Developing a coherent and progressive approach to careers education in HE: A case study

1. Developing a coherent and progressive approach to careers education in HE: A case study Katharine Price Edwardsand Shawna McCoy

2. Aims • To discuss the Criminology team’s experience of employability and careers education • Share our journey, achievements, progress and challenges • Informed by perspective of MA Placement student gaining professional qualification in Careers Education and Guidance • To encourage open discussion about approaches to careers education

3. Criminology Department • Employability agenda has shaped development and content of new modules • Modules needed to address PDP, career management and skills articulation but we were also interested in developing critical abilities and providing excellent student support • Engaged with a range of internal and external specialists to encourage student engagement and enhance employability

4. Placement • Employed as an Associate Lecturer within the Criminology team • Focus on developing careers education within the Criminology curriculum and providing careers guidance • Informed by relevant careers education and guidance literature, ethics, values and code of practice

5. Careers Education • Critical Thinking and Career Management • Technical aspects of career management • Encourages learners to think about all their activities/interests and how this relates to future careers • Preparing for the World of Work • Identity, education, work, ethics, values, power • Interrelationship between these key themes

6. Our Journey • Originally led by employability agenda, and aims and objectives for the department • technical/practical advice • Careers management and skills development and articulation • PDP • My studies and reading, our discussions and observations of student engagement encouraged the focus to become more comprehensive, coherent and progressive

7. Student engagement • This was our main focus in the early stages – to ensure students were participating with employability • At times, a major challenge. Something we are looking into with further research this summer • Relationship between attendance, engagement, assessment success and self-realisation • Materials and activities were easily accessible

8. Student satisfaction • Key factor, and related to engagement • Informed by knowledge and engagement with careers education literature • Interactive • Personalised • Task based • non-traditional tutor role • Open discussion • Module review – student feedback was largely positive, but varied

9. Self-realisation • Learners developing a critical understanding of themselves and their career journeys • This became the main focus and aim of the modules as we progressed throughout the year • My own academic and professional development • Student engagement and completion of seminar tasks and the assessment • Engagement with careers guidance appointments

10. Success • Staff and student engagement with holistic approach to careers education • Student engagement with learning outcomes • Understanding, critical reflection, and self-realisation. • Interesting and engaging assessments • High average mark, and overall the assessments were very good

11. Challenges • Student engagement and satisfaction with careers education • Ensuring that assessments and learning outcomes remain broad enough to encourage holistic reflection and self-realisation • Encouraging a broader range of students to engage with careers education

12. Next year… • Focus more on concepts of identity, self-realisation, and career journeys • Ensure that the assessments encourage critical thinking, reflection, and a holistic approach to careers • Develop further opportunities for reflection, group discussion, activities • Continue to develop an understanding of attendance, engagement and satisfaction