1. The Skills of Employability – How Teamwork and Collaboration between Students, Professional Services, Professionals and Academics has transformed the SML’s Employability Agenda
Ms Jos Harrison, Careers Advisor, Careers Service
Dr JC Penet, Lecturer, School of Modern Languages

2. SML – Navigating the waters…
5mn - context in SML
BA – four-year programme with YA
MA – mostly T&I but no placement opportunities
Degree programmes with vocational element but challenge to make students appreciate the value of the other skills they are developing with us

3. First phase – Foundation work
‘BBW’?...
Employers
students CS
SML
FIRST PHASE: Foundation work
2012: Role created in SML
First steps – in collaboration with Careers Liaison Officer (Jos Harrison), get a NWE intern to carry out focus group -> provided a report with recommendations (1- make students more aware of the skill they are developing with us and 2) increase visibility of Careers Service within SML)
Following report’s recommendations:
- Work Jos/JC to embed employability into curriculum (Level B French; YA reports/tutor posts; Translator Entrepreneur…) after review of School provision by student on NWE
- Extra-curricular activities – Employability Week (includes Alumni Evening, Business Challenge, Graduate Spotlight events, employers talks and careers workshops)
RESULT – ALL levels targeted (see next slide…)

4. Embedded practice
Every stage has employability / enterprise embedded into curriculum:
Stage 1: “FReE Tasks”
Stage 2: Preparation to Year Abroad (CV writing etc.)
Stage 3: Year Abroad “Tutor posts” and YA Report
Stage 4: Language for professional purposes
(from September 2017)

5. Examples of best practice?
Employability Week:
- SML-specific career sessions in OLB (interview techniques etc.)
Activities organised by MLS (big careers quiz etc.)
Talks by potential employers (P&G, Teach First etc.)
Business Challenge
Meet the Alumni Evening
‘FReE’ Tasks linked to Career Talks (ePortfolio)
Careers Translated
Translation Networks (student-led project)
Students were involved in ad-hoc way (through projects – e.g. Translation Networks - and MLS for Employability Week). Problem – engagement and sustainability

6. 2017 – New Challenges Students are a moving target…
5 years since first report: dated ‘snapshot’…
New questionnaire sent out to all SML (summer 2017) – low engagement and replies showed no concensus
MORE COLLABORATION & JOINED-UP THINKING NEEDED!!
Loss of momentum in previous year or so… + need for more focused student partners came at the same time as the University’s Employability Strategy

7. Food for thought?...
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle

8. Latest phase: Greater partnership with students
STUDENT LEAD FOR EMPLOYABILITY & ENTERPRISE
Role of Student Lead for Employability and Enterprise created
Jos – talks through practicalities and how she’s worked with Jade
JC: hand out role descriptor + say Maths and Stats and Biomedical Sciences have already adopted the role based on this (CH looking at developing something similar)
Comment – role descriptor -> independent project may be too ambitious (academic year goes by VERY quickly!) need to plan succession during summer