Jiu ye or ke gu yong xing: a common language? Robert Partridge and Heather Richardson Careers Service, The University of York Meeting the demands of international students more effectively, April 2009

China: some background c. 23% of young Chinese progress into HE (just under 9.5M) Participation in HE has grown by around 70% over the last 6 years c. 2,400 HEIs in China In 1995, the Chinese government launched the first of three major HE investment programmes High graduate unemployment (c. 22%) Prospects improve with a postgraduate qualification (postgraduate unemployment is c. 11.4%) More than half of all undergraduate students continue on into postgraduate study (c. 60% at world-class Chinese HEIs)

China: ‘sky-rocketing’ unemployment Provincial services: Business start-ups Enhanced support for job hunters HEIs: Alignment with labour market needs Pedagogical change: skills- based curricula Careers advice and guidance Nanjing University Careers Centre: ‘Hub and spoke’ model Student association, nominally supported by employers Central programme of careers and further study fairs Careers guidance Business incubator Summer leadership camp Institution-wide career planning competition

In their own words… Question: How would Physics students in your university define their employability? At Nanjing University: ‘Changed ways of thinking’ (eg. problem solving and analytical skills) Techniques for stimulating creativity (through involvement in the social activities programme within the department, as well as laboratory research projects) Demonstrable commitment to work and tenacity Interpersonal skills

My solution: Knowledge (and staff?) exchange with Chinese colleagues Develop reciprocal support agreements? That’s all very interesting but what’s the point? My problem: c. 700 Chinese students wanting IAG Very limited knowledge and no experience of Chinese labour market amongst my staff

What have we done so far? Three visits to China and one visit to York Relationship building Information exchange (eg. graduate destinations, pedagogy for employability) Joint centre for enterprise and employability with Nanjing University ( Joint teaching initiative with Zhejiang University career development centre Negotiating a summer student exchange programme Examining potential for an ‘international York Award’ Planning a joint international conference on enterprise and employability Scoping research study into graduate destinations and employability in the two countries

Business Across Borders The University of York The York Award Framework for skills & personal development Structured skills training Personal effectiveness Recruitment practices Specialist courses Employer links Non-credit bearing Zhejiang University Career Development Centre Career planning programme Skills development opportunities Career planning courses Skills development Placement preparation Business support Credit bearing

The course: Improve knowledge of Chinese and UK labour markets 3 video conferenced workshops with students from the Zhejiang University 2 business case studies Opportunity to network with Chinese peers, opening a window to the largest market in the world

Learning outcomes Reflect on different work place cultures and practices Consider the benefits of different approaches to problem solving Consider the value placed by employers on skills development and experiential learning Share understanding of own labour market

‘It was very interesting when we had to deal with the same tasks, we were taking different approaches.’ Przemyslaw Sobiera, York student Business Across Borders The University of York 12 students Global Entrepreneurs week Zhejiang University 13 students Business Society Skype Conducted in English Combination of on-line and off-line discussion

Workshop 123 Theory Analysing a business Strategic Alliance The prisoner ’ s dilemma Case Study WaveriderLvsheng & Tianchang Red-Blue Game Discussion 1.Business analysis 2.Different approaches to problem solving 3.Skills demonstrated 1.Analysis of strategic alliance 2.Overview of advantages 3.Formation process 4.Implications for business 1.Extra-curricular activities 2.Degree and job choice 3.Recruitment

Learning outcomes Reflect on different work place cultures and practices Consider the benefits of different approaches to problem solving Consider the value placed by employers on skills development and experiential learning Share understanding of own labour market Improve your ability to analyse a business and choose an appropriate development strategy Give you a greater understanding of different work place cultures and practices Help you consider the value placed by employers on skills development and other experiential learning Improve your understanding of the labour market both in the UK and China In practice …

‘All of these have taught me to value the different views, and how to analyse problem in a rational or rationalistic way’ Xiong Yongxuan – Zhejiang Student Feedback Participants very satisfied or satisfied Explored different cultural perspectives as well as different market situations Developed team work, communication and presentation skills Useful to develop an understanding of key business issues

Developments … Better equipment Improved interaction Background reading Further links Longer term links Exchanges Employer input

Secrets of our (limited!) success… High level support Time (and money) ! Meeting face-to-face Identifying the key influencers Ensuring mutual benefit Employing a native Chinese speaker Patience Explicit and detailed requests Gan bei!

A common language? jiu ye ke gu yong xing

A common language? jiu ye ability to find a job ke gu yong xing characteristics, knowledge and skills to obtain and maintain work

Discussion points What’s your problem? Student demographics Staff expertise (or lack of?) Other? Solutions? Existing networks Additional investment Reciprocal arrangements Barriers?