Strategy for Enhancing
Student
Employability
Academic Year 2012/2013
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Strategy for Enhancing Student Employability
Employability Mission Statement
Aligned with the University’s Employability and Enterprise strategy, YSJ Business School aims to
provide opportunities for all students to develop employability and enterprise skills to achieve their
career potential and satisfy employer needs.
Key Definition
YSJ Business School has accepted the following employability statement as an important determinant
in developing our strategy. Employability is about being capable of getting and keeping fulfilling work.
It is the capability to move self-sufficiently within the labour market to realise potential through
sustainable employment (Hillage and Pollard, 1998).
Key Employability Values
YSJ Business School views employability as an important aspect of the student learning experience,
and integral to learning. In such a competitive environment, we are committed to employability
development and implementation through the following values:

Getting Ahead: Encourage students to maximise their potential and opportunities and
prepare themselves for the ever-changing world of work.

Getting Inspired: Inspire students through our values, ideas and commitment to academic
excellence and professionalism, supporting all to achieve their potential.

Getting Challenged: Encourage students to think creatively and innovatively, and to take
initiatives to challenge themselves and, take responsibility and ownership of their career
planning.

Getting Committed: Commit to providing quality learning experience for our students and
promoting student engagement, commitment and success through academic, personal and
professional development.
The Essential Components of our Employability Strategy
YSJ Business School has responded to the drive to enhance graduate attributes and skills through a
wide-ranging set of activities aiming to prepare students for employment, further study and
citizenship. YSJ Business School aims to produce “exceptional graduates that enter the highly
competitive jobs market prepared academically and vocationally” (Business School strategic plan).
Employability is not the same as gaining a graduate job, rather it implies something about the
capability of the graduate to function in a job and to be able to move between jobs, thus remaining
employable throughout their life. The emphasis at YSJ Business School is on finding ways in which
particular attention can be paid to the exceptional development of students through personal and
professional development. The following figure shows our integrated approach on developing the
academic, personal and professional development of our students to meet the changing needs of
employers, the economy and society. It highlights key elements of employability strategy aiming to
ensure our students achieve an optimum level of employability upon graduation. The following figure
illustrates our approach to personal development and success.
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Figure1: Approach to Personal Development and Success
YSJ Business School employability strategy covers more than just the basic skills. It is based on the
development of skills and competencies which go beyond the disciplinary expertise or technical
knowledge that has traditionally formed the core of most university courses (Holmes, 2001). To
prepare students for the changing graduate labour market, YSJ Business School is committed to
develop appropriate career practices, maintain continuous improvement in the employability provision
and facilitate the transition into stable and satisfying employment. The above employability strategy
shows the qualities, skills and competencies that our students should develop during their education
period. Through curricular and extra-curricular opportunities, students will gain confidence in their
ability to take effective and appropriate career actions, acquire skills within varied and changing
situations, have the confidence to apply their knowledge, and continue to learn from their experience
in order to find an employment position that suits their skills, competencies and personal requirements
(Stephenson, 1998).
YSJ Business School also aims to encourage students to consider their career planning, to reflect on
their aspirations, to identify their personal and professional priorities, and to establish aims and
ambitions. This will in turn encourage students to better engage with employability initiatives, which
can make them more rounded and marketable graduates. A key element of this approach is to
encourage students to become independent learners and thinkers regarding their career planning and
development. Individuals with high levels of self-efficacy, self-confidence and self-esteem have
stronger commitment to move from higher education to career and will be more likely to persist in the
face of external obstacles (Gati et al., 1996).
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Key Employability Strategic Objectives
YSJ Business School is committed to enhancing the employability of all students, to enable them to develop those skills and attributes which will set them
apart in a very competitive world, and to realise their full potential through their professional and career development. In doing so, YSJ Business School will
foster employability by allowing students to build on their previous experiences through creating and facilitating students’ engagement in innovative learning
and assessment which enhances their employability. The following table demonstrates how YSJ Business School is aiming to achieve its strategic objectives
and values.
Strategic Objectives &
Values
Active Citizenship
Target or Activity

Ensure the development of talented graduates

Improve reputation through the provision of ongoing and up-to-date information for continuous
curricular and extra-curricular development to key
stakeholders
Objective One:
Establish the Business
School as one of the leading
regional institution for student
employability
Critical Thinking and Effective
Communication
Objective Two:

Seek feedback for curriculum development
supporting change for future student support

Offer mentoring support to enhance students
prospects of career success

Utilise existing academic, research and
management expertise in promoting employability
values

Use effective graduating student profiles and
success stories

Continue to build strong links with employers

Develop transparent mechanisms in which
students, employers and staff members engage to
continually review and update employability skills,
in both the curriculum and student support services
Implementation
 Volunteering Opportunities and Activities: Students
will have the opportunity to volunteer and gain experience
of the skills and attributes which will make them more
employable.
 Awards: Introduce an employability award to reward
students for developing essential skills and competences.
 Alumni: Strengthen links with the Alumni Society to
maintain contact with graduates, staff and associates of
the University. The ACES Mentoring Programme also
aims to provide opportunities for students (Mentees) to
improve their employability skills and enhance their
prospects of career success by undertaking a programme
of activities with a Mentor from the local business
community/York St John University Alumni.
 Assessment and Teaching: Assessment and teaching
strategies encourage students to engage in deep
learning, critical thinking and develop employability skills,
competencies and attributes. This is achieved through the
use of ‘do it for real’ based opportunities within the
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Develop and maintain high
quality strategic links with
leading local, regional and
national graduate recruiters,
Sector Skills Council and,
professional bodies in order
to develop an understanding
of the needs of different
stakeholders and incorporate
these needs to the curriculum
Learning and Personal
Development
within the School

Target to increase the range and availability of
student work placement and research project
opportunities

Develop further the continued engagement of the
YSJ Business School with the outside world

Ensure the provision of high quality career
information and resources to students, graduates
and employers

Establish ‘best practices’ to enable graduates to
meet the demands of continuing professional
development, building on their own first
experiences of employment
Objective Three:
Improve and enhance the
overall quality graduates’ first
destination employment

Monitor and review the employability strategy
annually through the YSJ Business School
Employability and Work Placement SubCommittee
learning content.
 Forums and Business Networking: A range of
employers forums and business networking events are
annually organised to ensure our progammes remain
relevant in meeting employer’s needs and continue to
build strong relationships with employers. Students’
participation and involvement to these events will allow
them to develop essential skills and competences to
succeed with their career.
 Personal Development Planning: PDP is embedded
into the curriculum and involves different forms of
reflection and reflective learning. Students will be
encouraged to develop their PDP by which they can
monitor, build and reflect upon their personal
development.
 Study Abroad: There are a wide range of overseas
opportunities available for students, including Erasmus
programme.
 Learning a Foreign Language: Students have the
opportunity to learn an additional foreign language.
 Work Placement: Students will have the opportunity to
undertake a work placement. This provides an opportunity
to appreciate the range and scope of employability skills
developed throughout their studies.
 Career Planning and Support: To develop the required
attitude and skills for entry into work, students will be able
to prepare, review and produce employment documents
and practice for interviews and engage in recruitment
centre. This involves the delivery of a variety of
approaches: e-learning, special career events,
professional advice (CV, covering letters and, application
form) and one-to-one career support provided by the
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University’s career and employability team.
 Promoting Enterprise: The Acorns Plus programme
programme is designed to develop enterprise skills and
knowledge and assist individual achieving their business
ideas. The Phoenix Centre also provides affordable space
for new creative and IT-based ventures, with access to
specialist technical facilities and sector-specific business
support, mentoring and training.
 IT Microsoft MOS Certification: York St John Business
School offers training and exam facilities for the Microsoft
Office Specialist (MOS) credential.
 Industry/research Projects: Improve the range and
availability of student work placement and research
project opportunities.
Academic Excellence

Review and implement the new integrated
employability strategy to provide on-going
graduate careers support at faculty level
Objective Four:

Increase the range and availability of student work
placement and research project opportunities

Use pre-graduation support services for example
career development modules, university’s career
services and graduate gateway events

Develop post-graduation support through the
establishment of a career hub to increase the
opportunities for graduating students to obtain
graduates position within the first six months of
graduation
Establish high quality
curricular and extra-curricular
activities and develop support
mechanisms to enable
students to reflect, evaluate
and develop self-efficacy, selfconfidence and self-esteem
during and after their
education experience
 Curriculum Provision: Employability is embedded into
our curriculum provision through the use of employability
forums. This will allow the curriculum to be continually
updated in terms of employability provision.
 Guest Speakers: Engagement through guest
presentation, research projects and industrial trips. This
will allow students enhancing practical and technical
knowledge in a particular field and developing real world
knowledge experience, insights and perspectives.
 Student Resilience: Develop a supportive culture to
ensure student resilience.
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Review and Monitor of the Employability Strategy
The YSJ Business School Employability and Work Placement Sub-Committee monitor and review the
strategy annually, reporting to the Faculty Enhancing the Student Experience Committee (FESEC).
YSJ Business School has also developed a strong relationship with local, regional and national
businesses and together with the Advisory Board ensures that our curriculum remains relevant in
meeting employer’s needs and requirements. Our intention is to continuously improve our
employability strategy by seeking feedback from key stakeholders through the establishment of an
annual employer’s forum.
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