A competency framework for postgraduates

Dr Hilary M JonesPostgraduate Internships Coordinator,

The University of Sheffield

In this session

• Introduction to a competency framework developed at the University of York

• Discussion:Competency frameworks for employers and students at your institution

Background to the workContacting employers for:

• ‘year in industry’ placements• Summer vacations• 20-week Masters placements• PhD internships• Shorter work experiences

Aim: to produce something that…

• Would explain to employers the differences they could expect to find between students at ug/pgt/pgr level

• Would be useful to staff when they approach employers

• Could be used by students to help them speak ‘the language of competencies’

• Could be tailored for use by others

The skills• Teamworking, working with others• Leadership and management potential• Communication skills• Self-management, motivation and

professionalism• Commercial responsibility and business

development• Professional development• Ethical and sustainable practice• Scientific skills

Developing the framework

• Descriptions of each skills for three levels: – Undergraduate– Masters– PhD

• Quantitative information where possible – e.g. 150 hours of lab work

Employers

• Feedback collected from 30 employers:– Current hosts– Other bioscience employer contacts

• Employer guide written to accompany the framework

Student Guides

• Framework was translated into a student guide for each of the three groups

• Formed the basis of training sessions at the University of York

Rolling out the framework for use by all

HEI staff are encouraged to use the framework as an example for creating their own considering:

• Type of degree programmes offered

• Degree subjects offered• Employers’ requirements

In your groups• How does your organisation

approach the internships issue currently?

• Do you have any form of employer-facing competency framework currently?

• What skills/competencies/experience should be described for your students?

Thoughts and questions

• How do you define a competency?• Is there a difference between competencies

gained on-course and in the workplace?• How do we fit the development of these skills

into the curriculum? • If skills development happens outside of the

curriculum – how do we ‘sell’ the benefit of the postgraduate degree?

• Be careful not to insult employers – perhaps they are very clear about the difference between Masters and PhD!

• Graduates could use video technology to articulate their competencies

• How can we embed skills in only 12 months?• Competency framework should be used in

course design (rather than retrofitted at the end)

• Helps students find examples for their CV• Most employers have their own

competencies – let’s use theirs

Summary

• Adopting an Integrated Internships Model = more internships to be sourced

• A coordinated way of approaching employers is most efficient

• Employers may need information about your students and the skills that they have – a shopping list

• How can we help employers to say ‘yes’?

Dr Lorna J WarnockTraining and Careers Manager

uk.linkedin.com/in/lornawarnock @lornawarnock

01904 328 558

lorna.warnock@york.ac.uk

Dr Hilary M Jones Postgraduate Internships

Coordinator

uk.linkedin.com/in/hilarymjones/

@Drhilarymjones

0114 222 0932

hilary.jones@sheffield.ac.uk