EMPLOYABILITY Making it work in Higher National Certificates and Diplomas Cathy McSkimming/John Laird Cardonald College April2007

Employability – what is it?...the combination of factors and processes which enable people to progress towards, or get into employment, to stay in employment and to move on in the workplace… (Scottish Executive 2006) …the possession by an individual of the qualities and competences required to meet the changing needs of employers and customers and thereby help to realise his or her aspirations and potential in work.. (CBI, 1999) …a set of achievements- skills, understandings and attributes - that make individuals more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations… (Learning to Work – SFC 2004)

Where do colleges fit in? Major providers of vocational education Partnerships with employers and HE Extensive experience in delivery of core skills Awareness of soft skills Flexibility in approach

Revised HN – the opportunities? More holistic assessment Greater number of generic units Graded Unit SCQF levelling Opportunities to develop Core Skills Updating of vocational relevance Collaboration between QDTs Continuation of QSTs

Revised HN – the threats More difficult to find placements/work experience Frameworks havent all embedded employability at the design stage Staff workload Staff development required Sourcing appropriate materials

What can colleges do? Devise a college strategy Carry out an employability audit Deliver staff development Amend frameworks Encourage innovative use of materials/units Develop repositories of relevant materials Raise student awareness and understanding Think and act outside the box

EMPLOYABILITY QUIZ TRUE or FALSE? 1.Students understand what employability is and what they have to do to get and keep a job. 2.Work experience/placements are vital for giving students employability skills. 3.Employability is about addressing the agenda of the current government. 4.Employability skills are demanded by employers and are essential to get and keep a job. 5.Employability has already been embedded in HN programmes. 6.Employers rate vocational skills higher than skills such as communication and problem-solving. 7.There are no units written for HN which deliver employability skills. 8.Employability should be delivered through core skills. 9.Employability is a distraction from learning and teaching. 10.Employability is part of the contract between the College and the student. FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE

Carry out an employability audit e.g.

Planning and Organising Problem Solving Flexibility Enthusiasm Self Confidence Personal Presentation Team Work Attitude Reliability IT Skills Writing and Numeracy Skills Motivation Assess Your Employability These are some of the competences (skills) needed to be successful in employment. (please complete the wheel by drawing a line between each of the spokes of the wheel where you think your present level of skill should be placed, where the lowest level of skill is at the centre and the highest level of skill is at the outer rim) Deliver staff development e.g.

Employability Skills Raise Student Awareness e.g

For Example… Problem : Work placements in your area are scarce…… Solutions might include: Live projects with in-built employability College-based simulations Entering skills competitions Employer briefs Engage in voluntary/charity work or community projects Encourage innovative use of materials/units e.g.

For Example… Problem : Work experience unit doesnt meet the needs of the students so…adapt it to what the students need…. Solutions might include: Alter the timing of work experience (Xmas, Easter etc) Improve use of their part time employment Use an alternative unit (a carrier) to improve employability Use voluntary or charity work Replace it with the PDP unit (DE3R 34) Encourage innovative use of materials/units e.g.

For Example… Focus on Learning 2 projects on employability included: –a team play computer game –Life-coaching –Visualisation techniques –Training staff in EI and STEPS techniques –Videos of local employers Dont be afraid to change the timetable, attendance pattern, college year, framework, delivery modes or assessment instruments Think outside the box e.g.

The Scottish CBI came up with a one word definition of employability. What is it? ATTITUDE! Finally….