Personal Development Planning

1. Personal Development Planning Employability and the PDP Gordon Edwards (GE Associates)

2. Aims of Presentation • Summary of 2000-2001 research project on undergraduate PDP and employability • Some comments on PDP and employability for PGR students

3. 2000-2001 Research Project on UG PDP and Employability • Sponsors – QAA/LTSN • Consultant - GE Associates • Four facilitating bodies (IP-CPDF, AGR, CIHE, CIPD) • Eighteen major graduate employers • Seven Professional/Statutory Bodies

4. Project Aim To determine how PDP can be implemented in HEI’s to be of maximum benefit to undergraduates in recruitment processes and career management

5. Project Outcomes • Guide for Busy Academics - Using PDP to help students gain employment (delegate pre-reading) • Full Project Report – Connecting PDP to employer needs and the world of work www.heacademy.ac.uk/867.htm

6. Research Activities • Analysis of sample application forms • Survey of assessment centres • Review of employer selection criteria • Review of benefits of PDP skills for career management • Survey of ‘lessons learnt’ by employers and PSBs on promoting reflective learning

7. What Employers Want to See From PDP?Overall Summary • Learning and awareness that derives from the process of PDP • No voluminous documented outcomes or PDP records • Applicants who can show what they know, can do and have done – linked to employer requirements

8. Graduate Application Forms Representative sample indicates a similar structure with most common ‘open’ questions: • Overcoming difficulties • Most significant achievement • Team-working • Reasons for applying • Extra curricula activities • Understanding of employers business • Evidence of positions of responsibility • Display of customer service behaviours

9. Graduate Application Forms PDP Guidelines • Encourage students to recognise their learning in the contexts that employers are interested in • Focus initially on 1-8 above • Cover both academic and non academic activities • Ensure the completed form covers key competency indicators

10. Assessment Centres (1) • Broad emphasis on how candidates think and behave in new situations or when encountering new tasks • Tasks often time constrained or in groups • Aim is to demonstrate competencies rather than subject knowledge

11. >50% of Survey Interviews Group exercises In tray exercises Presentations Abstract reasoning Verbal ability tests Informal discussions <50% of Survey Case studies Numerical ability tests Complex problems Written reports Questionnaires Observation tests Assessment Centres (2)

12. Assessment Centres PDP Guidelines • Broaden understanding of ‘transferable’ competencies and how to indicate these • Reflect on and practice : • Thinking in new situations • Addressing new tasks • Performance in groups situations • Leadership • Response under time pressures • Consider both academic and extra curricula activities

13. Flexibility and adaptability Self motivation and drive Analytical and decision making ability Communication and interpersonal skills Team working ability Organisation, planning and prioritisation skills Customer focus and service orientation Ability to innovate Mental and physical resilience Leadership ability Competencies – What Are Employers Looking for?

14. Competency Indicators In application forms and assessment centres evidence of underlying competencies is shown through :- COMPETENCY INDICATORS (See Full Report , Appendix 2)

15. Competency Indicators – PDP Guidelines • Advice on competency indicators needed from career staff • Students should reflect on - the indicators that they can quote and demonstrate - how they have been demonstrated in things they have done - how they can be demonstrated in new situations

16. Career Management and Lifelong Employability • Employers and PSBs recognise the importance PDP skills • PDP skills help employees in work: • adapt to change within companies • be self motivated • take responsibility for the development of their own CPD and competence portfolio

17. Career Management and Lifelong Employability - PDP Guidance • Make students aware of long term benefits for career management and employability • Emphasise PDP as a ‘life skill’ via case studies/role models • Stress the increasing individual responsibility for CPD - ‘ticket to practice’ • Emphasise the benefits in triggering/adapting to career change

18. The PDP/Employability Linkage Overall Summary PDP helps in : • Reflecting on experiences in a way that develops employment related skills and awareness • Understanding how transferable competencies can be demonstrated and applied in new settings • Making better career plans • Demonstrating employment potential and the ability to manage future professional development to employers

19. PGR Students - Dimensions • SET and non-SET • High proportion of overseas students • Wide range of PGR programmes. No standardised nomenclature • Wider range of potential employment choices? • Same baseline set of competencies required as for new graduates?

20. PGRs – Employment Avenues • Large commercial firm or organisation? - specialist/scientific/generalist? • Public Services? - healthcare/local govt./central govt. • Academic? -teaching/research/administration? • Entrepreneurship? - business idea based on research results

21. National HE Code of Practice PGR Programmes (1) • Precept 18 – Opportunities for personal and professional development • Precept 19 – Identification and joint review of individual development needs • Precept 20 – maintenance of a record of personal progress on research and other skills

22. National HE Code of Practice PGR Programmes (2) • Support to develop all relevant skills (research, subject, communications etc.) • Diverse student needs (nationality, maturity, work situation etc.) • Timing of support/review during course crucial • PDP recording should cover all skills/competencies • PDP to cover skills planning and checking on effective guidance/support • Additional support on keeping records • Consider recognition of generic skills/competencies

23. PGR PDP for Employability Some Questions and Issues • Initial PDP to support the decision to embark on PGR? • PDP to finalise study choice? • More initial support in recording achievement? • Particular PDP needs of overseas students? • PDP needs of professional doctorate students? • Explicit support to consider entrepreneurship? • Enhanced PDP frameworks/software?