Extra Curricular Skills Programmes
and Work Experience
Phil Gibson, Southampton Institute
Susan Reed, Loughborough University
Peter Ireland, University Central England
Workshop Plan
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Pilot Projects - Southampton Institute,
Loughborough & UCE
Our Motivations
Getting People Involved
Lessons and Futures
Q&A
AGCAS/MERITS
What we did at
Southampton Institute
AGCAS/MERITS – what we
did at Southampton Institute
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Target of 35 students and graduates
12 week programme
Teaching of career management
skills
Involvement of employers
Work placements
AGCAS/MERITS – what we
did at Southampton Institute
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‘Buddy’ approach
Payment
Careers & CV advice
Log books
Prizes
Feedback
MERITS
What we did at Loughborough
University
MERITS
Get to Work on Your Career
Loughborough University Careers Service
AIM: To enhance the employability of black and
Asian undergraduates.
KEY AREAS
1.
Work Experience
2.
Skills Launch Course
3.
Employer Visits; local SME’s
UCE Pilot - Engaging SME’s in Minority
Ethnic Work Experience
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15 SME Work Experience Placements
Establishing Brokerage Practice
5 Alumni Mentoring Relationships
Development of Support Materials
Production of Work Experience Web Site
Commitment to Track Students
AGCAS/MERITS
why we did what we did
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FDS
High % of ethnic minority students
Experience and research
A chance to improve work with
employers
AGCAS/MERITS
why we did what we did
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A chance to explore the delicate issue
of positive action
Conferences
Champions
MERITS
Securing Student Involvement
 Target ethnic minority students
 Enhance employment prospects
 Include experience on a CV
 Industrial placements
 Placements with blue chip companies
 Payment
 Food
MERITS
Securing Employer Involvement
 Established links
 Host organisations for previous schemes
 Employers with vacancies
 Employers on Careers Service Board
 Alumni
 Personal contacts
 Creative networking
MERITS
Securing Employer Involvement
 Establish links with the Careers Service
 The business case
 Keen to develop a diverse workforce
 Chance to enable them to hit targets
 Goodwill
 Potential future recruits
MERITS
Securing Employer Involvement
Issues Raised:
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Timing
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Time consuming
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Tailor made approach
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Selective employers
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Lack of flexibility
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Students want blue chip companies
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IT placements difficult
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Employers want to be inclusive
MERITS
Securing Institutional Involvement
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Equal opps. A strategic objective
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‘Careers’ in the Mission and Vision
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Impact on graduate employment
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Existence of champions
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Kudos
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Raise the profile of the Careers
Service/University
Lessons and Futures
Will Examine :
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Our Learning
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Impact of the Pilots
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Sustainability
Our Learning
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Differences in student demand
Clear difference in attitudes between large
companies and SMEs
Flexibility required to recruit employers
Preparation time needed is substantial
Have confidence in discussing diversity
issues
Impact
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Careers Service profile with employers
and Uni. - Pilots addressed widening
participation and employability
Strategic employer/HE body on diversity
Students acquired further experience
Staff developed skills and confidence
Profile with DfES
Students improved confidence in
employability
Sustainability
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Products, systems, web site
Skills and confidence of participating staff
and students
Good will of satisfied employer
Work experience (esp.with SMEs) is a
resource intensive activity
UCE secured funding to continue work