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Employing Peer Support to Engage Non-traditional Student Progression and Employability

Learn about the peer support pilot at the University of Leeds and its impact on widening participation and employability. Hear from the Employability and Progression Assistants and get insights into their experiences. Ask questions and gain valuable knowledge.

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Employing Peer Support to Engage Non-traditional Student Progression and Employability

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  1. Employing Peer Support to Engage Non-traditional Student Progression and Employability University of Leeds

  2. Employability and Progression Assistants

  3. Who are we? Chloe Marshall Widening Participation Employability Officer Alice Whapples Employability and Progression Assistant Karen Shaw Mentoring and Widening Participation Manager Abdul Awke Employability and Progression Assistant

  4. Today’s Session • The peer support pilot • Widening participation agenda at UoL • Employability and Progression Assistant (EPA) experience • Panel Q & A

  5. Widening Participation Agenda Office for Students Access and Participation Plan Progress Success Access

  6. Context & Background 12.9% gap

  7. EPA Pilot Objectives • Final year WP students • Raise awareness of employability offer • Understand career readiness and engagement with employability activity • Enhance employability skills and graduate outcomes • Capture student voice to identify progression barriers • Make recommendations to engage target groups in sustained interventions

  8. Progress of EPA Pilot EPA Phase 1 EPA Phase 2 Graduate Outcomes September2019 January 2020 February 2019 October 2020

  9. Widening Participation at UoL

  10. Our Target Groups 2019/20 >26% of UG student population are ‘WP’ • Plus Programme • Lifelong Learning Centre • Home/EU BAME • Declared Disability

  11. Definitions Plus Programme • Access to Leeds • Low household income • Low participation neighbourhood • Low socio-economic group • First in their family to go to university • Low attainment school • Care experienced 0 • Estranged • Refugees • Mature Learners Lifelong Learning Centre Multi-disciplinary school Mature Part-time Foundation Entrants Particularly from underrepresented groups

  12. Where does Student Careers fit? Arts, Humanities & Cultures SocialSciences Biological Sciences Student Careers Medicine & Health Business School Environment Engineering & Physical Sciences

  13. The EPA Role – Phase 1 • Collate and interpret WP student data • Offer peer-like support to final year WP students • Build links with faculty teams • Local labour market • Identify gaps and duplication in employability support • Improve communications to students • Personal/professional development

  14. The EPA Experience

  15. High Risk • High Risk: Each student receives a score, calculated from ‘Career Readiness’ statements, which are taken from a registration survey that is completed at the start of the academic year. This statement is marked against their year of study and personal details to produce their risk score. High Risk ‘Career Readiness’ statements: • ‘I have no Careers ideas yet but want to start thinking’ • ‘I am not ready to start thinking about my career yet’ • ‘I have been applying for opportunities and so far I have not been successful’ • ‘I have not yet thought about my career choice or specialty beyond graduation ‘

  16. Case-loading Activity 184 672 46

  17. Case-load breakdown

  18. Outward Facing Activity • In-Faculty Drop-in • Supporting and organising WP focused events, activities and workshops • Careers Centre Front of House • Social media strategy and inclusivity

  19. Projects

  20. Challenges and Highlights

  21. Initial concerns going into the role

  22. Challenges with the role

  23. Highlights of the role • Positive feedback from students on our case-loading activity • Running a number of successful events and workshops • Personal development opportunities in our roles • Successful integration into different departments and faculties within the university

  24. Impact Statements • "I just wanted to say it is really amazing that the university is getting people to call around and ask people if they need extra support. I really rate that” • "This service you guys are providing is really useful my friends on my course were wondering when they would be able to get the same support after I told them about this” • “This service exceeded my expectations as I came away with somewhere to start when before I have no idea and wasn't even sure the careers centre would be able to help me as I really had little idea as to what I wanted to do”

  25. What’s next at Leeds? • Pilot phase 2 – Semester 1 2019/20 • Replicate caseload activity • Engage a wider group of students • Gather student voice on WP employability offer • Evaluate second phase for recommendations of priority focus areas

  26. What’s next at Leeds? • Access and Participation Plan • Updated targets? • Semester 1 targeted employability activity • Strengthen faculty links

  27. Panel Q & A Chloe Marshall Widening Participation Employability Officer Alice Whapples Employability and Progression Assistant Karen Shaw Mentoring and Widening Participation Manager Abdul Awke Employability and Progression Assistant

  28. Thank you!Karen Shaw K.M.Shaw@leeds.ac.ukChloe Marshall C.Marshall2@leeds.ac.ukAbdul Awke A.Awke@leeds.ac.ukAlice WhapplesA.Whapples@leeds.ac.uk

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