Supporting personal development

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Supporting personal development through
Confident Futures Véronique Johnston, Director
of Confident Futures, QES and Teaching Fellow
www.napier.ac.uk/confidentfutures
16 January 2007
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Quiz (with Prizes!)

• What proportion of Scottish students graduating
  in 1999 said in 2004 that their job was
  appropriate for their level of qualification?
• The number of graduates exiting universities
  increased by almost 2/3 between 1996 and 2006.
  By approximately what proportion have graduate
  level vacancies increased in the same time
  period?
• Name 2 of the top 5 skills that recruiters are
  looking for in graduates.
• Employers are increasingly referring to the ideal
  graduate as being self reliant. Graduate
  Opportunities 2006 identified 5 key skills for
  self reliance name 3.

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What is Confident Futures?

• A programme of activity designed to promote the
  confident development of
• self-knowledge and
• interpersonal skills,
• which when coupled with academic learning
• and experience,
• will position our graduates as
• first choice with employers.

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Evolution of Confident Futures
Jan 2005 Employability Steering Group starts work
on proposal
Sept 2005 2 day student event runs to test
proposed model
May 2005 Work to design CF model out to tender
June 2006 Unit design partners selected
2004 Develop. Office identifies opportunity
Sept 2006 Pilots begin
CMT agree initial support and CF Working Group
formed
CMT approve CF pilots
Fundraising begins in earnest
wins tender
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• The Confident Futures programme includes
• a highly participative day of workshops (Launch
  Day) at the beginning of induction week to
  promote social integration
• a series of personal development units to build
  well founded confidence
• flagship lectures with high profile motivational
  speakers
• access to an electronic briefcase (WebCT
  portfolio tool) designed to encourage ongoing
  self-reflection and meaningful CV- building
• access to resources via the Confident Futures
  website

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Launch Day - Sept 2006
SMTL
SoC
Olivia Giles
SNMSC
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The Development Units

• 3 Development Strands
• Understanding self
• Promoting effective behaviours
• Engaging influencing others

Certification not Accreditation
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Design Delivery Partners
Katrina Malone
Heather Burgess
Isobel MacNaughtan
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Confident Futures Lecture Series
Dr. Stuart Cosgrove Director of Nations and
Regions Channel 4
Thursday, 22 March 2007 (6.30pm, Craiglockhart
Campus)
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The Electronic Briefcase (WebCT Portfolio)
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Confident Futures Resources
Confidence Profiling
Website
Confident Shorts
Under Revamp!
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Lessons Learned So Far

• Students enjoy benefit from the experience
• "I attended Attitude Counts today and just
  wanted to thank you for it. I thought Isobel was
  great and really kept me interested the whole
  time, which is usually hard for me, so thank
  you."
• CF needs to integrated into the academic
  experience if it is to be fully effective.
• Academic staff engagement is key to student
  engagement.

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Only possible with the considerable commitment of
many colleagues to make it happen ..
Jennifer Graham
Jenny Westwood
Ian Smith
Karen Wight

• Anne Sibbald

Janice Reilly
Fran Alston
Donna Chambers
John Ensor
Elaine Mowat
Peter Easy
Joan Hale
Clare MacGregor
Fraser Lamont
Sandra Cairncross
Paul Dean
Louisa Grotrian
Anne Waugh
David Telford
Allie Houghton
Stephen Bruce
Lisa Greig
Katy Thierens
Liz Logie McIver
Andrew Cumming
Malcolm Leitch
Catriona Lonie
Fred Percival
Leanne McNab
Jo Easingwood
Carol Waters
Clare Jenkinson
Bruce Cowan
Lynne Blackett
Norma Cruickshank
Leslie Laidlaw
James Blair
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What Next?

• Recruit 3 Confident Futures Facilitators to
• - support embedding of the project
• - ensure continued alignment with PDP
• - raise awareness amongst staff and students.
• Design of more Development Units.
• Further roll out to PGs 3 more schools.
• Run Development Units for staff.
• Expand employer mentor capacity and other
  opportunities for employer support / involvement.

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Quiz Answers

• What proportion of Scottish students graduating
  in 1999 said in 2004 that their job was
  appropriate for their level of qualification? 65
  (On Track Class of 99. Longitudinal Survey of
  Learners Sweep 2 2005)
• The number of graduates exiting universities
  increased by almost 2/3 between 1996 and 2006.
  By approximately what proportion have graduate
  level vacancies increased in the same time
  period? 10 (UK Graduate Careers Survey 2006)
• Name 2 of the top 5 skills that recruiters are
  looking for in graduates. Team working, oral
  communication, flexibility and adaptability,
  customer focus and problem solving (AGR Summer
  Survey 2006)
• Employers are increasingly referring to the ideal
  graduate as being self reliant. Graduate
  Opportunities 2006 identified 5 key skills for
  self reliance name 3.
• Self awareness Self promotion Exploring
  creating opportunities Action-planning
  Networking.