1. Work Integrated Learning – improving career management skills?

2. Sarah Carnegie Lecturer [HRM] Newcastle University Business School
Who
Sarah Carnegie
Lecturer [HRM]
Newcastle University Business School

3. What Work Integrated Learning [WIL] WIL can be;
workshops
live case studies
work placements
client-based consultancy projects
Explore how the experience of a consultancy module [BUS3053] impacted on students transition into the work environment
UG Stage 3 module [capstone 40 credits]

4. Why
WIL integrates academic learning with ‘real- world’ experience and can help develop student’s career management skills (Bridgstock, )
Mounting pressures to collaborate with external stakeholders to ensure that the skills and experiences are relevant to those required in the ‘real world’ (O’Leary, 2017)

5. BUS3053 Students work in groups of 6 – 8 for an external client
Clients sourced by Module Leader
Group selection [criteria]
Groups then responsible for all client management
Clear research plan, aims and outcomes agreed
Valid and appropriate recommendations

6. Important because ….
Graduates expected to exit their studies in work-ready mode with demonstrable levels of employability (Clarke, 2017)
Decline in ‘linear’ careers / organisations sliming down and speeding up (Bridgstock, )
More transactional employment – security replaced by employability (Baruch, 2004)

7. Research Quantitative online survey
Job search activities / acceptance of employment
List of 44 skills / attributes, rated on a 4 point scale;
Relevance of skill / attribute in helping transition into work from university
How the module helped to develop and improve the specific skill or attribute

8. Findings - work
The ‘top’ skills or attributes rated as ‘highly essential’ [minimum of 40% of students indicating ‘highly essential’]
Actively participating in meetings and discussions
Being able to manage competing deadlines
Being able to cope with multiple deadlines
Importance of networks and personal contacts
Being able to work with people at all levels in the hierarchy
Ability to persuade and influence others
Working as part of a team
Being able to work autonomously
Willingness to take initiative
Willingness to take responsibility

9. Findings - module
The ‘top’ areas where the module was rated as ‘very helpful’ in developing skills or attributes [minimum of 30% of students indicating ‘very helpful’]
Being able to cope with multiple deadlines
Working as part of a team
Willingness to take the initiative
Actively participating in meetings
Being able to manage competing deadlines
Managing your own time
Being able to work autonomously
Importance of networks and personal contacts
Ability to persuade and influence others

10. Findings
Over 50% of respondents did not think that the client acting as a reference had a positive impact
Over 30% of respondents did not feel that gaining insight in a ‘real’ organisation helped them to better understand their own career choices in relation to job offers

11. Implications
WIL – requirement for explicit identification of career relevant skills, knowledge, attributes
“for optimal economic and social outcomes, graduates must be able to proactively navigate the world of work and self‐manage the career building process” (Bridgstock, 2009:31)
Develop of career management competences (Jackson and Wilton, 2016)

12. As a result
BUS3053 – 40% assignment a reflective report on learning gained from consultancy project
Reflection on employability skills
Asking for evidence of how they can use the skills and knowledge gained of work and how these may support transition into employment
Praise from external examiner

13. As a result BUS1016 new core module [2017/18]
Introduction of ‘employability’ from initial lectures
At least 3 guest lectures;
Semester 1 – PwC on Future of Work
Semester 2 – P&G value of placements
Semester 2 – HR Director on what employers look for
Have seen an increase in interest in placements

14. Further assessment Stage Evasys New DLHE [2018]
Career Registration Data
Qualitative research with 40 Business Management undergraduates [analysis ongoing]
To determine if any change in awareness of career management requirements

15. References
Baruch, Y (2004) Managing careers: theory and practice. Prentice Hall
Bridgstock, R. (2009). The graduate attributes we’ve overlooked: Enhancing graduates employability through career management skills. Higher Education Research & Development, 28(1), 31-44
Clarke, M. (2017) Rethinking graduate employability: the role of capital, individual attributes and context. Studies in Higher Education, 1-15.
Jackson, D. and Wilton, N. (2016) Developing career management competencies among undergraduates and the role of work-integrated learning, Teaching in Higher Education, Vol 21(3),
O'Leary, S. (2017) Graduates' Experiences Of, and Attitudes Towards, the Inclusion of Employability-Related Support in Undergraduate Degree Programmes; Trends and Variations by Subject Discipline and Gender, Journal of Education and Work, Vol.30(1), p