The role of UK higher education (HE), further education (FE) and skills sectors in developing student employability is clear. Technology can be an enabler to the development and communication of employability skills, but are organisations and employers making best use of it?
TrustArc Webinar - Unlock the Power of AI-Driven Data Discovery
Technology for Employability - Jisc, May 2015
1. Lisa Gray, Peter Chatterton and Geoff Rebbeck
Technology for employability27/05/2015
2. Technology for employability
Blog: employabilityproject.jiscinvolve.org
Twitter: #jiscemployability
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 2
Geoff Rebbeck
Independent consultant
Lisa Gray
Jisc
Peter Chatterton
Independent consultant
3. Aims of today
» Share themes and issues, opportunities and recommendations, and provide
opportunities for participants to add to and test out the themes
» Share our vision for ‘technology for employability’ and discuss the barriers and enablers
to achieving it
» Consider how Jisc can best support institutions in achieving that vision
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 3
4. Why is this important?
Employability
» Increasing importance in policy and strategy
› evidence of an ‘employability gap’
» Means to economic independence and active
citizenship.
» Qualifications not an end to themselves
» Evidence that technology can be an enabler….
› But it’s not clear how institutions are using
technology most effectively to support learners
» Digital savvy graduates are essential for shaping
tomorrows entrepreneurial activities
› But digital literacies aren’t well articulated in
relation to employability skills
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 4
Technology
5. Jisc “Technology for Employability” study
» December 2014 - study funded
» Focus – technology to support the development and
communication of employability skills
» February - open invitation for examples of practice
» April 29th – webinar to share emerging themes and
» 27th May – gathering of experts
» June – study completes
› Case studies
› Analysis of the technology and employability
landscape
› Issues, challenges, gaps
› Recommendations for institutions and Jisc
› Good practice guidance
» June – next steps identified
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 5
6. Effective practice examples
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 6
Case studies - HE
Institution Subject
University of Greenwich Greenwich Connect: a joined up approach to employability in a digital world
University of Northampton Student employability development through social innovation and enterprise
Glasgow Caledonian University Problem-solving real business issues using wikis
Birmingham City University A range of creative approaches to developing student employability
Keele University ILM accredited e-portfolio-based employability award
University of Edinburgh Student-led e-portfolio-based assessments for evidencing graduate attributes
University of Birmingham Online employability skills pathway of the Personal Skills Award
University of London Employability skills MOOC
Staffordshire University Staffordshire Graduate Employability project
Bath Spa University International virtual internship programme
Oregon State University collaboration Global student collaborative venture to compete in international student racing
7. Effective practice examples
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 7
Case studies – FE and skills
Institution Subject
The Mindset Joint venture between Reed employment and 13 colleges – in campus branches
S&B Autos Supporting motor vehicle apprenticeships through Moodle and virtual reality
Job Centre Plus Using technology to support those out of work
Welsh Baccalaureate Digital literacies embedded into the qualification
MyWorksearch An online employability service supporting learners on an ongoing journey
South Devon College Using an online employability course
SouthWest College, NI Using technology to support partnership projects between students and industry
PortlandCollege Project using video, accessed byQR codes to support learners with disabilities
Reading College A college-wide move away from theVLE to learner-centred approaches
City of Glasgow College An e-portfolio for stonemasons to best record their experiences in the workplace
8. Examples
Further education and skills
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 8
InnoTech, SouthWest College, Cookstown, NI
11. Challenge 1
Institutions are on various points of the continuum towards student
employability “maturity”
» Different visions of “maturity” and variation in
approaches to developing employability skills,
capabilities and attributes
» Authentic experiences can develop skills, but
depend on:
› the degree of “authenticity”
› the degree to which students learn/reflect on
them
› the degree to which students articulate them
» Many creative uses of technology, but embedding
remains elusive to many institutions
» Embedding employability/ attributes into curricula
may be “ideal”, but there are challenges
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 11
12. Challenge 2
Technology is under exploited for employability
» Variation in practices and understanding of potential
of technologies- particularly with e-portfolios and
social media
» Institutions could do a lot more to unleash student
creativity in using digital networks/media to engage
with employers, alumni and other stakeholders
» Digital literacies are not well articulated in relation
to employability skills
» Employers and HE/FE generally have low aspirations
in relation to “digital entrepreneurialism”
» Growing band of knowledge in terms of what
technology infrastructure is required for "connected
curricula"
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 12
13. Challenge 3
Insufficient engagement and partnership working with employers
» Core employability skills, capabilities and attributes
are continually evolving
» Unclear the degree to which employers (large and
small) are involved in defining and developing
employability skills
» Not much evidence of institutions evaluating impact
of employability policies/initiatives with employers
» Not always easy to identify “truly” authentic
learning experiences with employers for ALL
students
» HE and FE need to find ways of improved working
with a broader range of employers e.g. SMEs
» Need to raise aspirations for “digital
entrepreneurialism” with employers
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 13
14. Challenge 4
Variability in resources to support institutions in using technology for employability
» Lack of awareness of e-portfolio resources and their
value to institutions
» Insufficient emphasis in sector resources on “making
the case” for using technology
» Guidance on digital literacies could be better
contextualised and articulated in relation to
employability skills
» Minimal resources relating to digital
entrepreneurialism
» Insufficient guidance on effective use of social media
to support employability
» Potential for greater adoption of multimedia
communications approaches
» Resources on their own are insufficient – institutions
need to be supported in using them effectively
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 14
15. Activity
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 15
On your tables, discuss:
» Do these challenges resonate with you?
» Provide examples from your contexts
› What is the problem, and for who?
» What is missing?
16. Activity
» In the light of these challenges, think big about how these might be solved
‘What if……’
» Write one per post-it
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 16
18. Three thematic ideas for institutions to enhance practices
Idea 1
"Maturity" is probably best developed
through "connected curricula" - embedding
employability in curriculum and assessment
combined with authentic experiential
learning and employer engagement and
underpinned by technology.
» Some excellent examples of "connected curricula"
where employability embedded into curricula and
assessment
» "Connected curricula" inextricably linked to
assessment for learning approaches and authentic
assessment
» Curricula and assessment must incorporate student
articulation of their experiential learning and
employability skills
» "Connected curricula" map well to the QAA "Flexible
Curricula" framework **
» "Connected curricula" requires a learner-centred
connected technology infrastructure
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 18
** enhancementthemes.ac.uk/toolkits/flexible-curriculum
19. Three thematic ideas for institutions to enhance practices
Idea 2
“Lifelong employability in a digital
world” needs to be a core student
capability – with students encouraged
to take ownership early on”
» HE and FE need to prepare students for taking ownership
of identifying and developing their employability skills and
capabilities - using technology
» “Lifelong employability” is a key employability capability in
its own right
» Lifelong employability aligns with lifelong learning, self-
review, self-management and learning directions concepts
» Self-directed personal and professional learning (planning,
reflection, managing, recording, review) can be effectively
supported by e-portfolios
» (Digital) feedback and engagement with a variety of
stakeholders including employers to help develop learner
self-regulatory skills can be facilitated by technology
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 19
20. Three thematic ideas for institutions to enhance practices
Idea 3
Institutions can better prepare for
supporting student employability through
technology in five key ways
» Embedding and aligning technology for
employability into polices, plans and resources
» Developing staff digital literacies for employability –
for themselves and their students.
» Technology tools, resources, infrastructure and
support for employability and student-centred
flexible curricula
» Improving communication and collaborations to
drive change in technology for employability
» Quality assuring and continuous improvement
through employability data monitoring, analytics
and review
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 20
21. Technology for employability – a framework
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 21
Technology-
enhanced authentic
and simulated
learning
experiences
Technology-
enhanced lifelong
learning and
employability
Technology-
enhanced
employability skills
development
Employer-focused
digital literacy
development
Digital
communications
and engagement
with employers
22. Technology for employability – a framework
» Active and “real world” learning
experiences – supported by
technologies – that help to
develop employability skills
» Simulated experiences
22
Technology-
enhanced authentic
and simulated
learning
experiences
27/05/2015 Technology for employability
23. Technology for employability – a framework
» Researching, identifying and
developing contacts and
relationships with employers
» Developing “digital” and
“employability” identity
» Developing “digital
collateral” as evidence of
student “rounded self”
» Showcasing student
“rounded self” to employers
and personal clients
23
Technology-
enhanced authentic
and simulated
learning
experiences
Digital
communications
and engagement
with employers
27/05/2015 Technology for employability
24. Technology for employability – a framework
» Self-directed personal and
professional learning (planning,
reflection, managing, recording,
review) – supported by
technology
» (Digital) feedback and
engagement with a variety of
stakeholders including
employers to help develop
learner self-regulatory skills
» Employer-supported/ related
assessment for learning
24
Technology-
enhanced authentic
and simulated
learning
experiences
Technology-
enhanced lifelong
learning and
employability
Digital
communications
and engagement
with employers
27/05/2015 Technology for employability
25. Technology for employability – a framework
» Learner skills diagnostics
» Technology-enhanced
development for skills gaps
» Computer-aided assessment
25
Technology-
enhanced authentic
and simulated
learning
experiences
Technology-
enhanced lifelong
learning and
employability
Technology-
enhanced
employability skills
development
Digital
communications
and engagement
with employers
27/05/2015 Technology for employability
26. Technology for employability – a framework
» Developing student
technology-enhanced
employability skills
26
Technology-
enhanced authentic
and simulated
learning
experiences
Technology-
enhanced lifelong
learning and
employability
Technology-
enhanced
employability skills
development
Employer-focused
digital literacy
development
Digital
communications
and engagement
with employers
27/05/2015 Technology for employability
27. Technology for employability – a framework
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 27
Technology-
enhanced authentic
and simulated
learning
experiences
Technology-
enhanced lifelong
learning and
employability
Technology-
enhanced
employability skills
development
Employer-focused
digital literacy
development
Digital
communications
and engagement
with employers
28. Activity
» Using the templates on your tables, consider what ‘effective practice’ looks like for one or
more of the five dimensions above
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 28
30. Options for Jisc to consider to support the sector
Options
So far, from our research, we are
recommending that Jisc can potentially
support institutions in six key ways
» Benchmarking and effective practice toolkits
» Easily accessible, usable and navigable resources
» Facilitating an institution-led communications and
engagement plan
» Online spaces to support creative collaborations
between institutions, students, alumni, employers
and professional & sector bodies
» Support services to institutions
» Staff-student-employer partnerships
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 30
31. Activity
» Select a cluster of ‘what ifs’ and get into groups
» Decide as a group which of the ideas you’d like to work up in more detail as ‘solutions’
» Develop the ‘solution cards’ for presenting back at the end
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 31
32. Related Jisc activity
Where to find out more
» Prospect to alumnus - jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/prospect-to-alumnus
» e-Portfolios – updated guide currently in development - jisc.ac.uk/eportfolio
» Students asAgents of Change - jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/change-agents-network
» Digital Literacies - jisc.ac.uk/guides/developing-digital-literacies
» Assessment and employability - bit.ly/jisc-assess
» Curriculum Design - bit.ly/jisccdd
» Lifelong Learning andWorkforce Development - repository.jisc.ac.uk/5993/
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 32
33. Prospect to Alumnus –
Employability Data Services project
33
a) Employability Skills Match* and Data Services:
enabling learners to demonstrate soft skills and capabilities, gained
through extra-curricular activities (eg P/T work), through open badges
pre-defined by employers’ consortia
b) Learner Cradle to Grave Data Service**
..that allows students to own & manage a digital record of their
educational & extra-curricular achievements throughout their lifelong
& life-wide learning.Supporting student credit transfer and mobility.
*This will be extended into an Employability Data Service, enhanced by an updated Higher
EducationAchievement Record (HEAR)
**This will integrate HEAR, Personal Learner Record, Enterprise Passport and open badges.
34. Find out more
» Lisa Gray - lisa.gray@jisc.ac.uk
» Peter Chatterton peter.chatterton@daedalus-e-world.com
» Geoff Rebbeck - grebbeck@me.com
» Googledocs: bit.ly/1blC97E and bit.ly/1GaYdKx
» Project page: jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/developing-student-
employability
» Join the conversation on the blog:
employabilityproject.jiscinvolve.org/
» and on twitter #jiscemployability
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 34
35. Also on the horizon….
Higher Education Academy
» Embedding employability strategic enhancement
programme
» 37 Higher Education institutions
» Using the HEA employability framework -
heacademy.ac.uk/node/6797
» Completing end of July 2015
Joint AGCAS / CRA seminar
» Presenting yourself for the 21stCentury’
» Birmingham City University, Monday 8th June
» Register at: tinyurl.com/k9jxncr
27/05/2015 Technology for employability 35
Editor's Notes
I wont spend too much time on this as I’m sure this audience is already aware of the key importance of employability for all educational sectors. We have seen an increasing focus on employability in policy and strategy, and evidence of a gap in the skills that students are starting with on day one of employment and the skills that employers are expecting from their new employees.
Qualifications are increasingly seen, particularly in in FE and skills, as a stepping stone to employment from which economic independence and active citizenship flow. The qualification is no longer the end point.
Technology
We have evidence that technology can be an enabler to developing and communicating employability skills, and clear evidence of benefits of use from quality enhancements to efficiencies in time and cost. But it isn’t clear on how universities are using the tech to most effectively support learners, and the impact hasn’t yet been clearly articulated.
Digitally savvy graduates (with more than just basic IT skills) are essential for shaping tomorrow’s entrepreneurial activities.
But employability skills articulated by employer, professional, sector and regulatory bodies do not typically stress the importance of digital literacies to support employability skills, such as communication, project management, collaboration.
So, in December last year we funded a study to explore the technology for employability landscape across higher education, further education and skills. We went out in February to look for examples of effective practice across all sectors.
We were looking for examples of where technology was being used to support students with the development or communication of skills, and set the boundary there – so we are not looking at the use of technology to find employment. If you are interested in this aspect we have another piece of work at Jisc exploring that further SEE http://prospect2alumnus.jiscinvolve.org
Today is about enabling wider engagement with the findings of the study before it reports, and the study is due to complete in May, with a number of case studies, as well as an analysis of the landscape, with challenges and issues highlighted, and recommendations made for how we can move forward.
Just to give you a flavour of the breadth of case studies we’ll be writing up, these are examples of those in train, covering a range of use from e-portfolio-based evidencing of skills and graduate attributes, to an employability skills MOOC.
And for FE and skills sectors – from a new course being developed with digital literacies at the heart, to a virtual reality paint spraying workshop where cost savings are already being identified.
InnoTech:
A venture by South West College, Northern Ireland. Financed by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) to provide partnerships between industry and college students to nurture and grow innovation.
Industry approach Innotech with a particular problem/challenge and develop the project for them.
They then partners businesses with students at all levels – with businesses around a particular problem. And encourage the return of the knowledge through the curriculum. Projects vary between 12 and 36 months.
Partnerships facilitated using technology tools (CAD and animation modelling tools) and communications tools. Student also work directly with companies on technology projects in the area of mechanical engineering, IT, electronics and renewable energy systems . Won international green sustainability awards. And AOC Beacon Award 2013.
S&B Automotive Academy
An independent provider based on the motor vehicle industry in Bristol.
They support apprentices who are placed in client organizations around the UK, Germany and Bermuda, dealing with supplies, bodywork, repairs etc.
The apprentices are supported through the Moodle VLE and industry portfolio (Institute of Motor Vehicle Industry) along with mobile devices, even when on work-placement. Come into the company for their classes, with over 1500 online learning modules on the VLE.
Apprentices make use of video capture in garages to demonstrate competence, and students encouraged to talk over the video capture to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding.
A training needs analysis assesses their gaps, and courses fill gaps only.
They also go into schools to talk about the apprenticeship scheme, and have the apprentices present over a live video feed from their current workplace, doing a Q&A session.
Now working with virtual reality, building a professional virtual reality paint spray workshop that allows apprentices to acquire paint spraying skills at vast cost savings (at least £13,000 in teacher time and consumables so far).
Keele University
Keele’s strategic approach to student employability is focused on supporting students to take responsibility for their own development via a new flexible degree structure that includes co-curricula activities offering options such as part-time work, entrepreneurial schemes or volunteering. A development strand runs through all curricula with a focus on personal and professional development, helping students to focus students on making sense of, and taking responsibility for their learning and futures.
They have developed a ‘Keele University Skills Portfolio’, an e-portfolio based collection of students reflections on their experiences (curricular or co-curricular), evidencing the Keele Graduate Attributes, which leads to an accredited certificate from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), the UKs largest awarding body for leadership and management qualifications. Also recognised on the students HEAR.
Completed portfolios are submitted to the personal tutor who signs it off pending the result of their main award. See: http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2013/jan/22/student-development-university-curriculum-design
Greenwich Connect: a joined up approach to employability in a digital world
Greenwich Connect is the Universities approach to learning innovation in a digital world which joins-up strategies and practices for teaching, learning, employability and digital literacies. It works with projects that support the creation and growth of networks and connections between learners, graduates, faculty, peers, research and community.
One example of a project within Greenwich Connect is a virtual law clinic – a specialist web-based case advice system developed by students. Any member of the public can submit a query using the secure web form, and is assessed for suitability by an academic and law professional. The query is then assigned to a bank of volunteer law students / and academics and profs that are working pro-bono. Tools are used to facilitate asynchronous and synchronous working to find a solution. Once draft advice has been approved it is shared back through the website. Every study writes a reflective blog of her experiences of working on the case. All information and communication is retained to grow the knowledgebase.
Go to ‘View’ menu > ‘Header and Footer…’ to edit the footers on this slide (click ‘Apply’ to change only the currently selected slide, or ‘Apply to All’ to change the footers on all slides).
provision of advice by students/staff to employers
problem-solving employer issues
match-making (e.g. alumni mentors)
mentoring (e.g. alumni, employer mentoring of students)
development of knowledge-bases e.g. for employers and professional / sector areas
crowd-voting to support identification of and ideas generation for shared problems
professional / discipline communities of practice
Jisc has been working to enhance employability through technology for many years, and if you’re interested in finding out more here are some suggestions of where to find out more.
Just to note, the e-portfolio links have been archived and new pages are currently in development– get in touch with me to find out more and I can share the new links when they are live.
Recent implementation toolkit and accompanying video case studies.
Students as agents of change – evidenced these opportunities as being key for the devt of employability skills.
Dig lit programme – range of learning points around digit lits and employability
Guidance on redesigning assessments to ensure they are ‘work-integrated’, and discussion of the importance of developing learners self-regulation.
Curriculum design explored how to better design courses with employers views at the fore and flexible provision provided for.
Our LLL programme explored how to ensure learners can access education at all stages of life, including whilst in the workplace.
And finally just a reminder of how to get int ouch with any further comments. Follow the blog too to hear about new developments – and please do continue to add to the googledocs with any further thoughts.
Before we move onto more questions – I wanted to just highlight that this isn’t just an area for Jisc alone, we have been working in collaboration with other agencies including the Higher Education Academy and Centre for Recording Achievement, and we’ll be bringing a group together in May to discuss the findings before we report
. I wanted to highlight a couple of key initiatives that might be of interest.
The HEA is currently running an embedding employability strategic enhancement programme and are working with 37 HE institutions using their employability framework. This work is due to complete at the end of July and findings will be shared after that date.
The Centre for Recroding Achievement and AGCAS are also running an event in June focusing on ‘Presenting yourself for the 21st Century’, you can register from the link in the slide.