Enhancing Employability via Student-led projects Dr Glynis Perkin – Loughborough University Alison Ahearn – Imperial College London Fiona Lamb – Loughborough University

Student-led Activity Discuss in groups Your understanding of student-led activity Current activities/ involvement Round the room feedback

Student-led Activity Extra-curricular activity Student-led activity Extra-curricular voluntary activity started and run by students themselves

Student Engagement Trowler (2010) provides the following definition: Student engagement is concerned with the interaction between the time, effort and other relevant resources invested by both students and their institutions intended to optimise the student experience and enhance the learning outcomes and development of students and the performance, and reputation of the institution.

Employability Yorke (2004) describes student employability as: A set of achievements – skills, understandings and personal attributes – that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy.

Types of student-led activity Employer-focused Charitable (volunteering on others’ projects) Development (own project, local or overseas) Culture-change, outreach and education Save the planet and/or applied engineering Entrepreneurial Institutional

Imperial Case Study – Aurora What? Wifi for rural Morocco Student challenge: Moroccan censorship/politics Student success: Research link through HoD Employability? Professional behaviours, technical spec, finance, legal considerations etc Evaluation? New - presentations and

Imperial Case Study – e.quinox.org What? Electricity for Rwandan villages Student challenge: Finding viable business model Student success: Success with 5 villages Employability? This activity provides real project experience with real outcomes Evaluation? Self and peer review. Gov’t endorsement. Project continues to expand.

L’boro Case Study - EcoFuture What? An energy saving challenge Student challenge: Conflict with an existing university initiative Staff challenge: Transferring set-up funding to students Student success: On-going and obtained external funding Employability? Relationships with potential employers developed Evaluation? Self, peer group and external endorsement

Panel Discussion

Student-led activity Checklist Before you start – What already exists? Is it right for you? Getting started – How do I raise student awareness and start projects? Establishing projects Supporting projects – Legal issues, finances, mentoring Sustaining projects – Committee work-shadowing, symposia

Clinic Working in small groups - determine one or more activities to implement (real or wish list). Round the room sharing of ideas Identify challenges and starting point Work through the draft checklist Round the room feedback on the checklist

Wrap up Feedback invitation Any final questions? Use the JISCMail list to carry on networking, if appropriate Thank you for coming!