PCUTL 2011

PCUTL GROUP PROJECT

Student perceptions of generic employment competencies across Science and Engineering

Amy Herbert (PHRMY), Rhys Pullin (ENGIN), Matt O’Regan (EARTH)

(Cohort 17)

September 2011

Background

Background• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects

are an area of great interest for a number of organisational bodies:• Welsh Assembly Government, Leadership for Business and Higher Education,

Higher Education Funding Councils (Wales and England), Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE)

• STEM subjects are seen as key to delivering a stronger, more sustainable and resilient economy for the future in Wales

• However, the Russel Group of Universities state that “Graduates in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM subjects) are vital for the UK’s future prosperity but they are in short supply and there are challenges in recruiting students onto these degree courses”

Background

A need to balance and convey employment needs with the recruitment and training of potential graduates in STEM subjects

. . . But how is this done?

Background

1. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)

• developed benchmark statements that outline expectations about standards of degrees in a range of subject areas.

• These statements define what can be expected of a graduate in terms of the abilities and skills needed to develop understanding or competence in the subject.

2. The Higher Education Authority (HEA), subject centres and the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) produced Student Employability Profiles.

• These map degree specific skills against CIHE defined employability skills, competencies, and attributes that are valued in recruiting.

BackgroundSu

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CognitiveSkills

Practical and Professional

Elements

Business Awareness

Technical Ability

Generic Competencies

Personal Capabilities

The ability to identify, and solve problems, work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions.

High level and transferable skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, communicate, persuade and have interpersonal sensitivity.

The ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve ones self-awareness, emotional intelligence and performance. To be a self starter (creativity, decisiveness, initiative) and to finish the job (flexibility, adaptability, tolerance to stress).

For example having the knowledge and experience of working with relevant modern technology.

An appreciation of how business operate through having had (preferably relevant) work experience. Appreciation of organisational culture, policies and processes.

Critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice, reflect and review own practice, participate in review quality control processes and risk management.

Employers-defined Employability Competencies

BackgroundThe Student Employability Profiles are designed to help:

• Inform curriculum design• Support the delivery of employability skills development in

undergraduate students• Enhance the understanding of students/parents as to the value

of degree level study• Communicate more effectively with employers in a shared

language the skills students are expected to develop within specific degrees

Background• Project Aim: Identify if students studying STEM subjects at Cardiff

perceived or felt that upon completing their degrees they would have generic skills required for employment

• Identified route to completion • Develop an online survey to assess student expectations• Obtain ethical approval• Collect and analyse data• Assess results in relation to what skills students feel they need to develop, and which

they feel they are likely to develop.

Methodology

Methodology

Cognitive Skills

Generic Competencies

Perssonal Capabilities

Technical Ability

Business and / or Organisation Awareness

Practical and Professional Elements

The six generic employability competencies were split into twelve questions by competency as shown below

Methodology

1. Ability to identify & solve problems2. Ability to work with information & handle a mass of diverse data3. Ability to assess risk & draw conclusions4. Have key transferable skills (e.g. ability to work with others in a team,

communicate, persuade and have interpersonal sensitivity).5. Ability & desire to learn for yourself & improve your self-awareness,

emotional intelligence and performance6. To be a self starter (use creativity, decisiveness, initiative)7. To finish the job (show flexibility, adaptability, tolerance to stress)8. Have sufficient knowledge & experience of working with relevant

modern technology9. Appreciate how businesses operate (appreciate organisational culture,

policies & processes)10. Critically evaluate the outcomes of professional practice11. Reflect and review your own practice12. Participate in and review quality control processes and risk

management

Questions based on Employer-defined Employability Competencies

Methodology

Paper Survey

Online

Interview

Personal Response Unit

Sufficient time

Consistency/standard

Non interrupting

Completed at all sites

Anonymity

Non personal data

ConsiderationsOptions

Online

Selected Method

Results and Discussion

Demographics of Response• The initial observation of the results clearly

demonstrated a lack of response. • Over 380 (120 Pharmacy, 120

Engineering and 140 Earth) students were invited to participate with only 40 people completing the survey

• Pharmacy response was lowest (right)

• Higher response from male students (60 %)

• Responses appear to be from school leavers with the majority of those responding being 18 or 19 (right)

Reflections on poor response statistics• Response rates may have been improved by:

• A shorter duration may have encouraged a quicker reaction and less forgetfulness

• In addition to the online survey, provision of a paper version to circumvent need for computer/internet access

• Made compulsory (ethics)• In class submission or promotion at large year 1 lectures

Results and Discussion• Comparison of response to skill one, the ability to solve and

identify problems

Importance by end of degree of achieving the ability to identify & solve problems

Likelihood of achieving the ability to identify & solve problems

75%

25%

42%55%

3%

Results and Discussion• Comparison of response to skill nine, an appreciation of

how businesses operate

Likelihood of achieving the ability to appreciate how businesses operate

Importance by end of degree of achieving an appreciation of how businesses operate

7.5%

37.5%37.5%

17.5% 12.5%

32.5%

25%

27.5%

2.5%

Generic Empl. Competencies Likely Unsure Unlikely

Cognitive Skills 84 13 3

Generic Competencies 95 5 0

Personal Capabilities 83 12 5

Technical Ability 65 30 5

Business/Organ. Awareness 45 25 30

Practical/Professional Elements 61 27 12

Generic Empl. Competencies Important Unsure Unimportant

Cognitive Skills 94 6 0

Generic Competencies 95 2.5 2.5

Personal Capabilities 90 5 5

Technical Ability 92 8 0

Business/Organ. Awareness 45 38 17

Practical/Professional Elements 73 18 9

Perceived Importance of Skills

Likelihood of Attaining Skills

Follow-on Questions and Future Work

Important Observations/Questions• 1. Students have not fully considered how their degree program

will develop generic employability skills.• Q. Does this evolve as students progress through their

degrees?

• 2. 1st year (and prospective?) students don’t see the link between the skills they will develop and how they fit with generic skills that employers value.• Q. Would students respond differently to a survey which

focused on more degree specific skills which ultimately map onto the generic employment competency of ‘Business/Organisational Awareness’ and ‘Practical and Professional Elements’?

Results and Discussion• EXAMPLE OF SKILL SET MAP . . .

Conclusions• Most respondents felt that they would acquire the generic

employment competencies that they deemed to be most important

• First year students do not seem to appreciate either the need to develop ‘Business/Organisational Awareness skills’ or do not understand what specific skills they will develop that map onto this generic heading• Does this change during course of study?• Would a survey based on subject-specific skills reveal a different

pattern?• How can the development of employability skills be better

communicated to prospective and 1st year students?