Developing an Institutional

Framework for Employability

Professor Sylvia Johnson

PVC Faculty of Development & Society

Sheffield Hallam University

knowledge education and skills which make a difference

Employability

Retention &

Progression

Entitlements

Improving the Quality

of the

Student Experience

Professional

Development

Improving the Quality of the Student Experience

Starting Points

+ -• Employability CETL in

final year• Committed team of

enthusiasts• Curriculum materials• Strong record of

sandwich provision• Wide ranging links with

Employers

• Active but stretched Careers and Employment Service

• Pockets of excellent practice and areas of limited engagement

• Project methodology ingrained

• Depth of knowledge of the complexities

Challenges

Opportunity for some

Best practice 'totality'

Staff enthusiasts

Local systems and processes

Entitlement for all

Identifying a core

Staff majority

Corporate systems and processes

Initial ideas

Framework elements

• Build on existing employer engagement and professional involvement in courses

• Explore the possibilities for a significant University work offer

• Develop curriculum activity in targeted areas.• Explore ways to scale up career planning, advice

and guidance• How do we measure progress?

So what did we do?

 

Executive Sponsor

Steering Group

Curriculum

Placement, WRL

EmployersInfrastructure

4 Faculty Leads and staff Central Directorate Leads & staff

Careers, MI, Marketing, Quality

An initial action plan to Executive, securing development funding

Curriculum and core entitlements

• Audits

• Long list to short list

• Delivery mechanisms and materials

• Local course modifications and work with targeted course teams to embed skills development

Work placement and work related learning

• Audits

• Local initiatives – sport, law,

• Pilot projects – BESY, Employment agencies

• Expansion and review of WRL opportunities – Venture Matrix

• Creation of a WBL/WRL Typology

Infrastructure

• QAA audit and framework for QA of all types of placement

• Identification of a base line

• Identifying ways to monitor progress and collect data systematically

• Corporate Placement Management project

Drawing in other initiatives

• HR Employment framework for placement students and graduate interns

• Upgrading of website and preparation of Unistats statement

• Review of Careers and Employment Services and other services for students

• Portfolio Review for each Department• Local action plans and strategies

An emerging framework:EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT

Revised aims• Distinctive employability offer for all• Top quartile levels of graduate employment• Enhance Employer Engagement • Effective use of university-based

placements/internships

An emerging framework:EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT

Entitlement for all students:• Well structured, supported and accredited work-related or

work-based learning • Development of high-level employability-related

transferable ‘skills’ and attributes• Integrated and timetabled career planning and preparation

for employment • Personal and professional development planning and

personal academic tutorial support to monitor their progress and support their transition to the world of work

Enablers

• Faculty Teams and Departmental targets• HR framework• Careers and Employment Services• Automated MI to enable local teams and senior

managers to monitor progress• Corporate processes that

support local variation -

quality, WBL, etc• Corporate Governance

Where are we now?

• Funding streams being determined - this is not cheap

• Discussions with key external partners for delivery of some elements especially of the ‘outduction’ entitlement

• Preparation for full implementation of individual academic tutorials

• Base line data collated

Next Steps

• Incorporation into a wider set of entitlements• Detailed Implementation Plan over 3 years• Automation of monitoring over 2 years• Communication strategy implemented• Staff development programme• Revision of wording of entitlement

for M level and Research students

Outstanding challenges

• Scaling up of WBL/WRL for all students especially in more traditional academic areas

• Opportunities for International students• Helping students manage the dual pressure of

finals and securing employment in their final year

• Getting the key messages right for everyone and securing their positive involvement

• The SY economy