Employability and Skills: Implicit or explicit?

1. Employability and Skills: Implicit or explicit? Dr Sara Preston

2. Implicit… Employability is: ‘A set of achievements – skills, understandings and personal attributes – that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy’ Enhancing Student Employability Co-Ordination Team (ESECT)

3. What are ‘Employability Skills’? • Subject-specific skills • Knowledge and Understanding • Practical • QAA Subject Benchmarks, Professional Accreditation Bodies • Generic skills • Cognitive/Intellectual Skills • Analysis, synthesis, evaluation, application, creativity • Key/Core/Transferable Skills • Improving own learning & performance, communication, application of number, information technology, problem solving, group working

4. How can these skills be developed? • Stand alone courses • Skills get covered • Easier to introduce – low cost/no redesign • Can be targeted • Embedded • Same status as subject knowledge • Link between skills and academic success • Students take it more seriously • Extra-curricular activities • Work placements/projects • Part-time employment • Students’ Association activities

5. Explicit? • Engagement of students with employability • Mapping & tracking students’ skills - PDP • Avoidance of ‘tick-box’ approach • Assessment strategies/curriculum design • Reflective self-directed learners

6. Further Information • Bennett N., Dunne E., & Carré C. 2000. Skills Development in Higher Education and Employment. Society for Research into Higher Education. Open University Press, Buckingham. • Knight P.T., Yorke M. 2003. Assessment, Learning and Employability. Society for Research into Higher Education. Open University Press, Buckingham. • http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/Employability.htm • http://www.herts.ac.uk/envstrat/HILP/ • http://www.qub.ac.uk/celt/webpages/student-skills.htm