E-mail ainsley_smith@mancat.ac.uk Employability Skills Unit introduction Ainsley Smith http://asmithatmancat.wordpress.com/ E-mail ainsley_smith@mancat.ac.uk

Employability skills?? This unit is not about being employed, but about having “Employability skills” compatible with jobs which fully utilises your degree!!

Employability skills?? other peoples actions groups or teams It will also provide useful information, and guidelines, regarding job responsibilities for: other peoples actions groups or teams making important decisions carrying out, and reporting on, research activities

So how does it fit in with other units?? It fully compliments the Foundation Degree in Computer Network Managements technical subjects It builds on the skills covered in the “Personal Effectiveness” unit It provides further insights to the organisational goals, and objectives, covered by the “Information Systems in Organisations” unit

So what are the units outcomes?? A student who successfully completes this unit should be able to:- Identify, describe and evaluate their own, and others’ job related responsibilities and performance Investigate and describe the dynamics of working with others, and the associated responsibilities of being a good team member, and/or team leader

So what are the units outcomes?? A student who successfully completes this unit should be able to:- Develop, present, and evaluate a strategy for solving problems Develop, present, and evaluate a strategy for handling, processing and communicating information

So what about a bit more detail?? Own and others’ work responsibilities and performance Job descriptions and specifications Job responsibilities Setting job performance targets Individual appraisals and development systems Motivation and performance

Setting job performance targets

So what about a bit more detail?? Dynamics of working with others Team and group work Group working to achieve corporate objectives and goals Group problem solving Team projects

So what about a bit more detail?? Dynamics of working with others, continued Leadership Selecting the team Motivation and loyalty Target setting Monitoring and control Action Planning

Team building ingredients Ingredients seen as important to the successful set-up and launch of such team efforts include: Selection of participants Establishing goals Allocation of roles within the team Harmonizing personality types Training on how to work together Support within the team Making effective use of resources Communication between team members and leaders

So what about a bit more detail?? Problem solving strategies Specification of the problem Identification of possible outcomes Research, plan and implement Monitor and present outcomes Evaluation of the solution against the specification and desired outcomes

Cause & Effect Cause & Effect Diagrams Identifying the Likely Causes of Problems Also called Fish or Fishbone Diagrams, and Ishikawa Diagrams Cause and Effect analysis helps you to think through causes of a problem thoroughly. Their major benefit is that they push you to consider all possible causes of the problem, rather than just the ones that are most obvious. The approach combines brainstorming with use of a type of Concept Map. How to Use the Tool: Follow these steps to solve a problem with a Cause and Effect diagram: Identify the problem: Write down the exact problem you face in detail. Where appropriate identify who is involved, what the problem is, and when and where it occurs. Write the problem in a box on the left hand side of a large sheet of paper. Draw a line across the paper horizontally from the box. This gives you space to develop ideas. Work out the major factors involved: Next identify the factors that may contribute to the problem. Draw lines off the spine for each factor, and label it. These may be people involved with the problem, systems, equipment, materials, external forces, etc. Try to draw out as many possible factors as possible. If you are trying to solve the problem as part of a group, then this may be a good time for some brainstorming! Using the 'Fish bone' analogy, the factors you find can be thought of as the bones of the fish. Identify possible causes: For each of the factors you considered in stage ii, brainstorm possible causes of the problem that may be related to the factor. Show these as smaller lines coming off the 'bones' of the fish. Where a cause is large or complex, then it may be best to break the it down into sub-causes. Show these as lines coming off each cause line. Analyse your diagram: By this stage you should have a diagram showing all the possible causes of your problem. Depending on the complexity and importance of the problem, you can now investigate the most likely causes further. This may involve setting up investigations, carrying out surveys, etc. These will be designed to test whether your assessments are correct

So what about a bit more detail?? Strategies for handling, processing and communicating information Identify outcomes Research, plan and process Monitor and present outcomes Evaluation of communication strategy

SWOT Analysis (also known as TOWS analysis) is a powerful technique for understanding your Strengths and Weaknesses, and for looking at the Opportunities and Threats you face. Discover new opportunities. Manage and eliminate threats. Used in a business context, it helps you carve a sustainable niche in your market. Used in a personal context, it helps you develop your career in a way that takes best advantage of your talents, abilities and opportunities. Click here for Business SWOT Analysis, here for Personal SWOT Analysis. How to use the tool: Write down answers to the following questions: Strengths: What do you do better than anyone else? In looking at your strengths, think about them in relation to your competitors – in the job market Weaknesses: What could you improve? What should you avoid? Again, consider this from an internal and external basis: Do other people seem to perceive weaknesses that you do not see? Opportunities: Where are the good opportunities facing you? Alternatively, look at your weaknesses and ask yourself whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating them. Threats: What obstacles do you face? What is your other people doing?

A SWOT by an individual manager could look like this:

What about assessments?? There are two marked assessments Assessment 1 A Personal Development Plan (PDP) which will be updated, and monitored, at regular intervals through out the course Showing your continuous development in understanding, and applying, “Employability skills”

What about assessments?? There are two marked assessments Assessment 2 A report, no longer than 1500 words, showing you have fully utilised “Employability skills” at your workplace, and how this has contributed to organisational efficiency

How do I provide evidence of good “Employability Skills”?? Examples of supporting evidence could be: Work assessment reports Case studies Project management activities Research reports Supervisory activities Decision making outcomes Team building and leading Meeting organisational goals and objectives

Books of interest One Step ahead: Writing Reports Seely J    Oxford University Press ISBN 0198662831 Creating teams with an edge Havard Business Essentials ISBN 1-59139-290-X Manager’s Toolkit ISBN 1-59139-289-6

Books of interest Winning Decisions J Edward Russo & Paul J. H Schoemaker Piatkus ISBN 07499 2285 0 Developing your staff Patrick Forsyth Kogan Page ISBN 0-7494-3525-9 Leadership Styles              Tony Kippenberger  Capstone Express    ISBN 1841123579