This document provides an agenda and update for a project on embedding employability at DkIT. It discusses the following: - Conducting pilot focus groups and interviews to inform the development of a survey on employability. - Creating an embedding employability framework, employability statement, and set of graduate attributes to develop a shared vision of employability. - Establishing an industry forum to collaborate with key partners on employability. - The research timeline, with focus groups in March, interviews in March/April, and a survey from April to May, followed by analysis and reporting.

1. Embedding
Employability
Update 22nd Feb 2021
Catherine Staunton
Careers & Employability Services

2. AGENDA
• Welcome & Introductions
• Project Update & Overview
• Project Plan and
Key Deliverables
• Research Design
& Implementation
• Reviewing deliverables
and connected outputs
• Teaching & Learning Forum -
updates
• Scheduling Future Meetings
• AOB

3. Update and Overview
• Project Start and Introduction
• Embedding Employability –
Literature Review
• Graduate Attributes – Frameworks
• Working Model – CTCC
• Research Design
• Macro-Methodology & Timeline
• Key Deliverables
• Strategic Alignment & Impact

4. Project Start...
• Networked Project via Teams
• 2 Research Assistants hired Feb 15th:
• Dr Michelle Cowley-Cunningham
• Dr Jonathan Hodgers
• A suite of working documents on Teams:
• Strategic Plan - Project Alignment
• Timeline (Macro-Methodology)
• Research Design
• Graduate Attributes, Working Lexicon
• Graduate Attributes - Literature Review
• Employability Scope – Competitor Analysis/
Other HE Initiatives
• Employability Statement – Templates Folder
• Focus Group Materials – Information Sheet

5. Introduction
• This T&L initiative aims to develop a shared
vision of employability at DkIT by:
– Developing an Institute- wide Employability
Statement
– Developing an Institute-wide Embedding
Employability Framework
– Developing a model that programme teams can
use to ‘employability-proof’ their programmes
– Identifying a set of DkIT Graduate Attributes
– Creating a DkIT Industry Employability Forum in
collaboration key industry partners

6. Embedding Employability –
Literature Review
• To discover or advocate new best practice ways to
embed employability for long-term sustainability...
• Employability and Employment
– National HE Initiatives, Strategic Institute Policy and
Labour Market
• Applicable Embedding Employability Frameworks
– Review Empirical Literature to Draw Out Best Practice
Frameworks
• For example: HEA Attributes Framework UK

7. Graduate Attributes
• To discover the shared vision of the DkIT graduate
from students, teaching staff, employers
• This T&L funding initiative offers an opportunity to
engage in a conversation to develop this shared
vision
• To this end we will conduct mixed-methods
research to build an evidence-based framework...
• Possible frameworks:
– Barrie et al.'s National Graduate Attribute Project AU
– Yorke & Knight's Graduate Attribute Framework UK

8. Graduate Attributes – Emerging Lexicon
– Wireframe CTCC or CTCC
Communicative
• Digitally Fluent
• Technology-Enhanced
• Impactful Presenters
Technical
• Analytical/ Data Analytical
• Ethics in Technology
• Knowledgeable
• Operationally Savvy
Confident
• Professional Confidence
• Adaptive/Flexible
• Work Ready
Collaborative
• Teamworking
• Networking
• Problem-Solving
• Innovative

9. Qualitative
Evidence-
Base for
the Lexicon
• Data Stories [AHECS, Trendence, GOS, ISSE]
• Scope of other university models [See link]
• Literature Review – Graduate Attributes (e.g.,
Barrie et al, 2009; NF for T&L)
• Literature Review – Employability in Higher
Education (e.g., HEA UK)
• Strategic Plan 2020-22 and Policy
Documents[See Link]
• Our own Focus Group research [See Link]
• Our own Interviews research [See Link]
• Our own Embedding Employability Survey

10. What's Next - Our
Pilot Focus Group • 8 Select 'Employability Champions'
• 12 Open EE Theme Questions
• Use literature review to identify Best Practice
EE Themes for Open Questions
• Use Institute and National Forum Documents
to identify EE and Graduate Attribute Themes
for Open Questions
• Use Graduate Survey Data to identify Themes
for Open Questionevelop a Cascading
Protocol for each theme to engage with Pilot
Participants, should Prototypical Themes
emerge indicative of Categories or Items
relevant to next stages...
• Use Microsoft Teams for One-2-One or
Groups of 2-3..
Open Questions
Prototypical Themes
Prototypical Categories
Prototypical Items
•8-10 Select 'Employability Champions'
•6 Open EE Themes with connecting
Questions
•Develop a Cascading Protocol for each
theme to engage with Pilot Participants
•Use Microsoft Teams for One-2-One or
Groups of 2-3..

11. Theme – EE in Curriculum?
"… I remember I used
my industry contacts to link
up my videography
students to real-world
participation"
Question:
Industry-
Partner Participation in
Curriculum?
Response:
"Videography
Class Competed to Create
Video for New Start Up
linked with RDC for 40% of
their grade"
Survey Theme – EE in
Curriculum
Survey Category -
Embedding Employability in
Assessment
Category Questions
Q.1: Industry-Partnered
Assessment
Q2-Q5...
PILOT
Semi-Structured Interview
EE Survey
Designing the Questions from Pilot – EE Survey Example

12. 6 THEMES
Semi-Structured Interviews
Your understanding of employability at DkIT
Cultivating employability skills within the curriculum
Potential attributes for DkIT graduates
Employer's / Industry's role in employability
DkIT’s role in helping recent graduates
DkIT’s responsibility towards socially disadvantaged students

13. Key Deliverables & Impact
• Team Report: Empirical Research Report (or
Embedding Employability Best Practice Document)
• Literature Review, Method, Comprehensive Results,
and Discussion
• 1. Embedding Employability Framework Document –
A Guide
• 2. Employability Statement
• 3. Graduate Attributes Document – A Shared Vision
• 4. Embedded Employability Resources (tbc)
• A DkIT Industry Employability Forum

14. Research Timeline Overview
As per revised workplan signed off with project's Steering Committee:
• Commence Pilot Focus Group 8th March
• Analysis and Results Summary 15th March
• Semi-Structured Interviews End March April
• Microsoft Forms EE Survey April to Mid-May...
• ...
• May to End June [Add Results Summary to Literature Review]
• Mid-June to End June [Review and Print Management]
*See our project management calendar on Microsoft Teams