sec3 2014 engaging leeds welcome to the employability symposium at sec3 2014 chaired by julia...

SEC3 2014 Engaging Leeds

Welcome to the Employability Symposium at

SEC3 2014Chaired by Julia Clarke, LUBS


An Experiment in Embedding Employability:External Placements in Theology and Religious Studies

Employability Symposium

Rachel Muers

PRHS

[email protected]

Aims of this presentation

• Introduce a module in Theology and Religious Studies focused on placements with external organisations

• Explain rationale and context in the programme• Reflect on lessons learned so far and future of the

module

The Module: THEO3900 External Placement – Theology and Religious

Studies Beyond the University

Key features:•Placements with external organisations mostly arranged

by TRS staff team, with specific tasks/goals•20-credit level 3 module running across both semesters

•Students undertake 30-50 hours work for partner organisation

•Assessment by report, presentation, log•Focus of assessment: relating academic study of TRS to

placement context

Context

• “Religion and public life” as key strength of Leeds BA TRS – across this interdisciplinary programme

• Community Religions Project – an established Leeds “brand”; engaged research on and with local religious

communities in context• Fieldwork, and fieldwork training, from level 1 – a

Leeds distinctive

Employability: enable students to relate subject- and discipline-specific knowledge and skills to employment contexts - while also

gaining “work experience”

Research-based learning ,and problem-solving: student as researcher analysing and responding to “real-world” issues, with

guidance of academic supervisor

Aims and Rationale

Partnerships: involve undergraduates (and TRS staff as supervisors) in building partnerships with external organisations; “test out” possible links, strengthen existing ones

• Essential criterion: all placements have to involve work that is genuinely useful to the partner organisation

Skills development for employability: critical reflection on experience and practice; project planning; teamwork; negotiation

Aims and Rationale (2)

• Leeds City Council: 2 students reviewing how due regard was given to “religion or belief” in equality impact assessments and

making recommendations for changes in practice

• Left Bank Leeds: 1 student helping to set up and evaluate an art exhibition that explored religious themes in challenging ways

• West Yorkshire Police: 1 student conducting interviews and developing recommendations on how a neighbourhood policing

team engages with Black majority churches

Examples of Placements 2012-13

• Student feedback was extremely positive – “the highlight of my year” (though workload issues were noted)

• One was offered a job by the partner organisation! Others drew extensively on the experience for job applications

• Partners found the work useful and wanted to continue- especially, but not only, as part of ongoing larger partnerships

• External examiners praised the module’s innovation (but raised some issues)

What worked in the first year?

• Negotiating the requirements of university and partner – and how to empower/support the students in this

negotiation

• Workload, research ethics

• Partners’ understanding of what TRS can offer

• Keeping it academically robust, as the/a culmination of the degree course not “something completely different”

• Defining clear and achievable outputs – and ensuring realism on the part of the partner organisation

• Relationship-building takes time!

What are the ongoing challenges?

• For 2013-14 we defined “research pathway” and “reflective experience pathway”, to strengthen academic

base

• 40 credit version in development, as (version of) independent research project

• Would like to find private sector partners

• Long-term partnership with Leeds City Museum (every year for 5 years)

• How can we use past reports, and “alumni” of the module, more effectively?

• Uncertain balance of supply and demand…

Future of the module


Learning for Sustainability:

professionals who can make a difference


Dr Alice OwenLecturer in Business, Stakeholders and Sustainability,

Programme Leader MSc Sustainability (Environmental Consultancy & Project Management) Sustainability Research Institute

School of Earth & Environment


• MSc Sustainability (Environmental Consultancy & Project Management) • 32 out of 80 MSc Sustainability students in 2013/14• Semester 1: theory• Semester 2: apply the heck out of the theory• Semester 3: a project placement instead of a dissertation - 10 weeks, client led

Why?• There are jobs in consultancy• Consultants can just “turn the handle” on known processes (like EIA), or they can

… make a difference, creating knowledge and pathways to action

What’s the Programme? What’s it for?

Alice Owen, Employability Symposium


• Understanding a client brief – what’s really the issue?• Identifying knowledge gaps and a method to bridge those gaps• Resourcing, budgeting, building a team• Selling yourself, and your firm (benefits not features)• Managing a project, coping when it goes wrong• Reflecting and learning so it’s better next time

All in the context of “making a difference”

What are the skills developed?



• Case studies and group work on consultancy projects in Semester 1 and 2 • Workshops on CVs, personal effectiveness, presentation skills, time

management• Lots of input from external speakers and potential employers – >30% of

programme-specific content, plus programme of non-curriculum speakers/alumni.

• Placement project is applied for – experience of a recruitment process• Self-managing placement project – assessed through presentation as well as

report and reflection • IEMA accreditation – in progress

How are those skills developed?



• It is research- based – applied research!• Critical engagement and evaluation at every stage• Reflective practice

If it’s so vocational, how’s it an MSc at Leeds?

YOUR NAME HERE, Employability Symposium


• Networking skills• Empathy for employers • Clarity of communication – user-focussed!• Translation – from academic to employer• Project management and planning• Capacity to track and work with alumni – keep offering them something back

• War stories and personal experience • Controversially – NOT research knowledge and experience

Skills and knowledge needs – for staff



Social Accountability in the School of Medicine


Nicholas Leigh-HuntPublic Health Registrar & Honorary Lecturer, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences

Laura StroudDirector of Student Education, School of Medicine (Current)

Deborah Murdoch-EatonDirector of Student Education, School of Medicine (Previous)


• “…The obligation (of medical schools) to direct their education, research and service activities towards addressing the priority health concerns of the community, region, or nation they have a mandate to serve. The priority health concerns are to be identified jointly by governments, health care organisations, health professionals and the public…” (Boelen & Heck, 1995)

• Detailed in the Global Consensus Statement for Social Accountability of Medical Schools

• How does this relate to employability?

What is Social Accountability?

Nicholas Leigh-Hunt, Employability Symposium


• Instilling professional values alongside practical skills and knowledge to be a caring and competent practitioner

• Engaging with the community to teach adaptability to different environments, populations, and the changing nature of medicine

• Facilitate new medical graduates to advocate for populations they serve• The Francis Report: putting patient needs, transparency and accountability

before organisational needs

Relevance to Employability



• Social Accountability Working Group• Mapping activities and identification of action plan in line with School of Medicine

Student Education Strategy Action Plan• Link with environmental sustainability• Research to identify the levers and barriers to adoption

Adoption of Social Accountability



• Literature Review• Semi-structured interviews of senior staff in Leeds• Qualitative analysis of findings• Feedback to Social Accountability Working Group

Identification of Levers and Barriers to Adoption



• External factors• Institutional Systems & Values• Student Selection & Values• Curriculum Content & Delivery• Research Priorities & Design• Partnership Issues• Evaluation Methods & Frameworks

What are the Levers and Barriers to Adoption?



Examples of Levers and Barriers to Adoption


Factor Lever Barrier

External factors Reduced funding promoting change

Instability in funding of healthcare partners

Institutional Accountability to funders/taxpayer

Pre-existing ideas on curriculum content

Student Widening access programmes

Disengagement with community placements

Curriculum Flexibility of Curriculum

Narrow focus of curriculum

Research Patient & public participation

Cost & difficulties of some study designs

Partners Collaboration with variety of partners

Lack of leadership from institution

Evaluation Availability of guidance

Assessment fatigue


• Encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds via outreach programmes, targeted information, financial and psychological support and avoid the use of preferential admission policies

• Select students with appropriate values by assessing personal attributes, cognitive abilities and requiring demonstration of their involvement in socially useful voluntary work

• Consider the impact of the economic recession on student diversity• Prioritise graduate retention for areas with doctor shortages or with a need for clearly

identified locally relevant skills

Study Recommendations (Students)



• Develop innovative curricular strands such as IDEALS to develop adaptable, caring competent practitioners avoiding a narrow focus on the acquisition of clinical skills

• Introduce the concept of social accountability early and throughout the curriculum, and engage students with it by using community placements and projects

• Foster opportunities for voluntary work and provide opportunities for paid employment in community placements for less well off students

• Empower students to challenge health professionals in ethically dubious situations via peer reflective learning sessions

• Enable students to learn from inspiring tutors from local communities, their international peers, and maximise their learning from electives

Study Recommendations (Curriculum)



• We aim to move from being socially responsible to becoming socially accountable• New graduates will then be better suited to meet the current and future requirements

society will have of them

Conclusion



• Boelen, C. & Heck, J. E. (1995). Defining and measuring the social accountability of medical schools. Geneva: World Health Organisation.

• Global Consensus Statement for Social Accountability of Medical Schools, http://healthsocialaccountability.org/

• The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry (Francis Report) (2013). http://www.midstaffspublicinquiry.com/report

• School of Medicine Student Education Strategy Action Plan (November 2012)• IDEALS, https://www.medicine.leeds.ac.uk/curriculum

References



Delivering a cultural change in the perceptions of incoming students towards

employability


Gillian BarberSenior Careers Consultant, Careers Centre


Gill Barber, Employability Symposium

To deliver culture change in the perceptions of incoming students, encouraging them to understand and play an

active role in the development of their employability.

Aims•Students to actively engage with employability at an earlier stage•40% of level 2 students moving to the ‘Plan stage’•Faculties to include ‘Employability’ in pre entry information to incoming students



To achieve this:-

Active Engagement with more incoming students by•Liaising with the Education Engagement team to support the work they are doing•Work closely with Faculty colleagues to offer sessions for pre entry and level 1•Encourage employers to consider level 1 students for placements and to identify these on our webs



Range of activities

•Pre entry – Summer School, Access to Leeds, Open Day, Festival of Science, Maths 6th form conference, working with the Foundation courses•Level 1 – increase inductions, targeted talks, Career Planning modules, employability seminar•Encouraging level 1 students to attend sessions that are put on for all students



Results

•Numbers seen at pre entry and level in year 1 of project

123 sessions delivered to level 1 students compared to 43 the previous year 151% increase•Aim to have 40% level 2 students at the Plan stage Results show 39.75 in Sept 2013 compared to 37.39% in 2012



Sustainability

•Employability issues are now looked at by all Faculties through the FEWGs•Network of Employability colleagues in Faculties•Part of the university strategy to enhance the student experience

Risks•The current enthusiasm needs to be maintained, as so many people are involved


Nurturing Talent – career mentoring that makes a difference


Hamieda BegumLeeds University Business School


And now for something completely different!

Engaging medical students by broadening their experience.


Josie Mellor & Jodi GunningResearch, Evaluation & Special Studies Project

MBChB Programme


Research, Evaluation & Special Studies is a core strand of the undergraduate medical curriculum at Leeds.

The GMC recommend medical schools “include opportunities for students to exercise choice in areas of interest.” as an “integral part of the curriculum”.

To deliver GMC TD requirements we run the RESS 2-3 Special Studies Project.

Each year, 2nd and 3rd year students are given the opportunity to study areas outside of ‘mainstream medicine’ via an intensive 2 week project.

Introduction & Background


Students choose from a wide portfolio of projects including topics such as;

Uniquely, second and third year peers work together on their chosen project.

Students are assessed on a 2500 word reflective journal.

The Special Studies Project

Medicine and the Police Foreign Language Skills British Sign Language

Spirituality & Medicine Social Entrepreneurship Yorkshire Ambulance

History of Medicine Teaching Skills Community Placement

Alcoholism International Health Medics & Social Justice


The Special Studies Project


Today we will discuss how this module aims to..

Equip students for their future career, empowering them to consider their career paths.

Focus on transferrable skills essential for graduates’ future careers.

Encourage students to engage with the wider community.

Foster understanding of other organisations and disciplines they will encounter during their careers


Choosing their own projects encourages students to manage the direction of their careers and allows them to explore areas for future specialisation.

Exposure to different working environments gives students first hand experience of the real world they will encounter on graduation. E.G. Medicine & the Police.

All projects are designed to develop critical reflection, personal development and enterprise skills.

On graduation students will be working in a business . Businesses need enterprising people who can see opportunities for enhancement and have the confidence to make change happen.

Specific projects focus on navigating the changing environment of the NHS and the corporate sector. E.G. Understanding Organisations, Professional & Personal Development

Employability


Each project designed to develop specific skills from the range here.

E.G. Spirituality & Medicine offer communication, negotiation and team working.

The critical reflection process enables students to articulate how they have learned these essential skills.

Transferrable Skills

Adaptability Communication

Creative Thinking Innovative Ideas

Leadership Negotiation

Networking Organisation

Planning Team Working

From our students..

“As this project highlights race and cultural differences it’s the perfect opportunity for me to develop my understanding of equality and diversity and learn to be diplomatic when expressing different viewpoints.”


Student Engagement

Experiential Learning•Talks by specialists•Talks by service users•Attending meetings E.G. AA, Afro-Caribbean Diabetes Group•Role-play•Giving presentations•Site visits E.G. HMP Armley, St Georges Crypt•Ambulance shifts•Teaching in primary schools

Engaging with Others

Students work with•Peers in years 2 and 3.•Academics from other disciplines•Cross-institutional working E.G. Chaplaincy, Language Centre•External organisations E.G. West Yorkshire Police, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Leeds City Council•Community groupsE.G. Leeds Organic Growers, Big Issue, Emmaus, Leeds Mind.


Student Evaluation

“Learning an aspect of medicine that one would not learn directly from the curriculum. This stimulates intellectual curiosity.”

“Having a non-medical academic teach really broadened my perspectives and allowed me to observe an outsider's view of the medical profession.”

“Unique insight into an organisation I would not have had the opportunity to experience”

I was fully engaged with this module 91%

I developed my understanding of an area outside mainstream medicine

97%

The module content was intellectually stimulating

91%

I have benefited from being able to choose a project that broadened my experience and exposed me to different learning environments

95%

The module enabled me to reflect on my learning

97%


International Business award and patent for wireless heart monitor (Enterprise project):

Scott Murgatroyd, Helen Whitward, Matthew Stanford, Ayelet Melman.

University of Leeds Enterprise Scholar: Chiraag Thackrar

Student Achievements


• We are proactively seeking new ideas and suggestions for future small projects related to medicine in some way.

• Students have been asked this year what projects they would like to see in our portfolio (E.G. Music Therapy, Yoga, Child Protection).

• Any questions….

Thank you for listening.

What’s next for the RESS SSP?

sec3 2014 engaging leeds welcome to the employability symposium at sec3 2014 chaired by julia...

Documents

module slide

rationale slide

leeds distinctive slide

external placements

lubs slide

placement context slide

external organisations

engaging leeds welcome