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CharlesDarwinUniversity//FlindersUniversity//GriffithUniversity//JamesCookUniversity//LaTrobeUniversity//MurdochUniversity

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InnovationCaseStudyDevelopingemployabilityfromfirstyear-CareerFocusModule

AssociateProfessorJessicaVanderlelie,HealthAcademicLeadEmployability

TroyDobinson,Manager,CareersandEmploymentService

CONTEXTTheCareersandEmploymentServiceincollaborationwithGriffithHealthcreatedanonlinecareersdevelopmentmodulethathasbeenembeddedinthefirstyearofprogramsacrosstheFaculty.Thepurpose of this module is to support students to develop their understanding of potentialprofessions,build capacity tomake informedcareerdecisionsandplancurricularandcocurricularexperiencesthatwillbuildkeyskillsrelevanttotheirprofession.

RATIONALEStudents from the Health disciplines often have very clear ideas about the path they wish theircareerstotake,thoughfrequentlylackdepthintheirunderstandingoftherealitiesoftheirchosenprofession or the key skills required to success in the field. This is felt more acutely in the non-professionsbased(generic)programsthathavebroadcareeropportunitiesavailableforstudents.

Forstudentsfromgenericprogramsengagementinextraandco-curricularactivitiescanmakearealdifferenceinsupportgraduatetransitions.Despitetheimportanceoftheseactivitiesstudentsoftenfailtoplanadequatelytofacilitatedeepengagementinabroadrangeofcocurricularexperiences.Itisthusvital forstudentstocommencetheircareer journeyanddeveloptheirprofessional identityfromthefirsttrimesterofstudies.

Across the Faculty of Health a significant amount of work was taking place in the curriculum tosupportstudentstodeveloptheirprofessionalcompetencies.Anumberofdisciplinessharecoursesacrossprogramshoweverdependingon the structureof theprogramstudentswereexperiencinggreat variation in their exposure to and understanding of career planning and awareness of therealitiesoftheirchosenprofession.

In an attempt to support students tobetter plan their experiences across the student lifecycle todevelopkey skills required for success in their chosenprofession, theHealthGroupcommitted to

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CharlesDarwinUniversity//FlindersUniversity//GriffithUniversity//JamesCookUniversity//LaTrobeUniversity//MurdochUniversity

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supportingtheembeddingofanonlinelearningactivityinthefirstyearoftheundergraduatesuiteofprograms. Itwasakeypriority thatwedrewuponexisting resourcesand that themodulewastailoredtoeachoftheprofessionaldisciplines,withaflexibleassessmentstructure.

DESCRIPTIONA collaboration was forged between Griffith Health (academics, curriculum consultant, blendedlearningadvisors)andtheCareersandEmploymentService,toplaceemployabilityontheagendaofstudents from the first year of their studies. Thiswas achieved through the implementation of aredesignedCareersFocusModuletailoredtoeachdisciplineandembeddedacrossthefaculty.

The Careers Focus Module is integrated into the Learning@Griffith course site for key subjectsacrossthefirstyearofHealthprograms.ThemoduleisdesignedfromthefoundationoftheSOARmodel (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) and contains an overview of the careeroptionsavailablefromthedegreeprogramandaseriesembeddedindustryvideosfromalumniandemployers that help students unpack the profession and offer guidance about the key skills andexperiencesthatwillsupportstudentsintheirprofessionallives.

Learningactivitieswithinthemodulearedesignedtoexplainkeyconcepts incareermanagement,andstudentsareaskedtoreflectupontheircareeraspirationsandtodevelopstrategiestoachievethesegoals(suchasvolunteeringorclinicalplacements).Fromtheactivitiesandreflectionswithinthemodule,studentsareabletodevelopacareerplanthatincludestheircareergoalandtangibleactivitiestheywillundertakeacrosstheirtimeatuniversitytosupporttheirsuccess.Thisplanisthensubmittedinoneofthreeassessmentforms(chosenbytheconvenor)worth10%forthecourse

• Shortvideo(2minutes)• Poster• Writtencareerplan

Academics are provided with an overview of the assessment task, marking rubric for all threeassessment forms and decide upon the most appropriate assessment modality for their cohort.StudentsfirstencountertheCareerSummarythatisembeddedwithintheCareersFocusModuleatOpenDaywithacademicshighlightingthemultiplepathwaysthatstudentscanpursueaspartofthedegree.Studentsthenareintroducedtothemoduleduringtheirfirsttrimesterofstudies.

IMPACTTheCareersFocusModulewaspilotedacross15programswithintheHealthGroupin2017.ItistheintentionofGriffithHealthtoembedthisacrossthemajorityofHealthprogramsin2018.Throughembedding the Careers Focus Module into assessment, it is highlighted to students that careermanagementisacriticalcomponentoftheirdevelopment.Italsoprovidesstudentswiththeforumto receive feedback regarding their career plans and to discover multiple career pathways. Byallowing time within first year for students to understand the rapidly changing graduate labourmarket, students have the opportunity to reflect upon who they are and what the can do, themoduleallowsastrongappreciationforemployabilityconceptsinthefuture.

Tags:Employability,Curriculum,Technology,CareerDevelopmentLearning,Griffith