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Faculty of Law Business and Social Sciences

Law AccountancyBusiness and ManagementCentral and East European StudiesEconomicsEconomic and Social HistoryPoliticsSociology and AnthropologyUrban Studies

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•effective oral and written communication skills •the ability to think critically and creatively •planning and organising•effective time management •the ability to work with others to achieve common goals •the ability to solve problems •the ability to learn and continue learning

Faculty Survey Skills Identified by Faculty staff

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•Which of the above identified skills does your Department already provide?

•Which of the identified skills that are not already taught or assessed could be addressed or developed within the Department?

•Which of the skills do you believe would require external or centrally provided input?

•Is there scope to teach and/or assess courses in a different way if it would help to develop the identified important skills?

•Is this explicit enough to students? Can students recognise that employability skills are included in the teaching or assessment of courses?

•What specific resources would be needed by your Department to develop the identified employability skills within your courses?

Questions to Departments

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Which of the above identified skills does your Department already provide?

All of the above skills are contained within the degree, however, not all are necessarily taught or assessed.

There was concern about the notion of ‘teaching’ skills in a research-led institution where the emphasis has historically been towards independent learning.

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Which of the identified skills that are not already taught or assessed could be addressed or

developed within the Department?

  Effective oral communication skills: however, a substantial reorganisation of tutorials would be required, including additional teaching resources to permit appropriate reduction of Level 1 & 2 tutorial sizes

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Which of the skills do you believe would require external or centrally provided input?

Most of the employability skills available though our courses are acquired incidentally, but acquisition could probably benefit by the central provision of explicit training by those appropriately trained to do this

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Is there scope to teach and/or assess courses in a different way if it would help to develop the

identified important skills?

There are a number of individuals who have used and are developing alternative methods of assessment e.g. reflective diaries, work related learning and peer assessment. Therefore over the the degree students may (if they select certain courses) experience different methods.

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Can students recognise that employability skills are included in the teaching or assessment of

courses?

 Students probably are not aware of the skills contained within courses. A detailed skills map is currently being undertaken within the department and subsequently a student document will be written outlining skills explicitly.

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What specific resources would be needed by your Department to develop the identified employability skills within your courses?

The main inhibitor to developing these types of employability skills is staff time and research pressure.

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The Business and Management Model

•integrate employability within academic curriculum

•introduce personal development planning (PDP) for reflection of academic achievement, personal and career development

•increase work-related opportunities

•deliver effective careers education, information and guidance

•prepare for work in the global and local economy

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•Knowledge of organisations and how they are managed, external environment and the future of organisations•Critical thinking analysis and synthesis•Effective problem solving and decision making•Effective oral and written communication skills using a range of media which are used in industry e.g. preparation and presentation of business reports•Numeracy and quantitative skills•Effective use of information and communication technology (ICT)•Effective self management (e.g. time management, self starting)•Appetite for learning•Self awareness, sensitivity and openness to diversity•Effective performance within a team•Interpersonal skills including listening and negotiating•Abilities to conduct research into business issues•Address issues at the European and international level

The BEST Skills(Business Education Support Team)

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Learning & Teaching Process Employability Skills

Overall course content •Knowledge of organisations

•Addresses issues at European and International level

•Academic underpinnings for Team Work, Self Motivation and Self Awareness

Critical writing and critical thinking exercises

•Critical thinking analysis and synthesis

Case study work in tutorials •Effective problem solving and decision making

•Effective performance within a team

Reflection on work experiences in tutorial exercises

•Self awareness, sensitivity and openness to diversity

Primary research, students must interview a manager as part of an assignment

•Ability to conduct research into business issues

•Effective oral and written communication skills

Examination •Critical thinking analysis and synthesis

Business and Management level 1

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Content Learning and Teaching Process

Employability Skills

Knowledge of Business Planning

•Small amount of formal lecturing

•Group work to produce a business plan

•Peer assessment

•On-going self reflection diary

•Knowledge of organisations

•Written communication

•Critical thinking

•Team working

•Self reflection

•Interpersonal skills

•Numeracy skills

Business and Management HonoursEntrepreneurship and Business Planning

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Content Learning and Teaching Process

Employability Skills

Knowledge of SMEs •Very little formal lecturing

•Course is based on projects in SMEs

•Research a business problem

•Present to client and class

•Produce a business report

•On-going self reflection diary

•Knowledge of organisations

•Written communications (a business report)

•Critical thinking

•Learning

•Self awareness

•Interpersonal skills

•Research

•Problem solving

Business and Management HonoursSmall Business Placement

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Strongly disagree Strongly agree

Knowledge of organisations and how they are managed

Critical thinking, analysis and thinking

Effective problem solving and decision making

Effective oral and quantitative skills

Numeracy and quantitative skills

Effective use of IT

Effective interpersonal skills

Business and Management HonoursStudents’ Assessment of Transferable Skills Developed

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Business and ManagementEvaluation of Results

•Subject understanding is well developed

•Communication skills are well covered

•“Soft Skills”, Team working, Self management and Interpersonal Skills, are generally well covered

•Self Awareness is less well covered

•“Hard Skills”, Numeracy and ICT are less well developed

•“Appetite for Learning” is not measured

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Business and ManagementDiscussion Points

•To what extent are competences built up from level 1 to senior honours

•To what extent do students actually have the competences, i.e. can they be assessed

•Do students recognise these competences

•How do we measure the success of an employability strategy

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Accountancy and FinanceDeveloping Employability & Learning

Skills in 1st Year Classes

A positive effect on thinking about skillsMost effect on Communications and PresentationsLess effect on problem modelling and solutionSome impact on responsibility for their own learning

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Accountancy and FinanceEvaluation Methods Used

Questionnaires Still awaited

Focus Groups Best source of feedback

Reflective Journals Ineffective

Course Assessments Problematic

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Accountancy and FinanceMethodology

Two Courses Identified, Business Statistics 1 and Management Accounting 1

A Focus on Tutorials

Create a degree of ambiguity

Use of case studies

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Urban StudiesValues in Action

An Honours elective

An Introduction to the Theory of Experiential Learning

Work Placement Opportunities in Welfare Agencies

Tutorials with Reflective and Critical Thinking