Fit for Work How can the careers service facilitate and add to language students' development of their employability and career choices? Diane Appleton Careers Adviser Careers & Employability Service Centre for Lifelong Learning University of Liverpool

Fit for Work Why and how universities in the UK have developed employability strategies Delivery of Career Management Skills Examples of programmes

Modes of delivering skills for employability Teaching and learning styles – developing employability skills through learning Assessed careers modules in curriculum – compulsory Assessed careers modules in curriculum – optional Bolt-on careers modules, may be optional and not assessed Centrally delivered career management programme in Careers Service Personal Development Planning (PDP) Service Level Agreements

Additional outcomes Students will develop: business awareness through understanding trends in the graduate labour market and the attributes and achievements that employers require. Oral communication and team working skills through practical group exercises. IT skills and information handling skills will be developed through use of the Internet. Personal Development Planning abilities through the reflective exercises and forward-looking nature of CMS.

Example of a non-assessed careers programme (University of Liverpool) Pre-year abroad What jobs do Liverpool students do on the year abroad? Improve your skills! (Gain the Skills Award) How to get a placement. Get that job! The Year Abroad Buddies share their tips Making your year abroad count (employability skills session) 3 presentations by language employers

Pre-Year abroad compulsory session What skills employers want Identify personal objectives for Year Abroad (Card Sort/Questionnaire) Reflect on current skills, identify gaps Look at application forms and CVs Introduce Learning Log/PDP Portsmouth Survey on Residence Abroad and Employability

 Before you go abroad  Country Guides  The Best and Worst Bits  Year Abroad Learning Log  Start Planning Your Career  Finding Job Vacancies  Support Whilst Abroad  Keeping in Touch inc e-guidance service

During year abroad in September Christmas mailing to overseas addresses: What do Graduates Do (Modern Languages) What do Liverpool Modern Languages Graduates do List of AGCAS careers information booklets Info on useful websites (prospects) Mailing of personal objectives in February Completion of Learning Logs E-guidance and CV checks, vacancies etc

Benefits Good contact with Careers Service (c80%) Students feel included and not isolated Tailor made to them and their needs Students feel more confident in the skills they have and the areas they have developed Problems Access to Internet Compulsory but not assessed so…… Getting them to use the career planning part of the site !

Final Year programme (examples) Reflection on skills and experiences from year abroad Careers with languages How to plan your career Insights into career paths with languages Employers - what do they want? CVs and interview skills Careers Using Languages Forum/Careers Fair

University of Liverpool – a case study School of Cultures, Languages & Area Studies has Learning & Teaching Objectives including:  Using alumni contacts to identify skills developed in degree and in employment to inform curriculum development  Strengthening links with employers and ensuring degrees meet their needs  Developing mechanisms for scrutinising employer and student feedback from vocational placements  Embedding innovation and enterprise into the curriculum with the primary aim of preparing students for future employment  New courses – professional bodies, employers and employability key part of approval process

continued…. Employability related activities: Peer Mentoring Scheme – sponsored by Bloomberg and Deloitte Achievements prize sponsored by Aldi Employer presentations Employability Officer Personal Development Planning Students have to do a learning log for their year abroad Skills Award

Conclusion? Language students don’t always know why they are employable Students want help with career planning when they want help with career planning!! Little and often approach seems to work best Partnership between department and Careers Service is vital Employer involvement (especially in the form of sponsorship) raises the profile of employability and the Careers Service