geologyModule: Exploration and Site Investigation Methods
• Micromine involved in designing a coursework project
• Leicester first university in Europe to do so with Micromine
• Project involves the interpretation of geochemical data to identify an ore deposit
• Essentially a scientific data analysis and interpretation exercise, but packaged up as a real life situation
• Students use Micromine software (widely used in industry)
Example: exploration geologyOutput:• Student produces a report in a professional style as would be the norm
in industry• Provides the student with experience of presenting work professionally
and take the work to interviews• Micromine involved in feedback to students and fund prizes
Bursary schemesProvide to the student:• Financial assistance towards studies• Work experience• Masters projects
Benefits to the industrial partner:• An extended interview• A relationship with graduates BEFORE they graduate• A stream of graduates familiar with the industry
EXAMPLE: AI• 10 x £300 to first years• 6 x £500 to second years• 3 x £1000 to third years, plus a
4th year Masters project
Feeder placementsProvide to the student:• Work experience for one or two consecutive summers• Option of Masters projects
Benefits to the industrial partner:• A relationship with graduates BEFORE they graduate• Development of a ‘feeder’ university for graduate places• Reduces risk in hiring unknown graduates
EXAMPLE: First Quantum Minerals• Student work experience at end of 2nd year• Student work placement at end of 3rd year• Masters project in 4th year• Graduate job on completion of degree
Get industry involved with mutually beneficial initiatives
DURING the degrees,not just when they graduate
