This document discusses course design for employability in higher education. It provides context on the importance of employability in education and outlines models and approaches to developing employability in students. Specifically, it discusses: 1) The political and institutional perspectives that emphasize employability and how universities can support students' career development. 2) Models of employability including the USEM framework that identifies subject understanding, skills, metacognition/self-theories, and work experience as key components. 3) Approaches taken in the sport science program that embed employability through a developmental "core curriculum" at all levels with a focus on familiarization, skill-building, and engagement in work-related learning projects.

1. Course Design: Employability
‘It’s not what you teach, but the way
that you teach it’
Liz Clifford, AEU
Becky Murphy, SPS
7th March 2012

2. Session Aims
• What does an employable graduate look like?
• What is the current context for education in
relation to employability?
• How do we use this knowledge and our own
experiences to inform practice at personal,
module and programme level?

3. Context to scheme of work
• 7004PCLTHE Design for Learning in the Higher
Education Context
– Consideration of the context/subject/professional body you are working within or to
– Subject and other national benchmarks
– Consideration of the employability agenda, e.g. LJMU’s WoW Strategy
– Critique of models of curriculum design
– Appropriateness for student group
– Response to Peer Learning Group feedback and discussion
– Consideration of any alternatives in the light of critical scrutiny including a brief self
reflection on how this module changed your thinking/practice
– Programme values should underpin discussion

4. Session Plan
• Group task – what does an employable
graduate look like?
• Political and institutional perspectives on
employability
• Models of employability
• Student Perspectives
• Developing employability in Sport and
Exercise Science: A case study
• Group task: considerations for practice

5. Plotting your position ...... Where
do you stand?
Supporting students in employability
focused development is very much part of
my responsibility
I am unclear about I am clear about the
the ways in which the ways in which the
programme can programme can
support students in support students in
employability focused employability focused
development development
Supporting students in employability
focused development is not my
responsibility

6. What does an employable
graduate look like?
5 Minutes
Using flip chart paper and coloured Start Timer
pens create a poster that 10
encapsulates your group’s idea of
8
what an employable graduate
looks like? 6
4
2
0

7. Context: Expectations and Measures
• Wilson Review (Feb 2012) A Review of Business-University
Collaboration
Just as castles provided the source of strength for medieval towns, and
factories provided prosperity in the industrial age, universities are the
source of strength in the knowledge‐based economy of the twenty‐first
century.
Lord Dearing, September 2002
• 50+ Recommendations (specific and reflective)
– Processes for Graduate recruitment to be reviewed
– Careers and employability support to be a continuous feature of student experience
– Greater focus on employability within Masters/Doctoral provision
– Renewed emphasis on placements/internships, particularly international
– Emphasis on Higher Education Achievement Report as means of presenting
achievements
– Employability and enterprise skills in the formal curriculum
– Review mechanisms for gathering data on graduate employment

8. Employer expectations
Employability Skills Work Experience
Graduates “who are
excited by ideas, capable
of challenging
assumptions and most
importantly, have the
ability to keep learning”.
Positive Attitude Degree Subject
Future Fit: Preparing Graduates for the World of Work (CBI,2009)

9. QAA, 2012

10. QAA Expectations
• QAA Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
Descriptor for Level 6
“And holders will have:
the qualities and transferable skills necessary for
employment requiring:
• the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility
• decision-making in complex and unpredictable
contexts
• the learning ability needed to undertake appropriate
further training of a professional or equivalent nature.”
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/FH
EQ08.pdf

11. What is important to new student
Satisfaction with the
experience is key but also
employability
Source: HEFCE (2010) Understanding the
information needs of users of public information
about higher education, available at:
www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2010/rd12_10/

12. Graduate Destinations: how do we
know what happens to our students?
• Higher Education Achievement Report – richer
narrative of graduate achievements
• ‘Employability statement’ on Unistats/UCAS
websites
• Destination of Leavers from HE (DLHE)
• Alumni
• LJMU Graduation Survey

14. What are we preparing our students
for?
• ‘to be employed is to be at risk, to be employable is to
be secure’ Peter Hawkins 1999
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv8pmIr3a7k&t=4
5s
• Student Finance Calculator
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14785676
What is your own working life like? How well did your
degree prepare you for it?

15. Poster from Student Employability Workshop – University of Central Lancashire. Used with
permission from L Dacre Pool and P J Sewell

16. Employability: a complex problem
• Students required to develop ‘complex achievements’
– ‘fluctuating and contested social constructs, not real and
stable’(Knight, 2007, p.76)
– ‘they are slow to grow, the products of months and years,
not of days and weeks; they are the outcomes of
whole…programmes, not…individual…modules’ (ibid)
• Focus on curriculum processes ‘creating environments and
experiences that afford rich possibilities for development’
(ibid, p.81)
• Students need experience of ‘ill-defined, interdisciplinary and
real-world problems’ (Nicol, 2010, p.5)

18. Models of Employability
Elusive concept

19. Models of Employability
a set of
achievements –
skills and
understandings
“key”, “personal”, and personal
“transferable” or attributes – that
“employability” makes graduates
more likely to
gain employment
and be
successful in
their chosen
occupations”
(2003, p. 3)

20. SKILLS (S)
PERSONAL QUALITIES; SELF EMPLOYABILITY
THEORIES AND EFFICACY BELIEFS
(E)
SUBJECT METACOGNITION (M)
UNDERSTANDING (U)
Figure 1. The USEM account of employability (Yorke and Knight, 2004, p. 5)
Yorke, M. and Knight, P.T. (2004). Embedding employability into the curriculum, August
2010, http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/ese/relatedpubs/Embedding%20employability%20into%20the%20curriculum.p
df

21. USEM in practice ………
• Subject understanding (U) - specific teaching and assessment
activities
• Employability related skills (S) -employment based training
(work-related learning opportunities, careers advice,
employability related modules, personal development
portfolios)
• Metacognition (M) and self-theories (E) -teaching and
assessment practices that foster good learning. Instructional
strategies inquiry based teaching, collaboration among
students and teachers, strategy instruction, development of
mental models and conceptual change, use of technology and
student and teacher beliefs concept mapping and reflection

22. EMPLOYABILITY
SELF-
ESTEEM
SELF - SELF-
EFFICACY CONFIDENCE
REFLECTION AND
EVALUATION
Career
Development Experience Knowledge, Un Emotional
(Work and Life) Generic Skills Intelligence
Learning derstanding, Sk
ills
Dacre Pool, L. and Sewell, P. (2007) The key to employability: developing a practical model of graduate
employability. Education and Training, 49(4), 277-289.

23. Employability in practice …….
Developing a pedagogy for
employability
• Programme level – designated personal
skills/employability/work related learning
modules (The Pedagogy for Employability Group, 2006)
• Modular level – teaching activities that foster
good learning
• Employer involvement in course design
(Cranmer, 2006)
Cranmer, S. (2006). Enhancing graduate employability: best intentions and mixed outcomes. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 169-184.
The Pedagogy for Employability Group. (2006). Pedagogy for employability, August
2010, http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/tla/employability/id383_pedagogy_for_employability_357.pdf

24. Self Regulated Learning
Level of achievement is influenced by how people feel about
themselves
SELF-
ESTEEM
SELF - SELF-
EFFICACY CONFIDENCE
•VICARIOUS EXPERIENCES
•MASTERY EXPERIENCES
•SOCIAL PERSUASION

25. What do students value?
• Opportunities for placements/ work-based experiences
‘Good life experiences from lecturers who have worked in the industry’
‘Practical based aspects are good for real life problems.’
‘Giving me ability to work in the real world!’
• Staff: experience, enthusiasm, helpfulness, learn
from their experiences
“The teaching staff are always happy to help and there is a sense of community on
the course”
“Lecturers are enthusiastic about the course and it shows…how they get you
involved…so you’re not just sitting there”
“ Good life experiences from lecturers who have worked in the industry”
‘Tutors take long to reply to emails and they don't help, e.g. 'find out for yourself‘’.

26. • Breadth, challenge, difference and variety
„The University is able to push me to produce work that I would never have thought
I was capable of‟
„Giving us something and telling us to play around with it.‟
„Good variety of projects given-using different skills.‟
„Too many lectures on theory, with no practical work to re-enforce what we learnt‟
• Interaction and interactivity
„I didn‟t feel as though the lecturers helped us to integrate with other students‟
„interactive days help to engage and focus students and allow things to be
explained in a way that a classroom cannot, field trips and more engaging methods
should be used more often …also extremely good experiences for life as a
graduate to allow talking points in interviews etc rather than just talking about the
theories and practices that were taught in a classroom.‟
„Residential was fun and exciting and helped the whole course bond‟

27. •Groupwork
„Somehow make group work better‟ „far too much and marking criteria not clear‟
„I'm not happy with the over-reliance on group work. I understand that group work
is key to the working environment, but…feel that group work has significantly
affected my grades due to lack of enthusiasm and teamwork from other students‟
„More advice on how to work as a group‟
•Relevance and Benefit
„The course has some modules, which seem irrelevant‟
„Reflection tasks felt pointless‟

28. Opportunities for personal development
„I have had time to reflect on my life and achievements so far and set myself
some clear goals for the future‟
„The opportunities within my course have helped me gain confidence and a
wider understanding on what personal skills and life skills are needed when
leaving university. My time here has helped me grow as a person.‟

29. Observations
• Importance and value of WRL, particularly placement
experiences, in terms of student satisfaction but also
personal, academic and skills development
• Further consideration of how tla activities can support
increasing self-confidence and self-efficacy through adapting
to learning in new situations
• Cumulative effect of experiences both within and outside of
curriculum
• Supporting students to make connections and make most of
all opportunities

30. How does the whole student experience of
university build up to give students confidence
in themselves but also confidence in the
experience they have had?
timetabling….helpfulness of staff….facilities…
peer support…..extra-curricular activities
communication of changes….feedback……
clarity and consistency….interaction with staff
connections to ‘real world’ practice…..

31. Break

32. Developing employability in Sport
Science Students ……. Philosophy
and Practice

33. Developmental "core curriculum"
approach to embedding employability at
all levels of undergraduate study

34. Sport Science: "core curriculum"
approach
• Level four (Familiarisation), the students are familiarised with
the various types of careers open to them within the area of
sport and exercise science.
• Level five (Skilling-up), students are provided with vocational
training as part of their core modules. The emphasis is on
acquiring the practical skills necessary for a career in sport
and exercise science.
• Level six (Engagement), the students should have the
appropriate practical skills and self-belief to engage in an
externally driven, sustained Work Related Learning project
that has been developed with a potential employer

35. Scientists and Practitioners
Methods Knowledge Transfer Familiarization
R
E Discipline
S W
Skills E Knowledge Transfer R Skilling-up
A L
R
Project C Knowledge Transfer Engagement
H
Content
Students are required to apply their knowledge and provide some practical
support to a provider, that supports the academic criteria of their modules.

36. When does a student’s career in
Sport and Exercise Science begin?

37. Diversity of communication
“You need to comfortable in speaking to people, speaking to groups, so
bar all the technical work you have got to be confident ….. good
communication skills”
Practical Experience
“Although I didn‟t have the degrees, the PhDs behind me what I learned
(from coaching rugby) on a grass roots level was I got a flavour of what
worked with people and how to speak to them at their level”
Subject specific knowledge
“If I was involved in an interview I would want to be enthused by
somebody who I felt could really motivate children into having a healthier
lifestyle, and that would be more important than if they got a 2:1 or a 1st”
(Child Obesity Officer)
“You need to be comfortable in speaking to people, speaking to groups
…. so bar all the technical work you have got to be confident, you have
got to have good communication skills. Good presentation skills as
well, lots of experience of presentations is absolutely essential because
daily you are presenting to 20 patients plus, and then the odd time you
are expected to go out and talk to other health professionals as well.”

38. Developing a pedagogy for
employability …….
Work Based Learning
World of Work Career Centre
Reflection as practitioners
Guest Speakers
Staff working in field (Consultant Nutritionist
and Consultant Sport Scientist)
Research Informed curriculum
Inquiry Based learning …….

39. Context to scheme of work
• 7004PCLTHE Design for Learning in the Higher
Education Context
– Consideration of the context/subject/professional body you are working within or to
– Subject and other national benchmarks
– Consideration of the employability agenda, e.g. LJMU’s WoW Strategy
– Critique of models of curriculum design
– Appropriateness for student group
– Response to Peer Learning Group feedback and discussion
– Consideration of any alternatives in the light of critical scrutiny including a brief self
reflection on how this module changed your thinking/practice
– Programme values should underpin discussion

40. Task
• Think about the features of an employable graduate you
identified and how a module/programme with which you are
involved could be ‘fine-tuned’ to better support student
development for employability
• Think about all aspects of its design and delivery
• Use the resources and prompts on the tables to help you
• In using the prompts think,
– Should this aspect be developed in this programme?
– Does it already appear?
– If so, does it link coherently with other aspects of employability in the
programme? Is there duplication/over-use of particular methods?
– Are staff and students aware of its value/purpose for student
development?
– Are students expected to deal with both familiar and unfamiliar
problems?

41. Curriculum: how Work experience
the subject is
taught?
Social/Economic factors Extra-
curricular
Engagement
provision
with Careers
Education Employability Students: what
do they bring?
what are they
Institutional Discipline aiming for?
reputation studied
and links
Professional
with
requirements
employers

42. References
• Wilson Review Business-University Collaboration:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/w/12-610-wilson-
review-business-university-collaboration
• The Graduate Market 2011: Annual Review of graduate vacancies and starting salaries
at Britain’s leading employers, High Fliers Research.
http://www.highfliers.co.uk/download/GMReport11.pdf
• QAA. Enterprise and entrepreneurship education: Guidance for UK higher education
providers. Draft for Consultation. Feb 2012
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/EE-draft-
consultation.aspx
• Future Fit: Preparing graduates for the world of work. CBI. 2009
http://www.agcas.org.uk/agcas_resources/104-Future-fit-Preparing-graduates-for-the-
world-of-work-
• Pegg, A., Waldock, J., Hendy-Isaac, S., Lawton, R. (Feb 2012) Pedagogy for Employability.
HEA.
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/employability/pedagogy_for_employ
ability_update_2012.pdf
• Knight, P. (2007) Grading, classifying and future learning, in Boud, D and Falchikov, N.
(eds) Rethinking Assessment in Higher Education: Learning for the longer term.
Routledge. Abingdon
• Schraw, G.S., Crippin, K.J. and Hartley, K. (2006). Promoting self regulation in
Science Education: Metacognition as part of a broader perspective on learning.
Research in Science Education, 36, 111-139.

43. • Knight, P and Yorke, M. (2004) Learning, Curriculum and Employability in Higher
Education. RoutledgeFalmer. London
• Nicol, D (2010) The foundation for Graduate Attributes: developing self-regulation
through self and peer assessment. QAA. Available from:
http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/resources/publications/graduates-for-the-
21st-century
• Student Finance Calculator: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14785676
• Cranmer, S. (2006). Enhancing graduate employability: best intentions and mixed
outcomes. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 169-184.
• The Pedagogy for Employability Group. (2006). Pedagogy for
employability, Accessed August
2010, http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/tla/employ
ability/id383_pedagogy_for_employability_357.pdf
• Yorke, M. and Knight, P.T. (2004). Embedding employability into the
curriculum, Accessed August
2010, http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/ese/relatedpubs/Embedding
%20employability%20into%20the%20curriculum.pdf
• Dacre Pool, L. and Sewell, P. (2007) The key to employability: developing a practical
model of graduate employability. Education and Training, 49(4), 277-289.
• Hawkins, P. (1999) The Art of Building Windmills: career tactics for the 21st century.
Graduate Into Employment Unit. Liverpool