Preparing Students for the Graduate Labour Market · L2 Interdisciplinary Research Project (2015...

Preparing Students for the Graduate Labour Market

Examples of the opportunities available to students to develop their employability

19/06/2014 © The University of Sheffield

Today’s session

• The graduate labour market

• Employability initiatives - US in Schools Mentoring - On Campus Placements (& HEAR) - Student Ambassadors for Learning & Teaching - Career Management Skills module

• Strategic Curriculum Change

The Graduate Labour Market

A few key features


The graduate labour market

• 93% UoS graduates in work or further study

• Top 100: vacancies in 2014 highest since 2007

• Strong demand for IT, Finance, HR, Marketing

• Strong sectors: accounting, investment banks, retail, engineering/industrial, public sector

• Two-thirds of vacancies are open to students from any degree discipline

• So employers value transferable skills …


Transferable skills • Common sense • Curiosity • Problem solving • Interpersonal &

Communication • Customer service • Teamwork • Leadership • Negotiation

• Commercial awareness • Genuine interest • Adding value - 100% effort • Autonomy • IT skills • Time management • Working under pressure • Organisational skills • Flexibility/adaptability


Students and employability

• Academic studies

• Part-time and vacation jobs

• Career-related work experience placements

• Extra-curricular activities: - societies, sports; especially positions of responsibility - representative roles: course rep, ambassador - volunteering - enterprise


Experience Sheffield www.sheffield.ac.uk/experience • A website showing

extra-curricular activities which students can get involved with …

• … to have fun, make the most of their time at University, …

• … boost employability and enhance their CVs

US in Schools Mentoring

US in Schools – Main Aims • To provide positive role models for local young people

• To support raising attainment in local schools and colleges

• To raise pupil self esteem and motivation

• To raise awareness of and aspirations to Higher Education

• To provide students with the opportunity to gain in-school/college experience

• To provide students with the chance to develop and evidence transferable skills


US in Schools - Overview • 2013-14 - 13 schools, 65 mentors, 350+ mentees

• School induction – October

• 1:1 mentoring with 4-6 mentees (Yr9-Yr12) each week – November – May

• E-mentoring

• University campus visit

• Celebration event – May

• End of scheme placement for students


What our mentors say... “The work experience I got on this project definitely helped me get my place on Teach First”

“Amazing experience for working in schools and getting to know the school system and teachers. Really encouraged for working as a teacher“



Any questions? Please ask the US in Schools mentors!

• Harriet Sawbridge – mentor at Ecclesfield School, Sheffield

• Alex Hylan – mentor at Ecclesfield School, Sheffield

Student Ambassadors for Learning & Teaching (SALTs)


What are SALTs? • Influence, improve and develop learning and teaching at a

departmental, faculty and university level

• Differs from traditional course/faculty representation – greater commitment, more responsibilities, and PAID!

• x 5 Faculty Teams (one student from each department)

• x 1 Institutional Team (representation from all faculties)

• Projects are student-designed and student-led, working in partnership with academic and professional services staff to ensure they have an impact


Examples of SALT projects

• Cross-faculty interdisciplinary research module (A&H)

• An academic skills and transitions website (Engineering)

• Joint Operation: a multi-disciplinary team challenge (MDH)

• “I wish I’d known that before!”: a video for prospective students (Science)

• What is a Social Sciences Graduate? Exploring their qualities, skills and attributes (Social Sciences)

• Home and International Student Integration in the Learning & Teaching Environment (Institutional Team)


Benefits of being a SALT

• Greater understanding / awareness of wider HE context

• Development and enhancement of transferable, “soft” skills

• Discovery of new talents and interests

• Counts towards the HEAR, Sheffield Graduate Award and Skills for Work Certificate

• New friends from different departments and faculties

• Flexible around studies and other commitments

• Recognition within and from outside the University (HEA partnership award for A&H team, Student Employees of the Year for institutional team)


Any questions? Please ask the SALTs!

• Louise Wisson (HEA Team – Flexible Formative Feedback)

• Fazeela Khan (Social Sciences Team – Co-curricular Activities)

• Erika Ferreira (Engineering Team – Staff/Student Integration)

On CampUS Placements

… and the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR)


On CampUS Placements

• Project-based placements in University academic or professional services departments

• 100 hours, max. 15 hours per week

• Paid £7.43 per hour

• Open to all degree disciplines

• Could include market research, social media strategy, events management, degree-related research etc.

Career Management Skills module

An optional 20-credit module open to most “Level 2” (intermediate year) students

BACKGROUND

3rd year of delivery Runs in both semester 1

& 2 and is delivered on a cross-Faculty basis

232 Students have taken the module so far, drawn from 19 departments

Talk for L1 Students May 2014 21

OVERVIEW OF CONTENT FOR 2014-15

1. Introduction to Career Management Skills

2. Understanding graduate employability

3. Assessing your own employability

4. Options on graduation and the graduate labour market

5. Career decision making 6. Student presentations – the

Graduate Labour Market

7. Jobsearch & the use of social media 8. Effective applications: CVs, covering letters & application forms 9. Interview preparation & techniques 10. The graduate recruitment process: Assessment centres 11. Action planning


COMMENTS FROM PAST STUDENTS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-n9Dp8r6qI&feature











Strategic Curriculum Change

Strategic Curriculum Change L1 Faculty Challenge

(2014 – 15)

Interdisciplinary teamwork within the Faculty, using local context to address current real world issues

L2 Interdisciplinary Research Project (2015 – 16)

Interdisciplinary teamwork across Faculties, built around a series of global challenges

L3 to be confirmed (2016 – 17)

Student Opinion

“Achieve More”


Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) • Full report of a student’s university achievements

• Covers all students starting from 2012 onwards

• Academic information about their course, modules and grades

• Extra-curricular activities and awards included

• Can be made available to potential employers

To Discover And Understand.

Preparing Students for the Graduate Labour Market · L2 Interdisciplinary Research Project (2015...

Documents

Transcript of Preparing Students for the Graduate Labour Market · L2 Interdisciplinary Research Project (2015...