“Get Out to Work!” – An Evaluation of an ESF work related project

1. “Get Out to Work!” – An Evaluation of an ESF work related project Kay Biscomb Caroline Wiscombe Judith Mallan

2. Outline of the Presentation • Set the scene with an introductory context • Benefits of the project • Problems of the project • Issues specific to employer engagement • Challenges

3. Introductory Context • Work placement and work based learning in SSPAL pre 2004 • Rationale for the project • Outline of the Projects • Get Out to Work • Get Out to Work 2

4. Key Objectives • build on an improved range of high quality work experience opportunities to all of SSPAL’s students, but especially those from the West Midlands, who represent 65% of SSPAL’s student cohort, • promote work experience opportunities to SSPAL’s students, from their first connection with the University at open days right through their degree, • maintain work experience management and administrative systems and procedures for students researching and accessing work experience opportunities.

5. Benefits of Get Out to Work • Dedicated work placement support officer since 2004 • Placement office • Additional support for staff and students within the school • Raising of the profile of work placements, employer liaison and employability within the school

6. Innovation • GOTW and GOTW2 provided a new level of student support within the school • Project aimed at offering curriculum support across all subject areas within the school • Use of key note speaker: Sue Minten. This session was useful, informative and inspirational for colleagues • Attempting to engage with employers in the Spring Conference and to combine that with student support • Innovative use of ESF start up funding

7. GOTW 2 Outputs • The outline form identified a number of specific outputs itemised under certain points in time starting from November 2006 – August 2008. These can be summarised under the following headings: • Recruitment of the WESO; • Establishing a new steering group; • Awareness raising sessions for students; • Awareness raising sessions for employers; • Support to students seeking placement opportunities; • Creation of work placement opportunities.

8. Problems Associated with Get Out to Work • Temporary nature of the contract • Success varies between subject areas • Constraints of ESF funding • Difficulty with employer engagement

9. Employer Engagement • Employer forum • Spring Conference 2008 • Round table discussion • LIW/SDW • Virtual Employers’ Forum

10. Differences between two project phases • GOTW 1:- • GOTW2:- • Unlike the previous project there has been no increase in student numbers undertaking the 6 or 12 month placement opportunities. • The financial implications of an additional year and delayed onset for graduate salary we suspect are crucial for students making the decision not to engage with long placement opportunities • modules offering shorter placement opportunities are becoming more popular. • Having a work experience support office and officer has increased the profile of work placement and has led to a increase in the number of students seeking the services offered. • The number of students taking up 6 and 12 month placements in 2007/8 was 3 students. • The opportunities created by the office were equal to the targets set from the previous project and an additional 47 shorter placements were supported through the addition of a placement module in Sports Studies, which was established during the first project. • Project 2 aimed to build on that success by taking further measures to build links with employers in the West Midlands region in particular, and to promote work experience to SSPAL students.

11. Challenges • Employer engagement; language, time, lip service, opportunity, expectation • Needs win-win • Placements offered being realistic for both employer and student expectation • Internal engagement; changing (and then loosing) existing structures • Whose doing what?