an employer's perspective on teaching essential employability skills

An employer's perspective on teaching essential employability skills

to advertising students at St. Lawrence College

Lindsey Fair

September, 2013

An applied research project submitted to Cape Breton University in partial fulfilment of the requirements

for the degree of Master of Business Administration in Community Economic Development

Primary Advisor:

Dr. Gertrude MacIntyre

Founding Director of MBA (CED) Program and CED Institute

Shannon School of Business

Cape Breton University

Secondary Advisor:

John Conrad, MBA, MA Ed., BSc.

Associate Dean, School of Business

St. Lawrence College

©All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, by

photocopying or other means, without the permission of the author.

Lindsey Fair

Cape Breton University, 2013

Abstract

From an employer's perspective this study highlights the need for a shift in

leadership of who's driving the essential employability skills (EES) agenda from

governments and institutions to employers and students. Success with student-demanded

career placements, especially those in hyper-competitive marketplaces, are proving to be

more related to EES than to the program of study. A variety of resources are being

directed to teaching employability skills at many post-secondary institutions; however, no

significant EES gap improvements have been noted in the last decade.

Through a qualitative study using open-ended interview, this research sheds light

on what EES gaps exist among employers, who should lead the development of EES, and

how best youth entering the labour market should develop the EES they will need to

succeed.

Keywords: essential employability skills, graduates, labour market, higher education,

experiential learning, employers

Acknowledgements

This research project required the support and knowledge from several of my

peers that I am grateful for. In particular, I would like to thank Kathy Patterson and Pam

Armstrong from St. Lawrence College (SLC). Pam provided assistance in locating

appropriate research participants and provided encouragement along the way. Kathy

provided contacts, contributed input into the subject matter, and shared insights into the

advertising program and the internship process at SLC. Most of all Kathy provided sound

advice and constant encouragement over the entire course of the MBA program.

Due to the qualitative nature of this project it would not have been possible

without the employer participants that volunteered for nothing in exchange besides a

simple cup of coffee. They took time out of their busy days to share their experiences for

the future success of students and youth. I thank you for this and I’m sure the students

will someday as well.

This paper was a whirlwind process completed in an extremely condensed

timeframe that required my advisors to provide almost instant feedback and answer my

ongoing questions. They provided guidance, encouragement and truly created a positive

environment for learning. Dr. MacIntyre and John Conrad, I am thankful for your

support.

George Karaphillis provided support, input and feedback throughout the two year

MBA program. Most of all, I am thankful for George’s patience and flexibility as I

completed the program.

I always thought that dedications and acknowledgments of family and friends in a

research project rather puerile; however, I am of a changed mind in recognizing the

significant role they have played in the process. My friends have had to endure my

stresses, be there to celebrate my success and even proof-read for me from time to time.

My family has had to deal with a messy house that I would ‘get to when I’m done this

chapter’, an extremely tired mom in the morning after long nights at my desk and the

constant and almost only conversation topic I would muster up in the last few months

being that of essential employability skills. THANK YOU.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Introduction to the Study .............................................................................. 1

Background ................................................................................................................ 1

Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................... 3

Significance ................................................................................................................ 4

Research Questions .................................................................................................... 4

Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................. 5

Delineations ................................................................................................................ 6

Remainder of the Study: A Roadmap ......................................................................... 7

Chapter Two: Review of Related Literature ....................................................................... 8

Essential Employability Skills .................................................................................... 8

Conflict between mandated EES and what graduates demonstrate ......................... 10

Advertising Communications programs ....................................................................11

Addressing the mismatch and closing the gap ......................................................... 13

Experiential learning as a way to address EES shortages ........................................ 14

Cooperative work placements and Internships. .................................................. 17

On-campus advertising agencies ........................................................................ 18

Graduates Role ......................................................................................................... 20

Institutional Role ...................................................................................................... 21

Employers Role ........................................................................................................ 24

Literature Review Summary .................................................................................... 26

Chapter Three: Methodology and Procedures .................................................................. 27

Research Methodology ............................................................................................. 28

Participant Population(s) .......................................................................................... 28

Research Design and Instrumentation ...................................................................... 29

Data Collection and Recording ................................................................................ 30

Data Processing and Analysis ................................................................................... 30

Limitations ................................................................................................................ 31

Ethical Considerations .............................................................................................. 32

Pilot Studies .............................................................................................................. 32

Chapter Four: Presentation of Results .............................................................................. 34

Data Analysis Process .............................................................................................. 34

The Employer Participants ....................................................................................... 34

Thematic Analysis .................................................................................................... 38

Gaps are where the confusion starts ................................................................... 38

What gaps need to be addressed? ....................................................................... 41

Can EES even be taught?. ................................................................................... 43

IF EES are teachable, school is not the place they should be taught .................. 44

Student Work should be Real Work .................................................................... 46

Chapter 5: Summary, Discussion and Recommendations ................................................ 51

Summary of Study .................................................................................................... 51

Discussion ................................................................................................................ 54

The EES that are not being met. ......................................................................... 54

Why is the current model not working? ............................................................. 56

Whose responsibility is it to address the gaps? .................................................. 57

The employer's roles.. ......................................................................................... 58

What does the research suggest in terms of improving the model? ................... 58

Implications .............................................................................................................. 60

Recommendations .................................................................................................... 62

For Employers .................................................................................................... 62

For Institutions .................................................................................................... 62

For Students ........................................................................................................ 63

For Future Study ................................................................................................. 63

Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 64

References ......................................................................................................................... 65

Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 73

List of Tables and Figures

List of Tables

Table 1: Key Principles and their application in differing HE areas 15

Table 2: Criteria for evaluating experiential learning opportunities 16

Table 3: Characteristics of Participants 35

Table 4: Sample Group (SG) Stratification 36

Table 5: Revised Sample Group (SG) Stratification 37

Table 6: Prioritization of Employer Roles in Developing EES 40

Table 7: EES shortfalls that believe their new employees meet all EES upon hiring 43

Table 8: Who should teach EES 45

Table 9: Which schools should teach EES 46

Table 10: Work-Based Learning Method Preferences 47

Table 11: Issues with St. Lawrence Colleges’ Advertising Program 48

Table 12: SG3m Delivery Mode Preferences 49

List of Figures

Figure 1: HE priorities in relation to the employability agenda 23

Figure 2: Desired EES versus reported EES shortfalls 39

Figure 3: SG Reported Gaps 41

Figure 4: Personal Skill Shortfalls 44

An employer's perspective on teaching essential employability skills 1

Chapter One: Introduction to the Study

A decade after governments, employers and post-secondary institutions

established a core set of essential employability skills (EES) significant gaps still exist

(Stuckey & Monroe, 2013). Students are demanding more of their institutions,

specifically regarding career placements, upon graduation. Success with student-

demanded career placements, especially those in a hyper-competitive marketplace are

proving to be more directly related to EES than to their program of study (Raybould &

Sheard, 2005).

There has been a significant amount of research dedicated to the role of

institutions in developing EES; as well as documented discussions from the students’

perspectives. However, little research exists from the employers’ perspective. To fill the

EES gaps much of the research argues that employers will no doubt have to play a much

more active role in these developments (Stuckey et al., 2013). The question is what is

their role?

Background

To many employers the discipline of study doesn’t matter but rather the ability for

employees to make decisions, handle complex information and to communicate

effectively (Knight & Yorke, 2002). Employers, in collaboration with governments,

policy makers and vocational institutions have determined a set of skills required in new

employees regardless of the industry. These skills are referred to as Essential

Employability Skills (EES). The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

(MTCU) prescribes to the following definition of EES “EES are skills that, regardless of

a student’s program or discipline, are critical for success in the workplace, in day-to-day

living, and for lifelong learning” (2003). There are six areas that students must

demonstrate by graduation within the EES mandate: communication, numeracy, critical

thinking and problem solving, information management, interpersonal and personal skills

[See Appendix A for a detailed chart describing the Essential Employability Skills].

Arguably, institutes of higher education (HE) have always had a focus on

preparing students for careers whilst meeting the needs of the current economy (Santiago,

2009). As a way to do this, sandwich courses (work placements embedded within a

semester) were introduced in the 1960's to provide work placements within the program

of study. Cooperatives started much earlier in 1906 when colleges realized that students

were already employed while studying without relating those experiences to their course

of study (Santiago, 2009).

The Advertising and Marketing Communications Management program at St.

Lawrence College (SLC) in Kingston, Ontario, Canada has been piloting an experiential

learning mode of delivery for third year students through a faculty-lead, on-campus

advertising agency. Their students also complete cooperative / internship work

placements in both the second year and third year of their program. The program is

currently assessing the viability of expanding this pilot agency into a larger component of

the curriculum to aid in teaching essential employability skills (Fair, 2013). Employers

currently get involved in the SLC program by offering work placements, providing

advice on curriculum through the advisory panel, occasionally participate as guest

speakers in the classroom, contributing work experiences to the classroom setting and

when hiring graduates.


Statement of the Problem

A variety of resources are being directed to teaching employability skills at many

post-secondary institutions including financial resources, human capital resources and

physical resources. However, these resources are potentially contributing very little to

graduate success in the workforce (Cranmer, 2006). In many cases, graduates possess

more industry-related knowledge than they require, and yet lack transferable, job-ready

skills they need to survive much less thrive (Hennemann & Liefner, 2010).

While EES have been deemed vitally important for graduate employment (Yorke,

2007), there is a lack of substantial research from the employers perspective on specific

employability skills gaps and how those can best be achieved before graduation (Mason,

G., Williams, G., & Cranmer, S. 2009). There is an ongoing debate about the best way to

teach EES and who should be responsible for teaching them (Harvey, 2000). Experience

is one of the easy answers to obtaining EES, but what kind of experience? Not all

experiences provide value, teach the necessary EES; and not all experiences provide

equal opportunity for graduates even if they have participated (McCall, 2004).

Graduate jobs may be expanding but the number of graduates in many fields is

also burgeoning and subsequently creating a hyper-competitive marketplace in many

industries. Graduates within these hyper-competitive industries, advertising being one of

them, are compared not on technical skill (as that is the base starting point that so many

applicants have), but rather on personality and life-skills – in other words EES (Harvey,

2000). Advertising graduates are no different than the general public in regards to

essential employability skill gaps and employers report the same weaknesses when hiring

new graduates as other employers do in other industries (Hazdovac, 2012).

Skills gaps are costing the Ontario economy up to $24.3 billion in forgone GDP

(Stuckey et al., 2013). In order to alleviate this loss, post-secondary institutions and

employers need to find solutions and define each of their roles in creating those solutions.

Significance

By understanding EES gaps, role definition, and best methods for teaching EES,

HE institutions, and in particular St. Lawrence College, will be more successful in

graduate career placement. They will be able to direct resources to areas that meet their

mandate of teaching EES, and most importantly lead in graduate employability.

In particular, this project will add to the greater discussion of a proposed agency

model of teaching EES at St. Lawrence College. Before determining if an agency model

is the right model for delivery, the gaps and role of industry employers must be

understood.

Research Questions

The primary topic of research is centred on the employers role in ensuring

graduates have the essential employability skills they deem necessary. Although there

may be opportunity to apply the findings and information in variety of situations, these

questions will focus on the employers directly connected to the Advertising and

Marketing Communications Management program at St. Lawrence College. This project

will strive to answer the following:

1. What essential employability skills (EES) as defined by the provincial

government are not being met currently through the curriculum at St. Lawrence

College?

2. Why is the current model not working?


3. Whose responsibility is it to address any gaps: faculty, students or employers

hiring students and graduates?

4. What are the employer's roles in ensuring graduates obtain the essential

employability skills they require (if any)?

5. What does the research suggest in terms of improving the model?

Theoretical Framework

Using a qualitative approach, this project will ground itself with learning theory,

human capital theory, cognitive-experiential self-theory, triarchic theory, conflict theory,

and matching theory.

The documented mismatch between graduate skills and employer's needs falls

within Matching Theory (Mortensen & Pissarides, 1994), whereas the discussion of

whose responsibility it is to address this mismatch relates to Human Capital Theory

(Becker, 19964). Becker stated that governments should be responsible for developing

human capital as a vital component of knowledge based economies as part of his Human

Capital Theory (Culkin & Mallick, 2011). This became further developed to include the

necessity of post-secondary institutions to partner and collaborate with governments in

the development of EES if growth and innovation were truly the drivers for producing an

educated workforce (NESTA, NCGE & CIHE, 2008). Undefined roles such as that

between government, employers and educational institutions pertain to Conflict Theory

(Brown, Hesketh & Williams, 2003). These undefined roles are creating an ongoing

debate of power, opportunity and capital-labour conflict when discussing EES

(Selvadurai, Choy & Maros, 2012).

An additional theory related to this study is the Cognitive-Experiential Self-

Theory (CEST) (Epstein, 1994). Epstein provides a framework for understanding

workplaces on or off campus that are outside of a traditional classroom that contribute to

student employability skills development regardless of their program of study. The

important component of CEST is that these learning environments succeed because of the

merger of both a rational system and an emotional driven system within each student

(Chisholm, Harris, Northwood & Johrendt, 2009). These authors suggest that we seek to

rationalize EES through traditional on-campus program delivery such as lecture oriented

classes as opposed to accept and develop models that support the emotional, off campus

development of EES simply because they are easier to manage. The CEST theory

combined with the Triarchic Theory (Sternberg, 1985) are the centre of the discussion on

experiential learning and how it overlaps with teaching EES. Triarchic Theory is the

exploration of originality, novelty and innovation as they focus on embedding aspects

related to work-based learning in a post-secondary program.

Finally, the findings of this study may touch on Experiential Learning Theory

(ELT) as a necessity in teaching EES; in particular problem solving, analysis and critical

thinking skills (Kolb, 1984). In general, this study will most certainly contribute to

Learning Theory, as it will discuss how the advertising student community learns best

and under what situations (Wenger, 1998).

Delineations

There is a great deal of room for discussion regarding the intersection of EES,

post-secondary education and labour market entry – too much for one project to cover. In

order to deal with this abundance the following delineations were established:


This study will not challenge nor discuss the validity of the current list of EES

mandated by the government to post-secondary institutions;

This study will be from the employers perspective and therefore surely leave

questions and room for discussion if the same questions were studied from a

student's perspective or an institutional perspective; and

The research questions relate to achieving higher retention of EES, but may

overlook or not be suitable when applied with a pedagogically lens within each

program of study.

Remainder of the Study: A Roadmap

This project will follow a traditional social science applied research project

format beginning with a literature review of materials that are related to EES, post-

secondary curriculum and methods of instruction for advertising programs, employer

perspectives regarding hiring new graduates and most importantly identify the gaps that

exist within the current body of research.

The third chapter of this study will outline the methodology for the qualitative

primary research component of the study which includes semi-structured, open-ended

employer interviews with three specific target subject groups, as well as details the

formats for data coding and analysis.

Following the chapter on methodology, chapter four will present the primary

research findings. The final chapter will discuss both the primary and secondary research,

present implications of these findings and provide recommendations for further

investigation.

Chapter Two: Review of Related Literature

Post-secondary institutions are increasingly under pressure to produce graduates

with transferable skills in response to the ever-changing needs of today's workplace

(Andrews & Higson, 2008). There are three primary criticisms that McIntyre, Webb and

Hit (2005) encapsulate in regards to the higher education (HE) industry: poor pedagogy,

lack of faculty commitment, and most importantly lack of responsiveness to broader

public needs (Kezar & Rhoads, 2001). With these criticisms at the forefront of discussion

it is important to evaluate education, in particular, communications-related programs with

the intention to develop improved, alternative methods of teaching both the technical

skills required within the industry and transferable skills that may be required for any

entry-level position (Hazdovac, 2012). The new imperative will be creating learning

opportunities for students that provide a realistic work-related experience that bridges the

gap between schools today and the workplaces of tomorrow (Kessels & Kwakman,

2006). The question is how do we get there?

Essential Employability Skills

The job market is a competitive place; in many industries there are more

graduates seeking employment than there are positions (Brown et al., 2003). When a

vacancy is posted there may be thousands of technically qualified applicants thus leaving

the hiring organization to evaluate the candidates on personal transferable skills rather

than the candidate’s technical skills – and this trend is growing (Baker, 2009). Over two

thirds of graduate postings are open to graduates of any discipline suggesting that

technical skills are less important than transferability (Raybould et al., 2005). When

formal skilled training is equal among candidate’s employers will always favour job


applicants that demonstrate transferable and practical skills (Mason et al., 2009).

In response to this growing trend, the Province of Ontario has mandated that

every graduate from an accredited Ontario College must demonstrate essential

employability skills in the following six areas: communication, numeracy, critical

thinking and problem solving, information management, interpersonal skills and personal

skills; regardless of the students program of study ( Ministry of Training, Colleges and

Universities, 2003). Higher education institutions worldwide are under enormous

pressure from all levels of government to adopt and drive the employability agenda

(Culkin et al., 2011). This agenda, derived from the Dearing Report (Dearing, 1997),

stated that students need life skills not just technical skills for employment. The manner

in which these life skills are accomplished and to what standard they are completed varies

widely from institution to institution, program to program. Initially, piecemeal methods of

teaching EES were used, but over the last decade a diverse array of opportunities has

been utilized in the classroom as more information on best practices of teaching EES

becomes readily available (Harvey, 2005).

Since the Dearing Report, the belief and endorsement for EES development has

been re-iterated and continuously discussed as a timely manner (NESTA et al,. 2008).

There is a global consensus of the significant negative financial impact from skills gaps

in the labour market, but the true costs are actually unknown (Stuckey et al., 2013).

Developed countries such as Canada have increasingly been introducing policies to

enhance employability through educational initiatives with their GDP in mind (Little,

2003).

The development of EES are a global concern, not just of local policy interest.

Employers' opinions of the required skills when hiring new graduates were homogenous

from country to country in an EES study conducted by Andrews and Higson (2008), even

when the job candidate’s skills varied significantly in each country. Yet, after surveying

over 1,500 employers in the Conference Board’s recent report, solutions to prevent an

imminent skills crisis remain vague and undefined (Stuckey et al., 2013).

Conflict between mandated EES and what graduates demonstrate

Regardless of the mandated demonstration of essential employability skills there

is still a significant gap between the skills of graduates and the skills that employers need

(Hills, Robertson, Walker, Adey & Nixon, 2003). The gaps recently identified by

employers related primarily to critical thinking and problem-solving skills (Stuckey et al.,

2013). Over 70% of the employers surveyed by Stuckey et al., communicated

deficiencies in essential skills (2013). Selvadurai (2012), Andrews (2008), and Stuckey

(2013) all concluded that there is an ongoing mismatch between employers’ expectations

and the trainees’ skills regardless of the purported employability agenda. The Ontario

Chamber of Commerce reported that within their membership 21%-52% of employers

are continue to experience difficulties hiring someone with the right skill set (Stuckey et

al., 2013). The challenge is in understanding these gaps.

There are various arguments that attempt to explain the conflict between employer

expectations and graduate skills gaps but it has proven very hard to pin-point a set of

specific issues that could easily be addressed by stakeholders. In fact, there isn't even

consensus within a single organization of what the specific desirable skills and

expectations are when hiring new graduates (Harvey, 2005). There is also evidence that


suggests that in many cases employers still identify technical skills deficiencies as likely

to be a concern as are employability skills (Cranmer, 2006). The difference between when

EES are important and when technical skills are important may simply relate to industries

with identified skills shortage versus those with a skills surplus that create a hyper-

competitive marketplace.

There is a consensus that more integration of experiences that resemble the world

of work is required within education to address the EES agenda (Hills et al., 2003), but

how this could best be accomplished remains undeveloped. There is unanimity between

employers and academia that both sides are sometimes at odds with each other about

graduate skills needs and the best way to develop those needs (Harvey, 2005). Further

understanding of exactly what gaps employers perceive exist of newly recruited

graduates is required before solutions can be found (Mason et al., 2009).

To complicate things further, there is little to no evidence that proves simply

teaching, learning or assessing EES significantly impacts the labour market more so than

the status quo (Mason et al., 2009).

Advertising Communications programs in HE

The dichotomy between time constraints within course curriculum and the

importance of industry experience for graduating students can be problematic (Deemer,

2012). Advertising is a difficult subject to teach as it requires both theory and hands-on

industry experience to teach the expected EES in the field (Lei, 1991). The advertising

industry is riddled with uncertainty coupled with sometimes unforgivable expectations

relating to the industry standard of real-time responses to problems; therefore the

education system preparing the labour force for this industry has to replicate this

environment for its students to learn from (Peterson & Albertson, 2006). If producing

communications graduates with high levels of self-efficacy, competence and problem

solving skills is the goal, then the way in which it is taught will need to change to

incorporate the development of these skills (Pollack & Lilly, 2008). Instilling the

combination of technical industry knowledge for communications and transferable

workplace skills requires more intuitive based learning that doesn't come easily from a

traditional lecture format (Laverie, 2006).

Advertising programs, and even general business programs, arguably are

developing technical specialists who have a said expertise in a subject matter, but lack

cross-disciplinary skills. These cross-disciplinary skills will help develop leaders that

understand and have the ability to work collaboratively with various cross-function teams

that are quickly becoming the mainstream reality in business today (Holtzman, Stewart &

Barr, 2008).

Applied colleges have the purpose to lead students from theory to

conceptualization to practice, but they often fall short of the practice component (Stretch

& Harp, 1991). In order to address this shortfall a concentrated effort and innovation in

teaching is required to develop the EES that employers covet. Client-centred work is not

new for advertising programs; an experiential learning component has been part of

advertising programs since these programs were first offered in post-secondary

institutions. In 1923, realistic practice was cited within the top 18 critical aspects of a

proper advertising education (Hyde, 1927). In 1985, sixty years after Hyde’s report, the

Commission on Undergraduate Public Relations Education reported that practicums were

the number one course for public relations and communications (Maben, 2010).


There is the notion amongst practitioners that the communication HE industry is

more talk than action when it comes to delivering on both technical skills development

and employability skills development (Carson, Cromie, McGowan, & Hill, 1995).

Practitioners commonly believe that communication faculty members are disconnected

from the industry and therefore have been and will continue to be deficient in preparing

graduates with the right balance of skills required to join and succeed within the

marketing communication industry (Maclaran, McGowan, & Hill, 1997).

Marketing communication faculty members would argue that they are current

within industry and do so by leading service-based learning and work-based learning

opportunities for their students. Over 80% of marketing faculty according to McIntyre et

al.'s findings (2005) engage in real-life clients as a teaching method. There has been a

significant shift in delivery methods with an increase in student engagement in the

learning process in the last decade (Smart & Csapo, 2007).

Addressing the mismatch and closing the gap

The Conference Board of Canada recently reported the urgency of the

aforementioned skills gap and the need for better partnerships between the private sector

and post-secondary institutions to solve this issue together (Stuckey et al., 2013). They

recommend that internships, co-ops and apprenticeships are ways for the private sector to

help minimize the existing gaps. The Board’s recommendations for post-secondary

educators and institutions however are inconclusive; suggesting that educators should

simply “better align their programs to the needs of the economy” (Stuckey et al., 2013).

Is program alignment really the issue, or is it skills development within the programs that

is the issue? Monroe and Stuckey suggest that the government’s role to solve these gaps

is to provide more funding for experiential learning opportunities for students. Are they

referring to funding internships and apprenticeships or are there other methods to

accomplish this?

Employers, institutions and graduates all agree that the first step in addressing the

skills shortage is relationship building between all stakeholders (Stuckey et al., 2013).

Experiential learning as a way to address EES shortages

“The primary source of learning to lead, to the extent that leadership can be

learned, is experience...Yet until recently we have known relatively little about how to

effectively use experience for development, including what experiences are

developmental, what people might learn from them, why some people learn and others

don't, who to give what experiences to, and so forth.” (McCall, 2004). Hands-on

engagement enables learning to happen in an industry environment that inherently

develops job-ready skills, behaviours and attitudes (Stuckey et al., 2013). Students learn

best from direct industry experience (Stretch et al., 1991); passive learning is no longer

enough to teach the complex problem solving and real-time thinking required by industry

(Munoz & Huser, 2008). Deep learning occurs when students have the opportunity to

apply theories and concepts taught in class to real-life situations and then most

importantly analyze their results (Holtzman et al., 2008). The traditional lecture is quickly

becoming a method of the past (Peterson et al., 2006), and there's no clear consensus on

the model of delivering EES learning outcomes that will replace the lecture method

altogether (Scribner, Baker & Howe, 2003).

Students find that work-based projects are more intellectually challenging and

provide opportunity for open-ended learning that cannot be simulated in classroom


learning with artificial projects (Khan, 2013). It is believed that many EES are best taught

in workplace environments and not in the classroom (Mason et al., 2009); however

developing these authentic work experiences for students is a challenge. The educational

worth of these experiences is not well understood; nor is there a concrete answer for how

to integrate these experiences within HE curriculums (Billet, 2009).

Table 1: Key Principles and their application in differing HE areas

Principle Foundation Undergraduate subject Undergraduate Job

Placements x x x

Work experience

x

Integrative

x x

Context

x x

Structured simulation x x

Projects

x

Problem based tasks

x

Reflective practice

x

PDP's and e-portfolios

x

Skill mapping

x x

Collaborative

x x

Employer engagement x x

Stakeholder engagement

x x

Note. From “Review of Evidence of Best Practice in Teaching and Assessing Employa-

bility Skills.” By A. Nunn, 2008, pg 78.

There are many experiential learning models for teaching in HE; the key

characteristic of experiential learning is that students are encouraged to be reflective

practitioners (Nunn, 2008). Reflection and analysis requires the student to demonstrate

their learning through means such as presentations, e-portfolios, or personal development

plans. Simply involving industry employers into the classroom as guest speakers can add

to the learning process of students and at the same time start bridging the gap between the

world of work and the HE institution (Wye & Lim, 2009). The type of experiential

learning activity varies based on the HE level and the program requirements. Nunn

(2008) summarized in Table 1 an example of experiential learning methods appropriate at

each level or activity in HE.

Table 2: Criteria for evaluating experiential learning opportunities

Does the learning and teaching activity:

A. Develop and encourage skills, knowledge and understanding?

B. Develop and encourage skills, knowledge and understanding that

will be useful in the world of work?

C. Provide an opportunity to apply the skills, knowledge and

increased understanding in the context of the world of work?

D. Demonstrate effective planning, design, progression and

implementation of the activity?

Note. From Hills, J.M., Robertson, G.G., Walker, R.R., Adey, M.A., & Nixon, I.I. (2003).

Bridging the Gap Between Degree Programme Curricula and Employability

Through Implementation of Work-related Learning. Teaching In Higher Educa-

tion, 8(2), 211.

When assessing employability skills taught through experiential learning, Knight

and Yorke (2007) found similar methods to Nunn (2008) with the addition of peer

assessments. Students believe that any form of workplace related learning is an important

part of HE, in particular, within a college setting (Stuckey et al., 2013). Peterson et al.'s

(2006) study found that students reported the same positive experience from work-based

training opportunities. “This learning by doing hands-on project has been one of the most

influential in my college career. I wish more of my teachers supplied me with hands-on

projects that enabled me to learn outside of the classroom” reported one of the

participants in Peterson’s study. Overall, first job advantage is seen for graduates that

have had the longest work-related experiences and had the most direct contact with

employers in related industries (Santiago, 2010). This holds true within the marketing

communications industry as well (Benigni et al., 2004).


Hills et al., (2003) developed a set of criteria to evaluate experiential learning

opportunities that may be helpful when choosing a model to teach EES (See Table 2 for

the Criteria for evaluating experiential learning opportunities).

Cooperative work placements and Internships. As the case for authentic work-

based learning environment strengthens so does the belief that cooperative work

placements in HE are a suitable solution (Kessels et al., 2006). To support the furtherance

of internships and cooperative placements there is a growing trend with employers to

show hiring preference for candidates that have successfully completed one or more

work-based experiences (Harvey, 2005). Graduates are experiencing a similar positive

effect: graduates that sought employment after completing a placement versus students

that didn't have placement experience were 14% more likely to succeed than their in-

experienced peers and even higher results in business related programs (Harvey, 2005;

Mason et al., 2009). An argument against work placements and internships is that they

are time consuming within a program of study (Miner, 2010), in turn delaying labour

force entry which can be detrimental for some industries experiencing a skills shortage.

To enhance and incorporate the principles of experiential education, placements

should take place in the early segments of education as opposed to the traditional time

frame adopted in most HE programs which falls near the end. This early introduction to

work-based experiences allows time for students to debrief and analyze the experience;

contributing to the theory of deep learning (Stuckey et al., 2013). Employers on the other

hand, often prefer non-returning students as placement students over students that have to

return to their studies as it is less disruptive to the daily routine.

Placements provide an in-depth learning experience for the workplace culture of

an organization. Similar to on-campus advertising agency models of delivery, internships

and placements help students develop leadership skills, oral and written communication

skills, problem solving skills, interpersonal communication skills, teamwork, decision-

making skills, and planning skills – all of which are part of the EES (Ogbeide, 2006).

Placements and internships provide learning associated and specific to one concentrated

environment, which although beneficial for focused learning, they can be seen as limiting

when compared to other experiential learning opportunities that are rich with several

clients and several problems to solve (Laverie, 2006). Hazdovac's (2012) findings, that

included interviews with faculty and communication industry experts, were consistent

with Laverie's and that are summed up by Jennifer Saxon, an advertising industry expert

in Hazdovac’s study “...because I’ve seen a number of different internships at a few

different firms and the ones (students) that have been given the most responsibility still

aren’t given ownership of a client campaign… I don’t think most internships will give

students the same degree of experience as the firm (agency model) will”. On top of this

argument against internships and placements, institutions often struggle with finding

opportunities that provide enough supervision and support that enables the student to use

the opportunity for learning as well as simply experience (Santiago, 2010).

On-campus advertising agencies. Many HE institutions currently use a blended

model of classroom delivery that encompasses both traditional lecture-based learning and

experiential learning environments. In many cases there is a combination of delivery

modes including embedded in the curriculum and outside of the classroom opportunities

that are presented in order to address the employability agenda (Mason et al., 2009). In


the United States (there is currently no Canadian organizing body for on-campus

advertising agencies to reference) there are currently 100 student-run advertising and

public relations firms within post-secondary institutions (PRSSA, 2013). From an

institutional point of view, programs utilizing an agency model have been able to meet

the program learning outcomes on reduce budgets, higher student enrolment and greater

graduate employability (Swanson, 2011). An agency model alleviates many deficiencies

in delivering on the employability agenda by putting the emphasis on experience over

learning (Deemer, 2012). They also fill the EES gaps left out in campaigns courses or the

technical skill application gaps left out in internships (Gibson & Rowden, 1995). Bush

(2009) asserts that agencies provide a plethora of pedagogical benefits that are so deep

that an agency should be at the core of every marketing communication program.

In contrast, Parson and Lepkowska-White (2009) conducted a study comparing

two groups of marketing student projects to determine the effectiveness of using real

clients versus theoretical clients. The study concluded that from a student perspective the

theoretical projects were just as effective and provided a less stressful learning

environment; faculty observed that learning outcomes were adequate in both cases. What

wasn't measured in this study however was the employer's perspective or the

development of EES in both groups of students.

According to Peterson et al., there is no better method of teaching the intricacies

of the marketing communication industry than through an on-campus agency (2006). A

campaigns course is a course focused on a grade; whereas an agency is a workplace

focused on employability (Maben, 2010). Clients bring challenges that cannot be

foreseen nor replicated in a classroom setting (Swanson, 2011) and because of this there

has been unmatched observed and documented psychological differences in student’s

essential skills (Aldoory & Wrigley, 2000). Students learn leadership skills, how to

motivate employees, negotiating with clients (Bush, 2009); all while gaining confidence

(Aldoory et al., 2000). Working with a variety of clients provides a variety of learning

situations that would be hard to replicate through any other form of experiential learning

(Laverie, 2006). Lastly, agencies are less focused on task completion such is seen with

internships, less on getting the answer right as is seen with traditional classroom

assessment methods, and instead more focused on process and analysis which are

embedded components of EES (Hazdovac, 2012). Based on Maben's (2010)

recommendation that an agency structure should be more widely adopted by marketing

communication programs, more research needs to be done about agencies as an

experiential learning model for teaching EES (Swanson, 2011).

There is an on-going debate about the best method to teach EES as the related

pedagogues are still in their infancy (Harvey, 2000; Brodie & Irving, 2007). Institutions

and employers can't wait for the debate to be over; in the meantime the focus should be

on making sure EES are taught at some point, through some experiential learning

modality within HE. This needs to happen in the near future as the human capital crisis is

imminent (Stuckey et al., 2013).

Graduates Role

Students have unfortunately developed a lop-sided skill set; deriving from their

ability to coast through elementary and secondary school programs based solely on

technical skills with weak EES performances in many cases (Stuckey et al., 2013).

Students will have to work hard in post-secondary school to develop and record their EES


development if they are going to expect any level of success in their future. Learning is a

continuous process that cannot be established in an isolated event (Billet, 2009); students

need to capture their entire learning process as they develop through it. Graduates must

play an active role in their EES development before they enter the labour market as these

skills will only be achieved with a high level of engagement from the learner (Billet,

2009). Students learn best when they discuss, practice and apply theories, as well as

merge their own ideas and solutions to real-life problems (Smart et al., 2007; Davis,

1993). The good news is that graduates are keen and want to be engaged in their own

development (Munoz et al., 2008).

More likely than not, graduates will find themselves in a starting position that is

non-traditional, non-technical and may not even be post-secondary graduate level; it is

the role of the graduate to accept, expect and use their EES to capitalize on these

opportunities as a start to life-long learning (Harvey, 2000). This starts with graduates

being responsible for their own EES development throughout HE and beyond (Culkin et

al., 2011); which may include finding their own job while in school if an appropriate

work-related learning experience isn't embedded within their program of study (Kessels

et al., 2006). Students may need mentorship and guidance to seek out and select work that

develops their EES as opposed to their natural inclination of simply working for money

alone (Harvey, 2000).

Institutional Role

The primary role of HE has changed very little over the years and still has the

primary objective of preparing young labours for the world of work (Harvey, Moon &

Geall, 1997). This role however, is challenged with the opinion that the employability

agenda will steer HE towards training over education where critique plays a crucial role

(Harvey, 2000). Harvey counters his own argument to say that HE's role in EES

development is about being responsive not about being downgraded (2000).

Most colleges strive to be a good learning college; St. Lawrence College included

(MacDougall, 2012). A learning college must do more than put such a statement on paper,

it must inspire deep learning that provides students with opportunities to be intrinsically

rewarded for developing the skills required by industry – grades are not the answer to this

(Holtzman et al., 2008). Developing a learning college also means sharing control with

students and industry employers which is a moderately new concept in HE (Smart et al.,

2007).

Addressing the employability agenda within HE is often left up to the individual

faculty members or departments (Nunn, 2008). Institutions as a whole, not in part, must

strive to develop learning environments that are more hands-on and practical in nature

(Wye et al., 2009). Culkin and Mallick (2011) have developed a priority list for HE

institutions regarding the employability agenda as seen in Figure 1. Some argue that

institutions are behind in developing the experiential learning environments needed to

address the EES gaps, while Vu, Rigby, Wood and Anne argue that HE institutions have

made significant gains in both policy and delivery modes to address employer’s needs

(2011). This is an on-going process that requires constant assessment and adjustments to

program curriculum that best reflects the needs of the current economy at any given

moment (Stuckey et al., 2013).


Figure 1: HE priorities in relation to the employability agenda

Note. From Culkin, N., & Mallick, S. (2011). Producing work-ready graduates. Interna-

tional Journal Of Market Research, 53(3), 347-368. doi:10.2501/IJMR-53-3-347-368.

The imperative for institutions is in resource planning as it pertains to the

employability agenda. HE institutions, upon understanding their role with EES

development, will be able to redirect resources from traditional lecture-based classroom

initiatives to experiential-based, employer involved learning initiatives (Cranmer, 2006).

Part of this resource planning must include professional development and upgrading

opportunities for faculty as new models that incorporate experiential learning may be

outside of the current faculty's skill set (Nunn, 2008). Faculty should not only be inspired

to be up-to-date with the current state of their industry, but should be helping to lead the

direction of its future (Ogbeide, 2006). New funding models for HE institutions are

moving in this direction as well, supporting and rewarding programs of study that

produce work-ready graduates (Bridgstock, 2009). The last, yet vital component related

to resource planning is the requirement for institutions to be flexible to new routines and

structures that may suit work-based learning more appropriately; this could include

varied timetables, room allocation differences, or a change in operating hours for services

(Nunn, 2008).

Developing relationships with industry employers is not an add-on, but rather a

crucial component in addressing the employability agenda (Junghagen, 2005). It is

important that the employers’ views are heard (Stuckey et al., 2013) as they provide a

different perspective of the industry than those that are many years removed from it such

as HE faculty members often are (Nunn, 2008). These relationships lead to easier work-

based learning opportunities for students and a source of industry information for faculty

members. The source of information for faculty enables them to be aware and respond to

current industry needs through real-time curriculum development (Junghagen, 2005).

Employers are keen to be involved (Stuckey et al., 2013) and significant innovations

incorporating private and public partnerships are being developed in hopes to better

conceptualize, design and deliver on the employability agenda (Nunn, 2008).

The primary role for institutions within the employability agenda may solely rest

on communication. Communicating with employers regarding industry needs and how

their graduates can meet those needs may be the only thing currently missing (Vu et al.,

2011).

Employers Role

In some cases employers are hiring general business graduates over industry-

specific graduates with the belief that they are more likely to possess the desirable EES

skills while it will be easier to teach them the technical skills (Ogbeide, 2006). Employers

support the labour-development argument for HE institutions simply because they don't


have the time or resources to undertake their own workforce skills development anymore

(Stuckey et al., 2013). Employers however, have a lagging impression of graduate skills;

they continue to assume that HE remains focused on technical skills. There does seem to

be some new support surfacing for hiring new graduates based on the efforts being

directed towards the employability agenda (Harvey, 2005).

Employers in general seem to favour work experience when hiring new graduates

(Harvey, 2005). In cases where employers were directly involved in course design and

ensuring student work-based opportunities graduates experienced greater success in

finding employment. This suggests that employer involvement in developing EES within

institutions is critical for employability (Cranmer, 2006). Not only will the graduates and

institutions benefit from this relationship, employers themselves will benefit by

developing a better workforce for them to draw upon in the future (Mason, 2009).

It is crucial for graduate success that employers are directly involved in

developing courses, delivery methods and methods for assessment as these employers are

the most direct evaluators of graduate performance through whom they choose to hire

(Wye et al., 2009). Employers time is more constrained and their financial resources are

being directed away from employee development (Stuckey et al., 2013), therefore they

will need to rely and in turn support HE institutions focus on EES development. Most

importantly, employers must take responsibility and play a leadership role in closing the

EES gap in new labour market entrants (Mason et al., 2009); but to what extent remains

unclear.

Literature Review Summary

There has been a great deal of discussion related to EES over the last decade;

however, for the most part the arguments have been general, non-descript, or overly

simplistic (Chisholm et al., 2009). The focus of the current discussions has centred on

students and institutional perspectives, with very little commentary from the employer's

perspective (Selvadurai et al., 2012).

Based on increased tuition fees, students are now expecting more from their HE

experiences: they want high quality, relevant information that is delivered in a method

that not only meets the graduate outcomes but the employer expectations as well. All in

the hopes that they are job-ready when they get their diploma in hand (Culkin et al.,

2011).

Junghagen (2005) summed up the only truly agreed upon constant for addressing

the EES gaps “Research, education, and collaboration with industry should not be treated

as asynchronous individual tasks. There are so many synergies among the tasks that they

should co-evolve over time.”


Chapter Three: Methodology and Procedures

The literature review points to employer-involved experiential learning as a

possible improvement to the current models; utilizing a mixed method research approach

will challenge this theory and hypotheses. Using a qualitative approach, the

interpretations will shed light and provide an initial understanding of the unique

challenges employers’ experience when hiring new graduates.

As stated in Chapter 1, this project will strive to answer the following:

1. What essential employability skills (EES) as defined by the provincial

government are not being met currently through the curriculum at St.

Lawrence College?


3. Whose responsibility is it to address any gaps: faculty, students or

employers hiring students and graduates?

4. What is the employer's role in ensuring graduates obtain the essential

employability skills they require (if any)?


Question one relates to Becker's Human Capital Theory (1964). Question two will be

grounded with Mortensen and Pissarides' Matching Theory (1994) and Conflict Theory

(Brown et al., 2003). Questions three and four overlap in their relation to Conflict Theory

and Human Capital Theory. Question four and five are grounded with cognitive-

experiential self-theory (CEST) (Epstein, 1994), Triarchic Theory (Sternberg, 1985),

experiential learning theory (ELT) and Learning Theory (Wenger, 1998).

This applied research project is based on action research (Lewin, 1946) in that the

findings will provide value to St. Lawrence College and to employers of SLC graduates.

Research Methodology

Using a triangulated approach (Schumacher and MacMillan, 1993, p. 498), this

project built first upon the findings in the literature review, to develop then compare and

contrast common belief within the literature to its’ primary research findings.

The primary research instrument was interviews to determine if there was a causal

relationship between the variables. Choosing interviews as the main action of research

enabled the investigation to cover many variables at one time that would otherwise be

difficult to do in a field experiment type methodology. The interviews were semi-

structured, open-ended survey style events. Interview based surveying was chosen based

on Lo Biondo-Wood and Haber's (1994) belief that survey studies are a strong foundation

for exploratory, descriptive studies that have a need to be both quantified and qualified.

Participant Population(s)

The target population for the primary research component was employers with

either a connection to SLC or a potential for a connection to SLC. There are three distinct

stratified sample groups within this project: current employers and placements

supervisors of the St. Lawrence College advertising students (sample group 1 – SG1);

past employers and placements supervisors of the St. Lawrence College advertising

students (sample group 2 – SG2); and employers that have a need for advertising

graduates or interns but have never hired St. Lawrence College advertising students

(sample group 3 – SG3). Initially there were five participants from each sample group

identified through systematic sampling.


Research Design and Instrumentation

The interviews were divided into two parts. Part A related to employer

experiences and their role in developing EES; this part started by presenting the EES as

mandated by the ministry and explaining that for the purposes of this project this was a

non-negotiable framework. Part B introduced the current approach for teaching EES at

St. Lawrence College (if they were unfamiliar) and presented current models for teaching

EES at other institutions as determined within the literature review. The interviews were

continuous events, with only a minor break in between Part A and Part B.

The interviews took place over two days prior to fall semester, proceeding the

summer semester when most students and graduates are employed. The following were

the initial questions to be asked:

SG1 & SG2

PART A

1. What are the essential employability skills (EES) you most look for when hiring a

recent graduate?

2. How do the graduates you have hired from the SLC advertising program meet

those EES?

3. What are the EES shortfalls you have experienced with SLC graduates?

4. Can you describe what you believe is the best way for students to obtain EES?

5. As an employer, what do you see your role as in relation to teaching EES?

PART B

6. What is not working with the current method for teaching EES at SLC?

7. Describe aspects of the other models that appeal to you for teaching EES.

SG3

PART A

1. What are the essential employability skills (EES) you most look for when hiring a

recent graduate?

2. Why have you never hired St. Lawrence College advertising students?

3. What are the EES shortfalls you anticipate with SLC graduates?

4. Can you describe what you believe is the best way for students to obtain EES?

5. As an employer, what do you see your role as in relation to teaching EES?

PART B

6. What is not working with the current method for teaching EES at St. Lawrence

College?

7. Describe aspects of the other models that appeal to you for teaching EES.

8. What changes to the teaching of EES would need to be made to meet your needs

and lead to potentially hiring SLC graduates in the future?

Data Collection and Recording

The interviews were audio recorded in real time and observational notes taken

during the interview. These recordings were transcribed into note form for coding.

Data Processing and Analysis

The content from the transcriptions was coded (See Appendix B for the Complete

Code Book) using first cycle descriptive code and second cycle coding (Saldaña, 2008).

In some instances where a direct quote was appropriate to be included in whole an in vivo


code was applied. Additional to content analysis, a sentiment analysis of the code was

also conducted to determine not only popularity of content but rather the sentiment of the

participant voice. The analysis was done to determine patterns of similarity, difference,

frequency, and / or causation. Where possible, during the analysis, analytical induction

and data reduction were utilized. Atlas.ti, a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis

software tool, was used for systematic analysis of the audio files and transcriptions.

Limitations

There were two limitations to this study: time and sample group. The timing to

conduct interviews could affect the outcome of the answers based on memory of

experience; if the hiring of graduates had long since passed or if it was too new to tell the

answers may be inaccurate. Timing also played a part in who was available for

interviewing as many employers take holidays during the summer months, therefore

those that participated were not all from our first to call target sample.

SG3 has inherent limitations stemming from the initial stratification. There could

be a large array of variables contributing to why SG3 employers have not hired SLC

graduates including reasons not pertaining to EES. During the interview, if non-related

information was provided this was coded as deviant to the norm and removed from the

analysis. Lastly, this target population was created based on previous knowledge and

experience of the researcher. There may have been more important or pivotal employers

if students, faculty or employers themselves were made aware of this study and had the

opportunity to contribute contacts for the study. This limitation leads to opportunities for

future study.

Ethical Considerations

The ethical considerations in this project were negligible. During the interviews

there was a potential that participants would feel anxious or shy about having their

comments audio recorded. Participants had the option to decline comment or

participation at any point if they felt uncomfortable. They were given a description of the

project, expectations of participation, and methods for opting out and confidentiality,

during the solicitation phase. These details were also included in their participation kit

along with their consent form (See Appendix C for the Consent Form). These forms,

interview questions and the research process were approved through an Ethics Review

Board at Cape Breton University (See Appendix D for the Ethics Review Application and

Ethics Board Approval).

All digital files pertaining to confidential aspects of this project were encrypted

with a password login system to ensure limited digital transferability of data. Audio files

were transferred to an encrypted file and the original file deleted.

Pilot Studies

To ensure that the reactive bias was minimized, feedback was gathered from

industry experts that included an employer not involved in the sample group, a faculty

member at St. Lawrence College within the Advertising program and a research

specialist. These experts completed the interview questions in survey format and

provided commentary and recommendations for improving question clarity prior to

conducting the full study.


Based on the pilot study the following changes were made before conducting the

sample group interviews:

In your experience with hiring graduates, did the graduates meet your

expected level of EES was added as a question to Part A.

Question 4 was broken down into two parts: who should develop EES and

how should EES be developed.

Demographic information was collected about each participant for

additional analysis (age range, size of firm, industry, sector, and role). A

general observation of gender was noted at the time of the interview.

The question “As an employer, what do you see your role as in relation to

teaching EES?” was changed to read “As an employer, what do you see

your role should be in developing EES?”.

Chapter Four: Presentation of Results

Employers are seeing EES shortfalls when hiring new graduates, both from the

SLC advertising graduates and with other graduates. The challenge, as stated by the

participant employers, is whether or not these shortfalls are teachable; if they are

teachable how best to teach them; and most importantly whose role is it to teach these

EES. Through interviewing eleven employers of new graduates, this study shed light on

some of these challenges.

Data Analysis Process

Using a thematic approach, analytical induction and data reduction were applied to

move from the comprehensive transcribed interviews to determine patterns. These initial

patterns, combined with the a priori codes, lead to hierarchical codes assigned for data

analysis. The code book consisted of the a priori codes (See Appendix E for the A Priori

Codes) based on themes established in the literature review as well as data-derived

inductive codes created dynamically throughout the data coding phase (See Appendix B

for the Complete Codes Used).

The Employer Participants

Initially the project estimated that fifteen participant interviews would be

conducted; however, the study concluded with only eleven due to saturation. Saturation

was determined through the inductive code process at the point that no new codes were

necessary. This pattern was apparent during the coding of the tenth interview; an eleventh

interview was conducted to ensure that this was not an anomaly. Neither the tenth nor the

eleventh interviews instigated the need for new codes, therefore leading to the

assumption of data saturation.


Of the eleven participants, ten were males. Ten of the eleven lived and worked in

Kingston. One was between 20-30 years of age, five were between 30-40 years of age,

three were between 40-50 years of age and two were between 50-60 years of age. All

three sectors were represented with one from the non-profit sector, eight from the private

sector and two from the public sector. Within the group there were five Chief Executive

Officers (CEO's), three supervisors and three communication officers. The sectors

included one association, two from broadcast media, one from health care, two from

marketing, one from real estate, two from technology and two from tourism. Four were

organizations with less than 10 employees, five were from organizations with 10-99

employees, and two were from large organizations over 100 employees (See Table 3 for

Characteristics of Participants). Each participant was assigned a participant (P) code to

ensure participant confidentiality. The P codes were assigned based on order of

interviews conducted ranging from P1-P11.

Table 3: Characteristics of Participants

Participant City Gender Age Role Sector Industry Size

P1 Kingston m 40-50 communications public tourism 100+

P2 Kingston m 30-40 supervisor private broadcast 10+

P3 Kingston m 50-60 supervisor private broadcast 10+

P4 Toronto m 30-40 supervisor private marketing 10+

P5 Kingston m 30-40 CEO private technology <10

P6 Kingston m 40-50 CEO private technology <10

P7 Kingston f 20-30 communications private tourism 10+

P8 Kingston m 30-40 CEO private real estate 10+

P9 Kingston m 40-50 CEO non-profit association <10

P10 Kingston m 50-60 CEO private marketing <10

P11 Kingston m 30-40 communications public health care 100+

The participants were initially to be stratified into three sample groups: current

employers and placements supervisors of the St. Lawrence College advertising students

(sample group 1 – SG1); past employers and placements supervisors of the St. Lawrence

College advertising students (sample group 2 – SG2); and employers that have a need for

advertising graduates or interns but have never hired St. Lawrence College advertising

students (sample group 3 – SG3). Following the pilot study these sample groups were

stratified in a slightly different manor that was deemed more appropriate for

understanding results: SG1 represents employers that have hired SLC advertising

graduates; SG2 represents employers that have hired SLC advertising interns but not

graduates; and SG3 represents employers that have never hired SLC advertising

graduates or internships. Within SG3 further stratification was possible regarding those

employers that had hired any post-secondary graduates versus those that had not,

however for this study, this further stratification was deemed unnecessary (See Table 4

for the Sample Group Stratification).

Table 4: Sample Group (SG) Stratification

Participant

Subject

Group

(SG)

has hired SLC

advertising

grads

has hired

SLC

advertising

interns

has hired

other

graduates

has

hired

other

interns

3 1 yes yes yes yes

5 1 yes yes yes yes

7 1 yes yes yes yes

10 1 yes yes yes yes

1 2 no yes yes yes

9 2 no yes no yes

2 3 no no yes yes

4 3 no no no yes

6 3 no no no yes

8 3 no no yes yes

11 3 no no yes yes


The limitations for analysis of SG2 (n=4) as a stratified group created a doubt of

validity with only two participants in that group. To alleviate this doubt or concern, SG2

and SG3 were merged as SG3m (n=7) based on the similarity of both groups by the first

level of stratification that they had not hired SLC advertising graduates (See Table 5 for

the Revised Subject Group Stratification). This decision was determined by reviewing the

role of EES and its connection and expectation of graduates and not of interns; interns are

not expected to have met the EES prior to graduation.

Table 5: Revised Sample Group (SG) Stratification

Par

tici

pan

t

Sub

ject

Gro

up

(SG

)

Re

vise

d S

ub

ject

G

rou

p (

SG)

has

hir

ed

SLC

adve

rtis

ing

grad

s

has

hir

ed

SLC

adve

rtis

ing

inte

rns

has

hir

ed

oth

er

gr

adu

ate

s

has

hir

ed

oth

er

in

tern

s

3 1 1 yes yes yes yes




1 2 3m no yes yes yes

9 2 3m no yes no yes

2 3 3m no no yes yes

4 3 3m no no no yes

6 3 3m no no no yes



It is important to note that all of the participant employers that had not worked with

SLC advertising students stated that it was not due to lack of EES in the graduates, but

rather due to external factors such as that the employers had never received applications

from this group of students.

Thematic Analysis

Initially during the coding stage, general themes that matched that of the literature

review were developed; however those themes evolved as further analysis was complete.

The main themes that arose during the analysis were:

That there are gaps not only when hiring new graduates for employers but

between employers’ desired skills and those they find shortfalls in when

hiring new graduates;

Employers that have never worked with graduates from certain programs

still apply biases and pre-conceived challenges when hiring any new

graduate regardless of the program of study;

The gaps that need to be addressed may not even be on the MTCU list of

EES;

Student work should be ‘real work’;

IF EES are teachable, school is not the place they should be taught; and

Maybe EES are not even teachable skills.

Gaps are where the confusion starts. According to this study, graduates may have

a hard time meeting employers’ expectations due to contradictions in desirable EES when

hiring new graduates compared to their identified shortfalls in EES when employing new

graduates. Creative and innovative thinking, leadership and reflection were all EES that

employers cited having shortfalls and yet were never cited as desirable by any employers,

let alone by the employers that reported the shortfalls (See Figure 2 for Desirable EES

versus reported EES shortfalls). Additionally, grammar, drive, and time management

were cited similarly with shortfalls but not as desirable in the first place; however these


three skills were not the on the initial list of EES given to employers to drawn upon

which may have skewed their answers. SG1 reported having no desire for numeracy;

however, 50% cited a shortfall. Furthermore, SG3m cited a shortfall with leadership

skills, but showed no desire for it when selecting candidates. Based on all of these

contradictions, the first gap that may need to be addressed will be to ensure that

employers’ desirable skills when hiring are maintained and applied when assessing new

employee performance.

Figure 2: Desired EES versus reported EES shortfalls

Employer’s expectations of what their roles are in developing EES may be a

contributing factor to current gaps. The SG3m group prioritized their roles in the

following order: engagement in the HE learning process; providing experience for

students; and empathy for the new employee. The SG1 group on the other hand

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

general comm…

writing

listening

sub-total

gen critical thinking & ps…

decision making

sub-total

computer literacy

general inter p…

relationship mgmt

networking

general pers…

adaptability

personal responsibility

***time management

% of Employers Reporting on Topic

EES

shortfalls %

desired %

prioritized them differently starting with empathy for the new employee and ending with

engagement in the HE learning process. The combined groups prioritized them

experience, empathy then engagement (See Table 6 for the Prioritization of Employer

Roles).

Table 6: Prioritization of Employer Roles in Developing EES

ID

employer's roles

provide experience engagement with HE empathy

inte

rnsh

ips

jobs

pro

ject

s

sub

-tota

l

advis

ory

pan

els

men

tor

teac

h

spea

ker

sponso

rship

sub

-tota

l

SG3m % 43 29 14 29 29 0 29 43 14 23 20

SG3m ranking 1 2 3 1 2 5 2 1 4 2 3

SG1 % 100 25 0 42 0 75 0 25 0 20 50

SG1 ranking 1 2 3 2 5 1 5 2 5 3 1

Pre-conceptions are leading to gaps. As stated previously, employers were

divided into groups with experience hiring SLC advertising students (SG1) and those that

hadn’t (SG3m). 86% of the SG3m group cited that they anticipated EES not to be met

when hiring new graduates; whereas the SG1 group had only experienced gaps in EES

25% of the time (See Figure 3 for the Gaps reported by SG Groups). SG3m anticipated

more shortfalls with information management and personal skills; while those with

experience with the SLC advertising graduates reported that the shortfalls were actually

numeracy skills. Within personal skills, 57% of SG3m cited drive as the number two


anticipated shortfall and yet 0% of SG1 reported having experienced shortfalls with drive

of new graduate employees.

Figure 3: SG Reported Gaps

What gaps need to be addressed? All SG groups when analyzed as groups and the

total (n=11) desire general communication more than any other EES and yet 55% cite

shortfalls within this category. Writing is in a similar position with 55% desiring skill

competency, with 45% citing a shortfall with writing specifically. The number one

desired EES for the SG3m group was managing self, which was matched as the number

one shortfall. Categorically, the two skill areas for graduates to develop according to

employer identified shortfalls are numeracy and personal skills. Communication should

not be overlooked however, as it was the category with highest desirability along with

significant shortfalls to overcome.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80ge

ne

ral c

om

m…

wri

tin

g

liste

nin

g

sub

-to

tal

gen

cri

tica

l th

inki

ng

& p

s…

gen

era

l in

fo m

gmt…

sub

-to

tal

team

wo

rk

lead

ers

hip

sub

-to

tal

man

agin

g se

lf

refl

ect

ive

***

dri

ve

% f

or

Eah

SG

th

at

rep

ort

ed

Sh

ort

falls

EES Shortfalls

SG3m

SG1

Two significant gaps that are not detailed within the official EES as published by

the MTCU but were repeatedly cited by employers in this study are time management

and drive. In fact, 73% stated that the number one EES shortfall was time management.

SG1 cited time management and drive equally as the most significant shortfalls.

Grammar was another addition to the list of EES discussed, however only P9 stated it as

a shortfall.

What doesn’t need to be addressed is speaking skills according to the SG3m group;

SG1 desires reading skills but reported no shortfalls with reading. Other skills desired by

employers without reported shortfalls were teamwork, listening and relationship

management. These results indicate that speaking, listening, teamwork, relationship

management and reading skills are possibly being well developed among students

already. Overall, critical thinking had low desirability and minimal shortfalls suggesting

that employers may not expect those skills within early graduates; the question then is

can they really be considered EES? P3 believes that critical thinking and decision making

are skills that continue to develop on the job and are not expected skills when hiring new

graduates (See Appendix F for more quotes from participant interviews).

The gaps may be less skill specific and relate more to the quality or level of

development within each skill category. P2 commented that in their experience, new

graduates possess most EES but are generally “weaker than they are strong in their EES”

(See Appendix F for more quotes from participant interviews). This may explain why

those employers that stated new graduates they have hired had the required EES (n=4)

and yet still cited 14 EES shortfalls overall (See Table 7 for EES Shortfalls these

employers reported).


Table 7: EES shortfalls reported by employers that believe their new employees meet all

EES upon hiring

gen

eral

com

munic

atio

n s

kil

ls

wri

ting

gen

eral

num

erac

y

gen

eral

cri

tica

l th

inkin

g

& p

roble

m s

olv

ing

dec

isio

n m

akin

g

gen

eral

per

sonal

skil

ls

man

agin

g s

elf

per

sonal

res

ponsi

bil

ity

***ti

me

man

agem

ent

1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 2

Can EES even be taught? An important question that became apparent in the

employer interviews was whether or not EES could even be taught, or if EES are internal

characteristics so individualized that outside factors will lead to unpredictable results.

P10 suggested that the EES shortfalls are more a self-directed, motivation problem, and

not a delivery mode or teaching problem. “It's as complex as managing a team of

employees that each have different strengths, so where would you even begin?” (See

Appendix F for more quotes from participant interviews).

Drive and time management repeatedly came up as a shortfall with 36% citing a

shortfall with drive specifically. One candidate, P8, was the first but not the only to state

the question “How do you teach drive?” (See Appendix F for more quotes from

participant interviews). 45% reported significant shortfalls with the managing self-skills,

these likewise to drive, may be too individualistic to be taught (See Figure 4 for

popularity of personal skill shortfalls reported by employers).

Figure 4: Personal Skill Shortfalls

Overall, 36% said they believed EES cannot be taught in the classroom alone. Most

believed that EES were developed best through ongoing experience, with 82% suggesting

that developing EES must be through self-directed learning. One participant, P6, deemed

that graduates that start out with a high degree of EES see little improvement to these

skills with gained experience and that the same was true for those with extremely low

EES; they argued that the development of EES will only be affective with those in the

middle. This begs the question then, are EES really required for first careers or should

employers accept that new graduates may not have all of the EES, but instead will

develop them in the workplace?

IF EES are teachable, school is not the place they should be taught. If EES are

teachable, then the study participants believe that the workplace is the place to develop

them, not school. Next to self-directed learning (82%), 45% of employers believe that

managing self

adaptability

reflective

personal responsibility

***drive

***time management


direct work experience will develop EES better than other methods such as school; and

82% believe that employers are the ones to teach them. Only 25% selected schools to

teach EES (See Table 8 for who employers believe should be teaching EES). Next to self-

directed learning and employers, parents were believed to play a more significant role

than schools in developing EES.

Table 8: Who should teach EES

emplo

yer

s

self

dir

ecte

d

schools

gov't

par

ents

pee

rs

com

munit

y

gen

eral

elem

enta

ry

hig

h s

chool

HE

sub

-tota

l % 82 73 9 18 27 45 25 9 27 9 9

Ranking 1 2 4 3 2 1 4 7 3 7 7

Some sort of schooling still has a role to play in developing EES according to six

participants. Within that group of six, most of which were within the SG1 group (n=3),

83% believed that HE was the most appropriate educational institution to teach EES (See

Table 9 for which schools should teach EES according to employers). This group (n=5)

favored internships as the method for teaching these skills over the group that did not see

HE (n=6) as a place to develop EES.

Table 9: Which schools should teach EES

gen

eral

elem

enta

ry

hig

h s

chool

HE

sub

-tota

l

SG3m 1 1

SG3m 1 1 2

SG1 1 1 2

SG1 1 1 2

SG1 1 1 1 3

SG1 1 1

Student Work should be Real Work. When employers were asked what they

believed would be the best methods for teaching EES they strongly supported work-based

learning above all other methods. 55% of participants preferred real-life work for

developing EES. P9 stated that HE institutions can teach a technical skill in the classroom

because those skills are often standardized, but that EES are only developed through

hands-on practice. Within real-life based work, internships and an on-campus agency

were favored methods (See Table 10 for work based learning method preferences).

Required volunteering and mentorship were also mentioned by three participants, both of

which could fall under internships and an on-campus agency depending on the format for

those modes of delivery.


Table 10: Work-Based Learning Method Preferences

Gen

eral

-'r

eal

life

' modes

Cli

ent

pro

ject

s em

bed

ded

in e

ach

cours

e

On-c

ampus

adv

erti

sing a

gen

cy

Busi

nes

s ori

ente

d c

lubs

Inte

rnsh

ips

Pro

vid

e m

arket

ing s

ervic

es f

or

inst

ituti

on

Job s

had

ow

ing

55 9 45 9 55 9 18

Two of the most common issues reported with the current method of teaching EES

within the SLC advertising program are the timing of the internships; and that students

don’t frequently have the chance to lead projects from idea to launch with time for

analysis of the results (See Table 11 for the issue employers raised with the current modes

of delivery at SLC). P4 commented on the importance of finishing projects for learning

advertising in particular “campaigns need to be realized to validate the learning.” He

continued on to say that the students need the opportunity to fail as advertising doesn’t

provide concrete answers like other disciplines do; therefore solutions can only be

understood through real world work (See Appendix F for more quotes from participant

interviews). This issue could easily be addressed through both preferred methods for

teaching EES (an on-campus agency and internships).

Table 11: Issues as Identified by Employers with

St. Lawrence Colleges’ Advertising Program Modes for Teaching EES

internship standards curriculum disconnect sh

ort

nes

s

no

t pro

du

ctiv

e

no

co

nnec

tio

n t

o E

ES

no

tim

e fo

r re

flec

tion

tim

ing

gen

eral

ly l

ow

pro

fess

or

eng

agem

ent

acce

pta

nce

inte

rnsh

ips

no

t in

div

idual

ized

tech

nic

al s

kil

l fo

cuse

d

(no

t E

ES

)

low

qu

alit

y

no

t h

and

s o

n e

no

ug

h

no

ch

ance

to

fai

l

no

foll

ow

th

rou

gh

on

pro

ject

s

emplo

yer

s nee

ds

/

pro

f d

eliv

ery

18 0 18 0 36 9 9 9 18 18 18 9 18 9 36 9

The former issue related to the timing of internships in that they do not always

coincide when employers need employees or when they can effectively coach them. This

may best be solved through flexible internship dates or through a different work-based

method such as an on-campus agency; as long as it still ensures EES development for the

student as P3 cautioned.

SG3m was concerned with the amount of hands-on work within the programs and

the opportunity for students to see projects through to analysis. Both of those issues could

explain why this group favored an on-campus agency model for teaching EES (See Table

12 for SG3m delivery mode preferences).

Table 12: SG3m Delivery Mode Preferences (%)

work-based informational other

Gen

eral

-'r

eal

life

' modes

Cli

ent

pro

ject

s em

bed

ded

in e

ach c

ou

rse

On-c

ampus

adv

erti

sing

agen

cy

Busi

nes

s ori

ente

d c

lubs

Inte

rnsh

ips

Pro

vid

e m

arket

ing s

ervic

es

for

inst

ituti

on

Job s

had

ow

ing

Men

tors

hip

Busi

nes

s to

urs

Net

work

ing e

ven

ts

Inte

rvie

ws

Com

pet

itio

ns

Sim

ula

tions

Port

foli

o p

rese

nta

tions

Req

uir

ed v

olu

nte

erin

g

29 0 57 0 43 14 0 14 14 0 14 0 14 14 14


Those participants that showed preference to the on-campus advertising agency

cited communication skills as the biggest EES shortfall; whereas those that favored

internships cited numeracy skill as the biggest EES shortfall. This could be indicative of

what skills they believe will be developed through each method of teaching. If the

number one teachable EES shortfall, as reported by participants in this study, is

communication, then an on-campus advertising agency may be more suited as a method

to develop these EES than through other methods. One participant, P5, suggested a

hybrid model that included both internships and an on-campus advertising agency

whereby students would all participate in a short internship at the beginning of the

program where the employers would assess the students EES. Those students that met

them would be given the opportunity for a longer second placement and those that still

had EES to develop would work in the on-campus agency until the agency manager

(faculty or not) deemed the skills had been met, at which time the student would

complete the remainder of the time on an external internship (See Appendix F for more

quotes from participant interviews). .

Internships received the most support from the study participants when numerically

analyzed; however, through a sentimental analysis an on-campus advertising agency

surpassed internships for teaching EES. Comments regarding internships were in support

of it, but they were often nonchalant and included but-statements such as “internships are

suitable if the student is ready” P5; “internships are good as long as they focus on EES”

P9; and “internships will work if you get the right employer” P4. Employers in support of

the agency model on the other hand, displayed a high degree of positive sentiment with

statements like “Love the idea! It’s really cool!” P2; “An agency would’ve helped me

when I was in school” P6; and “We’d be interested in being involved in the agency” P1

(See Appendix F for more quotes from participant interviews). This last comment also

suggests it may be a good way to engage employers into the learning process. The

participants did caution that whether it’s an agency model or other hands-on methods of

delivery the focus must be on developing EES, and not technical skills. Several

participants cautioned that engagement with the employers in whatever method is crucial

so that the defined EES are current and employer driven, not academia driven.


Chapter 5: Summary, Discussion and Recommendations

The Conference Board of Canada's report highlighted the urgent need for action

regarding EES of new graduates. Their report strongly reprimanded governments, in-

stitutions, employers and graduates for being in the same situation as they were a

decade ago with regard to EES gaps. These gaps are leaving a bad taste in everyone's

mouths and creating a culture of blame; not to mention money being poured into de-

veloping these EES whilst seeing little improvement.

There is much confusion of whose role it is to develop EES; is it the employer's

job, the parents, teachers or is it the students themselves? There's even more ambigui-

ty when it comes to how they should be developed. Employers have some ideas as

this report introduces. This area of study is relatively new with an abundance of new

terrain to explore; this is just the tip of the iceberg.

With the goal to understand EES gaps, role definition, and best methods for

teaching EES, HE institutions and in particular St. Lawrence College, will be more

successful. They will be able to direct resources to areas that meet their mandate of

teaching EES, and most importantly lead in graduate employability.

Summary of Study

This study captured an employer's view of EES through both a comprehensive

literature review and in-depth employer interviews. The initial research questions, all

of which were addressed in the study, were:

1. What essential employability skills (EES) as defined by the provincial govern-

ment are not being met currently through the curriculum at St. Lawrence College?


3. Whose responsibility is it to address any gaps: faculty, students or employers hir-

ing students and graduates?

4. What are the employers' roles in ensuring graduates obtain the essential employa-

bility skills they require (if any)?


The study was grounded in the following theoretical frameworks: learning theo-

ry; human capital theory; cognitive-experiential self-theory; triarchi theory; conflict

theory; and matching theory. The following key themes that became apparent during

the literature review were:

There is an ongoing conflict between mandated EES and what graduates demon-

strate;

There is an ongoing debate of whether or not EES can be taught with any success

to impact the labour market;

Applied colleges have the mandate to lead students from theory to conceptualiza-

tion to practice, but they often fall short of the practice component;

Employers, institutions and graduates all agree that the first step in addressing the

skills shortage is relationship building between all stakeholders;

There is a consensus that more integration of experiences that resemble the world

of work is required within education;


Preferred methods of developing EES, albeit with some draw backs, are through

internships and work-based learning such as an on-campus advertising agency;

and

Everyone needs to play a role; developing EES is not a subject that has one

teacher.

As a qualitative study, eleven semi-structured, open-ended interviews were

conducted. There were three stratified subject groups of employers: the first group

(SG1) was made up of employers that have hired SLC advertising graduates; SG2

represented employers that have hired SLC advertising interns but not graduates; and

SG3 represented employers that have never hired SLC advertising graduates or in-

ternships.

The data was reviewed through analytical induction and data reduction to de-

termine key themes. A combination of a priori codes and inductive codes were used

in response to the open-ended format of the interviews. The key themes to draw upon

from the interviews are:

That there are gaps not only when hiring new graduates for employers but be-

tween employers’ desired skills and those they find shortfalls in when hiring new

graduates;

Employers that have never worked with graduates from certain programs still ap-

ply biases and pre-conceived challenges when hiring any new graduate regardless

of the program of study;

The gaps that need to be addressed may not even be on the MTCU list of EES,

such as time management and drive as significant shortfalls within graduates;

Maybe EES are not even teachable;

IF EES are teachable, school is not the place they should be taught; and

Student work should be ‘real work’.

Discussion

This study provided insights into each of the five research questions. It also

shed light on some EES that are not on the list but possibly should be such as time

management (n=3) and drive (n=4). Stuckey and Monroe's (2013) report suggests

that the creation of new job categories often outpaces attempts to understand and

classify them, such is the case with the results of this study.

Another area of discussion that this study suggests is that the emphasis should

shift from institutions and governments leading the development of EES to employers

and students moving into the leadership roles. One participant strongly recommended

that the development of EES must start with a three way conversation between the

student, the employer and the professor very early in the academic career and contin-

ue through well beyond the first six months of graduation (P10).

The EES that are not being met. The first research question was to understand

what, if any, EES shortfalls employers have experienced as a follow up to the Con-

ference Board's report (2013) regarding on-going EES gaps in new graduates. Both

the literature review and the primary data confirmed that there are EES gaps between


what graduates can do and what employer's expect them to be able to do (Hazdovac,

2012; Selvadurai et al., 2012).

One of the challenges in determining what EES gaps there are is the dichotomy

of what employer's desired skills versus the way in which these employer's assess or

identify shortfalls when working with new graduates. These two areas appear to be

disconnected from one another. This could be due to the fact that measuring EES is

harder maybe than defining them or developing them (Cranmer, 2006).

An additional challenge in identifying the most pertinent EES gaps is that short-

falls may not be categorically specific but rather a question of subjective quality (An-

drews et al., 2008). Several participants alluded to similar experiences. One partici-

pant said that “all EES (among our graduates) on some level have been low quality at

some point” (P11) and another suggested that the gaps are more individualistic and

most new graduates have skills that are “very good and some that are terrible” (P10).

The most frequently reported EES gaps during this study were related to com-

munications, particularly writing, and personal skills. As suggested above, two of the

more reported personal skill shortfalls were time management and drive. One partici-

pant reported limited drive and passion when working with college graduates and

suggested not only was this hard during the hiring stage but in their experience these

were declining skills throughout their careers as well (P8). The results of this study

were similar to Stuckey and Monroe's (2013) findings in that communication was a

significant area of identified EES gaps. They reported that 46% of employers experi-

ence communication gaps, although his findings were more geared to oral communi-

cation skills versus the participants in this study that identified more gaps in writing

communication skills than they did with oral communication skills. Critical thinking

and problem solving skills were the number one area of concern in Stuckey and Mon-

roe's report; however, this study's results indicated that this was not an area of desira-

bility for the participant employer's nor did they cite many shortfalls within this area.

This may indicate that critical thinking and problem solving skills are more industry

specific than some of the other EES.

Why is the current model not working? One of the most prevalent sugges-

tions of why the current model of developing EES among students may not be suc-

ceeding is that these skills may not be teachable in the first place. Baker (2009) high-

lights that this notion of whether EES should be 'caught or taught' has been a long-

standing debate within HE. In this study, 36% of the participants suggested that EES

are not teachable, but rather developed over time through experience or students “ac-

quire them naturally as they mature” (P1). Brodie and Irving (2007) suggested that

students are advantaged or disadvantaged in regards to their EES, based on their ear-

lier educational experiences. One participant in this study outlined that in their expe-

rience it is only those students in the middle within EES development that can im-

prove through teaching and experience (P6). Overall, there is a notion that EES can

be developed but not necessarily taught; therefore the focus should shift from that of

teaching to one of development.

A significant concern for employer's is their belief that academia does not pro-

vide the amount of hands-on, experiential learning that is required for a graduate to

succeed in the labour market. Mason's (2009) study concluded that many EES are

best learned in workplaces not in classrooms; 45% of participants in this study agreed


with Mason’s findings. Collectively, the participant employers agreed that workplac-

es are the number one preferred place for developing EES. Yet the government has

mandated that the development of EES will be through HE institutions and in turn

they have directed their resources into doing so in that manner.

Teachers and professors are the ones often charged with teaching EES and yet

according to Nunn (2008) often lack the first-hand knowledge of what employers de-

sire in regards to EES. The research participants contributed to this challenge by sug-

gesting that teachers lack enough engagement to continuously be up-to-date with em-

ployer’s needs (P6), which leads to a disconnect between employers needs and stu-

dent learning outcomes that teachers must adhere to (P10). McIntyre, Webb and Hit

(2005) refer to Kezar and Rhoad's 2001 study that highlighted similar criticisms, sug-

gesting that HE institutions lack curricular relevance, lack faculty commitment to

teaching, and lack responsiveness to broader public needs. All of this suggests that

faculty need to engage, institutions need to ensure faculty engagement, and employers

need to drive the need for this engagement as it is in their best interest.

Whose responsibility is it to address the gaps? It is clear through both the lit-

erature review and the primary research in this study that teachers and professors are

not necessarily the best people to single-handedly develop EES. Employers, institu-

tions and graduates all agree that the first step in addressing the skills shortage is rela-

tionship building between all stakeholders which includes employers, institutions and

students. Nunn (2008) suggested that HE institutional engagement with employers is

growing; however, given that five years have passed since this statement and that the

participants in this study reported this still to be the imperative for the future, suggests

that not enough has been done in this area yet.

According to this study, students will have to take a much larger leadership role

in their own EES development; in fact, 73% agreed this to be the case. Limited re-

sources from the employment sector (Stuckey et al., 2013), a competitive marketplace

(Andrews et al., 2008) and the need for developing potentially unteachable skills, ar

all contributing factors as to why self-directed learning may need to be the focal point

for EES and not the classroom.

The employer's roles. According to Brodie and Irving (2007), an employer's

contribution to developing EES among students and new graduates should be more

than the 10% they are currently contributing. 86% of participants in this study agreed

that employers must be the ones to lead when it comes to developing EES. Not only

is it important that employers views are heard in order to address the EES gaps as

Wye and Lim (2009) has suggested, but that they must actively engage in the process

itself. “What needs to change in the way EES are developed for me to hire a graduate

in the future? Only my own engagement in the program and with the students before

the hiring process” (P6). This quote summarizes the future imperative for employers -

that they can no longer take a passive or trivial role or continue to provide declining

investment to EES development (Stuckey et al., 2013) as they have in the past when it

comes to developing EES in their future workforce.

What does the research suggest in terms of improving the model? Overall,

the literature review and the research participants concur that student work should be

experiential when it comes to developing EES. Harvey (2005) was somewhat of an


anomaly in suggesting that EES are best taught by embedding the assessment of those

skills within the curriculum. The preferred methods of developing EES in both the

literature and the primary research, albeit with some draw backs, are through intern-

ships and work-based learning such as an on-campus advertising agency. Of the par-

ticipants, 55% believed that real-life type work was the only way to develop EES.

Billett (2009) noted that these types of practice settings, that enable work situations,

provide rich learning environments that enhance depositional development. Cranmer

(2006) on the other hand, suggests that it's not the work-based experience itself that

lends to EES development, but rather the individual engagement within the experi-

ence and that the experience mimics the actual environment in which the student will

be employed in the ongoing future. One study participant, P9, made a suggestion to

the contrary that if the optimal goal of internships or work-based learning is to devel-

op EES and not technical skills then the experiences should fall outside of the stu-

dent’s area of technical expertise – “only then could the focus be on EES and not

technical skills”.

In order to improve on the current model more focus must be placed on EES

than on technical skills (P7). McCall (2004) suggested that little was known on de-

veloping EES and what people might learn from, why some people learn and others

don't, and most importantly how this should impact who to give what experiences to

in hopes of improving EES. To address this previously unknown, P5 suggested a hy-

brid model that included both internships and an on-campus advertising agency



them would be given the opportunity for a longer second placement and those that

still had EES to develop would work in the on-campus agency until the agency man-

ager (faculty or not) deemed the skills had been met at which time the student would

complete the remainder of the time on an external internship. This would address

McCall's issues with who to give what experiences to by relating directly back to in-

dividual EES developmental stages.

Of the two preferred experiential learning methods: an on-campus advertising

agency and internships, the debate was equal. The literature review appeared to sup-

port an on-campus advertising agency as the best method to improve EES among stu-

dents prior to graduation; whereas the primary study more strongly supported intern-

ships. These combined realizations suggest again that the best possible solution may

be P5's hybrid approach.

Lastly, and probably most significant improvement to the model suggested by

this study is that of partnership and leadership addressed in the previous section. EES

development is not a subject that one teacher can teach. The development of EES

must involve teachers, institutions, governments, parents, community members, stu-

dents and most importantly employers.

Implications

There were three identified theoretical implications of this study. The first im-

plication relates to Becker's human capital theory (1964). Becker stated that govern-

ments should be responsible for developing human capital as a vital component of

knowledge based economies. For the past decade governments have been involved,

heavily involved in fact in mandating HE institutions to teach EES and it hasn't


worked. It may be time for Becker's theory to be updated in light of the recent obser-

vations that have identified students themselves and employers as the most important

stakeholders in the development of EES. This may be of particular interest to NES-

TA, NCGE and CIHE who may want to review their suggestion of institutions and

governments partnering in an effort to teach EES to include employers and graduates

in that partnership.

The second implication relates to CEST (cognitive-experiential self-theory)

(Epstein, 1994). Epstein's framework was in support of off-campus internships. He

suggested that institutions support on-campus styles of learning instead of off-campus

opportunities because on-campus activities are more rational. What Epstein doesn't

address is where an on-campus advertising agency would fall. An agency would pro-

vide the emotional learning Epstein was in favour of, but within the walls of the insti-

tution. Based on the support for an on-campus advertising agency as a potential de-

livery mode, Epstein's model may need to be revisited.

The final implication relates to the experiential learning theory (ELT) and its re-

lationship to teaching EES; in particular problem solving, analysis and critical think-

ing skills (Kolb, 1984). Both the literature review and the primary research in this

study favour experiential learning as the preferred method for teaching EES; however

the participant employers were keen to develop and address more basic level skills

such as writing and personal skills such as time management not the higher level

skills that Kolb’s theory approached. This may suggest that Kolb's theory (1984)

needs to be adapted to include experiential learning and how it relates to basic skills

development.

Recommendations

This study provided insights for future action for four sets of stakeholders: em-

ployers, institutions, students and future researchers.

For Employers. The most important recommendation for employers is the

need for immediate engagement on their part in the development of EES. They have a

vested interest in developing a workforce suitable for employment; therefore they

need to take a leadership role and work with government organizations, HE institu-

tions and students to develop a clear strategy for the developing the EES that they

need.

Not far behind engagement would be empathy. Employers have reported con-

flicting EES desires and shortfalls which could be leading to a challenging environ-

ment for new graduates to navigate. If employers display empathy when working

with new graduates, EES are best developed on the job, potentially even more so than

technical skills.

For Institutions. HE institutions first need to recognize the imperative of ac-

tively engaging employers in the development of their curriculum. They need to pro-

vide resources and opportunities for students to undertake a self-directed approach to

developing EES. Lastly, institutions and professors need to adopt an experiential

learning mode of delivery, potentially in the form of EES focused internships or an

on-campus advertising agency.


For Students. It became very apparent throughout this study that students must

engage in their own EES development. This engagement begins with understanding

what EES are and where they personally fall developmentally within each category.

To remain competitive upon graduation, students will need to highlight their technical

skills through their diplomas and certificates but they must also be able to demon-

strate the EES deemed necessary in their industry, in particular according to this

study, writing skills, time management skills and drive. Students will need to vigor-

ously seek out opportunities and resources that will help them develop those skills

such as volunteering, opportunities to engage with employers, and internships where

possible.

For Future Study. A limitation of this study included the inability to include

participant employers where SLC advertising students had applied but were unsuc-

cessful in obtaining employment. This would've provided much insight as lack of

EES skills may have been the contributing factor. The literature review reiterated that

the true value and importance of EES is during the hiring stage. The results of this

current study shed some light on EES, but may pertain more to other times in a stu-

dent’s career such as prior to graduation or after first-time employment; suggesting

that further study is need to understand EES shortfalls during the hiring stage.

During the course of study, a potential conflict arose in the data regarding bias-

es. Employers may have answered questions related to improving the model for de-

veloping EES from a prejudiced position. Employers have a vested interest in low

cost labour as an advantageous business strategy; therefore employer's may have cho-

sen modes of delivery that suited their needs to obtain or access low cost labour as

opposed to showing preference to other methods that have proven to be less applica-

ble to them. Future study is recommended in this area.

Finally, it is recommended that this study be extended to other programs of

study and to other HE institutions. Within those extensions components, transferabil-

ity could be embarked upon as well.

Conclusion

From an employer's perspective this study highlights the need for a shift in

leadership of who's driving the EES agenda from governments and institutions to em-

ployers and students. By re-adjusting this power relationship the disconnect between

the labour market needs and academia will be minimized. With this new leadership in

place, resources will be able to be allocated to areas poised for improvements in EES

that have not been realized through the current model. This new model going forward

will need interminable development and partnership among all stakeholders – institu-

tions, faculty, governments, community members, parents and most importantly em-

ployers and students. The advertising program at SLC is poised to embark on this

new model.


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Appendix A

Essential Employability Skills

Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Policy Framework

3.0 Programs Framework for Programs of Instruction

Minister’s Binding Policy Directive

Issued: April 1, 2003 Revised: April 1, 2005 Page 16

Application / Implementation

In each of the six skill categories, there are a number of defining skills, or sub skills, identified to further articulate the requisite skills identified in the main skill categories. The following chart illustrates the relationship between the skill categories, the defining skills within the categories, and learning outcomes to be achieved by graduates from all postsecondary programs of instruction that lead to an Ontario College credential.

EES may be embedded in General Education or vocational courses, or developed through discrete courses. However these skills are developed, all graduates with Ontario College credentials must be able to reliably demonstrate the essential skills required in each of the six categories.

Skill Category Defining Skills

Skill areas to be demonstrated by graduates:

Learning Outcomes: The levels of achievement required by graduates.

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

Communication • reading

• writing

• speaking

• listening

• presenting

• visual literacy

Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken, and visual form that fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audience.

Respond to written, spoken, or visual messages in a manner that ensures effective communication.

Numeracy • understanding and applying mathematical concepts and reasoning

• analyzing and using numerical data

• conceptualizing

Execute mathematical operations accurately.

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

• analysing

• synthesising

Apply a systematic approach to solve problems.

Use a variety of thinking skills to anticipate and solve problems.










• evaluating

• decision making

• creative and innovative thinking

Information Management

• gathering and managing information

• selecting and using appropriate tools and technology for a task or a project

• computer literacy

• internet skills

Locate, select, organize, and document information using appropriate technology and information systems.

Analyze, evaluate, and apply relevant information from a variety of sources.

Interpersonal • team work

• relationship management

• conflict resolution

• leadership

• networking

Show respect for diverse opinions, values belief systems, and contributions of others.

Interact with others in groups or teams in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and the achievement of goals.










Personal • managing self

• managing change and being flexible and adaptable

• engaging in reflective practices

• demonstrating personal responsibility

Manage the use of time and other resources to complete projects.

Take responsibility for one’s own actions, decisions, and consequences.


Category 1. Desired EES 2. Gaps 3. Developing

EES

4. Roles 5. Teaching 6. Issues 7. Ways

to

Improve

Ap

pen

dix

B

Co

mp

lete Cod

e Bo

ok

Themes 1.1 Communication

1.2 Numeracy

1.3 Critical Thinking

& Problem

Solving

1.4 Information

Management

1.5 Interpersonal

1.6 Personal

2.1 Communication

2.2 Numeracy


& Problem

Solving

2.4 Information

Management

2.5 Interpersonal

2.6 Personal

2.7 EES Met / Not

Met

3.1 schools

3.2 self

3.3 resources

3.4

experience

4.1

Government

4.2

Employers

4.3

Institutions

4.5 Students

4.6 Parents

4.7 Peers

4.8

Community

5.1 Advertising

Programs

5.3 Methods

6.1 Faculty

6.2 Internships

6.3 Standards

6.4 Curriculum

Sub-

Themes

1.1.1. Reading

1.1.2. Writing

1.1.3. Speaking

1.1.4. Listening

1.3.1. Analyzing &

Synthesizing

1.3.4. Decision

Making

1.3.2. Creative and

Innovative Thinking

1.4.3. Computer

Literacy

1.5.1. Team work

1.5.2. Relationship

Management

1.6.1. Managing Self

1.6.2. Being Flexible

1.6.4. Personal

Responsibility

2.1.2. Writing

2.1.3. Speaking

2.3.4. Decision

Making

2.4.3. Computer

Literacy

2.5.4. Leadership



2.6.3. Reflection

2.6.4. Personal

Responsibility

2.7.1. Met

2.7.2. Not Met

3.1.1.

elementary

3.1.2.

secondary

3.1.3. HE

3.2.1. not

possible

3.2.2.

naturally

3.2.3. self-

directed

3.3.1.

employer

3.3.2. student

3.4.1. practice

3.4.2. work

3.4.3.

volunteering

4.2.1.

Experience

4.2.2.

Engagement

4.2.3.

Empathy

4.3.1.

Elementary

4.3.2.

Secondary

4.3.3. HE

5.3.1. World of

Work / Work

Based

5.3.2. Practice

5.3.3. Lecture

5.3.4.

Experiential

6.1.1. Disconnect

from Industry

6.2.1.length

6.2.2. productivity

6.2.3. connection

to EES

6.2.4. reflection

limited

6.2.5. timing

6.3.1. professor

engagement

6.3.2. acceptance

6.3.3. internships

6.4.1.

individualization

6.4.2. skill focus

6.4.3. quality

6.4.4. learning

methods

Sub-Sub

Themes

1.1.2.1. Grammar &

Spelling

2.1.2.1. Grammar &

Spelling

2.6.1.1. Drive

2.6.1.2. Time

Management

3.4.2.1.

placements

3.4.2.2. jobs

4.2.1.1.

Internships

4.2.1.2. Jobs

4.2.1.2.

Projects

4.2.2.1.

Advisory

Panels

4.2.2.2.

Mentorship

4.2.2.3. Teach

4.2.2.4.

Speaker

4.2.2.5.

Sponsorship

5.3.2.1.

Internships

5.3.2.2. Agency

5.3.2.3. Clubs

5.3.2.4. In

house marcom

services

5.3.2.5. Job

shadowing

5.3.2.6.

Volunteering

5.3.3.1. Course

work

5.3.3.2.

Business tours

5.3.4.1. Real

life

5.3.4.2.

Networking

events

5.3.4.3.

informational

interviews

5.3.4.4.

mentors

5.3.4.5.

competitions

5.3.4.6.

simulations

5.3.4.7.

portfolio

presentations


Appendix C

Consent Form

Introduction

You are invited to join a research study to look at teaching ESS to advertising students at

St. Lawrence College. The decision to join, or not to join, is up to you.

Research Questions / Objectives of Project

1. What essential employability skills (EES) as defined by the provincial government are

not being met currently through the curriculum at St. Lawrence College?


3. Whose responsibility is it to address any gaps: faculty, students or employers hiring

students and graduates?

4. What is the employer's role in ensuring graduates obtain the essential employability

skills they require (if any)?


Researchers

Principal Investigator: Lindsey Fair, [email protected], 613-217-7249

Primary Advisor: Dr. Gertrude MacIntyre, [email protected], 902-

578-0145

Secondary Advisor: John Conrad, [email protected], 613-544-5400, ext. 1327

What is involved in the study?

You will be asked to answer five open-ended questions during a one-on-one interview.

This will take approximately 45-60 minutes.

The investigators may stop the study or take you out of the study at any time they judge it

is in your best interest. They may also remove you from the study for various other

reasons. They can do this without your consent.

You can stop participating at any time. If you stop you will not lose any benefits.

Benefits to taking part in the study

It is reasonable to expect the following benefits from this research: improved success

when hiring graduates of the advertising program at St. Lawrence College to an increase

in meeting EES demands. However, we can’t guarantee that you will personally

experience benefits from participating in this study; participants will also receive a copy

of the final report to reference. Others may benefit in the future from the information we

find in this study.

Confidentiality

Your name will not be used when data from this study are published. Every effort will be

made to keep your clinical records, research records, and other personal information

confidential.

We will take the following steps to keep information about you confidential, and to

protect it from unauthorized disclosure, tampering, or damage: All digital files pertaining

to confidential aspects of this project will be encrypted with a password login system.

Your rights as a research participant Participation in this study is voluntary. You have the right not to participate at all or to

leave the study at any time. Deciding not to participate or choosing to leave the study will

not result in any penalty or loss of benefits to which you are entitled, and it will not harm

your relationship with St. Lawrence College or with Cape Breton University. If you

decide to leave the study, the procedure is to simply inform Lindsey Fair (contact info

above).

If you have any questions that have not been answered satisfactorily by the researchers

named above, please contact the Chair of the Research Ethics Board at Cape Breton

University, Maureen Finlayson, at (902)563-1339 or email [email protected].

Informed Consent I ______________________________________have been informed of the purpose of this research and

agree to participate in this survey.

Date: _________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________

mailto:[email protected]


Appendix D

Ethics Application & Approval

Office of Research and Academic Institutes

Tel: (902) 563-1338 Fax: (902) 563-1111 | P.O. Box 5300, 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, NS Canada B1P 6L2 | www.cbu.ca

APPLICATION FOR REVIEW OF RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMANS Application for Submission to Cape Breton University Research Ethics Board

1. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Project Title:

Project Start Date: Expected Completion Date:

1.1 LOCAL PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Name: Department:

Phone: Fax:

Email:

Degree Program:

FOR STUDENT SUBMISSIONS

Supervisor’s Name: Supervisor’s Department:

Phone: Email:

Co-investigator(s) Names and Affiliations (Include academic status & contact email and phone number):

1.2 SIGNATURES

The undersigned parties certify that they have consulted, and undertake to comply with, the Tri-Council Policy Statement “Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans”. Note: Annual reports are mandatory for Tri-Council funded research.

Principal Investigator: Date:

Co-Investigator (1): Date:



Supervisor: Date:

Teaching essential employability skills to advertising graduates at St. Lawrence College through an on-campus advertising agency model

July 10, 2013 September 30, 2013

Lindsey Fair Shannon School of Business

613-217-7249

[email protected]

MBA CED

Dr. Gertrude MacIntyre Shannon School of Business

(902) 578 0145 [email protected]

Lindsey Fair 2013/07/10

Research Ethics Board Application Form Page 2 of 11

List other REB reviews for this project (if any):

Location: Current Status: Approved Not Approved Other

Funding Requested: Yes No Agency:

Award Period:

Funding Received: Yes No Agency:

Award Period:

2. RESEARCH 2.1 INTRODUCTORY SUMMARY (150 – 300 WORDS) Provide a summary of the proposed research, indicating clearly the role of the research participants and any procedures to which they will be subjected. Attach copies of any questionnaires, interview guides or other instruments with your application.

■

This project will use a qualitative research method. It will include 2 methods of primary research: 1)semi-structured, open-ended interviews (five from each target population using a stratified sample);and 2) homogenized focus groups (9-12 participants in each, 1 focus group per target populationusing a convenience sample). These verbal conversations will be audio recorded in real-time andobservational notes taken during the interview. The focus of the interviews will be on experiencesand reflections of how students have met or not met essential employability skills (EES) in the past.The focus groups will be used to present the agency model as a method for teaching EES toascertain feedback and impressions.

The secondary research method will be an analysis of documents and materials submitted fromemployers when engaged in the cooperative program at St. Lawrence College.


2.2 BENEFITS AND PURPOSE (150 – 300 WORDS) 2.2.1 What is the benefit of this research? 2.2.2 What new knowledge is anticipated as an outcome of the study?

2.3 RISKS OF RESEARCH 2.3.1 Outline the risks of harm in this research project. Note that not only physical injury, but also anxiety or embarrassment, are included in the concept of harm.

2.3.2 Describe means adopted to minimize risk and means (such as provision of counseling) to deal with harms which participants may experience.

Upon completion of this project, St. Lawrence College will have insight into teaching essentialemployability skills through an agency model so they are able to direct resources appropriately.Graduates will benefit from increased skills with a potential for better career success.

There is potential that the agency model for teaching EES may have transferability attributes toother post-secondary institutions, secondary schools and job-readiness programs. This project willnot directly address transferability, but will shed light on its potential.

The risks of this project are very minor. During the interviews and focus group there is a very smallchance that participants will feel anxious or shy about having their comments audio recorded.Participants will have the option to decline comment or participation at any point if they feeluncomfortable.


2.4 DECEPTION 2.4.1 Does this research involve deception or partial disclosure? Yes No

2.4.2 Provide an explanation of how you plan to comply with the requirements of that Section for debriefing. Describe as well the expected benefit resulting from this deception, justifying waiving of the normal requirements for full disclosure.

3. RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS 3.1.2 How many individuals will participate in this research?

3.1.2 Will any inducements (money, grade points, etc.) encourage participation? Yes No

3.1.3 How will participants be recruited, and from what population?

3.2 COMPETENCY OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

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There will be free refreshments during the focus group sessions for the participants.

The target population for both primary research components is employers. There will be threedistinct groups solicited via email and telephone: current employers and placements supervisors ofthe St. Lawrence College advertising students; past employers and placements supervisors of theSt. Lawrence College advertising students; and employers that have a need for advertisinggraduates or interns but have never hired St. Lawrence College advertising students. The initialcontact lists will be derived from the Chamber of Commerce membership list, the SLC employerdatabase and faculty contacts.


3.2.1 Does the proposed research involve children as participants? Yes No

3.2.2 Does this research involve adult participants of diminished or dubious competence? Yes No

4. INFORMED CONSENT 4.1.2 Will any inducements be offered to encourage participation? Yes No

4.1.2 Will individual consent be sought from all participants? Yes No

4.1.3 How will the aims of this research be explained to potential participants? Attach a copy of any documents used for this purpose.

4.2 EVIDENCE OF CONSENT Indicate how evidence of consent will be obtained:

Written - attach a copy of the consent form.

Oral - explain below how you intend to ensure participants’ understanding of risks and benefits of the study, and their agreement to those risks and benefits, are obtained.

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They will be given a description of the project, expectations of participation, methods for opting outand confidentiality during the solicitation phase. These details will also be included in theirparticipation kit along with their consent forms.

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4.3 DUTY TO DISCLOSE 4.3.1 Describe how a “duty to disclose” abuse or neglect of a child, or an adult in need of protection, will be handled.

5. ANONYMITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY Will complete anonymity of participants and confidentiality of data be maintained? Yes No

5.1 If yes, explain the procedures to be used to ensure anonymity of participants and the confidentiality of data both during the research and in the release of the findings.

5.2 If no, explain the procedures to be used to discuss limits to anonymity and confidentiality and to obtain participants’ agreement to waive anonymity.

The likelihood of such an incident is very unlikely, however if it does the appropriate authorities willbe contacted immediately.

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Focus Group participants will be in the physical presence of one another, therefore anonymity willbe breached. The participant consent form will clearly indicate this and seek an additional signaturerelated to waiving anonymity.


6. DATA COLLECTION AND STORAGE 6.1. Describe the procedures for securing written records, questionnaires, video/audio tapes and electronic data, etc.

6.2. Length of storage and disposal of the data.

Paper Records Confidential shredding after years Data will be retained indefinitely in a secure location Yes No

Audio/Video Recordings Erasing audio/video tapes after years Data will be retained indefinitely in a secure location Yes No

Electronic Data Erasing of electronic data after years Data will be retained indefinitely in a secure location Yes No

Other (provide details on type, retention period and final disposition, if applicable).

All digital files pertaining to confidential aspects of this project will be encrypted with a passwordlogin system. Audio files will be transferred to a encrypted file and the original file deleted.

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7. FOLLOW UP 7. 1. FEEDBACK (200 WORDS MAX.) Describe the measures which you propose for providing feedback to research participants concerning the outcome of the research.

7.2 CONTINUING REVIEW If your research involves more than minimal risk, describe here the measures you propose for facilitating continuing review of this research.

Each participant will receive a final copy of the report once it is completed an approved.


8. REPORTS 8.1 All research requires a brief report upon completion of the research. Suitable report forms are included at the end of this document.

8.2 Brief annual reports are required for extended studies. Suitable report forms are included at the end of this document.

Note: Annual reports are mandatory for Tri-Council funded research.

9. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Please feel free to write below or to append any additional information you consider helpful to the REB for the purpose of evaluating this application.


CBU RESEARCH ETHICS BOARD – ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT/RENEWAL FORM

1. APPLICANT 1.1 LOCAL PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR Name: Department:

Phone: Fax:

Email:

Degree Program:



Phone: Email:


1.2 Project Title:

1.3 Date of Initial Ethics Clearance:

2. PROJECT INFORMATION

2.1 Commencement date of project

2.2 Anticipated completion date of project

2.3 Please provide the following details on enrollment of participants:

(a) Number of participants that have completed the study:

(b) Number of participants currently enrolled in the study:

(c) Number of additional participants still required for the study:

(d) Number of participants that have voluntarily withdrawn from the study:

2.4. Have there been procedural or other changes to this protocol since it received original ethics clearance?

Yes No

2.4.1 If Yes, was the Research Ethics Board informed of all changes? Yes No

2.4.2 If No, please attach a complete description of the changes to the Chair of the Research Ethics Board


CBU RESEARCH ETHICS BOARD – FINAL PROJECT REPORT 1. APPLICANT 1.1 LOCAL PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR Name: Department:

Phone: Fax:

Email:

Degree Program:



Phone: Email:


1.2 Project Title:

1.3 Date of Initial Ethics Clearance:

1.4 1.3 Project Completion Date:

2. FINAL REPORT 2.1 Minimal Risk studies

There were no problems encountered in interactions with human participants.

There were problems encountered. Please attach a detailed description of the nature of the problems, how they were dealt with, and the final outcomes.

2.2 More than Minimal Risk studies

Please attach a description of how the study was conducted with an emphasis on any problems that were encountered. Provide a detailed description of the nature of the problems, how they were dealt with, and the final outcomes.


Category 1. Desired EES 2. Gaps 3.

Developing

EES

4. Roles 5. Teaching 6. Issues 7. Ways

to

Improve

Ap

pen

dix

E

A P

riori C

odes

Themes 1.1 Communication

1.2 Numeracy


& Problem

Solving

1.4 Information

Management

1.5 Interpersonal

1.6 Personal

2.1 Communication

2.2 Numeracy


& Problem

Solving

2.4 Information

Management

2.5 Interpersonal

2.6 Personal

4.1

Government

4.2

Employers

4.3

Institutions

4.4 Faculty

4.5 Students

5.1

Advertising

Programs

5.2 St.

Lawrence

Advertising

Program

5.3 Methods

6.1 Faculty

Sub-

Themes

1.1.1. Reading

1.1.2. Writing

1.1.3. Speaking

1.1.4. Listening

1.1.5. Presenting

1.1.6. Visual Literacy

1.2.1. Concepts and

Reasoning

1.2.2. Analyzing

numerical data

1.2.3.

Conceptualizing

1.3.1. Analyzing

1.3.2. Synthesizing

1.3.3. Evaluating

1.3.4. Decision

Making

1.3.2. Creative and

Innovative Thinking

2.1.1. Reading

2.1.2. Writing

2.1.3. Speaking

2.1.4. Listening

2.1.5. Presenting

2.1.6. Visual Literacy

2.2.1. Concepts and

Reasoning

2.2.2. Analyzing

numerical data

2.2.3.

Conceptualizing

2.3.1. Analyzing

2.3.2. Synthesizing

2.3.3. Evaluating

2.3.4. Decision

Making

2.3.2. Creative and

Innovative Thinking

4.1.1.

Funding

5.3.1. World

of Work /

Work Based

5.3.2.

Practice

5.3.3. Lecture

5.3.4.

Experiential

6.1.1.

Disconnected

from Industry

1.4.1. Gathering and

managing information

1.4.2. Selecting and

using tools for tasks

1.4.3. Computer

Literacy

1.4.4. Internet

1.5.1. Team work

1.5.2. Relationship

Management

1.5.3. Conflict

Resolution

1.5.4. Leadership

1.5.5. Networking



1.6.3. Reflection

1.6.4. Personal

Responsibility

2.4.1. Gathering and

managing

information

2.4.2. Selecting and

using tools for tasks

2.4.3. Computer

Literacy

2.4.4. Internet

2.5.1. Team work

2.5.2. Relationship

Management

2.5.3. Conflict

Resolution

2.5.4. Leadership

2.5.5. Networking



2.6.3. Reflection

2.6.4. Personal

Responsibility

Sub-Sub

Themes

5.3.2.1.

Internships

5.3.2.2.

Agency


Appendix F

Quotes Referenced from Participant Interviews

ID Quote

1 We’d be interested in being involved in the agency

1 (students in regards to EES) acquire them naturally as they mature

2 (students) weaker than they are strong in their EES

2 Love the idea! It’s really cool (in regards to an agency model)

3 (students will ) continue to develop (EES) on the job

4

Importance of finishing projects for advertising is crucial; “campaigns need to be re-

alized to validate the learning.” He continued on to say the students need the oppor-

tunity to fail as advertising doesn’t provide concrete answers like other disciplines do

so solutions can only be understood through real world work

4 Internships will work if you get the right employer

5

Hybrid model that included both internships and an on-campus advertising agency



them would be given the opportunity for a longer second placement and those that

still had EES to develop would work in the on-campus agency until the agency man-

ager (faculty or not) deemed the skills had been met at which time the student would

complete the remainder of the time on an external internship.

5 Internships are suitable if the student is ready

6 EES don't improve if high or extremely low to start, but if in the middle they do with

internships

6 An agency would’ve helped me when I was in school

6

What needs to change in the way EES are developed for me to hire a graduate in the

future? Only my own engagement in the program and with the students before the

hiring process

7 More focus on core competencies and interpersonal skills needed less on technical

skills because those are constantly changing in advertising

8 How do you teach drive?

8

Limited drive and passion when working with college graduates and suggested not

only was this hard during the hiring stage but in their experience was a declining skill

as well

9 HE institutions can teach a technical skill in the classroom because those skills are

often standardized but that EES are only developed through hands-on practice

9

If the optimal goal of internships or work-based learning is to develop EES and not

technical skills then the experiences should fall outside of the students area of tech-

nical expertise – only then could the focus be on EES and not technical skills

9 Internships are good as long as they focus on EES

10

This is more a self-directed / motivation problem, not a delivery mode problem. It's as

complex as managing a team of employees that each have different strengths and

weaknesses and different motivations.

10

Strongly recommended that the development of EES must start with a three way con-

versation between the student, the employer and the professor very early in the aca-

demic career and continue through well beyond the first six months of graduation

10 Gaps are more individualistic and most new graduates have skills that are “very good

and some that are terrible

11 All EES on some level have been low quality at some point