Scottish HEIs' Impact on Graduate Skills: An Evaluation Study

1. AGCAS Scotland – Our Involvement and Key Findings from QAA Focus On: Graduate Skills Employers’ and Graduates’ views of graduate skills Colin Dewar and Shelley Morgan June 2019

3. Our Journey why Building on ELIR Outcome Reports and QAA Thematic Reports on Employability and Graduate Attributes, Focus On projects considered: Expert Knowledge National Reach Institutional Depth Graduate & Employer Links Professional Collaboration December: Collaborative bid agreed (both projects) January: Bid approved February – April: Research and Report June: Presentation of findings

4. How effective were we? • Email survey methodology with quantitative and qualitative questions • Project successfully delivered within very tight timeframe • Delivered under budget • Collaboration across the sector • Participation from every Scottish University • 247 complete responses (191 incomplete) • Range of employer profiles with 30 participants • Raised profile with QAA, Universities Scotland • But…… • Survey responses heavily weighted to 2 institutions • Some institutions had single responses • Mixed approaches to survey management within institutions

5. Graduate Characteristics • 247 graduate respondents: • All graduate participants graduated from a Scottish HEI • 81% graduated in the last two years • 70% were working full time • 11% studying • 9% working part time • Graduates from 17 broad course categories • 77% of respondents felt that their HEI had given them the opportunity to gain a broad range of skills which allowed them to feel prepared for the workplace. • Graduates: Areas of good practice at Scottish HEIs • Graduates said: • “We were encouraged to get as much industry experience as we could and our lecturers would put us in touch with their industry contacts. We were put in group classes for some modules with students studying different degrees” (Business, 2015) “Whilst theory was important, the emphasis was on real world application which I continue to use to this day in my career” (Computer Science, 2017) “Lecturers actively working in their respective fields, both in academia and industry, meant the module content was generally on the cutting edge and relevant to the modern world and industry.” (Engineering, 2018)

6. Employers: Characteristics • 30 respondents:

7. Key themes – what HEIs do well (Employers) • 22/30 employers agreed that graduates from Scottish HEIs are prepared for their workplace • Employers offered their interpretations of what HEIs do well: • Delivering a high standard of education/knowledge/learning skills • Shaping graduates who are generally well prepared for the workplace • Preparing graduates to use soft skills • Teaching basic commercial understanding • Careers Services experiencing success in preparing graduates for the recruitment process, one commenting “I think a lot of the classes the careers service run help massively with interview skills/CV writing” • Key themes – what HEIs do well (Graduates) • Graduate responses were collated and formed the following broad categories: • Prepared me for the workplace • Allowed me to develop relevant skills • Equipped me with academic knowledge • Gave me access to HE specific opportunities

9. 52% insight to local employers Key figures 56% of graduates felt there were no barriers 81% felt HEI enabled them to develop digital skills 24/30 employers rate graduate preparedness Excellent or Good 13% listed cost/timing as a barrier 9% necessity to work to support study 66% aware of range of opportunities on offer

10. Digital Skills • 125 graduate responses in relation to their interpretation of digital skills were categorised as the ability to successfully use/interact with the digital world (e.g. PC, smartphone, internet) including social media. • 81% felt their HEI had enabled them in some way to develop digital skills. Further interpretations included: • Industry/workplace relevant digital skills • Advanced digital skills including coding, cyber security, and artificial intelligence • Academicskills including using the library, accessing journals, and writing essays • Digital design/content creation, e.g. photography, filmography, and editing • Employers largely agreed that Scottish HEIs offer a range of support to facilitate students’ acquisition of appropriate digital skills, including: • Equipping students with digital work-ready skills • Preparing students to find, analyse, and use credible digital data sources and • Equipping students with skills to collaborate with others in a digital learning environment

12. Graduates: Global skills • Not all graduates attributed their preparedness to their time at university: • 82% are confident to travel and/or work abroad • 90% have appropriate global/cultural understanding to interact with individuals from other countries • The two main reasons for selecting ‘no’ or ‘unsure’ are that respondents already had these skills before university, e.g. from previous work or study, or that at the time of completing the survey they had not had the opportunity to test these skills so felt unable to comment. Employers commented that these skills were dependent on levels of confidence, that the internet creates the “illusion” of global connectedness • “A peculiarity of geography, but many of the graduates we have don't want to move away from the area in which they were brought up” (EngineeringCompany)

13. Accessing opportunities • Graduates primarily chose to access skills development opportunities for the following reasons: • Value/usefulness to employability • Enjoyment/interest • To meet new people • Course requirement • Could fit these activities in • Ease of availability • To help others/contribute to the community

15. Accessing opportunities – 23% (56 grads) who felt generally unprepared for the workplace

16. Parallel Project – Student Views on Graduate Skills • Project run by partnership team at University of Glasgow, including careers and AGCAS involvement. 319 student respondents across Scottish HEI’s. • 34% not aware of skills being built into L&T • 80% felt no barriers from taking advantage of opportunities to develop skills • Low levels of digital skill recognition

17. DRAFT PROJECT CONCLUSIONS • Readiness for Employment: Well equipped with graduate skills, less equipped (or able to articulate) digital skills & knowledge of employer expectations. Importance of academic activities emphasised by both students and graduates • Equality & Diversity: Barriers include age, balancing work & study, cost, location, care responsibilities, mental & physical health. • Global Perspective: Well equipped to work with different cultures, less equipped to apply this to the graduate global workplace. Desire to live and work more locally?

18. What next?

19. Graduates: Areas for improvement • Graduates were asked what their university could do to make development opportunities easier to access. Of those who gave suggestions, responses included improving: • Nothing • Advertising • Digital access, e.g. remote access to resources and dedicated websites • The range of opportunities • Accessibility – timing and cost • Consultation on the types of opportunities available • Campus resources and facilities • Graduates were less satisfied with provision of: • Opportunities to be recognised for their digital skills (e.g. a certificate or award) • Opportunities to innovate using digital skills • Teaching on appropriate/professional use of digital communication

20. Employers: Recommendations • Employers were asked what kinds of employer engagement and/or skills development opportunities for students they would like to see included or improved in Scottish HEIs. Suggestions included: • More practical, work-based opportunities to improve commercial understanding • A more collaborative approach and closer links with industry • Increased networking opportunities • Promotion of specific types of opportunity, e.g. SMEs, volunteering • Improved employability/soft skills learning • Improved attendance at events on campus

21. Employers: Skills graduates lack • 16 employers identified skills that graduates frequently lack, including: • "Critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills.” • "Exercising professional judgement - the ability to analyse information and justify your approach with clarity and confidence” • "Company research. Perhaps more recognition of how important their extra-curricular interests and responsibilities are for an employer” • “Communication skills can be varied particularly the quality of written communication." • 27/30 identified specific skills and attributes: • analytical skills/critical thinking; teamwork; problem solving; communication; customer care; management/leadership; managing up; innovation; risk management; digital (data, analytics, coding, media) and emotional intelligence. • Additionally, respondents selected wider qualities and behaviours including professionalism, work ethic, career motivation, ‘general work skills’, and specialist skills relevant to their sector, which they noted would be taught on the job.

22. Implications and Questions: Knowledge and Participation • Student and Graduate knowledge about opportunities – is it adequate? • Is participation adequate?

23. Implications and Questions: Employers • Are we maximising employer engagement?

24. Implications and Questions: Digital Competencies • How do we define and recognise digital skills (and do students/graduates understand it?)

25. Implications and Questions • Global Skills – are these distinct? • Are our students and graduates globally aware but geographically embedded?

26. Implications and Questions • Scope for wider collaboration? Between institutions, disciplines, employers • Embedding delivery – academic, alumni, careers, employer and student partnerships

27. Thank you www.qaa.ac.uk/scotland/focus-on/graduate-skills https://digitalcapability.jisc.ac.uk/our-service/discovery-tool/