A new practical model of graduate employability

1. A new practical model of graduate employability Lorraine Dacre Pool & Peter Sewell Centre for Employability University of Central Lancashire

2. Learning outcomes to be introduced to a new model of graduate employability to understand how the model could be used in a practical way

3. What is �employability�? Have a chat to the person next to you about what you think makes an �employable graduate�.

4. What is employability? For some, it is simply about �getting a job�. Graduate first destinations statistics. Increasingly being used interchangeably with �enterprise� which in turn is confused with �entrepreneurship�.

5. What is employability? �An ill-thought out concept infused with more hope than substance.� (Pascale, 1995) �It is one of the few words that has gone from clich� to jargon without the intermediate stage of meaning.� (Rajan, Van Eupen, Chapple & Lane, 2000) Cited in Rothwell, A & Arnold, J (2007), Self-perceived employability: development and validation of a scale. Personnel Review, Vol 36, No1, pp 23-41.

6. What is employability? According to Hillage & Pollard (1998): �In simple terms, employability is about being capable of getting and keeping fulfilling work. More comprehensively employability is the capability to move self-sufficiently within the labour market to realise potential through sustainable employment�.

7. Models of employability Hillage & Pollard�s four elements consist of: Employability assets (knowledge, skills and attitudes) Deployment (career management skills, including job search skills) Presentation (job getting skills, e.g. CV writing and interview techniques) Personal circumstances (family responsibilities and external factors, e.g. opportunities in the current labour market)

8. Models of employability Bennett, Dunne & Carr� (1999) proposed a model of course provision in higher education. Disciplinary content knowledge Disciplinary skills Workplace awareness Workplace experience Generic skills

9. Models of employability Yorke & Knight�s (2004) USEM model Understanding Skills (or Skilful practices) Efficacy beliefs Metacognition

10. Employability � a definition Employability is having a set of skills, knowledge, understanding and personal attributes that make a person more likely to choose and secure occupations in which they can be satisfied and successful. (Dacre Pool & Sewell, 2007)

11. The essential components of graduate employability

12. Model Components Degree subject knowledge, understanding and skills. A central concept in the model. Employers will judge graduates on the basis of how well they have completed their degree course.

13. Model Components Generic skills (may be referred to as �core skills�, �key skills� or �transferable skills�.) e.g. adaptability/flexibility willingness to learn working in a team good communication (oral and written) numeracy

14. Model Components Emotional Intelligence, defined by Goleman (1998) as: �the capacity for recognising our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing our emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.�

15. Model Components Emotional Intelligence, defined by Mayer, Salovey & Caruso (2004) as: �the capacity to reason about emotions, and of emotions to enhance thinking. It includes the abilities to accurately perceive emotions, access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth.�

16. Model Components Career Development Learning DOTS model

17. Model Components Experience � Work and Life Work experience (graduates with work experience are more likely to secure employment than graduates without). Benefits of work experience. Importance of wider life experience too (particularly for mature students).

18. Model Components Reflection and Evaluation Providing students with the opportunities to gain the necessary skills, knowledge, understanding and attributes is obviously important, but so too is providing opportunities for reflection on and evaluation of the learning experiences that have taken place. Personal Development Planning.

19. Model Components Self-efficacy Self-confidence Self-esteem

20. CareerEDGE a new model of graduate employability

22. References Bennett, N; Dunne, E & Carr� , C (1999). Patterns of core and generic skills provision in higher education, Higher Education, Vol 37, pp 71-93. Dacre Pool, L & Sewell, P (2007). The Key to Employability. Developing a practical model of graduate employability. Education + Training, Vol 49, No 4, pp 277-289. Goleman, D (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. Bloomsbury, London. Hillage, J & Pollard, E (1998). Employability: Developing a Framework for Policy Analysis. Research Brief No 85. London, Department for Education and Employment. Knight, P & Yorke, M (2004). Learning, Curriculum and Employability in Higher Education, RoutledgeFalmer, London. Mayer, J D, Salovey, P & Caruso, D R (2004). Emotional Intelligence: Theory, Findings and Implications. Psychological Inquiry, Vol 15, No 3, pp 197-215. Pascale, R (1995). In search of the new employment contract, Human Resources, November/December, pp 21-6. Cited in Rothwell, A & Arnold, J (2007), Self-perceived employability: development and validation of a scale. Personnel Review, Vol 36, No1, pp 23-41. Rajan, A; Van Eupen, P; Chapple, K & Lane, D (2000). Employability: Bridging the Gap Between Rhetoric and Reality, First Report: Employer�s Perspective, Create Consultancy/Professional Development Foundation, London. Cited in Rothwell, A & Arnold, J (2007), Self-perceived employability: development and validation of a scale. Personnel Review, Vol 36, No1, pp 23-41. The Pedagogy for Employability Group (2004). �Pedagogy for Employability�.