Employability and Work Experience

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Employability and Work Experience
Graham Hooley Senior PVC April 2006
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Graduates unfit for work say top firms!Times
Online 7th February 2006

• Britains biggest companies gave warning last
  night that, despite a record number of graduates
  entering the job market this year many will lack
  the basic skills needed for employment. Last year
  many positions were left unfilled as a third of
  employers said they could not find candidates of
  sufficient quality
• Managers cite a series of shortcomings in
  potential recruits
• Too much time spent working on degrees, not
  enough joining clubs and societies where they
  might work in teams
• Not enough experience giving presentations in
  tutorials, unable to communicate ideas in the
  workplace
• Poor spelling, grammar and mathematical ability,
  writing illiterate memos and in need of constant
  supervision

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The Typical StudentTHES 21st April 2006
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Widened Participation
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What are employers looking for?

• Carl Gilleard, chief executive of AGR said
• Graduates must have the right aptitude, which
  partly comes down to the skills they can offer.
  If they concentrate purely on academic studies
  and have no work experience they are not going to
  impress the employer
• Employers really do value graduates who have
  been involved in a variety of activities at
  university including work experience, voluntary
  work, and active membership of clubs and
  societies

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The Key to EmployabilityDIFFERENTIATION!

• Standing out from the crowd of graduate hopefuls
• Having the right mix of skills and competencies
• Communications Skills Team Working Skills
  Literacy Skills

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Supporting Employability

• What makes graduates successful in the graduate
  labour
• market?
• Graduate employers want/need employability skills
• Placements/work experiences enhance employability
  and prospects (one third of our placement
  students are offered jobs with their placement
  employer)
• Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) in a
  survey of its members (2005) found their
  preferred recruitment method was placement

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Effective Placement Experiences

• Selective Choice of Placement Jobs dont just
  approve any job small companies may provide
  better/wider experience larger companies may
  have better support
• Prepare the Students and the Company well need
  to set appropriate expectations of all parties
  (university, student, employer) at the outset
  students need to research the company
• Integration into the curriculum methods of
  assessment mentoring/tutoring support building
  on the experience in final year
• Reflection some mechanism to reflect on the
  learning during placement (eg a learning log)
• Trained and supportive placement tutors
  professional role of tutor (also ambassador for
  the university)
• Excellent Communication with students while on
  placement (eg through VLEs) and with the
  companies

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Effective Work Placement References

• http//www.business.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/land
  t/employ
• Hawkridge, D. (2005) Enhancing Students
  Employability the national scene in Business,
  Management and Accountancy HE Academy and HEFCE
  (proposes 12 actions to help institutions)
• Hawridge, D (ed) (2005) Employability Stories in
  Business and Management

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What the Employers Say

• Gaining work experience during your studies is
  an excellent way to give yourself an edge when
  applying for full time roles. Internships are the
  best way to find out what it would be like to
  work in the company you are interested in.
  Nothing is more powerful than experiencing it for
  yourself - the culture, the people, the job. It
  gives you and the company the time to 'try out'
  each other and get paid a great salary to boot!
• Simone Szwarcwald, Proctor Gamble

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What the Students say

• The placement made me aware of the whole
  company, and how the company fits together
  whereas within university you tend to learn
  subjects separately. My placement has shown me
  more what I dont want to do more than what I do.
  It also really showed me the importance of
  communication.
• Chris Lomas, BSc Hons Business Computing and IT

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And.

• My placement has given me the confidence to know
  you dont need to know everything...it has given
  me the confidence to go into the industry.
• Laura Gwinnett, Managerial and Administrative
  Studies (MAS)

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And.

• My placement was the biggest influence on my
  career decision. I enjoyed my placement but it
  was very different to what I was expecting and to
  go into forensic psychology and get chartered I
  will have to do a masters so another 1 or 2
  years post graduate study.
• Holly Ashby, BSc Human Psychology

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Student Voluntary Work

• Student Tutoring
• After training students spend half a day per week
  for ten weeks in local classrooms (primary,
  secondary, post 16). They raise aspirations in
  the pupils they work with. Tutors accredited by
  Community Service Volunteers and National Teacher
  Training Agency
• Active Community Engagement
• Flexible volunteering scheme. Assist with sports,
  art, drama, music in classrooms and after-school
  clubs. Helping with paired reading, road safety
  awareness, childcare etc. University
  certification and opportunity to study for
  National Coaching Qualifications
• AimHigher Student Mentoring programme
• Joint programme Aston, UCE, Birmingham, Newman
  College, College of Food, Tourism and Creative
  Studies. Work with year 10 and 11 pupils
  predicted C/D borderline GCSE grades to raise
  aspirations

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What the Students get out of it

• Improved Inter-Personal Skills
• Students cite the following adapting to new
  situations communication skills increased
  personal confidence improved patience listening
  skills
• Improved Organisation and Planning
• All students keep a log book encouraged to
  reflect on their experiences discuss with others
  in mentor top-up training
• Enhanced CVs and better ability to stand out at
  interview

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Conclusions on enhancing employability

• Provide ways for students to develop the skills
  and competencies wanted by employers
• Look to the total student experience, not just
  the academic studies
• Work placements, Voluntary work, Group project
  work, Mentoring and ambassador roles, Student
  union activities, PDPs and career management
  modules
• Encourage students to be different to the norm

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Destinations of 2004 Aston Graduates
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Aston Business School 2004 Graduate Destinations
and National Comparisons