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ORGANISING EVENTS TO FOSTER STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH EMPLOYABILITY

ORGANISING EVENTS TO FOSTER STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH EMPLOYABILITY. The Case of Heriot-Watt’s languages department. Employability : the big issue. Graduate unemployment at an all time high, at 20% ( ONS stats )

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ORGANISING EVENTS TO FOSTER STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH EMPLOYABILITY

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  1. ORGANISING EVENTS TO FOSTER STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH EMPLOYABILITY The Case of Heriot-Watt’s languages department

  2. Employability : the big issue Graduate unemployment at an all time high, at 20% (ONS stats) • a real problem, which is now on every university’s agenda. The employability rate is now factored into the ranking of programmes (graduate destination survey).

  3. The case of language graduates An overall better picture : language graduates are in demand. * 49% of employers were disappointed by graduate language skills (CIHE report, 2008) => Employers sometimes prioritise language skills over any other qualification for specific posts.

  4. The case of language graduates • 11% of SMEs have lost contracts due to lack of language skills in their company (Languages Means Business, DG Education and Culture report, 2008) • Clear added value brought to employers by language graduates.

  5. Heriot-Watt language graduates Specific language degrees : • translation • translation and interpreting • business and languages Overall employability rate : 85.2% (2010 cohort). Going against the trend : a progression since 2009 (71.8%).

  6. Specific challenges • Translators and interpreters users : specific, expert and punctual needs. • SO • agency work (in-house translators) • freelance market (working through agencies, or directly with clients) • working for international institutions (very selective process, with limited numbers of permanent posts and a large freelance market)

  7. Strategies • Comprehensive approach : • * embedding key skills in the curriculum and exploring the experiencial learning approach further • * encouraging the use of Career Services and making students aware of job/internship opportunities • * facilitating the dialogue with the professional world

  8. Facilitating the dialogue • Career events : a means to • - bring key stake-holders on campus, thus raising their awareness of the quality of the training facilities and of the training provided. • - encourage students, employers, alumni and academics to engage with the issue of employability

  9. Career events : the speakers • Potential employers : translation/interpreting agencies, EU, local authorities … • Professionals/alumni : in-house translators, free-lance interpreters, translation project managers … • Providing a varied view of the professional field, a clearer pictures of the expectations and realities (good and not so good) of each type of job, giving students a chance to speak directly to professionals.

  10. Career events : the format • 1-2h talk, during the semester (usually Wed pm, so as not to clash with classes) • Advertised by : • career services (online sign-up system) • mailing (to students and graduates mailing list) in advance and reminder a few days before the event • posters in the department

  11. Example of career talks (2009-2010)

  12. Career events : the feed-back • Feed-back from the series of talks in 2009-2010 : • 90% described these sessions as either good or excellent. Note : also aimed at recent graduates. Career Services support graduates in their job search up to 2 years after students have completed their degree. Problem : timing – not ideal for graduates in employment, or for students involved in committee and sports clubs.

  13. Career events : the SWATI day • This year : organisation of a SWATI (Starting Work As Translator or Interpreter) day. • Aim : • to make sure that these events are more easily accessible to recent alumni (and still accessible to students) • to reply to a demand, identified by ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting), and to offer an event similar to the one held in Westminster but in the North • to facilitate the involvment of alumni as guest-speakers

  14. The SWATI event • The programme : • 3 panels : • - employers : a representative of EU institutions, and the head of ILS (Edinburgh-based translation and interpreting agency) • - support structures : targetted presentation by Career Services, spokesperson for the professional network ITI and session with an alumni who set herself up as a freelancer. • - professionals : interpreter (media and PSI), translators (in-house and freelance)

  15. The SWATI event • The organisation : • organised with advice from ITI and by Career Services and myself (Career Liaison Officer) • Support from NNT (national network for translators) • Support from admin and 2nd year volunteers • The scale: • limited to 75 spaces, open to students (advertised to all Scottish universities) and alumni. 68 registered. • funding through NNT (national network for translators) • 12 different mother tongues represented in the audience

  16. The SWATI event • The feed-back (feed-back sheet in the delegate pack) • on content : • « very nice event with relevant speakers » • « extremely useful » • « very inspiring, rich experience » • « the practical information, especially regarding rates, was extremely helpful ! » • « informative and useful »

  17. The SWATI event • on organisation : • - holding the event earlier during the year (it was held on March 19th) • - splitting the day between translation and interpreting (am-pm) • - involving more professionals and dedicating more time to this part

  18. Career events outcomes • Outcomes of these events for students and recent graduates : • Networking with alumni and making useful contacts (exchanges of good practice, support, informal mentoring) • Making contacts for employment • Helping students focus for their personal project and giving them a chance to feel more informed and more aware of the realities of the professions they are considering

  19. Career events outcomes • Outcomes for employers : • Source of talented recruits for employers (one opened an agency in Edinburgh because of the quality of the translation training provided here) • Outcomes for alumni-speakers : • Positive for alumni in employment (employers often happy to send them back to their home university to share their experience and head-hunt young talents)

  20. Career events outcomes • Outcomes for the university: • - raises the profile of the course : employers feel more involved, understand the training better and feel reassured that we want to engage with employability - generates ideas for course improvments • - consolidates the « HW community » feeling amongst graduates (reinforced by mailing list, generating employment)

  21. Conclusion One example of approach to foster student engagement with employability. Suited to graduate profiles corresponding to a field where jobs take many different forms. Time-consuming and has to be built up gradually (contacts, building up of mailing list, targetting suitable speakers …). Positive outcomes, expected and unexpected. Long-term strategy, in development. Hopefully even more positive results to come.

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