Enhancing Employability: The HEAR Report

1. Making a difference: the Higher Education Achievement Report: supporting employability and career development in Wales and beyond… John Jackson, University of Bangor Gary Jones, University of Swansea Rob Ward,The Centre for Recording Achievement

2. In the beginning…White Paper on ‘the Future of Higher Education’ (HMSO, 2003) • “we must … ensure that we have robust ways of describing, measuring and recording student achievement which are helpful to the student, to institutions, to employers, and to other stakeholders.” (para. 4.7).

3. The HEAR: a summative record… 1. provides a detailed (national and international) single record of student achievement; (incorporating both the DS and HE Transcript); 2. enables provision of a full academic record, including the opportunity for detailed information of achievement in respect of different forms of assessment; A wider record… 3. provides a common structured format within which to include details of the wider achievements of the learner within section 6.1.

4. 4. is designed to be much more than an exit document, being developed from entry to HE onwards. This will enable it to be used: • as a basis for reviewing progress and planning future activities; • to support student engagement with a range of opportunities beyond the curriculum; • as an aide memoire for students in considering applications for sandwich placements, study abroad or internships, or for permanent employment or further study before the final award is made; • subject to appropriate permissions, as a source of information that can be accessed by prospective employers (and admissions tutors).

5. Perspectives on the HEAR: • an institutional record to be implemented; • a richer record of achievement; • a resource/catalyst to support student engagement and claims to employability… • a potential resource for employers and recruiters…

7. Swansea University - enhancing students’ employability • Swansea University • has issued a Diploma Supplement to all undergraduate and Masters’ students since 2005 • was awarded a Diploma Supplement label for the period 2009 - 2013 - one of only 3 in the UK to have been awarded a label in recognition of it meeting the criteria • issued a Diploma Supplement and an e-HEAR to students in 2012 but since 2013 only issues an e-HEAR (Diploma Supplement) • was awarded a Diploma Supplement Label, based on the e-HEAR (Dip Supp), in December 2013.

8. Swansea University - enhancing students’ employability • Why did Swansea University risk its Dip. Supp. Label Status? • In the students’ interest • It is electronic and hence easily accessible by many parties • The Gradintel Software allows employers to access the records • The e-HEAR is a live document and is referred to throughout the student’s candidature to encourage and promote development • Additional non-academic achievements can be recorded in section 6.1 such as prizes and awards – using the Gradintel software • The Academic Registrar no longer has to sign them all personally!!!

9. Swansea University - enhancing students’ employability • Section 6.1 Recording Personal Achievements • Employability enhancing aspects of the curriculum - Mobility - Work placements • Language skills - Welsh-medium provision etc • Personal achievements and Awards University Prizes A range of College and University prizes are recorded on the recipient’s HEAR (Diploma Supplement)

10. Challenges • Student engagement with Gradintel; • Staff engagement with the new personal tutoring system; • Managing the Students’ Union Award.

11. Liaison between Careers & Employability, Academic Registry and Students’ Union • Existing BEA scheme has already laid much-needed groundwork for 6.1 • SU formalising student involvement, recording activity • Internal activities data, from a wide range of academic and service departments, provided in bulk-upload format • Academic staff recognising the national status of HEAR and helping to promote engagement (via existing personal tutors system) • But slowly, and some more than others! • Facilitates more focus on students’ personal development Opportunities & Strengths

12. Self-assessment analysis of your skills & qualities • Skills Planning • Practice profiling assessments (3rd-party-assessed) • Practice reasoning tests (3rd-party-assessed) • Career management workshops • Skills development workshops • Reflections on your activities & experiences • Personal employability statement Summary of the Core Programme of the BEA

13. A proportion of extracurricular activities • Experiences of work • Volunteering, representation, clubs & societies • Enterprise & innovation • Skills development, training & learning • A proportion of co-curricular activities • Subject-specific activities & experiences • Reflections upon your curriculum Summary of BEA Activities Programme Menus

14. The Core Programme facilitates the cross-referencing of the graduate attributes identified in a skills plan, with those enhanced/attained and reflected upon throughout the bespoke Activities Programme • In addition, the enhancement/attainment and reflection upon any equivalent graduate attributes in the curriculum can be referenced in the BEA; this provides an understanding of a ‘triangulation’ of attributes across the different aspects of the student’s university life • HEAR will facilitate further by drawing all of these aspects into one easy-reference point More focus on students’ personal development Curricular Co-curricular Extracurricular

15. Updating existing BEA regulations to include HEAR • Bilingual HEAR? • Formative access for students • Interface with existing bespoke BEA software • Empty 6.1 – suggested BEA Core as minimum, to help combat • Clearly differentiating between HEAR, BEA & CVs • Marketing at/communication with 1st year students Some of the Challenges

16. On employers and recruiters….employers come in all shapes and sizes…

17. Aggregated employer messages… Simplicity of format and concise content, though not at the extent of removing the individual and personal focus > ‘sales pitch’ for the University to be avoided!. Institutional verification of wider achievements seen as a new and welcome development . Substantial preference for an electronic HEAR, and for this to be available for scrutiny in respect of applications for internships or - in the final year of undergraduate study - for employment opportunities (the evolving HEAR). Primary value in enabling students to be ‘more choiceful’; importance of making the most of the University experience, thinking and acting to develop a range of experiences and achievements beyond academic programmes, and in providing a richer record they could use to articulate and evidence achievements.

18. HEAR supporting student/graduate progression – and employability… Paper HEAR, virtual HEAR data reflected back to via student portal and/or end of year HEAR provided via trusted third party organisation. Virtual HEAR (PDF) delivered by institution or trusted third party organisation. The applicant uses their HEAR as an ‘aide memoire’ to help when filling in an application form – or developing their CV – manually. Document share - the applicant grants access by email to a specific employer to whom they have applied in support of their application. (requires employer to register with University, student controls access)

19. Through electronic matching - ‘talent spotting’ - by the use of software that facilitates an interrogation of students/applicants achievements by potential employers. ‘Data Exchange’ -the incorporation of data derived from the HEAR within online application systems. HEAR held as a data set. HEAR held as a data set, needs to conform to technical specification.

20. Over to you… Given the scenarios, what can the various actors do to enhance student employability?

21. Employability… a perspective from Google ‘Your degree is not a proxy for your ability to do any job. The world only cares about — and pays off on — what you can do with what you know (and it doesn’t care how you learned it)… .. in an age when innovation is increasingly a group endeavour, it also cares about a lot of soft skills — leadership, humility, collaboration, adaptability and loving to learn and re-learn.’