The Centre for Outcomes-Based Education

Enhancing Employability…

COBE

Practical pedagogy from COBE

This booklet is part of the Practical Pedagogy seriesfrom the Centre for Outcomes-Based Education. The series aims to promote good practice and offerpractical advice in learning, teaching and curriculumdevelopment.

COBE works with course teams, programmecommittees, faculties and regions to support innovativecurriculum design and academic staff development.

Can we help? Please get in touch by emailingcobe@open.ac.uk or visit our website atwww.open.ac.uk/cobe to find out what we can offer.

Connecting learning, development and work

Contents

Introduction 2

What are employability skills? 5

Enhancing employability in the curriculum 7

Checklist for course teams 10

Checklist for programme committees 11

Resources 12

Appendix A Undergraduate levels framework 14

Appendix B Mapping tool 15

1

Enhancing employability is a University priority.For everyone involved in OU teaching, enhancingemployability is about adding value to thecurriculum by making explicit what we do alreadyand helping students recognise the employabilityskills and attributes they are developing as part oftheir study. This booklet is intended to encouragethinking and promote action to embedemployability in the curriculum. It contains:

• practical guidance to support studentemployability;

• checklists for course teams and programmecommittees;

• case studies of good practice within the OpenUniversity;

• a guide to employability resources.

What needs to be done to embed employability inthe curriculum? Course teams and programmecommittees have a responsibility for ensuring thatstudents are aware of the employability skills they

are developing as part of their course or award.Course and award descriptions, for example on theCourses and Qualifications website, should includeinformation about employability. Appropriatelearning outcomes should be linked toemployability skills, and associate lecturersadvised how they can promote these skills tostudents. Staff tutors also have a responsibility forensuring that associate lecturers are aware of theOU’s emphasis on employability skills and are ableto direct students to the employability resourcesdescribed in this booklet.

Use this booklet to help you get started inenhancing students’ employability skills. Thechecklists on pages 10 and 11 provide actionpoints for course teams and programmecommittees. The Enhancing Employability websitewww.open.ac.uk/cobe/employability containsadditional information, resources and case studydetails.

Introduction

2

The aim was to explore student views about where and howemployability skills are developed through Arts courses andawards. The findings are supported by similar work withstudents on some Mathematics and Technology courses.

Key findings

• Students did not generally link OU study to employability,or recognise skills acquired through OU study as making acontribution to employability.

• When asked what the term ‘employability’ meant in terms oftheir own employment or career prospects, students linkedgaining qualifications and having ‘relevant skills’ to theirdesire to improve their own job/career prospects.

• The main contribution OU studies made to getting or doinga job was increased confidence, improved organisationalskills and critical thinking. However, students felt that skillssuch as oral communication and working in teams were notdeveloped through their OU studies. In this context, theydid not consider that student-student and/or student-tutorinteraction, either face-to-face or online, supported thedevelopment of these skills.

• The majority of students surveyed were unaware of theCareers Advisory Service and the support and materialsavailable from them. Where the service had been used, itwas highly praised.

Key lessons for all

• Be explicit about how our programmes, awards and coursessupport employability. Students do not automatically makethe connections for themselves.

• Make full use of the support offered by the staff in theCareers Advisory Service when reviewing courses andprogrammes. They are a valuable resource for making linksto employability and to careers.

• Tools for managing portfolios of work and PersonalDevelopment Plans are useful in developing employabilityskills, and will be available on the Virtual LearningEnvironment (VLE).

The full case study can be found on the EnhancingEmployability website www.open.ac.uk/cobe/employability

C A S E S T U D Y 1 Student views about employability

Career development and change are increasinglyimportant factors for many OU students.Alongside this, there is a growing expectation thatthe HE student experience includes developing anawareness of how knowledge and skills acquiredthrough academic study support individuals’ abilityto find employment, change their job or developtheir career. With growing numbers of youngerstudents in the OU, employability is becoming aneven more important aspect of our provision.Students opting to study with us will expect thattheir career potential will be developed at least aswell as their contemporaries in other HEinstitutions.

Employability is not simply about finding a job. It isabout making connections between study, personaldevelopment and other activities that influenceindividuals’ ability to find, gain and be successful intheir chosen employment. A broad definition ofemployability that supports this aim is:

The set of achievements, understandings andpersonal attributes that support individuals inmanaging their careers.

Enhancing employability is about recognising andmaking explicit what we do already in our coursesby drawing students’ attention to theemployability skills and outcomes they aredeveloping as part of their study. This means:

• raising awareness about how the curriculumdevelops employability skills;

• explicitly linking learning outcomes withemployability;

• enhancing students’ understanding of the valueof HE study beyond their immediate subject area;

• giving students a language to communicate moreeffectively with employers about their skills,knowledge and career potential.

3

Employability is part of the wider group ofbenefits that emerge from learning. Whilstenhancing employability in our curriculum is clearlyof benefit to students in the employment market,it is also relevant to many students studying fortheir own personal development. By being aware oftheir capabilities, they can make the most of theiropportunities at work and their career plans. Allstudents are entitled to know how their studiescontribute to a wider range of outcomes, such asincreased confidence and recognition of personalachievement, that enhance not just their claims ina competitive job market but their ongoingdevelopment as individuals and lifelong learners.

Enhancing Employability is an OU-wide initiativeled by the Centre for Outcomes-Based Education(COBE) and working with faculties, regions,Student Services and the Careers AdvisoryService to bring employability into the studentexperience.

4

The aim was to explore how DD100 supportedemployability, and what opportunities were availablefor further development. When the course was written,employability was not a consideration. This auditprovided information about how employability could beaddressed in the current course, and in the plannedrewrite.

Key findings

• There is support for employability already built intoDD100, with skills and relevant personal qualities allbeing identified. Some employability skills arecurrently assessed through the assignments.

• Employability skills developed through the course,but not assessed, should be brought to the attentionof students.

• There is the potential to make employability skillsmore explicit in the learning outcomes. They wouldthen be included in formative and summativeassessments and students would receive feedbackfrom tutors

• A range of employability skills can be identified aspart of the learning outcomes of the successorcourse, and developed as part of the courseactivities.

Key lessons for all

• Auditing a course using the mapping tool indicateswhere employability skills are already included. Thesecan be highlighted for students through regularlyupdated material such as the Introductory Letter andassignments.

• Course teams developing new courses orreviewing/rewriting current courses should ensurethat employability skills, where they arise, are madeexplicit.

The full case study can be found on the EnhancingEmployability websitewww.open.ac.uk/cobe/employability

C A S E S T U D Y 2 Employability auditing of courses: DD100

What are employability skills?

5

The Higher Education Academy has published a list of skills, competencies and attributes thatemployers say they value. These are listed in Table 1 on the following page. This list focuses onthe more generic or transferable skills that appearin many job specifications and advertisements;more detailed requirements of knowledge andunderstanding will usually depend on the specifictype of employment.

The skills and other qualities that enhance anindividual’s employability are, in many cases, those that also facilitate learning and theapplication of subject knowledge. For example, theability to critically analyse, synthesise andchallenge information, arguments andassumptions, frame and address problems,questions or issues, and to communicateeffectively are common requirements in bothacademic and employment situations.

Table 1 links the HEA employability skills to theindicators used in the OU undergraduate levelsframework under the headings: cognitive skills, keyskills, practical and professional skills, andpersonal and career development. A summary ofthe levels framework is included in Appendix A(p.14). There is a broad match between the OU andthe HEA skills and attributes.

Cognitive and key skills such as critical analysis,effective communication, independent learning and information literacy – developed in all subjectareas through study at levels 1, 2 and 3 – are allkey employability skills. Table 1 suggests how thecategories of learning outcomes used to describeOU courses or awards can be translated into alanguage that employers use and value. The moredetailed HEA discipline profiles, and skills andattributes map, described in the Resourcessection of this booklet (p.12), give examples ofhow the HEA categories can be used in specificsubject areas.

An important step is to be explicit to studentsabout how a course, or a study pathway, contributesto the development of their employability skills.Associate lecturers, supported by course teamguidance and regional staff development activities,play a key role here in helping students recognisethe skills they are gaining.

The ePortfolio tool provided by the Virtual LearningEnvironment (VLE) offers a way for students tobuild up their own employability resources byrecording and keeping evidence of their skills, forexample where assessment tasks give students theopportunity to demonstrate high-level cognitive ortransferable key skills, practical abilities andcompetencies. Students can then draw on theirePortfolio to provide employers or managers withevidence of their skills and abilities.

Not all the employability skills will necessarily bedeveloped through OU study. Students in full-timeor part-time employment are already likely to havea range of valuable skills gained throughexperience. Enhancing employability is abouthelping the individual recognise the skills theyhave, however and wherever those skills have beendeveloped, and articulate them to others.

Table 1 Comparison of OU indicators and HEA employability skills

OU indicators

Cognitive skillsDescription, application, analysis andsynthesis of knowledge

Key skillsAddressing issues and problems;communication; information literacy; ICT andnumerical skills; learning how to learn.

Practical and professional skills Developing practical skills and professionalawareness

Personal and career developmentUsing personal and career planning anddevelopment resources

HEA employability skills

Cognitive skillsThe ability to identify, analyse and solveproblems; work with information and handle amass of diverse data. Assess risk and drawconclusions.

Generic competenciesHigh-level and transferable key skills such asthe ability to work with others in a team,communicate, persuade and haveinterpersonal sensitivity.

Practical elementsCritical evaluation of the outcomes ofprofessional practice; reflect and review ownpractice; participate in and review qualitycontrol processes and risk management

Business and/or organisational awarenessHaving an appreciation of how businessesoperate through work experience.Appreciation of organisational culture,policies and processes.

Technical abilityFor example, having the knowledge andexperience of working with modern laboratoryequipment. The ability to apply and exploitinformation technology.

Personal capabilitiesThe ability and desire to learn for oneself andimprove one’s self-awareness andperformance – lifelong learning philosophy,emotional intelligence and performance.

6

Enhancing employabilityin the curriculum

7

The close relationship between employabilityskills and those attributes needed to be aneffective learner means that many OU courses andstudy pathways will already support employabilitythrough a range of learning activities andassessments. Enhancing employability within thecurriculum is about adding value by making explicitwhat we do already and drawing students’attention to the skills they are developing as partof their study.

Checklists for course teams and programmecommittees

Two checklists are provided on pages 10 and 11 tosuggest areas where course teams and programmecommittees can engage with employability. Thefocus is on starting with learning outcomes andmapping these to the employability skills listed inTable 1.

Using course and award learning outcomes

The OU can add value to its provision by makingexplicit how the learning outcomes of courses andqualifications are related to the skills andattributes employers are looking for. For learningoutcomes to be linked to employability:

• course outcomes need to be well aligned withaward outcomes;

• course teams, associate lecturers and students needto be aware of how study at each level contributes tothe development of employability skills.

One way to check is by auditing study pathways togain an overview of where students are developingtheir employability skills. A simple mapping tool isoffered in Appendix B. Given the learningoutcomes for a course or award, the tool isintended to prompt academic discussion about theemployability skills that emerge from study intheir subject area. Colleagues using this simpletool have found that it can help identify:

• employability skills that are supported anddeveloped as part of the learning outcomes;

• employability skills that are supported anddeveloped but are not explicitly included in thelearning outcomes;

• opportunities and language for talking aboutemployability skills;

• skills gaps.

The results from such an audit can be used to tellstudents and ALs about the employability skillsthat are already embedded, as well as informingcourse teams and programme committeesinvolved in curriculum development.

Using the levels framework

Many OU students spread their study over severalyears. If they are studying to enhance their career,then opportunities for new jobs or new positionsmay arise before they have completed their studies.It is important, therefore, that students part waythrough their studies are still able to recognise how

their skills are developing as they move from courseto course and level to level, and are able to describethis clearly to others. In employment situations, thiscan be a positive factor; for example, by changingthe emphasis from ‘I’m studying for a degree withthe OU but I’ve not got it yet’ to ‘I’m studying for adegree with the OU. I’m currently doing level 2courses and that means I can …’

The OU’s undergraduate levels framework is a setof statements indicating the generic skills andabilities students should be able to demonstrateat each level of study. Programme committeesshould use the framework and Table 1 to helpidentify employability skills and attributes, andrelate these to the learning outcomes at eachlevel. Being clear about what is gained from studyat level 1, 2 or 3 helps students recognise whatthey can do and what progress they are making –something that is as relevant to those studyingpurely for interest as it is for those wanting careerdevelopment.

C A S E S T U D Y 3 Regional staff development

The aim was to explore the meaning of employabilitywithin a regional and AL context. A group of associatelecturers and staff tutors developed a set of activitiesto learn more about what employability could mean forthem and their students, including:

• exploring their own and their students’ understandingof employability;

• looking at staff development needs in terms ofemployability;

• exploring ways of better supporting students indeveloping their employability;

• considering ways of building better links with theCareers Advisory Service.

Key findings and outcomes

• Members of the group had not previously givenemployability much, if any, thought.

• They learned that employability relates strongly topersonal development and is relevant to the majorityof students.

• They identified that some aspects of employabilityare not developed for most students in their study.These include group and team working skills, as wellas face-to-face and oral communication skills.

• They discovered that most of their students and ALcolleagues did not make the link between study andemployability.

A number of resources were produced as part of thiswork:

• A draft information leaflet for ALs highlighting thework of the Careers Advisory Service.

• Support materials for use in developing employabilityskills with groups of students, either as a stand-alone activity or as part of another activity such as aday school.

8

The levels framework is given in Appendix A.Copies of the levels document are available fromthe Centre for Outcomes-Based Education or thewebsite www.open.ac.uk/cobe.

Personal development plan (PDP)

There is a close relationship between personaldevelopment planning and employability. An OUstudent’s PDP may involve planning their studypathway to support their career as well as theirpersonal interests, reflecting on progress andidentifying strengths as well as gaps to beaddressed. A PDP can help the student develop asa learner and understand how their learning relatesto a wider context.

Personal development planning can be integrated intothe curriculum as part of assessed activities.Students should be encouraged to identify the skillsthey are developing and to understand how theserelate not only to their course but also to theiremployability.

Summary

Employability skills are not new, rather they are anew way of describing many of the skills andattributes that students develop from studyingwith the OU. Employability can be enhanced incurriculum development, design or delivery by:

• explaining where course or award learningoutcomes are also relevant to careerdevelopment;

• helping students identify and record evidence oftheir achievements;

• helping students recognise that OU learningoutcomes give them a language to communicatetheir skills and achievements to others, includingemployers;

• helping students recognise that employability, likebuilding self-confidence and a sense ofachievement, is part of a wider group of benefitsof HE.

• Staff development material. This has been trialledregionally and is now available for all.

Key lessons for all

• Although employability has broad relevance, it is notpart of the thinking of most OU regional staff.

• Students generally do not readily make theconnections between study and employability

• OU study does not provide everything students needfor their employability. We need to remember thatstudy is only one of a student’s life experiences.

• Regional staff development is key to enhancingstudent employability in the OU. Materials areavailable to support this.

The full case study and resources can be found on theEnhancing Employability websitewww.open.ac.uk/cobe/employability

9

Checklist for course teams

Action

Audit your course to map the learningoutcomes to employability skills and developan employability skills profile.

Explain to your students and ALs how thelearning outcomes of your course are linked toemployability skills.

Be explicit about employability skills in thecourse descriptions and course guides of allcourses.

Use tutor notes and course briefings to informALs about resources that support studentemployability and career development.

Explain to students and ALs where assessmentactivities can be used to demonstrateemployability skills.

Draw attention to employability qualities thatyour course develops and which may not beexplicit in the learning outcomes.

Use the VLE to host your course’semployability profile, and link to this from thecourse guide.

Comments

Use the list of employability skills to translatethe language of learning outcomes to employ-ability statements that students can use. Use the mapping tool (Appendix B on p.15) tobuild an employability profile that identifies theskills your course develops.

Point out to students the employability skillsthey are gaining from level 1, 2 or 3 study, asappropriate to your course. Students are likelyto want to develop or change their careers asopportunities arise – not only when they havegained a qualification.

Recognising that HE study provides cognitiveand key skills that are relevant beyond theirimmediate subject areas is important forstudents’ career and personal development.Development of wider employability skills isnot always obvious to students on Foundationdegrees, or other professional or work-relatedcourses.

ALs should be able to:• explain to students how course learning

outcomes and employability skills are linked;• direct students to the OU Careers Advisory

Service website www.open.ac.uk/careers

For example, a summary, report or analysissubmitted for assessment might also beincluded in a student’s employability portfolio.

Clear presentation, information handling skills,group working and self-management, for example,all demonstrate aspects of employability.

The VLE offers opportunities to bring togetheremployability resources that are relevant bothto courses and qualifications.

10

Checklist for programme committees

Action

Audit your programme to identify:• what employability skills are developed in

your subject area;• how and where employability skills are made

explicit to your students.

Use benchmark statements, as appropriate, toensure that employability has been consideredwhen a qualification is designed.

Be explicit about the employability skillsdeveloped in Foundation degrees andprofessional programmes.

Explain in marketing information, programmewebsites and programme guides how thelearning outcomes of your qualifications arelinked to employability skills.

Explain to students how employability skills are developed by study at each level.

Build links with the Careers Advisory Serviceand regional careers advisor for yourprogramme area.

Guide students to employability resourcesrelevant to your programme.

Use the tools offered by the VLE to raisestudents’ awareness of employability throughpersonal development planning (PDP) as theyfollow their study pathway.

Comments

A mapping tool is available in Appendix B (p.15).

Be clear about how relevant learning outcomesof compulsory and core optional courses in apathway contribute to employability, and howthis is communicated to students and tutors.

Identify where the learning outcomes ofcompulsory and core optional courses supportemployability requirements in the subjectbenchmark statements.

Students may not appreciate that coursesfocused on specific work areas will also developemployability skills that are useful in a widerrange of careers.

For example, what skills do Arts graduatesdevelop that they can bring to the workplace?What particular employability skills do Sciencegraduates develop?

Table 1 links the OU level indicators to the HEAlist of employability skills. Academic learningoutcomes may need to be translated so thatstudents understand what employability skillsthey are gaining.

Each programme area has links to a regionalcareers advisor.

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) hassubject employability profiles atwww.heacademy.ac.uk/profiles.htm

Resources for students are available fromwww.open.ac.uk/careers

Tools such as the ePortfolio can be used to helpstudents plan, record and reflect on theirprogress, and add to their understanding oftheir employability skills and attributes.

11

Enhancing Employability(www.open.ac.uk/cobe/employability)

The Enhancing Employability website offers arange of resources for staff to raise awareness ofemployability centrally and regionally, including:

• audit tools and examples;• checklists for course teams and programme

committees;• case studies of student and AL involvement in

employability.

COBE also offers support for course teams andprogramme committees engaging withemployability issues, and for regions planningstaff development events.

OU Careers Advisory Service(www.open.ac.uk/careers)

The OU Careers Advisory Service offers supportfor students seeking help to:

• plan, develop or change their career; • complete application forms, CVs or covering

letters; • prepare for an interview; • register and look for employment, and search on-

line vacancies; • get involved in voluntary work; • consider further study or professional training.

A team of regional careers advisors provide adviceand guidance relating to the subject areas offeredin the OU curriculum, and all issues related tocareer planning and job-seeking. The CareersAdvisory Service also offers resources for OUstaff to support course and programmedevelopment.

Resources

12

Higher Education Academy(www.heacademy.ac.uk)

Discipline profilesThe Higher Education Academy (HEA), workingwith the 24 Higher Education Academy SubjectCentres and the Council for Industry and HigherEducation (CIHE), has produced the Studentemployability profiles: A guide for highereducation practitioners which provides anoverview of 50 discipline profiles. Each profileidentifies a set of work-related skills linked to thestudy of a particular subject, and a commentary onthe value of the skills in employment. The skills,competencies and attributes are those whichemployers say they value.

The guide profiles and other relevantemployability information are available on the HEAwebsite at www.heacademy.ac.uk/profiles.htm.

A copy of the Student employability profiles guidecan also be obtained from the Centre forOutcomes-Based Education (COBE).

Skills and attributes mapMany OU awards are referenced to the subjectbenchmark statements produced by the QualityAssurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). TheHEA Subject Centres have developed Skills andAttributes Maps which capture key employabilityattributes identified in the benchmark statements.Each map links the benchmark statements to theskills, attributes and competencies identified byCIHE. The maps aim to broadly translate theacademic focus of the benchmarks to a moregeneral language of employability for students.Links to all the Subject Centres are on the HEAwebsite atwww.heacademy.ac.uk/SubjectNetwork.htm.

13

Appendix A Undergraduate levels framework

The following is taken from the Undergraduate Levels Framework (June 2005), available from the Centre forOutcomes-Based Education or the website www.open.ac.uk/cobe.

INDICATOR

KNOWLEDGE ANDUNDERSTANDING

knowing about andunderstanding your subject

COGNITIVE SKILLS

description, application, analysisand synthesis of knowledge

KEY SKILLS

Addressing issues and problems

awareness of context andenvironment

Communication

communicating clearly,effectively and appropriatelywith others (includinginterpersonal skills,collaborative and group working)

Information literacy

finding, critically evaluating andusing information

ICT and numerical skills

using appropriate ICT andnumerical skills

Learning how to learn

managing and improving yourown learning

PRACTICAL ANDPROFESSIONAL SKILLS

developing practical skills andprofessional awareness

PERSONAL AND CAREERDEVELOPMENT

using personal and careerplanning and developmentresources

LEVEL 1

Show that you know andunderstand principles, conceptsand terms central to yoursubject.

Use your knowledge andunderstanding to describe,analyse and interpret definedaspects of your subject.

Know about and begin to addressissues and problems central toyour subject.

Develop your skills incommunicating informationaccurately and appropriately toyour subject, purpose andaudience.

Develop your skills in finding,selecting and using informationor data in defined contexts.

Develop your use of ICT toolsand your numerical skills asappropriate to support yourstudies.

Become aware of ways in whichyou learn, and begin to developas an independent learner.

Develop, as appropriate,practical and professional skillsand awareness of relevantethical issues.

Plan your study pathway to linkyour learning with your personaland/or career goals.

LEVEL 2

Demonstrate knowledge andcritical understanding of theprinciples, concepts andtechniques used in your subject.

Apply your knowledge andunderstanding accurately to arange of issues, questions andproblems relevant to yoursubject.

Apply established techniques tocritically evaluate and interpretyour subject in a range ofcontexts.

Compare critically and use diff-erent approaches to issues andproblems within your subject.

Communicate information,arguments and ideas effectively,using the styles and languageappropriate to your subject,purpose and audience.

Find, critically evaluate and useinformation or data accurately ina range of contexts.

Use ICT tools and numericalskills, as appropriate, to help youlearn effectively.

Plan, monitor and review yourprogress as an independentlearner.

Engage, as appropriate, withpractical and professional skillsand demonstrate an awarenessof relevant ethical issues.

Recognise and record your skillsand knowledge to support yourpersonal and/or career goals.

LEVEL 3

Demonstrate systematicknowledge and criticalunderstanding of your subject,some of it in specialist areas,and informed by current thinkingand developments.

Select and use accuratelyestablished techniques ofanalysis and enquiry outside thecontext in which they were firststudied, and be aware of theirlimitations.

Synthesise, critically evaluate,and challenge information,arguments and assumptionsfrom different sources, includingpublications informed by currentissues or research developmentsas appropriate.

Recognise the potentialuncertainty, ambiguity and limitsof knowledge in your subject.

Identify and ask questionsappropriately to explore relevantissues or problems within yoursubject.

Communicate complexinformation, arguments andideas effectively andappropriately to your subject,purpose and audience.

Find, critically evaluate and useinformation or data accurately incomplex contexts.

Select and use ICT tools toimprove your learning and extendyour numerical skills, asappropriate,

As an independent learner, plan,monitor and evaluate your ownlearning and seek ways toimprove your performance.

Engage, as appropriate, withpractical and professional skillsand relevant ethical issues.

Recognise, record andcommunicate your skills andknowledge to achieve yourpersonal and/or career goals.

14

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Copyright © 2007 The Open University SUP 908708