Transferable skills

David Santandreu Calonge

Senior Education Development Officer

Intended Learning OutcomesIntended Learning Outcomes

identify the keys characteristics of transferable skills,

describe the advantages of polishing transferable skills,

apply this knowledge to audit your programme & integrate skills into your curriculum.

How would you define [Transferable skills]?

Transferable Skills are non-job specific skills which can be used in different occupations.

Organisational skills,Communication skills, Research skills

Developed through course work, jobs, internships, exchange programmes, volunteering, or just plain life experience.

“Entrepreneurship is not necessarily something we can teach in a classroom, rather these requisite practical skills and mindset are something students must discover by engaging in entrepreneurial activities similar to those found in the real world”

Raymond Lau Yiu-keung, assistant professor, Department of Information Systems, CityU

The Standard, September 2008

Any examples from you?

You might want to discuss this with the person (s) sitting next to you

Are Transferable Skills important? If yes, why?

Battle-tested: From soldier to business leader

Transferable skills link to careers

12 steps to success in corporate life

Build co-operative relationships

Influence upwards

Communicate with clarity

Be efficient

Become a team player

Make good decisions every time

Take charge of developmentSouth China Morning Post (HK), August 2008

Do we really need TS?

To get a job

Personnel & Administrative Executive Company Name: LUTEX GROUP We are a gift company in soap product in Hong Kong with office in Wanchai and are looking for the following candidate to join us:F.7 or above with 3 years related experience Responsible for general personnel & administrative support Knowledge in MS Word and Excel, Chinese Word Processing Good command of written and spoken English, Cantonese & Mandarin Well-organized, mature, responsible and teamplayer

Immediate availability preferred

Secretary, Internal Audit DivisionCompany Name: FUBON BANK (HONG KONG) LIMITED

Degree holder with formal secretarial / business administrative studies Minimum 8 years’ secretarial experience in financial services industry Exposure to administrative support for auditing / accounting / compliance functions preferred Fluent communication in English and Mandarin Strong PC skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint Strong sense of confidentiality and responsibility Organized, attentive, careful, reliable and willing to learn and grow

Client Service Manager / Senior Manager (Retail & Company Name: SEARCHASIA Our client is one of the global research firm in providing wide range of market information, they are now inviting high calibre candidates to join for the below position:

Client Service Manager / Senior Manager (Retail & FMCG)

Duties: Identify the business needs and specifications of the client Recommend, enhance and provide value-added services Handle client's enquiries and obtain the requirements / briefing on different research projects Work closely with the research team and monitoring the research progressPresent to the client about the major insight and finding of different research projects Maintain an accurate and up-to-date knowledge on research techniques and applications

2010

Catherine WeirCitigroup corporate and investment banking business.

Southeast Asia Head and managing director

“The prerequisite for potential recruits is simply that they are prepared to build new skills, can absorb the necessary informationand are keen to master the intricacies of the financial services industry…

For an exciting career with transferable skills, look no further than the financial services industry.”

“Clients in the commerce industry prefer candidates with the kind of highly transferable skills learned and trained at one of the Big Four accounting firms, who understand the regulatory environment with project management experience”

Dora Pang, consultant of Commerce Accounting Division at Robert Walters Hong Kong

“Successful business analysts are typically good communicators and possess strong analytical and presentation skills. Employers look for detail-oriented candidates who are able to manage multiple tasks and meet tight deadlines. Problem-solving skills are also crucial to the job”

Michael Curtis, Manager of Commerce and Industry Recruitment at Ambition, a recruitment specialist covering Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Britain.

To change jobs

“Being a journalist gave me many transferable skills, including strong communication, analytical and presentation skills. Now I will begin my career in equity research, where I can use all the skills I've accumulated”

Recent graduate Elaine Wu left journalism for a career in finance, using an MBA degree as a stepping stone between the two

Candidates who can show they have experience and skills which can be adapted for use in a new role stand a genuine chance”

“Talent crunch forces a change in policies. Companies today are increasingly prepared to recruit people from other sectors who have the necessary transferrable skills.

Levina Poon, Associate Director, Banking and Finance Division.

How teachers can break out of the classroom routine

"We can deal with a demanding workloadand tight deadlines; we are proactive; we are great at face-to-face work and we are used to dealing with 'customers' – whether students or parents".

Thursday, 18 March 2010

Teachers in search of new pastures find they are well qualified for other things

Interview questions will focus on 3 areas: 1. technical knowledge (education, qualifications and experience),2. relevant transferable skills, and 3. future focus.

Job interviews

To improve and get promoted

Fancl's Noel Kiu {Human Resources Director} believes that good teamwork is the best way to provide the best service to customers.

Staff working at the supervisory level receive training on time management, key performance indicators (KPI), and how to motivate and coach their subordinates

Managerial staff are trained in strategic planningand financial management to make sure they are competent leaders

What it takes to make it in finance (SCMP, 2009)

"Nowadays teamwork is more important than ever, and everybody has to deal with people. Even if you don't come face to face with clients, you need to deal with people internally."The changes are cultural too - your team might include people from all over the world with different languages. There's a lot to learn".

Richard Sun, partner for Assurance in the Consumer and Industrial Products Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers

“Today's accountant needs to be able to communicate with the CEO, company investors, the board of directors and people in general,". Although there are new and more complicated accounting standards, it is not difficult to acquire the necessary technical skills, but it can be difficult to apply them in the business world," "This requires what we might call a three-dimensional accountant for the new era”

"What we need in a business environment is … being able to sift through the huge volume of "raw data" that is now available and select what is most appropriate for each type of audience.Also, the data should be structured to explain your bank's wealth management function and presented in a way that suits the other person. "You must know how to customise according to what the audience needs"

This requires a combination of critical analysis, anticipation and creativity.Chris Liu, General Manager for Hong Kong and Senior vice-president for Greater China at public relations agency Ketchum Newscan.

“The storied banking giant's [Lehman brothers] demise was an illustrative lesson for the industry and for academics — one that may lead to lasting changes in business-school curriculums”

Awi Federgruen, chair of the Decision, Risk and Operations Division at Columbia Business School.Time magazine

“This winter all first-year students will spend a day discussing a case on JPMorgan Chase's purchase of Bear Stearns. The twist is that they'll be doing it 3times, and from three perspectives: in the Business, Government and the International Economy course (focusing on the subprime crisis), in Finance (liquidity and capital issues) and in Leadership and Corporate Accountability (internal and external governance issues)”.

Jay O. Light is the Dean of Harvard Business School

“Environmental managers have to be versatile and perceptive enough to see issues from all-round perspectives…

They also need good soft skills to communicate and present themselves well. Technical knowledge is becoming less importantthan these attributes.”

Victor Kwong Chiu-ling, corporate health, safety and environment manager for Towngas

To survive

What would you do in the wake of a global catastrophe? How would you find food? Water? Shelter? The Colony is a controlled experiment to see exactly what it would take to survive and rebuild under these circumstances. For 10 weeks, a group of 10 volunteers, whose backgrounds and expertise represent a cross-section of modern society, are isolated in an urban environment outside Los Angeles and tasked with creating a liveable society

1. Are Transferable Skills important? 2. Does the Industry say they are?3. What shall we, as educators, do about it?4. What’s the plan?

STAGE 1 Identify the skills and qualities of a graduate required by City University, School, Department or Programme

CityU Graduate Outcomes

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What about post-grads, do they really need transferable skills?

The 2002 SET for Success (UK) review by Sir Gareth Roberts of the supply of science and engineering skills in the UK recommended that postgraduate research students should have at least two weeks of formal training in transferable skills each year

1. Research management 2. Personal effectiveness 3. Communication skills 4. Networking and team

working 5. Career management

CityU Research Postgraduate Outcomes

APPLYA thorough understanding of the fundamental concepts of their research areas

GENERATEStrategies to develop internationally competitive applied research in their fields of expertise

RELATEExcellent methodological and ethical principles to independently generate innovative research

APPLYEffective communication skills in relation to research

Academic Development Proposal 2009/12

What’s yours?

And how do you align those with

CityU’s?

1

SCMP Employers Survey (2006)

Base: All respondents (n=698)

How confident are you that Hong Kong’s university graduates possess sufficient and relevant skills for meeting the needs of society in the following areas?

36%

44%

43%

48%

47%

49%

40%

37%

8%

11%

12%

12%

12%

12%

16%

39%

1%

1%

1%

10%

1%

10%

11%

12%

15%

8%

7%

11%

3%

30%

34%

32%

10%

32%

32%

32%

40%International understanding

English

Creativity

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Putonghua

Analytical thinking

Numeric skills

No comment Not confident at all Not confident Fair Confident Extremely confident

Top 2 Top 2 BoxBox

49%49%

16%16%

13%13%

13%13%

12%12%

12%12%

11%11%

9%9%

QBot 2 Bot 2 BoxBox

13%13%

43%43%

39%39%

40%40%

40%40%

45%45%

44%44%

55%55%

2007

3.673.57 3.58

3.463.55 3.53

3.373.48

3.54

3.30

3.49

3.24

3.48 3.48

3.11

3.37

3.75

3.76

2.5

3

3.5

4

ChineseLanguage

Proficiency

EnglishLanguage

Proficiency

NumericalCompetency

InformationTechnology

Literacy

AnalyticalProblemSolvingAbilities

WorkAttitudes

Inter-Personal

Skills

ManagementSkills

TechnicalSkills

Other University Graduates City University Graduates

TOP BUSINESS SKILLS

1. Team working and interpersonal skills2. Initiative3. Analysing and problem solving4. Verbal communication 5. Personal planning and organising6. Flexibility7. IT skills

Source: Microsoft (500 UK business leaders surveyed)- 2008

Software innovation, like almost every other kind of innovation, requires the ability to collaborate and share ideas with other people, and to sit down and talk with customers and get their feedback and understand their needs,"

Bill Gates

Job Outlook 2008 survey, conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

0 0.5 1 1.5 2

Decision making

IT skills

Planning

Written communication

Managing one's own learning

Coping with multiple tasks

Presentation skills

Team work

Time management

Oral communication

Strong work ethics

Communication skills

Initiative

Interpersonal skills

Problem-solving skills

Analytical skills

Flexibility/Adaptability

Technical skills

Computer skills

Teamwork skills

Important qualities/skills for a job candidate

“Today’s employers have an extensive list of attributes, skills, and qualities they look for in their job candidates. Nearly 70 percent of employers taking part in NACE’s Job Outlook 2009 study said they screen candidates by GPA (grade point average). “For most, the cut-off is 3.0—or a B average.If a student passes that hurdle, then the employer takes a look at other attributes. Among the skills, attributes, and qualities employers prize most are communication skills, a strong work ethic, ability to work in a team, and initiative.

Employers also emphasize leadership experience.”

Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director

Job Outlook 2009 survey Employer views on Achievement of essential Learning Outcomes 2008

Very well prepared(8-10 ratings)

Not well prepared(1-5 ratings)

Mean rating

TeamworkEthical judgmentIntercultural skills

Social responsibilityQuantitative reasoningOral communication

Self-knowledgeAdaptability

Critical thinkingWriting

Self-directionGlobal knowledge

39%38%38%35%32%30%28%24%22%26%23%18%

17%19%19%21%23%23%26%30%31%37%42%46%

7.06.96.96.76.76.66.56.36.36.15.95.7

Survey commissioned by the Association of American Colleges and Universities

STAGES 2 & 3

Audit the courses you teach to determine the extent to which these skills are currently being developed.

Identify any skills "gaps" and opportunities which may exist for development.

Which Transferable Skills? in your departments/courses

How do transferable skills differ from the specific skills required for your degree programme?Which of the Transferable skills are applicable to your courses?How would you list transferable skills for your students?What attitudes are desirable among your graduates?How best can you foster these skills and attitudes?To what extent are TS skills explicit and clearly specified within your programme?To what extent are TS skills an acknowledged part of your department's teaching strategy?

What TS skills do students entering your courses lack?How best should these be developed?Has time and support been set aside for your students to reflect on their own learning?What skills developed at CityU do new employees use in the workplace?What implications are there for you, as degree course planners?

In what ways can your courses be modified to better develop TS skills?Are any skills requirements imposed by quality assurance procedures?To what extent are transferable skills implementation and achievement evaluated?In what ways can your courses benefit from this process?

STAGES 4 & 5

IntegrationBenefits of explicit Integration?

For students For staff

Integration

5 agendas for reflection and discussion in your department

1. What can transferable skills do for us?

2. Rationale and approach to transferable skills.

3. Current transferable skills provision.

4. Managing and teaching transferable skills

5 Monitoring, recording and evaluating transferable skills

Agenda 1: What are key skills and what can they do for us?Why has the decision to investigate transferable skills been taken?What can transferable skills do for my department and my students?

Agenda 2: Rationale and approach to key skillsWhat will be the relationship between the TS skills and the rest of the student

programme?Could TS skills be (a) integrated within the student course/programme, (b) provided

as an addition to the course/programme, or (c) provided using some combined approach?

Agenda 3: Current key skills provisionWhat is the current provision of TS skills within the department how will it be audited?What is the current level of TS skill activity and achievement among students?What benefits will the introduction of TS skills bring for students?What benefits will the introduction of TS skills bring for staff?

Agenda 4: Managing and teaching key skillsHow will we manage the introduction of TS skills?What changes in course structures may be required?What changes may be needed in the way courses/programmes are described to students?What are the implications for current teaching and learning styles and methods?

Agenda 5: Monitoring, recording and accrediting achievementWill TS skills be assessed (and accredited), if so by whom?What approaches will be used for the assessment of TS skills?What strategies will be used to assess and monitor students' TS skills achievements?How will a student's progress against TS skills be tracked?Who will be responsible for recording and tracking TS skills: the student, tutors, support staff?

STAGE 6

Identify suitable skills materials or exercises for integration into the curriculum.

Effective skills development depends on opportunities to practiceskills with support and guidance which encourages and informs constructive reflection and the definition of strategies for improvement.

Transfera

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Transferable Skills in Exeter Physics Programmes

Although there are some dedicated components, most of our transferable skills training is embedded within other activities. To illustrate this, consider the experience of students taking F300 BSc Physics who will acquire many skills likely to be useful tin their future careers: On arrival at Exeter Physics students take part in the Induction Period for Stage 1 Students where they receive introductory information about a wide range of topics including IT provision, library facilities, budgeting, counselling and study methods. Students also develop their social skills very rapidly during this period. Training in group work, problem solving and using the library, is also provided by the School during Weeks M0-1. Much of the Stage 1 Tutorial Work involves developing transferable skills. Tutorials continue to have this role throughout all years of the programmes. Physics graduates are expected to have a relatively high-level of mathematical facility (advanced 'application of number') and Stage 1 students can take either PHY1115 Mathematical Skills or PHY1116 Mathematics for Physicists, depending on their performance in adiagnostic test, with optional mathematics assistance classes for students who need extra help for some reason. IT skills training is provided during the first year by the PHY1108 IT Skills for Physicists module and by the PHY1107 Practical Electronics I module. PHY1107 also trains students to detect and correct complicated problems in a systematic manner. Level 1 Laboratory module which includes activities such as group work, presentations, record-keeping and report-writing as integral parts and offers an opportunity to apply some of the skills acquired in PHY1108 to the production of a report. After the exams, Stage 1 students take the PHY0000 Communications Skills course which also involves a considerable amount of group work and problem-solving.

The Summer Vacation Report requires students to study independently a topic of their own choosing and to write a dissertation which will be marked, and used as the basis of a presentation to their Stage 2 tutorial group. Second year students are able to choose options which include skills training: PHY2004 Scientific Programming in C , PHY2003 Practical Electronics II, and PHY1116 Mathematics II (if not already taken in Year 1). The Level 2 laboratory PHY2017 reinforces the practical skills learned in Year 1, and requires students to make a formal presentation to an audience of significant size comprising their peers and staff. Students are encouraged to start considering options for their future careers after the Semester-II examinations and can obtain advice from the Careers and Employment Service as well as training in interview skills and practice at taking psychometric tests. Stage 3 tutorials put considerable emphasis on solving general problems as preparation for the PHY3124 and developing written communications skills by writing short essays. The Stage 3 projects involve assessed written, oral and poster presentations.

The Global Mergers and Acquisitions in April 2009A week-long role-play case study

The students assume the roles of senior management and are assigned into teams of four. The students conduct an in-depth analysis of the industry and the relevant companies resulting in a two-stage negotiation with another team regarding the terms of the merger/acquisition. This case brings together all the elements presented in your courses in an active, hands-on learning experience. At the end of the week, each team defends its actions before its "Board of Directors" (i.e., course faculty).

STIEFEL

STAGE 7

b) Help them to identify them. a) Reviewing how students may be encouraged to value transferable skills

Identifying Transferable Skills

working with people

working with things

working with information and data HOW

?

Training Needs Analysis

Questions/brainstorming

Training Needs Analysis

1. Discipline specific skills: to undertake the research

2. Inter-personal and presentation skills: to present the poster

3. Networking skills: to make the most of the opportunity of attending the conference

4. Graphic design and writing skills: to produce the poster.

A Training Needs Analysis is an examination of the skills you need in order to complete a particular task

Management/Administrative Skills

Plan and arrange

Delegate responsibility

Assess and evaluate your own work as well as that of classmates or coworkers

Use databases or software to organise and present information

Remain flexible/ see obstacles as a challenge rather than a setback

Manage multiple tasks

Identify and manage ethical issues

Can you?

Communication Skills Listen-answer questions, provide information, accept input

Write reports, records, and technical or specialised documents

Present information to large and small groups

Persuade-give recommendations, convince others

Read or speak another language

Negotiate-settle disagreements, or help others to see all sides of a situation

Express yourself confidently and creatively

Can you?

(Teaching)

My own research

Research assistant for Prof. XYZ

Sat on TTTTTTT committee

Organised MMMMMM conference

Edited Journal of KKKKKK

Once you’ve done that, go through each of the tasks that you executed (whether you did them poorly or well, whether you finished or not, whether you hated or loved them).

Figure out what skills you used to do that task. Write them down

Different kinds of work you did /are doing Research

You developed an original research question or hypothesis, which itself required critically analysing existing texts, looking for gaps in research, evaluating existing research for strengths and weaknesses.

You developed a system for amassing, organising and using large amounts of data (whether it was qualitative or quantitative). You used various methods, software, note-taking strategies to handle your research information. You used trial and error over and over again to pin down the best way to conduct and organise your research. You demonstrated persistence in getting to where you are now, but you also showed flexibility in being open to where your research took you. You made an argument and you supported it.

1. Define transferable skills

2. Identify the skills and qualities of a graduate required by your Department /Programme /Course

3. Audit the courses you teach to determine the extent to which these skills are currently being developed.

4. Identify any skills "gaps" and opportunities which may exist for development.

5. Consider the level at which you wish your students to develop chosen skills.

6. Identify suitable skills materials or exercises for integration into the curriculum.

7. Consider whether assessment of skills is appropriate

David Santandreu Calonge

Senior Education Development Officer