Focus Group Collection, Survey Plans, Employability Toolkit Agenda

1. Embedding
Employability
Update 6th May 2021
Catherine Staunton
Head of Careers & Employability

2. Agenda
• Welcome & Introductions
• Project Plan Update & Overview
• Milestones Overview (Review hidden
slides in own time)
• Our Everyday Definitions
• Focus Groups Update
• Our Interview Booklet (for print)
• Our Report (next two weeks)
• Graduate Attributes:
• Our New Framework
• Composite Capstone Logic

3. Agenda
• Our Institute-Wide Lightning Talk
• Meeting with Registrar
• EE Survey – Instrument Document
• Marketing Mission – Update
• Teaching & Learning Forum - Updates
• AOB

4. Reminder – Key deliverables
• 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

5. Phrases you will hear throughout...
Graduate Attributes
• the core abilities and values a university community agrees all its graduates should develop
• abilities employers deem necessary for today’s knowledge workers
Employability
• the set of achievements, skills, understandings, and personal attributes graduates possess
upon completion of a higher education qualification
Framework
The conceptual structure we use to organise ideas, facts, and theory for the research study
Human Capital – 'What We Bring'
Social Capital – 'Who We Know'
Individual Behaviours – 'How We Do'
Attributes (including graduate attributes) – 'Who We Are'

6. Focus Group 1-3 • 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..
Focus Group Update
ü Executive Summary – Focus Group
Research Report PDF underway (with
graphs and infographics)
ü Set of Mindset Statements (in progress)
ü Protocol Booklet – Focus Group Collection
(for print)
ü Check SC Documents – next two weeks

7. Graduate Attributes: Revised Emerging Lexicon Themes
Wireframe cTcc
Communicative
• Creative Communicators
• Public Engagers
• Self-Promoters
• Digitally Fluent
• Emotionally Intelligent
Technology-Driven
• Technically Skilled
• Knowledgeable
• Practice-Led
• Enterprising
• Data Fluent
Confident
• Professionally Confident
• Adaptable & Flexible
• Critical Thinkers
• Lifelong Learners
• Resilient
Collaborative
• Teamworkers
• Innovative Partners
• Natural Networkers
• Socially Enterprising
• Operationally Savvy

8. Composite Capstone 4 – The Competition Logic
PRACTICAL TECHNICAL
ENTERPRISING
NFQ Professions-Led Degree
Programmes (Table 1, SC Meeting 3
for Interchangeable Term Use)
TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN
NFQ Professions-Led Certificate and
Degree Programmes (e.g.,
Engineering)
NFQ Certificate and Degree
Programmes (e.g., Hospitality)
A. 3 Research Clusters are guided by the application of technology to health, engineering, and enterprise.
B. New technology uptake and associated technical skill training guides graduate development across the institute.

9. Nominal and Proportionate
Threshold Counts per Capstone
and Sub-Attributes
Our 'Who I am' Capstones
• Collaborative
• Technology-Driven or Technical
• Communicative
• Confident
Overlapping and Distinct Sub-
Attributes Options
• We plan to test all capstones and
sub-attributes in our survey. We
will discuss shortly.

10. Lightning Talk
Lightning Talk
10-12mins [link]
• Stakeholder Update
• Our Graduate Attribute
Framework
• Our Employability
Framework
• Feedback Forum
• See SC Documents

11. DkIT's Model of Graduate Employability
Possession
Skills
Competencies
Work Experience
Position
University Ranking
Networks
Social Class
Process
Career Self-Management
Career Building Skills
Personality
Graduate Attributes
Individual Traits
Perceived
Employability
Graduate Employability
Individual Employability
Career Outcomes
'Micro' Labour Market
DkIT Partnerships
Alumni
DkIT Supports
'Macro' Labour Market
Supply Factors
Demand Factors
Adapted from Clarke 2018: 1931

12. Trinity's
Digital
Assessmen
t
Gateway
TCD#1

13. TCD#2

14. The Essay
• An Intro to the assessment type.
• A 'Typically Used To...' section.
• An 'accordion' section, incl.
• Key considerations (a series
of questions about purpose,
rubric, submission, etc.).
• Tools/Technologies (Google
Docs, MS Word, Turnitin).
• Sample essays.
• Student testimonials.
• Linked resources.
TCD#3

15. Embedding Employability in the
Curriculum – Working Ideas
Employability in Curriculum
o 10*/dot/tick Employability Matrix
o Structurally Unavoidable Pathway
o Programme v Module: Scattered
and Aggregated
One-Stop Accessible Resource
o Best Practice Exemplars
o Toolkit Piece or Staff Workshops
Tutorials - Suite of Content
o Delivery: Careers Services or
Lecturers
Module or Award...
o Or Stand-Alone Certificate
o 12 Weeks and 10 Credits

16. Survey
May 2021

17. Survey – Quantitative Method
Ethics Application with Feedback – See SC [link]
Participants – Stakeholders [Staff, Students, Graduates,
Employers] Aim 5% Response Rate; SC Trial [2-3]
Survey: 4 Themes with 5+ Questions
Graduate Attributes; Employability in DkIT; Employability
Best Practice; Forward-Looking Employability
Within – Themes 1-3 Between – Theme 4
Microsoft Forms Instrument - 25 Statements [link]
Measures: Likert Scales; Rank Ordering from;
Tick those that apply; Open Responses

18. Survey – Objectives
Consensus Testing
Graduate Attribute Capstones, Sub-Attributes, Mindsets
All Aspects of Employability Framework
Employability Best Practice
Refining by process of elimination
Rank Ordering or Tick Predefined No. Of Items that apply
Adding Value
Open Responses

19. Awareness
Marketing
Campaign
• 3 Blogs and 3 Emails
• Meeting 1 with Graphic Designer
Timeline
Intro to Consultation –
 Blog & Email 1 [12th April]
Survey Rollout, May –
o Blog & Email 2 [In prep]
Web Launch, June –
o Blog & Email 3 [pending]

20. Marketing Mission
Marketing Agenda for Marketing Team
Graphic Design Discussions Begun – Frameworks
1. Webpage for Launch [Within DkIT Website]
2. Employability Statement [PDF Leaflet]
3. Employability Guide [PDF Booklet]
4. Infographics and Quotes from Research Reports
5. Case Studies – Video/Video Campaign
6. Executive Summary & Research Report [PDF Link]
7. Focus Group Booklet [Print Copy for Inhouse Use]
8. Regional and National Press Release Strategy
9. Launch Day/Dates with Photo Opportunities
Resource Links:
We may link up with: DkIT Library
and CELT to create centralised ease-
of-access to employability
resources.

21. Progress & Time-Management
o Employability Framework – Complete
o Employability Statement – WriteUp Stage
o Graduate Attribute Framework – Final Stages
o Focus Group Research – WriteUp Stage
o Focus Group Employability Proofing – Registrar Application Pending
o 5 Slides PPT and Application (Registrar Assisting CS)
*See our project management calendar on Microsoft Teams

22. Progress & Time-Management
• Employability Toolkit – Scope & Drafting Continues
• Ethics Application re EE Survey – Application Readiness Stage
• Microsoft Forms EE Survey - Instrument Document In
Preparation [Week of 10th May]
• Academic Council April 30th?
• Marketing Plan Discussions Begun
• May to End June [Add Survey Results Summary to Literature Review]
• Mid-June to End June [Website Launch and Assets Management]
*See our project management calendar on Microsoft Teams