CEMPS Employability

A Student Perspective

Employability : A Student Perspective

Contents1. Introduction2. Student Perspective3. Extra Curricular Provisions4. Recommendations5. Education Forum

Oresund Link Road, Denmark/Sweden

The Project Review the provision of

employability services in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences (CEMPS)

View to presenting outcomes and recommendations to staff

Initiate open debate on the topic of employability

Promote sharing of ideas between college membersTGV, France

Why Employability? An area of increasing importance Concerns staff and students A collaborative area An area in which small changes

can make a big difference

Airbus A380

Positive Graduate Outlook Science, Technology, Engineering

and Mathematics (STEM) graduates are key to providing the higher level skills that are required for economic recovery and long-term prosperity in the UK (HE Academy, 2010).

It is essential that we raise the level of our STEM skills (BIS, 2010).

Two-fifths of employers struggle to find the STEM talent they need (Times Online, 2010)Wind Farm

Realistic Graduate Outlook1. School leavers and graduates are

lacking basic skills, says CBI survey Weaknesses in time management

and team work in graduates2. 45% of graduates at top

universities (inc. Exeter) view career prospects as ‘very limited’ Competition for graduate jobs has

never been fiercer3. Graduates ‘paying £8000 for

internships’ Students paying companies to set

up work experience

1. Times Online (17/05/10) 2. BBC.co.uk 3. Telegraph.co.uk (18/12/09)

Pendolino Tilting Train, UK

Employer DemandAttributes %

Communication skills 86Team-working skills 85

Integrity 83Intellectual ability 81

Confidence 80Character/personality 74

Planning & organisation skills 74Literacy 71

Numeracy 68Analysis and decision making 67

Source: CIHE Graduate Employability: Employers

Where do these skills come from? Degree Work Experience Extra Curricular Activities

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Current College Employability Services

Why is attendance low? Don’t feel will help me – 42% Inconvenient time – 39%

Perhaps students think they know what they want to do

Busy schedule – hard to find time Maybe they should be attending...Employer in

the FoyerCareers Drop

InCompany

Presentations

010203040506070 Attendance at Events

Don't Attend InfrequentlyOccasionally Regularly

Source: CEMPS Employability Survey

What services does the college offer? Employer in the foyer Careers drop-in Company presentations

ITMB guru for IT

Who would you like to work for?Where do our graduates work?

Source: CEMPS Graduate Destinations & Employability Survey

Ambition - large multinational companies Reality– predominantly small and medium sized local enterprises Do our students end up where they think they will?

Student FeedbackWhat would students like to see? “More one to one level of help” “More help organising placements” “More encouragement to get

summer placements” “List of summer placements and

deadlines” “Short presentations by multiple

companies in an dedicated lecture” “More presentations aimed at

students looking for summer placements”

Source: CEMPS Employability Survey

Hang on, don’t these services exist? Careers advisor drop-in Dedicated placement coordinator Emails with opportunities and

encouragement from careers staff Work placement database

Similar idea with Gradcracker, however low attendance

Employer in the foyer?

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RecommendationsNew Developments Dedicated ‘Placements

Coordinator’

Recommendations Invest in ‘Placements Coordinator’ Work placements data base and

profiling Enhance the CANDI module Focus on helping students to make

the most of the services available to them

Recommendations Try to encourage PDP as an

important part of employability Increase student awareness of past

graduate destinations Make students and staff aware of

transitional programmes such as KTP and GBP

Utilise alumni and take advantage of our excellent reputation

Make use of institutional linksLarge Hadron Collider, CERN

Education Forum - Debate Employability services offered by

University and College are excellent

The changing graduate employment market means we need to keep up to speed

How can we encourage students to make use of the employability resources and support already available to them?

How can we further develop students' skills and employability throughout their degree programme?

Milau Viaduct, France

Education Forum - Outcomes Participation a big issue across

CEMPS More targeted marketing of

events Potential for integration of PDP

into degree Small tutorial classes in which all

issues are discussed (Physics) Integration of advice into

booklet for joining students Distribution of findings of SACA

project to students

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