For a variety of reasons, degree programmes are increasingly expected to better prepare graduates for the workplace.  Appropriate mechanisms for achieving this will differ from department to department and from discipline to discipline – but some generally successful principles can be described.  Employability skills comprise practical job seeking (i.e. Career Management) skills, that can be developed through short co- or extra-curricular sessions, and skills such as communication and team working that require longer term development.  Both are important, however this presentation will concentrate on the latter. Successful strategies include the use of work experience (particularly a full-year placement).  Skills in self-awareness are also important – the ability to recognise your own strengths, provide evidence to support this and develop strategies for improvement has a huge impact on gaining employment.  A process of reflection and action planning embedded within the curriculum will help develop these skills.  In addition, appropriate learning, teaching and assessment strategies can enable employability to take place alongside subject skill development.  Courses designed in this way will enable students to develop employability skills – and to recognise that they are doing so – without loss of content. This workshop will discuss the above issues and explore successful strategies for incorporating employability development into your curriculum.  The session will be interactive, and the intention is that you should come away with some specific actions to take to helpd evelop your own practice in this area.  I will be using the ‘Socrative’ classroom response tool to focus discussion and to collate participants’ work.  You can download the app for smartphones and tablet PCs, so come prepared!  (Search the App Store for ‘Socrative Student’)

Click to view presentation:  242 SHU_LTA_19June13_Employability