“It feels like a physical classroom!’ How to provide ... 2019/B6.pdf · AGCAS Annual Conference 2019 #AGCASAC19 “It feels like a physical classroom!’ How to provide interactive

AGCAS Annual Conference 2019

#AGCASAC19

“It feels like a physical classroom!’ How to provide interactive careers and employability learning to a global classroom

Laura Brammar - Senior Careers Consultant, The Careers Group, University of London

Jo Harris - Associate Director, Student Engagement, University of London

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Copyright © The Careers Group, University of London All images

AGCAS Annual Conference 2019

“It feels like a physical classroom!”How to provide interactive careers and employability learning to a global classroom

Laura Brammar, Senior Careers Consultant, University of London

Jo Harris, Associate Director, Student Engagement, University of London

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Copyright © The Careers Group, University of London

In the next 60 minutes….

We want to convince you that:

A global employability classroom can work in practice as well as in theory

Employability learning can stretch across disciplines and continents

Distance learners need, welcome and value a diverse programme of employability support

You can apply this learning to your own (local) contexts

Remote employability delivery is (possibly) the future

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Quick Question!

To what extent do you currently deliver careers and employability learning remotely e.g. not face to face?

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What is The Careers Group? Founded in 1909

The largest higher education careers and employability service in Europe

Over 200 staff members in a range of roles relating to careers, centre of excellence in HE careers support

Membership organisation consisting of a range of HE careers services, supported by a small central team within the University of London.

17 Members include UCL, King’s College London, QMUL, City, Goldsmiths, SOAS, ICR, St Georges

Produced award-winning Enhance Your Career and Employability MOOC on Coursera in 2014

Also provide career support for UoL distance learning programmes

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Since 1858 – oldest distance learning provider in the world

50,000 students, 190 countries

Alumni include 7 Nobel Prize winners and a number of former heads of state

Many course including Laws, Finance, Business, & Computer Science

Responsible for delivering distance and flexible learning with member institutions (including King’s, UCL, LSE, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, & LSHTM)

Approached TCG for employability collaboration and support as part of the University’s Employability Agenda

What is UoL distance flexible learning programmes?

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To provide an excellent and distinctive student experience to our world-class students, irrespective of where they live and study.

To produce graduates distinguished by their intellectual capabilities, employability, leadership qualities and ability to contribute to society from the experience and learning they receive.

Our Student Experience Mission

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Platform support

Onboarding

Induction course

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Onboarding Study skills courses, and quizzes

Establishing study expectation

Student Experience VLE, Badges

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Offering prestigious business placements for students to provide career-defining opportunities.

Business Placements

5 countries

29 placement providers

122 placements offered

1,359 applications

40 students at Bombay Stock Exchange Boot Camp

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Context of employability support for UoL distance flexible learners

Students you will never meet face to face

Students who will rarely meet each other face to face

Based around the globe engaging in online learning

Some UG students, some PG e.g. Global MBA, with different levels of (international) work experience

Institutional commitment to improve their employability and career learning

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Things we had to consider

Clear definition of employability?

Overarching framework of employability learning?

Different labour markets?

Different cultural expectations around career and work?

Different motivations for study?

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“A set of achievements, skills, understandings and personal attributes

that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations,

which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy.” Yorke (2006)

Our chosen definition of Employability

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Our chosen relevant framework

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So who are these students?

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The diverse global employability classroom

Sanjay – LLM, The Netherlands

An experienced Compensation Consultant from large insurance firm based in City of London

Left to study a PhD in compensation finance

Now works as a university lecturer in the Netherlands which he really loves

Isn’t a qualified lawyer and doesn’t want to be!

Is curious to learn more about how he might use his LLM qualification, both within and beyond academia

Open to opportunities in UK and other parts of Europe

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Vassulu – LLM, Cyprus

Qualified lawyer with a background in corporate law

Works for a shipping firm in the contract law department

Very interested in human rights law, hence why studying LLM

Unsure about human rights work opportunities in Cyprus as seem very limited

Is originally from Greece where she graduated and qualified in Law

Ideally wants to stay in Cyprus but is open to other ideas

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Fatima – MSc Professional Accountancy, Kuwait

Has several years’ experience working in administration roles in banking but wants to work as an accountant

Took a six year break from work to gain her BSc Accounting and now her MSc Professional Accounting and is an ACCA Affiliate

Finding it very difficult to find work as in Kuwait there are age and gender limitations on particular roles, such as accountancy

Repeatedly offered administration roles in banking but this feels like a backward step

Happy to work in Kuwait, UAE or possibly UK

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Sasha – LLM, Peru

British NGO professional based in Peru for past 2 years working with Child Sexual Exploitation NGO

Previously worked with environmental/conservation NGOs in fundraising and project manager roles

Current job is a blend of front line support provision plus training of relevant stakeholders, e.g. local law enforcement

Realises she really enjoys training aspects more than expected

Now keen to relocate with her partner back to the UK to be near her family

Unsure how to approach UK job market given diversity of roles

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Fiona – LLM, Ghana

Qualified lawyer who now works as a State Attorney

Passionate about environmental issues and is keen to specialise in environmental law however difficult as a very new area of legal practice in Ghana

Has some relevant experience in her current job (e.g. cases against mining companies) yet would like to do much more of this and not sure what to do next

She also runs her own NGO in girls’ education and environmental issues

Would like to remain in Ghana

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What are some of the themes which are shared between this diverse cohort of students?

Over to you!

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Shared themes

Uneven labour markets

Social/cultural barriers to employment

Transnational ambitions

Developmental ambitions

Varied levels of self-awareness

Varied levels of market awareness

Access, or lack of access, to extensive professional networks

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So what did we do?

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Career management skills resources Career support webinars 1 to 1 Career consultations Business placement support Common Employability Module planned

Career Support Skills awareness courses Alumni engagement Include in Teaching Centre portal resource Pakistan careers fair

Graduate employment indicators feature strongly in students’ decision making. Recognition that academic learning is only part of the successful student journey.

Careers Development

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Remote 1:1 career consultations

Skype

Telephone

20 min appointments

Pre-booked

Specific PG programmes only e.g. MBA, Postgraduate Laws, Masters in Professional Accountancy

Outline of our delivery

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Programme of webinars Adobe Connect, Blackboard

Collaborate

Diverse programme, e.g. Imposter Syndrome, LinkedIn for personal branding, Negotiation Skills

Live polls, very interactive

Postgraduate and Undergraduate audiences

Repeated daily for different time zones


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Online interactive learning resources

Used Articulate software

Covered career management skills, application advice

Interactive, downloadable activities


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PG Cert L&THE Employability module

Produced employability materials and resources

Upskilling HE staff based around the world, including UoL Teaching Centres


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Inclusivity: Distance learners often overlooked in employability provision compared to campus-based peers, includes independent students on flexible programmes

Collaboration: Collaborated with Student Experience and wider teams e.g. learning technologists, student representatives on international Student Voice Group

Engagement: Engages distance learners with their employability learning, academic colleagues based in international institutions, including UoL teaching centres, via PGCertTLHE

Links to the HEA Framework’s 3 core principles

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When asked how likely they were to recommend a remote 1:1 session (on a scale of

1-10) the average student response was 9.14.

After a single 1:1 session there was a 36.6% increase in student clarity on the subject

of career ideas, plans, and next steps.

After a single 1:1 session 100% reported clear actions to work on after the session.

Following attendance of at least one webinar, 97% of students agreed with the

statement “I've learnt something that will help me manage my career more

effectively in the future”.

90% said “My confidence in this topic after the session(s) has increased”.

92% agreed that the delivery method of the webinars was appropriate.

Impact Measurements

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“Learning that there are many more students facing the same dilemmas I'm battling with gave me courage, plus the solutions offered are diverse and practical”

“It was a very interactive session and she can even take the time to read out our contribution. It feels like being in a physical class. Thanks to the trainer”

“Excellent session and learned at looking at a career from strategic perspective and tools”

“The career sessions are quite beneficial, the guidance given is invaluable and helps to shape one's decision-making.”

“Remote career consultations also grant you access to top career coaches that might not been within your reach physically.”

“It is helpful to get a second opinion on your careers goals and the plan to achieve those goals”

“It was authentic and very professional. She listens and stirs your mind with ideas, yet its in a very short period.”

Examples of free text feedback

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Remote delivery better than expected

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Universality of many careers and employability issues, but not all

Opportunity to focus and reflect on professional development valued by diverse cohorts

Distance learners keen to engage with remote delivery of careers support

Remote delivery can be effective, engaging and authentic, even with ‘challenging’ cohorts

So why don’t we offer MORE remote delivery to everyone?

Lessons learned so far

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How could you expand your remote delivery to your own cohorts?

How do you feel about expanding your remote provision?

Over to you!

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In summary

A global employability classroom is possible

A range of modes of delivery are needed and provision needs to be scalable

Embedding within, or alongside the curriculum is key

Support in career planning is vital (Shury, 2017, DoE Planning for Success)

Remote delivery of careers and employability learning can work not JUST for global audiences, but local too!

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Thank you!

Any questionsor comments?

Documents

“It feels like a physical classroom!’ How to provide ... 2019/B6.pdf · AGCAS Annual Conference 2019 #AGCASAC19 “It feels like a physical classroom!’ How to provide interactive