1. AGCAS Biennial 2009 Working with an Employability Framework: Carrot or stick? Pat Quinn Kent Roach Sheffield Hallam University Careers & Employment Service

2. Today’s session Bringing an Employability Framework to life The relationship between the framework & our guidance service Sharing our experiences Carrots & sticks…….

3. The SHU Employability Framework We are currently in the process of streamlining the 9 key features, which are: 1.The progressive development of autonomy 2.The development of skills 3.Personal Development Planning 4.The inclusion of activities which are similar to those required in external environments 5.Students' explicit reflection on their use of knowledge and skills 6.The encouragement of career management skills: 7.Engagement with work-related learning 8.Preparation for specific professional areas 9.Engagement with activities with a specific enterprise focus

4. Key Drivers: people & structures How has the Employability Framework been adopted so far? Consolidation after 2010 - high level Employability Working Group convened by PVC* A Faculty driven agenda eg. Business School Employability Pathway Enhanced CDL/WBL as standard throughout all course design & validation?* More sophisticated engagement with DLHE?*

5. What worked well Employability is now a key theme of the SHU Corporate Plan CMS and the Careers & Employment Service are recognised as being crucial to success An enhanced awareness of the agenda across the whole institution Tangible outputs & projects: eg. Employability Audit Tool, STARS https://www.starsprocess.ac.uk, What Next? datastickhttps://www.starsprocess.ac.uk

6. Hurdles & struggles Maintaining CETL autonomy Ensuring parity for all students Employment vs. Employability Applying a centralised strategy to our 4 faculty structure Finding a place in a crowded curriculum Restructuring of Student Services and it’s impact on the CES

7. Student perceptions Student focus groups 18 E3I CETL student-themed projects The ‘Graduate Voice’ (a CES survey accompanying DLHE) The Students Union (& The Hallam Award) Our own interaction with students & alumni

8. Impact on our service delivery The relationship between framework & guidance Evolution of our core elements: Guidance/Curriculum/Employers Scaleability? Potential fragmentation of our services? Weighting of curriculum work (Curriculum Mapping Exercise 2006 -2009) Faculty caseloads vs. central guidance offer Partnership agreements/workplanning ‘Consultant’ & ‘trainer’ as well as practitioner

9. Our shared experience: SWOT exercise in groups: Groups 1, 2 & 3 Strengths/Weaknesses Groups 4, 5 & 6Opportunities/Threats Some talking points: Student & staff expectations of a 'framework' The current job market & DLHE Employability in the curriculum Framework vs. award? Employer engagement Evolving guidance?

10. Carrots or Sticks? Making an employability framework real for staff & students Empowering all our leavers Validation The spectre of employment targets for course & programmes