1

EmployabilityThe Scottish dimension

Brent MacGregorVice Principal

edinburgh college of art&

Chair, SHEEN

2

Scottish Higher Education Employability Network

3

Outline

•Employability in Scottish HE- a recent history•The Employability Enhancement Theme•Current work•Other related sector-wide work, including PDP•The future…

4

Employability in Scottish HE: a recent history

•(ESECT)•SFC’s Learning to Work Oct 2004•Enhancement Theme 2004-05•SFC Strategic Funding 2007-10•Research-Teaching Enhancement Theme 2007-08

•PDP and the Effective Learning Framework (ELF)•Joint CRA/Academy/QAA Scotland work

•The Scottish Executive’s Life through Learning: Learning through Life LLL Strategy, Feb 2003•New Skills Strategy 24 August 2007

5

SFC, Learning to Work, 2004

• Acclaimed policy paper written by Helen Gibson and Lawrence Howells, Further and Higher Education sectors.

6

SFC, Longitudinal Survey, On Track 2004-09

• 5 year study, 2004-09, FE and HE• Attempt to get beyond first destination statistics• Surveying graduates of Colleges and HEIs, following

their career paths and further study• questions also aimed at learners to reflect on their

college/university experience• Contrasts with NSS (optional in Scotland)

7

Employability Enhancement Theme 2004-05

• Sector-wide Steering Group Chaired by Graeme Roberts, U. of Aberdeen now Academy Senior Associate

• Academics, Careers staff, LTSN/Academy, SFC, Employers….

• Establishment of an Institutional Contacts Network- instrumental in future policy developments

• Various events, publications produced, wide number of case studies identified

8

Employability Enhancement Theme, Publications

• Overview, Graeme Roberts• Innovative Projects from across the Curriculum,

Debra Macfarlane and Archie Roy• Working together, Duncan Cockburn and James

Dunphy• A Guide to International Best Practice in Engaging

Employers in the Curriculum, Andrew Bottomley and Helen Williams

• Benchmarking Employability, Brent MacGregor et al.• Skills for Business Network briefing

http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/themes/Employability/publications.asp

9

Enhancement Theme findings iKey lessons and issues

1. Address skills development in a progressive manner at programme level

2. Create space in the curriculum, especially in early stages of programmes

3. Possibility of tuning rather than re-designing existing curriculum

4. Convert what students do alongside their academic curriculum from a potential obstacle into a significant opportunity for learning

5. Make explicit links between classroom assignments and workplace tasks

10

Enhancement Theme findings iiKey factors for Employability success

1. Discreet support from the careers service2. Funding for a dedicated employability

support post3. Energetic employability champion4. Access to project funding5. Mechanism for co-ordinating activity

11

Enhancement Theme’s impact

• Raised the sector’s awareness • Provided support for development of institutional

employability strategies and action plans• Contributed to the development of Learning to

Work and SFC implementation plan

12

Challenges at the end of the Theme

• Engaging frontline staff, particularly from non-vocational disciplines

• Implementing Employability and PDP strategies within institutions

• Engaging students• Ensuring sustainability of action and momentum

built up over the life of the Theme.

13

SFC Strategic Funding for Scottish HEIs

1. Consultation in June 06 with ICN- big change in proposals requested by sector

2. £4M over 4 years, 90% direct to HEIs

3. SHEEN subsequently established

4. Partnership Approach: SFC/ Academy/ QAA/ Universities Scotland

14

SHEEN’s remit

1. to identify, share and promote effective practice in enhancing student employability

2. advise the Scottish Funding Council on planned policy developments

3. assist the Council to identify collaborative development projects for its strategic funding programme

4. share information about the progress of these projects and help disseminate their outcomes

5. advise the Higher Education Academy and SHEEC as appropriate on the development needs of the Scottish sector in relation to employability.

6. advise SHEEC on areas of work that might usefully be addressed in future enhancement themes

15

SHEEN’s membership and infrastructure

1. Chaired by Prof Brent MacGregor, Edinburgh College of Art

2. HEI reps, stakeholders, student body3. Two meetings a year4. External Evaluators- summative and formative roles-

“critical friends” for HEIs….

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sheen.htm

16

Institutional Plans- emerging priorities

• Academy asked to analyse plans, provide feedback and overview to sector

• Several common priorities:1. PDP (80% of HEIs)2. Embedding employability within the curriculum- discipline-

specific issues…3. Employer engagement

• Academy to continue to support HEIs and sector (SFC 2007-08 grant letter)

17http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/careers/AUL@W.htm

• 3 year project worth £2m involving Uni of Glasgow, St. Andrews and Glasgow Caledonian Uni; SFC Strategic Change Grant

• 3 strands:Research

Exploring and developing opportunities for work experienceSupport for Embedding work related learning

Aimed at undergraduate students in Biosciences, Business & Management, History, Mathematics, Physics and Psychology.

18

PDP and the Effective Learning Framework*

*Taken from Effective Learning and Employability, Enhancement Themes website

19

New Scottish Government

• Fiona Hyslop, SNP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning

• Scottish response to Leitch • New Scottish Skills Strategy announced which will:

1. Highlight the skills valued and required both by employers and individuals

2. Demonstrate how sectors from Further Education/Higher Education to schools, community learning and workforce development can contribute to the skills agenda

3. Outline the responsibilities of those involved in skills development

20

Conclusions

• Partnership works• A shared agenda: learners, educators and employers• A long term agenda• Joined-up approach• Embedding within the curriculum; buy-in from

academic staff key• Opportunities afforded by current spotlight on the

Research-Teaching theme

21

Thank you

• Graeme Roberts, Helen Gibson, Alastair Robertson, Val Butcher

Questions and discussion

vp@eca.ac.uk

22

•enhancement of employability not a threat to academic standards• the outcomes required by high level academic researchers and by the majority of employers are effectively the same (Knight and Yorke, 2003)

23

•qualities that take 10-15,000 hours to acquire•subject almost irrelevant

24

•various lists

•nine essential skills in Canada

•other lists: 36 or 39?

25

•flexibility

•innovation & creativity

•able to cope with uncertainty

•prepared for life long learning

•social sensitivity and communications skills

•team work

•take on responsibilities

•entrepreneurial

•international

•versatile, with generic skills