Improving the employability offer for Postgraduate Students at the University of Plymouth Michelle Morgan

The purpose of this report

This aims of this report are threefold. Firstly, it will provide practical and innovative suggestions and ideas on delivering a high quality Postgraduate taught student experience including advice on practical ways of designing and embedding employability into the PG curriculum and support for PGT students to enhance their employability skills. Secondly, it will provide a brief and general overview of PG enrolments in the UK. Thirdly, it will highlight the challenges faced by the sector regarding sustaining postgraduate taught enrolments, and the specific challenges facing the University of Plymouth within this context.

1. Suggestions of activities for development and implementationThis section provides short, mid and long-term suggestions for PGT development and implementation which cover employability and employment; curriculum and assessment; support and co-curricular and achievement. The suggestions are based on research and the current PGT landscape at the University of Plymouth, across the South West Region and the UK (see section 3 onwards).

Short-term

1 Postgraduate Student Experience Strategy

Develop a targeted and focused postgraduate strategy encompassing a vision for all types of postgraduate study using your enrolment and graduate statistics to identify action areas. If choosing comparator universities, consider identifying ones that have a similar student body, course provision and regional dynamics to the University of Plymouth .When developing the strategy, consider the following.

Identify what growth is possible and where (e.g. mature graduates, PT study). Determine whether the university continue to grow or whether it needs to retract in

certain areas? If retraction is required, plan it and do not have it enforced by external factors.

Identify where there has been course decline and determine if the course is still fit for purpose;

Determine whether Plymouth wants to provide generic, niche offerings or both. Identify WP students at the university and potential markets. Identify what content is required and construct a timetable for adapting existing courses. Look at flexibility of study for routes in and progression through. Identify staff responsibilities, key roles and relevant staff development. Create academic employability champions within faculties (see point 8). Interlinking support. Identify specific PGT employability and employment aims and objectives (see point 2). Create flexibility within disciplines to deliver what is appropriate and don’t be too

prescriptive. It is essential to obtain buy in and a workable framework in place first. Identify experiences of students that can be articulated as employability skills and help

obtain employment. Identify and take advantage of market niche areas (e.g. marine, windfarms). Embrace the engagement requirements of PGT students and do not lift and shift

initiatives from UG level (see Section 4 on Challenges).

1

2 Create a PG Student Experience and Careers and Employability Charter

Use the student experience and employability and employment aims and objectives from the strategy to create a Charter. It will embody the vision of what the University of Plymouth wishes to achieve and will shape the information and activity provided whether in the areas of employability and employment; curriculum and assessment; support and co-curricular and achievement. Within the Charter include the importance of students gaining employment experience and being able to articulate and demonstrate employability skills as a result of it. Be mindful that employment and employability are different. You may wish to apply graduate attributes to each course which can be advertised, and that are achieved through the course.

3 Consistency of information and data across faculties

It is critical that information and support to help provide a high quality student experience is consistent across all faculties, but that allows Faculty and discipline individuality and distinctiveness to be included. This requires effective team working and communication (see points 6, 7 and 8 below). It is essential to manage student expectations from the point of application to completion of their course. Ensure that your PGT applicant and enrolment data across each is faculty is comprehensive so it can be analysed to determine the support requirements of each cohort (e.g. collect data such previous entry qualifications and grades, distance living from the university).

4 A clear and proactive postgraduate careers and employability website

It is important to develop a Postgraduate careers and employability website that links to applicant course information. At present there is no high profile information button on the University of Plymouth’s Careers and Employability website. There is a link at the bottom of the page (‘postgraduate students’) which is easily missed and takes the reader to limited information. Applicants use a range of sources to determine whether a university is right for them including a university’s career and employability pages. Link applicant course information to these pages and make sure there is a synergy between the information provided. There is no clear information for employers on the careers and employability pages and the information provided is vague. It needs to be clear and well signposted from the front page. There is also no careers and employability information signpost on the front page of the University of Plymouth site. One has to hunt for information.

5 Career and employability visibility within the faculties

Due to resources, universities often have central careers and employability offices that act as ‘one stop shops’ where students are expected to go for support. There are issues with this approach which include students struggling to visit the office within normal office hours due to their teaching timetable and if the university has numerous sites or it is a large campus. Getting to the ‘one stop shop’ could be problematic. PGT students’ engagement with university space can be limited so it is important to bring the support to the places they use. Invariably, this is in their home unit (e.g. faculty/department). Think about ‘visibility’ of careers and employability through using screens within faculties to advertise activities; run workshops within the faculty that are timetabled to maximise attendance; have a student advisor based in the faculty (e.g. 2 afternoons a week) so drop-ins are easily accessible; provide discipline ‘branded’ careers and employability advice and not generic. Where there are different sites, think about creating a mobile employability hub (e.g. a ‘branded’ van

2

containing relevant information and equipment) so students can easily access support.

6 Skill requirement entry survey for students

To develop skill activities whether short, mid or long-term, it is essential to understand what students expect and require at PGT level due to their diversity. After an applicant has accepted a place on a PGT course, send them a link to an online survey that asks them a range of short questions about what skills they wish to develop, what skills they want to enhance, what type of extra-curricular activities they would like and how they would like to access them. Analyse late August, early September.

Use the data to put together a programme of activities to meet the incoming cohort’s requirements. Ask academic colleagues to highlight the skills the cohort want when delivering their teaching. Use phrases such as ‘your entry survey responses told us that many of you wanted to obtain critical thinking skills on the course, this activity/subject will help develop these skills..........’. At the start of each piece of assessment, highlight the skills and knowledge that the assessment requires the student to demonstrate. Have it as part of the assessment process and provide a tick list for students so they can check that they have addressed the skills before submission. Provide training for academic and non-academic colleagues to equip them to use the same data to provide their message and to link up with the activities delivered by others.

7 Skills and Employability added to remit of the PG T&L Committee in each Faculty

Add skills and employability to the remit of the Faculty and University PG T&L Committees. It is important for postgraduate study to have its own dedicated committees as ‘UG’ business can often overshadow that of PG if combined. Bring in the appropriate colleagues from across the university who contribute to the delivery of these areas (e.g. Careers and Employability, marketing, LRC). This will help join up the communication and development of activities as well as giving all stakeholders an awareness of each another’s work.

8 Inter-Faculty Annual Conference and Faculty Academic Champions for Employability (FACE)

Run an Inter-Faculty Employability Conference where colleagues from across the university can share good practice and develop links with one another. This could encourage cross discipline formative assessment activities and feed into Flux and Tectona activities (see below). Appoint Faculty Academic Champions for Employability (suggest Grade 10) with responsibility and authority to drive employability within curriculum and assessment and co-curricular activities in the faculty. These positions will be the conduit through which the University rolls out its employability vision and plan.

9 Hot Seat adaptation

Adapt the ‘Hot seat’ activity in 2 ways. First, use drama students in the ‘interview’ hot seat. They will be playing a role so it will be less threatening. You can also highlight different interview experiences (e.g. the aggressive interview, the lack of direction interview, how to identify a badly run interview and how to take control). Second, put Alumni and local business leaders in the ‘Hot seat’ so postgraduates can ask them a range of employability

3

and employment questions. Have some set questions but run it along the lines of ‘Question Time’ where questions are submitted by students just before. Make an event of it.

10 Flux and Tectona

Extend Flux/Tectona to postgraduate level and link it to the curriculum through identifying modules where skills required in Flux/Tectona are evident. Encourage students to participate in these extra-curricular activities. If they do, provide a CPD certificate which can be used as part of their portfolio. Young postgraduates who have progressed immediately from UG to PG studies may appreciate this as they can add it to their portfolio.

11 Orientation and induction to study for PGTs

As with UGs, PGTs also need time to orientate themselves into study and grasp the how to study at postgraduate level. PGTs have less time to do this due to their intense study schedule so provide dedicated information before arrival and a timetable of milestones that they should achieve if they are to succeed. This enables students and staff to identify if a student is falling behind. Students who have come straight from UG into PGT study need to be shown that study at this level is different and requires certain study skills. Students who have been out of study a while will likely need a refresher and maybe more time to adjust. Keep orientation (often called induction) short and focused on the skills they need within the first few weeks. Do not overload and give all the information they need throughout the year in the first week. Phase-in information when relevant but put it all on Moodle on dedicated pages so students can read in advance if they wish. Enable the student to control the speed at which they settle in, but have the milestones as a guideline.

12 Outduction

Just as we settle students in so we need to prepare students to leave. This activity actually starts from entry and all activities should encompass expected outcomes. Produce a What Next? Handbook containing a range of information including employability and employment information, skill transferability advice and advice on future CPD. Create hard copies for distribution of key helpful documents. Students do not like accessing all information electronically. A hard copy can sit on the coffee table at home and is not only a visual reminder but can be easily accessed and written on.

13 Real models not role models

There is a tendency to be incredibly positive and put a ‘marketing spin’ on what a fantastic and enjoyable experience doing PGT study provides. Undertaking a PGT course regardless of mode of study is challenging for most students. It can sometimes be an incredibly stressful time not only through balancing work and study demands but also managing financial stress. PEP found across all the 11 Universities in the project that students wanted honest information about what they could expect and how they could cope with major issues. Advertising and marketing language needs to evolve so it is fit for purpose today for the postgraduate market. Provide case studies that help address barriers to Master’s study around lack of confidence, and issues around social and financial issues. Shifting the content from high flyer profiles (e.g. PGs who are now CEO’s) to personal circumstances will also address concerns that are shared by many prospective students. The case studies will also present an opportunity to offer peer communication that is difficult to facilitate for a one

4

year programme. Shift the emphasis from traditional “recruitment” messages to one of “ordinary” people speaking to the real concerns of prospective Master’s students. This will help in the management of expectations and outcomes.

14 Creating markets through discounts

At present, the University of Plymouth offers a 10% discount to its alumni if they wish to undertake a PGT course. It is suggested that the University offers a range of discounts to its students for the following reasons. When the finance survey from PEP was analysed across the 11 participating universities (note: institutions did not analyse their own data), it found that fee levels did not change a student’s choice of university or course for 74.1% and 91.3% respectively. For the University of Plymouth respondents the figure was less with 63.1% and 85.7% respectively. So for applicants applying to the university, fee levels can potentially impact on choices. Also, of the respondents, 51.7% had received an alumni discount of which 74% stated it was an influential factor in them deciding to undertake study. For the overall sample across the 11 universities, this figure was lower with 57.6%. Respondents at the University of Plymouth were noticeably more likely to find a higher discount more attractive than the overall sample. For example, a 25% discount would have been very influential for 81.6% of of Plymouth respondents compared to only 64.7% of the overall sample.

Being able to get a fee discount for obtaining a 2:1 from another UK university was cited by 73.3% of respondents at the University of Plymouth as helpful and attractive. With increasing student debt levels and their desire to reduce debt if they undertake further study, discounts are a way of attracting students. Obviously, fee discounts have to be affordable by the university, but it is suggested that the following discounts could be considered to attract and convert applications to acceptances and enrolment. They include:

Higher discounts for alumni if they achieve a first or 2:1. Discounts for graduates who have achieved a 2:1 at another UK university who have

returned to the area. Discounts for students who are working with SMEs who are engaged with university

initiatives. Discounts for students who have relatives that work for the University of Plymouth (e.g.

Coventry have recently introduced this for staff.

15 Identifying new markets

Identifying new markets and creating provision is essential. The South West region is attracting new businesses such as media and communication business and activities such as windfarms. The latter has potential for course development in this increasing rapid moving area.

5

Mid to long-term

1 New and existing coursesWhen validating new courses and reviewing existing courses ensure that it contains holistic deliverables on ‘employability skills’ as well as ‘knowledge’. It will be important to get this in place for TEF.

Try to build in short placement/project opportunities of varying lengths which provide value and experience (see point 3 below).

Ensure that the range of employability skills that students can expect to accrue through their chosen course is explicit and clear in the course material provided to them via the application process and course handbook.

Academics need to understand and embrace the significance of key skills in employability and should undergo training to ensure that their module/course contains the relevant skills. They could meet regularly with the Faculty Academic Employability Champions to discuss University strategy, developments and policy.

Look at developing Degree apprenticeships up to M level.

2 Early and mid-module surveysBy undertaking early and mid-module feedback surveys, student satisfaction, concerns and issues can be quickly addressed to help the current cohort. At the start of the module, concerns and issues generally relate to the module information provided, the timing and the clarity and speed of the lectures. By midway, concerns and issues often relate to ‘not understanding the subject’ and ‘feedback’. Short surveys that contain a handful of questions can identify a range of issues that need correcting. They can also identify what skills students feel they need to improve which they may not have known on entry.

3 Knowledge Transfer PartnershipsThe majority of businesses in the UK are SMEs. For some SMEs, working with universities via KTP is not an attractive relationship due to the cost, universities not having the most up-to-date knowledge and technology and intellectual property issues. The challenge is how to build effective working relationships where everyone benefits. The university needs projects and placements so it can offer the PGT student problem solving/work experience, and it wants to create a local/regional understanding amongst businesses of the value of HE to them whether at UG or PG level. The following approach breaks away from the usual operating procedure of the KTP model, but it provides benefits to all stakeholders. SMEs could provide the university with mini projects that they are struggling with. The University using PGT students could provide possible solutions/suggestions free of charge in the first instance. The SME could submit 3 projects before a small charge starts to be incurred for further projects. If the solution requires technology that the University could offer, the SME could pay a fee for it. The benefits are: students can work on real problems in real situations, the university is building relationships with the business community and developing possible future business, and the SMEs can see the value of the university and PGT students.

4 PGT student course projects set by their employerTo encourage employers to release students for study within work time if the teaching timetable is unable to deliver the course in the evening, request the employer to provide

6

a problem solving project that would help their company and incorporate it into the assessment of the student who works for them.

5 Modules as short courses and early exit qualifications/credit transfersWith the cost of PGT courses, their delivery style and some employers (especially SMEs) not requiring employees to have a PGT qualification, it can be difficult for students to obtain study release or get employers to contribute to their study costs (e.g. time off, fees paid). To engage employers and to widen participation in PGT study, a selection of specific modules containing key employability skill content that are already offered at the University of Plymouth could be run as short courses (evening, weekend, bloc). They could result in a module credit for the student. Students can add modules to their CPD portfolio (see point 6 below). Breaking the cost up and having standalone modules could make PGT study more attractive to students and employers. It also allows the University to easily adapt and use existing course information. However, it will be essential to ensure that and technology offered is up-to-date. For example, if running a solidworks course, ensure that the student is taught on the most current software. Avoid the issue that arose with course 2294 whereby you have to enrol on a course to take one or two modules. This skews your data. Also, this will support the increasing pattern at the University of Plymouth where participation in PG certificates, diplomas and short courses amongst those who are UK domiciled is on the increase (See Table 4 in section 4 below).

The Government is looking at credit transfers to make it easier for students to move between courses and universities. The University of Plymouth could pre-empt this by:

Developing a process to receive PGT students from other universities. Developing ‘exit transfer qualifications’ that enable a student to take a break from

study especially if they feel they embarked on a wrong PGT course. Although the University of Plymouth does have exit qualifications such as

Certificate and Diplomas across some courses, it is unclear if all courses have this information.

The course information provided on the applicant pages between courses varies. Ensure there is consistency.

The availability of exit qualifications can give students the impetus to participate knowing that if they leave early (for whatever reason), they still achieve something towards their CPD. It is also important to demonstrate to students who undertake CPD courses the other routes they can pursue.

6 CPDWith declining enrolments in full and part-time courses, and financial issues a major barrier in participation, providing targeted CPD opportunities in the form of short courses could be a major source of income generation as well as laying the foundation for engagement in further study by participants. This requires well thought out offerings and a comprehensive dedicated website page. At present, the University of Plymouth’s CPD page is limited with sparse information on the benefits of CPD. The main offering is the E-Store which contains limited information. It is hard to navigate around.

7

7 Professional experienceRebadge work experience as ‘Professional’ experience and include unpaid work such as volunteering work, unpaid internships/placements of varying lengths, project work for employers (see points 3 and 4 above in this section). It is important that employment experience and the ability to articulate that experience in terms of employability skills is clearly laid out. Value and promote entrepreneurial-ship and self-employment within co-curricular activities and curriculum and assessment. Use the extensive body of SMEs in the SW region to help support this.

8 Small grant development funding for curriculum and assessment ‘employment skill’ development

To help engage academics in employability skills, offer small grants for curriculum and assessment development and implementation. Establish criteria and advertise and reward good practice.

9 Adopt the Science Council Employability & Placements Project at PGT levelMany science degrees are accredited by a professional body and yet the yearlong placements that students undertake are not. Given the increasing focus on employability and the value of practical skills in science, The Science Council, (as the umbrella body for professional bodies in science) has embarked on a project of work with both universities and employers to endorse yearlong industry placements against the national professional standards of “Registered Scientist (RSci)”. RSci standards cover the breadth of scientific disciplines – from food science to chemistry to bioscience and beyond. This means that the student, having completed their year in industry, is assessed for RSci status and gains nationally recognised registered status (including post nominal letters) for the practical skills they have gained on placement. Universities and employers can also offer Science Council endorsed placements. Having had conversations with the Science Council, this could be adapted for postgraduate level because prior work experience can be included. There are 11 professional bodies licensed to award RSci with more due to obtain their licence this year. These are:

Association for Science Education (ASE) Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Institute of Food Science and Technology

(IFST) Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) Institute of Science and Technology (IST)

Institute of Water Royal Society of Biology (RSB) Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) British Psychological Society (BPS)

Institute of Physics (IoP) - expected to gain their licence shortly.

The contact details for this initiative are Kelly Vere, Business and Education Engagement Manager

Science Council, Hodgkin Huxley House, 30 Farringdon Lane, London, EC1R 3AW

Tel: 020 3434 2023: Email: k.vere@sciencecouncil.org; Website: www.sciencecouncil.org; www.futuremorph.org

8

For all co-curricular activities developed and implemented, circulate widely (e.g. email, social media, Moodle, university screens, posters) and get academic colleagues to advertise via their lectures. Ensuring that the materials from the activities (e.g. video of the activity, information handouts) are accessible via Moodle which is used at the University of Plymouth will help with engagement. Where possible, link the co-curricular activity to curriculum and assessment (see Tectona adaptation example below). Whatever activity you develop and implement, badge it as ‘action due to student feedback’. Within a course, encourage PGT directors to tell the new cohort how the course has been developed due to previous student feedback. You can provide academic colleagues with examples for them to use.

2. Overview of postgraduate study in the UK

In 2010/11, PG enrolments in the UK reached their peak. The main growth was in the area of Taught courses (e.g. masters’ degrees) and at the expense of PG other (e.g. certificates and diplomas). For the first time in the UK, full-time enrolments overtook part-time as the dominant mode of study at PG level. This pattern now reflects the mode participation in other international educational markets where the full-time mode has been dominant for many years (e.g. Australia, Canada, USA). However, since 2011/12, enrolments on postgraduate Taught (PGT) and Research (PGR) courses across all disciplines have substantially declined with part-time and UK domiciled participation particularly affected (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. UK Full and Part-time enrolments between 2010/11 and 2014/15

(Morgan, 2015)

9

It is largely recognised by the sector, government and leading commentators that the growth in UK HEIs occurred unchecked. Attention to employability skill requirements of applicants, students and employers had not been considered and the development a high quality student experience at PGT level had been neglected. Little research had been undertaken in the area and when PGT enrolments started to decline attention was paid to the issue. One initiative to address the situation was the Phase 1 Postgraduate Support Scheme funded by HEFCE. This scheme has produced a wealth of data and evidence to inform university development in this area. This report has drawn on some of those findings especially those from the Postgraduate Experience Project (PEP) which was collaborative research across 11 universities and included the University of Plymouth. For the first time, the postgraduate experience was examined from the perspective of applicants, students and employers, in through and out of the study lifecycle. The PEP research is informing national policy and practice.

3. Challenges facing the sector and their impact on institutional change

There are a number of challenges facing the sector and these include the complexity of the PGT student body, student and employer expectations, and skill requirements by business and industry. These are briefly outlined below.

The complexity of the Taught student body

When looking at developing a high quality student experience, it is essential for an institution to understand the demographics of their student body as well as its composition in the context of what is happening nationally.

UK enrolmentsWhen UK Taught enrolments are examined using HESA data (see Table 1):

• Full-time enrolments in the UK are now dominant mode overall with UK domiciled accounting for 51.2% * (see Table 1), EU 9.2% and Overseas 39.6%.

• For UK domiciled, the part-time is still the dominant mode at PGT level with EU and OS remaining full-time ** (see Table 1).

• Part-time participation in 14/15 is dominated by UK domiciled with 89.3%, EU = 4.2% and OS =6.5%.

• Overall % of EU participation has remained proportionally relatively stable since 1994/5, but PT has decreased *** (see Table 1).

• The UK and part-time market has been particularly affected.

Table 1. PGT enrolments 1994/5 to 2014/15

1994/5 2004/5 2014/15FT PT Total FT PT Total FT PT Total

UK 26065 80265 106330 42225 121735 163960 53065 100800 153865

24.5% 75.50% 74.8% 25.70% 74.30% 60.5% 34.50%65.50% ** 51.2% *

EU 6998 4033 11031 16940 9680 26620 22130 5515 2764563.4% 36.60% 7.8% 63.60% 36.40% 9.8% 80.00% 20.00% 9.2% ***

OS 12924 11880 24804 61765 18530 80295 108875 10285 11916052.1% 47.90% 17.4% 76.90% 23.10% 29.7% 91.40% 8.60% 39.6%

Total 45987 96178 142165 120928 149945 270873 184070 116600 30067032.3% 67.7% 100.0% 44.6% 55.4% 100.0% 61.2% 38.8% 100.0%

Source: statistics derived from HESA, 2016a

10

The percentage of PGT enrolments in terms of the total student body in the UK has remained relatively stable for the past 20 years with it constituting 21.4% in 1994/5, 21.5% in 2004/5 and 23.7% in 2014/15.

University of Plymouth enrolments

Using HESA statistics, the University of Plymouth postgraduate enrolments since 2004/5 as a proportion of the total student body has declined from 18.5% to 12.2% (see Table 2) and this is in the context of UG enrolments at the University declining by 16.7% between 2010/11 and 2014/15. In 2006/7, the proportion was unusually high and may be due to a temporary slowdown in UG enrolments due to the introduction of the £3,000 a year fees at undergraduate level.

Table 2. PG enrolment % of the total student body at University of Plymouth

Year PG % of all enrolments

2004/5 18.5%2006/7 24.7%2008/9 13.2%2009/10 13.4%2010/11 16.1%2012/13 13.8%2014/15 12.2%

Source: Statistics derived from HESA statistics 2016a

When the postgraduate enrolments for all full and part-time modes at the University of Plymouth are examined for the last 10 years, Figure 2 shows not only the reversal of mode participation, but the severe decline in part-time participation.

Figure 2. All full and part-time Postgraduate enrolments at the University of Plymouth

2004/5 2006/7 2008/9 2009/10 2010/11 2012/13 2014/150.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

Full-timePart-time

Source: Statistics derived from HESA statistics 2016a

11

Although the pattern of part-time decline mirrors the UK picture, it is more severe at the University of Plymouth which Tables 3 and 4 below demonstrate. However, an explanation for this substantial decline can be partially explained by the course ‘2294 MA (Graduate School) –Ts’ which is an umbrella code for part-time postgraduate students studying education related modules. The students enrolled in 2010/11 were all students on any stage in that programme, and may have started anywhere from 5 years previously to that academic year. Students were enrolled on a course even though they may only take 1-2 modules. In 2011/2012 a decision was made to wind the course down, stop enrolments and allow the remaining students to complete studies. As the numbers enrolled on the course was so high thus it will skew obtaining an accurate picture of enrolments at the University of Plymouth since 2010/11, two sets of figures have been supplied to account for this in Table 3. The figures that include the course are in red and those excluding the figures are in black. The figures supplied in Table 4 do not include them.

The reason for using 2010/11 as a benchmark is that this is when the UK reached its PG enrolment peak. When comparing the University of Plymouth’s Peak Year (PY) of postgraduate enrolments for mode of study and domiciled status with the South West and the UK between 2010/11 and 2014/15 (see Table 3):

The overall decline in enrolments is similar to the South West region (figures in bold).

The decline in FT enrolments is significantly higher than the South West region and the UK.

The decline for PT enrolments is less than the South West region, but higher than the UK.

EU and OS enrolments have declined more substantially than the South West region and the UK.

Table 3. Comparisons of all PG enrolments between 2010/11 and 2014/15

Type Overall Full-time Part-time UK EU OSPlymouth University

PY =2010/114025 to 3170

-21.2%5220 to 3170

-39.3%

PY =2011/121895 to 1460

-29.8%

PY=2010/112305 to 1715

-25.9%3500 to 1715

-104.1%

PY=2010/113005 to 2350

-21.8%4200 to 2350

-44.0%

PY=2011/12450 to 335

-25.5%

PY=2012/13715 to 490

-31.5%

South WestRegion

-19.1% +2.6% -35.7% 26.3% -19.3% +6.4%

UnitedKingdom

-9.9% -1.5% -16.5% -11.1% -7.2% -3.4%

Source: Statistics derived from HESA statistics 2016

When the University of Plymouth PG enrolments are examined in 2014/15 across all PG provision by HESA statistics, EU domiciled participation of 10.5% is not dissimilar to the UK statistic of 9.2% reported in Table 1. The OS enrolments at the University of Plymouth account for 15% with UK domiciled making up the majority of enrolments with 74.5%.

12

When the PGT figures supplied by the Planning Department at the University of Plymouth are examined in isolation (excluding ‘Other PG’- certificates, diplomas and short courses), the enrolments reflect the national picture in that it is the UK domiciled part-time market that has experienced the largest decline. The EU and OS domiciled markets are relatively stable in comparison to the UK domiciled and EU and OS participation is primarily FT.

Table 4. PGT enrolments only between 2010/11 and 2014/15

2010/11 2014/15 % changeFT PT Total FT PT Total

UK 296 1356* 1652 326 625 651 -100144.1% 82.5% 71.4% 41.8% 87.0% 54.4% -60.6%

EU 148 141 289 200 33 233 -5622.1% 8.7% 12.5% 25.7% 4.7% 19.5% -19.4%

OS 227 145 372 253 60 313 -5933.8% 8.8% 16.1% 32.5% 8.3% 26.1% -15.9%

Total 671 1642 2313 779 718 1197 -1116

100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% -48.2%*Excludes 1195 enrolments for course 2294 Source: Statistics derived from Plymouth statistics Planning Dept

When the University of Plymouth’s PGT enrolments are compared to PG Other, the figures again reflect what has happened nationally. Up to 2010/11, PGT grew at the expense of the PG Other. However, since 2011/12, the PG Other market is starting to become prominent again in participation amongst those who are UK domiciled (see Table 5). PGT enrolments remain the primary qualification for EU and OS. It is for this reason that it is suggested in the initiatives section that this is an area that is grown.

Table 5. PGT enrolments in comparison to PG other between 2010/11 and 2014/15

2010/11 2014/15Masters D/C/SC Total Masters D/C/SC Total

UK FT 296 449 744 326 380 706UK PT 1356 844 2200 625 728 1353EU FT 148 9 157 200 9 209EU PT 141 35 176 33 68 101OS FT 227 6 233 253 15 268OS PT 145 194 339 60 113 173Total% of Total

231360.1%

153739.9%

3850100%

149753.3%

131346.7%

2810100%

Source: Statistics derived from Plymouth statistics Planning Dept

This participation pattern is impacted on by the University’s regional position and a similar enrolment composition is likely to be found at universities in a similar geographical position. This is an important factor to consider when looking at how to sustain a market and finding/developing effective initiatives.

The reasons for the decline in enrolments across the sector include:

The declining population under 18 until 2020 resulting in less pull through from undergraduate to PGT level. Postgraduates under 25 years of age and straight from undergraduate study are the largest group.

13

The increasing student debt levels are putting off students embarking on full-time study (Intention to Study Survey, HEFCE) therefore the new PG loan scheme is unlikely in its own to reverse the decline.

There is a questioning of the value of PGT qualification due to media reports, DHLE statistics, Postgraduate satisfaction scores (PTES) and employers (SMEs) reporting that a PG qualification is not a necessity (see employer section below).

HESA statistics demonstrate that PG study is dominated by the top two social classes so for universities which are located in poorer economic areas that traditionally recruit widening participation students, recruiting to PG level will be much harder.

International competitors are encroaching on the UK market and traditional international suppliers of students to the UK are creating their own provision (e.g. China, African countries, India).

Although the impact of BREXIT is unknown, it is important to recognise that within UK HEIs, EU participation at PG level since 1994 has constituted between 7-9% of all enrolments (see Table 1 above). Participation did not decline after the UK did not join the single currency which had been feared would be the case. In fact, numbers increased. If the Euro becomes stronger than the pound, the UK could become a more financially viable and desirable place for EU domiciled students to study as long as the fees do not increase to exorbitant levels. If the UK is not tied to the Bologna Agreement, this could provide EU students with more beneficial study opportunities in the UK compared to their own country. It is important to create positive activity out of the situation.

Other demographic characteristics impacting on motivations, participation and outcomes

The complexity of the student body and the challenges created in providing a high quality student experience is further highlighted when other demographics such as age and route into study are examined. When UK enrolments are examined by age across all PG course subject areas, those aged 24 and under are the majority studying full-time and those over 25 years of age are studying part-time (see Table 6). This is important when developing marketing/recruitment strategies.

Table 6. Age and participation by study mode

Age FT PT20 and under 0.4% 0.2%21-24 58.8% 12.9%25-29 20.1% 20.4%30 + 20.8% 66.5%

Source: HESA, 2016b

The Postgraduate Experience Project (PEP) found that applicants and students under 24 years of age generally studied full-time, were motivated to undertake a postgraduate course in order to gain employment, and came straight from University into PGT study. Those over 26 years of age were more likely to be studying part-time, combining study with work in order to develop a specialist skill to increase their employability, and coming into study from work having been out of education for a while. Part-time students were more likely to withdraw from their studies than full-time students due to work, life and study demands. This highlights how the composition and expectations of full and part-time students can impact on the construction and delivery of taught courses especially where the different modes are delivered alongside one another. As a result, a one size fits all approach’ should be avoided

14

in the delivery of any element of the student experience whether with the curriculum, support or employment/employability issues.

Added to this already complex situation, it is important to remember that students are multifaceted and contain numerous student characteristics which carry different support requirements. For example, the single parent who is a commuter student and studying part-time may have issues relating to childcare and getting to lectures on time. In this case, the support provided can include there being a certain amount of flexibility in terms of attendance (e.g. tolerating lateness) and ensuring that access to material is online quickly so they can catch up in their own time. Treating PG students like UGs must be avoided (e.g. not allowing students into class if they are more than 10 minutes late). Good enrolment data can help identify the composition of your student body as well as identifying new markets and those that need sustaining and underpinning.

Increasing student expectations

All students regardless of fee level deserve a high quality student experience, but with increasing study fee and debt levels, expectations at postgraduate level have increased with students expecting value for money and high quality teaching that meets their requirements. PGT students have high outcome expectations of what the qualification will provide in terms employability and employment. Young postgraduates often have less discipline based work experience so believe that doing a postgraduate master’s degree will provide them with networking and job opportunities. A disappointment for some PGTs is that the promises made in the course literature are not delivered. Work experience is a skill that many PGT students in the PEP project said that they did not feel they needed to develop, but for employers of all sizes, it was a critical criterion when recruiting. It is important to ensure that students understand this and to build in opportunities to gain work experience into the curriculum and/or co-curricular activities.

Employer challenges

Studies suggest that there are issues surrounding employer attitudes towards graduate attributes in general in that they do not possess the relevant skill set required by employers. A common comment by SME employers is that a postgraduate qualification is nice, but not necessary (e.g. Mellors-Bourne et.al, 2014; Morgan and Direito, 2016). Work experience is cited by employers as the key criteria regardless of size when employing someone especially when competition is high in a graduate saturated market. In 2015, small businesses accounted for 99.3% of all private sector businesses in the UK and 99.9% were small or medium-sized (SMEs) (BIS, 2015). The total employment in SMEs was 15.6 million with 60% of all private sector employment in the UK. SMEs account for at least 99% of the businesses in every main industry sector. Just under a fifth of all SMEs operate in Construction, compared to just 1% in the Mining, Quarrying and Utilities sector. The SW region in 2015 had the 4th largest number of businesses in the UK private sector per 10,000 adults after London, the South East and East of England so the University of Plymouth is well placed to support them in the required areas. Due to the nature of the businesses and potential attitude towards postgraduate qualifications by SMEs, it is essential to demonstrate the value and the advantage of not only employing those with a postgraduate qualification but shaping courses that can support, grow and assist their businesses. Universities have a tendency to develop employability strategies around big corporations and forget that many of their students are

15

likely to work for SMEs thus any strategy should encompass and embrace the needs of SMEs.

Tension between employment and employability expectations

Within HE, ‘employability’ is measured by DLHE scores and these are used by marketing to promote courses. However, employability is not the same as employment. The DHLE scores record those who have ‘obtained employment’ which may not be in their chosen field or in a graduate job. Students mistake a degree as proof of employability and universities often do not correct this misunderstanding. Employability is about the ‘knowledge, skills and social capital’ required by the sector and that an individual can offer (e.g. Rich, 2016). It is not just about a degree that provides ‘knowledge’. ‘To get a job, to keep a job and to get on in a job require all three, even if only in limited quantities’ (Rich, 2016: 17) The challenge within universities is to ensure that a curriculum embraces knowledge, skills and social capital requirements. Employability at PGT level is becoming a key requirement and this will be especially the case if TEF gets rolled out at this level of study which it is anticipated will occur in Year 4 of the process. Equally, it is essential for the University of Plymouth to manage student salary expectations post PGT study especially due to the high number of SMEs in the SW region. SMEs cannot compete with the high salaries offered by corporations. A frustration expressed by some SMEs in the PEP project was that they help train students but once that has happened, the student leaves to obtain higher salaries elsewhere.

4. Incorporating PGT student interaction behaviours in change

Postgraduate taught students interact and engage in many different ways to undergraduate students as well as one another so it is important not to lift and shift UG initiatives directly to postgraduate. It is essential to adapt them to meet the requirements of PGT students, but with awareness that they will engage differently and on an individual level. At postgraduate level, engagement is unique to the student thus it is impossible to accurately ‘measure’. PEP found numerous demographic variables impacted on the interaction behaviours of students across the 11 participating universities. They are themed under general, L&T, employability and support below.

General

Age, entry route and life pressures which become more pronounced with age, impact on interaction; (e.g. the commuter student who spends many hours a day travelling is unlikely to attend extra co-curricular sessions that are not a course requirement; an older person is more likely to have caring/family responsibilities so may struggle to attend all classes);

PGT students have different motivations for undertaking higher level study and specific expected outcomes (e.g. younger students to help them get a job whereas older students want to obtain specific skills required for a job);

Time spent on campus is less and focused as they tend to get on and get off campus as quickly as possible due to other commitments. This is likely to be more pronounced if a university is in an outlying area;

Making friends for UK domiciled students is generally not an important activity as they already have a personal support network whether through previous study or through family/friends.

Financial stress can increases as their studies progress due to not anticipating the full costs of PGT study and access to expected funding not occurring.

Teaching & Learning

16

Accessing and using university space is limited and tends to generally be restricted to learning space, often in a student’s own faculty/department;

They prefer individual assessments to avoid weak peers impacting on their assessment mark. Their preference for group work is undertaking formative rather than summative assessment. This is understandable due to their financial investment and especially for part-time students who want to restrict time on campus;

Face to face feedback is a preference; Non-engagement in extra co-curricular activities, but this does not mean they are

‘engaged’ with their studies. It may mean that they are not as ‘engaged’ with the university as much as the university would like, but it may be as much as the student can engage in order to succeed in obtaining a qualification, which is ultimately a university’s key priority.

Employability and support Although students on entry may intend using University employability and support

services, this may not happen. PEP found that of all the scholarships students across the 11 universities tracked 6 months after graduation, only 4% had used career/employability services at their university. They instead relied on the internet and their own network. Lack of interaction can be due to accessibility issues such as location (e.g. different site or too far across campus), opening hours (e.g. outside of the teaching timetable hours) or to generic/not helpful to them (e.g. main focus is UGs)

Their interaction behaviours need to be considered when developing ‘engagement’ policies and strategies.

5. Advice on developing a holistic and high quality PG provision

It is essential to create processes that ‘fit around the needs of students’ rather than ‘expecting students to fit around the needs of the university’. At postgraduate level, getting out of the course what is right for the student is critical rather than what the course or university suggest/dictate is important. Getting students to engage requires the provision of activities and information that is accessible in different formats (e.g. face to face employability advice in person or via skype/facetime, CV writing advice via a workshop or video of the workshop).

Also, although you can have areas that provide good provision (e.g. T&L, Employability) avoid a traditional delivery structure that silo’s the provision (see Figure 3). This approach may have worked years ago when there were fewer students, more funding and less focus on a high quality student experience, but in financially challenging times with increasing student demands, it is no longer an effective model. It is important that the model is not held onto by units who see it as a way of securing funding, enabling them to meet their KPIs and continue doing ‘more of the same’. This model will not deliver a high quality student experience.

17

Figure 3. A traditional delivery structure

To deliver a high quality student experience in today’s PGT environment demands that all stakeholders to adopt a holistic delivery structure (see Figure 4). This approach requires all colleagues across the delivery spectrum to participate in the creation, implementation and promotion of activities. This is especially the case for academics in and outside of the classroom who are in a very influential position to raise awareness and engage postgraduate students in all L&T and support activities. In order to maximise provision and outputs by central services, it is important to ‘deliver’ it via the home unit of the student (e.g. careers advisors visible within a faculty but not necessarily permanently based there- see section 6). Responsibility for meeting KPIs needs to be shared amongst the stakeholders to facilitate team co-operation and to meet PGT strategy aims and objectives.

In this holistic delivery model, all the key stakeholders work together to ensure that the right information and support informs the development and implementation of initiatives. Staff development underpins the delivery and feedback from students helps shape activities.

Figure 4. A holistic delivery

18

AspirationsIntegration

T&L delivery

Faculty based

Careers and employability

Support

(e.g. disability, SU, Finance)

Marketing Registry

The ‘Student experience’

T&L delivery

Faculty based

Careers and employability

Support

(e.g. disability, SU, Finance)

MarketingAcademic Registry

Staff development

Student evaluation/feedback

Managing Student

ExpectationsAnd

6. Summary

This report lays out the numerous challenges that the University of Plymouth faces in re-energising its postgraduate taught offerings. It is advised that appropriate time is taken to build strong foundations before major changes occur through the development of a clear vision and strategy, and that staff development needs are identified and addressed as soon as possible. Some of the ideas presented in section 6 can be quickly adapted using existing templates of good practice that I have developed through research and implemented (e.g. entry to study key skill surveys, orientation and outduction materials).

Michelle Morgan

HE Consultant

9 September 2016

References

Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (2015) Business population estimates for the UK and regions 2015-statitical release, London: BIS

Higher Education Statistics Agency (2016a) Students, Qualifiers and Staff data tables 1994/5, 2004/5 and 2014/15. Available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/content/view/1973/239/ Accessed 8 August 2016

Higher Education Statistics Agency (2016b) Table C PG student by mode, sex, region of domicile 2014/15, Available at: Source: https:// www.hesa.ac.uk/free-statistic Accessed 18 May 2016

Mellors-Bourne, R., Hooley, T. and Marriott, J. (2014) Understanding how people choose to pursue taught postgraduate study, Bristol: HEFCE, CRAC and iCeGS

Morgan, M. (2015). Setting the Scene of Postgraduate Taught STEM Study, paper presented at ‘The PEP National Dialogical Conference, 14-15 July, Kingston Upon Thames: University of Kingston

Morgan, M. and Direito, I. (2016). Widening and sustaining postgraduate taught (PGT) STEM study in the UK: a collaborative project-Creating change through understanding expectations and attitudes towards PGT study, experiences and post-study outcomes from the perspective of applicants, students, universities and employers, HEFCE and Kingston University: London doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.5121.3843

Rich, J. (2015) Employability: Degrees of value, Oxford: Higher Education Policy Institute

19