An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2002-2003
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
Careers Service
Self Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
Sept 2002 to Jan 2003
28 –29th November, 2002
Monday 28th April, 2003
th
This Report was compiled for members of Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway and its
committees as a readily accessible but comprehensive source of information on the above
review, its context and its outcomes.
Professor Jim Gosling, Director of Quality, July 2004
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Report to Údarás – Review of Careers Service 2002–03
1. Overview of Careers Service
1.1 Aims and Objectives
The mission of the Careers Service team is to provide a quality careers guidance and
information service focused on facilitating and empowering students of NUI Galway to manage
their own career development
Aims
1. To facilitate students1 and recent graduates2 of NUI Galway who wish to explore or get
information on their career, education or employment options
Students and recent graduates should
• Have access to impartial and objective advice or guidance
• Be aware of the purpose and limitations of the advice or guidance available
• Understand and agree how the support will be conducted
• Be able to make their own final choices and
• Be referred to other University or external services as required
2. To support and develop the competence of those delivering the service
3. To endeavour to develop and maintain links with existing and potential employers of NUI
Galway graduates
4. To work with academic staff, alumni and other relevant parties to develop the career
management and employability skills of NUI Galway students
5. To promote and market the CS effectively to target groups
6. To work with relevant groups and agencies towards providing a collaborative approach to
meeting the needs of Careers Service clientele
7. To engage in a process of continuous quality improvement through monitoring, review and
action
1.2 Background
The Careers Service was established in 1973 and developed as an extension of the Industrial
Liaison Office. Its two senior officers report to the Industrial Liaison Officer.
1.3 Staff
The Careers Service has a staff complement of five, including one Secretary/Receptionist.
1.4 Accommodation and facilities
The Careers Service moved to new purpose-designed premises in the Arts/Sciences complex in
2002.
1
The Careers Service engages in activities with NUI, Galway students in the following order of priority: final year
undergraduate and postgraduate, first year and also access, students with disabilities, mature students and other
students.
2
Graduates can avail of information and Quick Query facilities up to three years after graduation
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Report to Údarás – Review of Careers Service 2002–03
2. Review Group Visit and Report
This report arises from a visit by a Review Group to the Careers Service on 28th –29th
November, 2002. The Careers Service had already prepared and submitted a 'Self Assessment
Report' that, with other documentation, was made available to the review team in advance of the
visit.
The Review Group consisted of: Mr Jeff Goodman, Head of Careers Service University
of Bristol (Chair), Ms Muireann Ni Dhuigneain, Head of Careers Service DCU, Professor Ulf
Strohmayer, Department of Geography, NUI, Galway; and Mr Sean O Farrell, Director
Management Information Services NUI, Galway acting as rapporteur.
2.1 Summary, and Main Recommendations from Report
The Review Group was impressed by the evidence presented during the visit and is amply
satisfied by the overall provision of the Careers Service. There has been significant progress
made in the last 2-3 years and the Service is well placed to move forward to take up a more
influential role in the life and work of the University.
The commitment to continual quality improvement is an important part of its current and
future success; continued involvement in the Irish response to AGCAS Matrix standards should
be helpful.
In this Report, the Group has tried to demonstrate its support for what the Service has
achieved so far and express its encouragement to grapple with the changes, in particular in
structure, organisation and management, which will enable it to continue to improve. The
recommendations are based on actions which have already been identified by the Careers
Service in their self assessment report.
The Careers Service should:
1. Consider expanding the focus of the guidance service to include classes other than final
years (subject to resource availability).
2. Continue to develop the academic integration of employability and careers management
skills as part of the Academic curriculum.
3. Continue to develop the use of Information technology in the dissemination of careers
advice and information.
4. Adopt a more structured approach to Employer interaction with clearly documented
procedures for recording details of visits and follow up actions.
5. Strengthen the links with the Alumni office with a view to increasing information exchange
between graduates and students.
6. Have direct representation on the appropriate University Committees.
7. Develop an externally recognisable internal line of responsibility to facilitate a structured
approach to future innovations.
8. Develop formal links with the Placement office.
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Report to Údarás – Review of Careers Service 2002–03
3. Follow up Meeting
Monday 28th April, 2003
Present: Prof. Gearoid O’Tuathaigh (Vice President), Mr Sean O’Farrell (Review Group
Rapporteur), Professor Ulf Strohmayer (Review Group), Ms Muireann Ni Dhuigneain (Review
Group), Mr Peter Keane, Mr John Hannon, Ms Dearbhla Nolan, Ms Kendra Ryder, Ms Angela
Teahan, Professor Jim Gosling Director of Quality (Chair), Ms Maureen Linnane (of Quality
Office in attendance).
Apologies: Professor Jim Browne (Registrar), Ms Deirdre Sheridan
3.1 Action Plan for Careers Service and its Director:
1. While continuing the emphasis on final year students, the Careers Service (CS) will
endeavour to provide more guidance for earlier year students. However, substantial
expansion of such assistance will depend on additional resources being made available.
2. The CS will continue to promote the academic integration of employability and career
management skills as integral parts of the academic curriculum by encouraging the
integration of careers education into curricula in every faculty.
3. The CS will develop more substantial links with the Placement Office, for example:
• Jointly purchasing and using Kompass databases of employers and sharing graduate
employer database information.
• Working with the Professional Experience Programme to develop a more structured
Careers Education Programme for students going on / returning from placement.
4. The CS will continue to develop its use of information technology. The following will be
developed subject to funding becoming available:
• An employer database and related integrated systems.
Support from MIS Office required. Completion date September 2003. ACT 2000
purchased and used to manage business contacts.
• A shared/network drive to share access to files. Support from MIS Office required.
Completion date: February 2003. Developed by MIS and currently in use to give access
to staff for Graduate Destinations, presentations etc.
• Outlook Calendar to share diary information. Support from MIS Office required.
Completion date: February 2003. Currently used to keep diaries for careers advisory
staff.
• Online database for events/notices. Support from NUI, Galway Web Editor and external
web service providers required. Completion date: Summer 2004. Currently possible to
update events / notices via Front Page. Project to automate this process should be
preceded by a transfer of CS Web Site to new NUI, Galway template. (To be completed
in early summer 2004).
• An online careers education module. Resources required: Purchase of Career
Management Skills application from Reading University (UK), localisation of
application to suit Irish purposes (in co-operation with a number of other Careers
Services). Completion date: October 2003
• Improved access for students with disabilities of CS web site. Completion date: January
2004
• Develop and promote a needs-based academic section of CS Web site: Completion date:
October 2003
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Report to Údarás – Review of Careers Service 2002–03
•
Writing of CS career leaflets (completion date Jan 2004) and mounting same on website
(summer 2004).
5. The CS agreed to adapt a more structured approach to employer interaction with clearly
documented procedures for recording details of visits and follow-up actions.
• A new form will be designed to accumulate employer information
• An improved careers advisory schedule to allow for more contact with employers
• A better coordinated approach and policies to employer activities to be formulated by
careers advisory staff
6. The CS will strengthen links with the Alumni Office with a view to increasing information
exchange between graduates and students and will develop a proposal for the establishment
of a pilot graduate mentoring system for current students of one or two specific programmes.
7. The CS will develop an externally recognisable, internal line of responsibility to facilitate a
structured approach to future innovations where job descriptions, roles and working
relationships will be examined.
3.2 Action plan for University Management:
1. The Vice-President for Development and External Affairs (D & EA) will establish an
‘external liaison operations group’ to include representatives from offices such as Careers,
Placement, Alumni, Community Knowledge Initiative, Centre for Excellence in Learning
and Teaching, etc. to promote coordination and cooperation within this group of services.
The new group will have defined terms of reference and report to Governing Authority
through the Development and External Affairs Committee (DEAC).
2. The Vice-President for D & EA will propose to Governing Authority, through the DEAC at
its next meeting , that a representative from the CS be included on the DEAC.
3. The Vice-President for D & EA will champion measures to embed progressively careers
dimensions into curricula in all faculties, for example, the inclusion of ‘employability and
career management skills’ as standard items on relevant agendas of faculties and of Board of
Studies, and on the form that must be used to propose new programmes. (Substantially to be
achieved by January 2004).
4. The Director of Quality will write (before the end of May 2004) to the Buildings Office
commending their work on the new Careers Service’s facilities and to highlight the need to
improve public signage to the CS from other parts of the Campus.
5. The Director of Quality will propose to the Quality Committee that contribution from the
NDP/HEA Quality Improvement Fund be made to support the graduate mentoring scheme.
Approved by: Vice President for SI & EA, Professor G. Hurley, 25 May 2004
Approved by: Registrar, Professor J. Browne, 25 March 2004
Approved by: Director for Industrial Liaison, Dr Joe Watson, 25 March 2004
Approved by: Careers & Appointments Officer, Mr Peter M Keane, 18 March 2004
Professor Jim Gosling, Director of Quality
Finalised: 27th May 2004
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