120 likes | 122 Views
Driving graduate employability through summer placements Philomena Shaughnessy & Shivani Sharma School of Life and Medical Sciences. Overview. School context Employment prospects Summer Placement Scheme Examples of completed projects Questions. Life and Medical Sciences.
E N D
Driving graduate employability through summer placements Philomena Shaughnessy & Shivani Sharma School of Life and Medical Sciences
Overview • School context • Employment prospects • Summer Placement Scheme • Examples of completed projects • Questions
Life and Medical Sciences • Three departments: • Biological and Environmental Sciences • Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Postgraduate Medicine • Psychology and Sport Sciences • Mix of programme types: • Professional pathways (e.g. Pharmacy) • First stage to entry into further training (e.g. Psychology)
Life and Medical Sciences • Latest DLHE Data for UG, First Degree Leavers: • Employment indictor is 95% • Most students enter full time work (68.7%) • Full time study (11.1%) • Pockets of areas where market competition is very high. Plan B needed: • Biosciences • Psychology
High Flyers Scheme • Internship type schemes to fuel graduate employability (Helyer & Lee, 2014) • LMS ‘High Flyers Scheme’: • Provide real world experience • Opportunity to practice graduate attributes in a ‘safe’ environment • Talent management • 4 weeks over the summer • £1,000 bursary • 2-4 positions open per year (depending on budget)
High Flyers Scheme: Example Projects • Academic Integrity Video: • High number of academic misconduct cases each year • Established need to further support students with understanding key concepts • Placement included: • Working with 2 x Associate Dean’s and an external organization • Pilot work with students and staff to identify information needs • Storyboard • Piloting proposed video content with students • Feedback on animation look and feel • Finalizing
High Flyers Scheme: Example Projects • Student Rep Guide: • Good practice across the School to share • Reps requesting more support in their role • Placement involved: • Establishing a working group of interested reps • Organizing meetings to discuss effective strategies • Summarizing main approaches and understanding information needs • Drafting handbook • Working with marketing to produce and review Rep Guide
What do the students say? • 'I applied for this placement because I wanted some experience after finishing my degree and with a project that would allow me to work independently. I also wanted to know more about an organization such as a University from a different perspective. Having completed the placement, I feel that I have further developed my skills in project management and working in a professional environment’ (Megan Smith, 2015)
Where Next? • Expanding High Flyers Activity: • Broader project range across Associate Dean areas • Developing links with other organizations to offer similar initiatives (paid and voluntary) • Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2 x placements in 15-16 • Follow-up of students who completed the placements to assess benefits