A Certificate in Career Development: Informal Assessment of Transferable Skills Jean K Gowans Deputy Director Careers Advisory Service University of St Andrews 29 June 2004

Outline Certificate in Career Development: context Certificate in Career Development: context Development Development Collaboration Collaboration Challenges of informal assessment Challenges of informal assessment Student feedback and reflection Student feedback and reflection

Certificate in Career Development: context Career Education – twin programmes Career Education – twin programmes - Career information talks (occupations) - Skills insights Employer interest in ‘enhanced profile’ Employer interest in ‘enhanced profile’ ‘Embedding,’ ‘employability’ and lifelong learning issues ‘Embedding,’ ‘employability’ and lifelong learning issues Student attendance Student attendance

Development Workshops, with high levels of participation Workshops, with high levels of participation New Title – Career Development New Title – Career Development Sponsorship and ‘validation’ Sponsorship and ‘validation’ Model for mini-module Model for mini-module Apathy, IT, lures and rewards Apathy, IT, lures and rewards Attendance: penultimate and final years Attendance: penultimate and final years

Collaboration Employers Employers Academics Academics Student Enterprise Student Enterprise Students Students

Informal Assessment Attendance – ‘credits’ given Attendance – ‘credits’ given Flexibility – in programmes and student choice – no compulsory sessions Flexibility – in programmes and student choice – no compulsory sessions Opens the way to new development Opens the way to new development Strengthens partnerships Strengthens partnerships Challenges – quality/academic engagement/credibility/faculty needs Challenges – quality/academic engagement/credibility/faculty needs

Feedback and Reflection Popularity of the Certificate Popularity of the Certificate A CV item – ungraded A CV item – ungraded Subjectivity Subjectivity Credibility for model/statistics – Skills Mapping Template Credibility for model/statistics – Skills Mapping Template Reflection – self-assessment Reflection – self-assessment