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Technology for employability
Geoff RebbeckIndependent consultant
Blog: http://employabilityproject.jiscinvolve.orgTwitter: #jiscemployability
Lisa GrayJisc
Technology for employabilityThis webinar will share emerging themes, issues and opportunities arising from a Jisc study exploring how technology can best support students to develop and communicate the skills needed for the workplace.
It will also provide opportunities for participants to engage with and discuss emerging ideas for what institutions, programme teams and Jisc can do to enhance student employability and use of technology.
Peter ChattertonIndependent consultant
Overview
»Background and context
»Examples of practice
»Five emerging themes – current practices
»Three thematic ideas for institutions to enhance practices
»Options for Jisc to consider to support the sector
»Questions, comments and contributions
Technology for employability
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
»Technology
› 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
Technology for employability
Jisc “Technology for Employability” study
»December 2014 - study funded
»February - open invitation for examples of practice
»April 29th – webinar to share emerging themes and findings
»May – 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
Technology for employability
Effective practice examples
Table
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 CaledonianUniversity
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
Technology for employability
Effective practice examples
Table
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
My Worksearch An online employability service supporting learners on an ongoing journey
South Devon College Using an online employability course
South West College, NI Using technology to support partnership projects between students and industry
Portland College Project using video, accessed by QR codes to support learners with disabilities
Reading College A college-wide move away from the VLE to learner-centred approaches
City of Glasgow College An e-portfolio for stonemasons to best record their experiences in the workplace
Technology for employability
Examples Further education and skills
InnoTech, South West College, Cookstown, NI
Technology for employability
Technology for employability
Five emerging themes – current practices
Google Doc: http://bit.ly/1blC97E
Either:
Add comments/questions/contributions to the text-chat
or
Add comments/contributions to the Google Doc
Technology for employability
THEME 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
Five emerging themes – current practices
Technology for employability
Programme teams are using technology to support student employability in five key ways providing significant benefits to students, employers and institutions
» Technology-enhanced authentic and
simulated learning experiences
» Digital communications and engagement
with employers including development of
digital identity
» Technology-enhanced lifelong learning and
employability
» Technology-enhanced employability skills
development
» Employer-focused digital literacy
development
THEME 2
http://bit.ly/1GaYdKx
Five emerging themes – current practices
Technology for employability
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".
THEME 3
Five emerging themes – current practices
Technology for employability
Technology is under exploited for employability THEME 3
Programme teams are using technology to support student employability in five key ways providing significant benefits to students, employers and institutions
THEME 2
THEME 1Institutions are on various points of the continuum towards student employability “maturity”
Google Doc: http://bit.ly/1blC97E
Questions, comments and contributions on current practices?
Technology for employability
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.
THEME 4
Five emerging themes – current practices
Technology for employability
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
contextualized 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.
THEME 5
Five emerging themes – current practices
Technology for employability
Google Doc: http://bit.ly/1blC97E
Questions, comments and contributions on current practices?
THEME 4
THEME 5
Insufficient engagement and partnership working with employers
Variability in resources to support institutions in using technology for employability
Technology for employability
"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
IDEA 1
** http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/toolkits/flexible-curriculum
Three thematic ideas for institutions to enhance practices
Technology for employability
“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.
IDEA 2
Three thematic ideas for institutions to enhance practices
Technology for employability
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
IDEA 3
Three thematic ideas for institutions to enhance practices
Technology for employability
IDEA 3
IDEA 2
IDEA 1
Google Doc: http://bit.ly/1blC97E
Questions, comments and contributions on the three thematic ideas for institutions to enhance practices
"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.
“Lifelong employability in a digital world” needs to be a core student capability – with students encouraged to take ownership early on
Institutions can better prepare for supporting student employability through technology in five key ways
Technology for employability
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
OPTIONS
Options for Jisc to consider to support the sector
Also on the horizon….
»Higher Education Academy
› Embedding employability
strategic enhancement
programme
› 37 Higher Education institutions
› Using the HEA employability
framework -
https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/
node/6797
› Completing end of July 2015
Technology for employability
»Joint AGCAS / CRA seminar
› ‘Presenting yourself for the 21st
Century’
› Birmingham City University,
Monday 8th June
› Register at:
http://tinyurl.com/k9jxncr
Related Jisc activity
» e-Portfolios – guidance on what they, how you can use them and successful implementation (updated guide currently in development)
› www.jisc.ac.uk/eportfolio
» Students as Agents of Change
› www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/change-agents-network
» Digital Literacies
› www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/developing-digital-literacies
» Assessment and employability
› http://bit.ly/jisc-assess
» Curriculum Design
› http://bit.ly/jisccdd
» Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development
› http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/5993/
Where to find out more
Technology for employability
Find out more
»Lisa Gray [email protected]
»Peter Chatterton [email protected]
»Geoff Rebbeck [email protected]
»Googledocs: http://bit.ly/1blC97E and http://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
Technology for employability