helping our undergraduates to become global players in the job market

Helping Our Undergraduates to Become Global Players in the Job MarketDr Ray Wallace School of Science & Technology, Nottingham Trent University, UK

18 April 2023 1Suleyman Demirel University

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What is a university for?


The traditional functions of universities are teaching and research


Who are the central players in a University?

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The Pieces

18 April 2023 Suleyman Demirel University

Administrators

Students

Academics

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The Pieces – and on the sidelines


Administrators

Students

Academics

ParentsGovernment

Industry &Commerce

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The Pieces – and on the sidelines


Administrators

Students

Academics

ParentsGovernment

Industry &Commerce


Do they have the same priorities?


NO!


Students see the university as a place where they can gain a good education leading to a good job


Parents see the university much in the same light as the students


Government sees the university as the seedbed where young people will be educated to a high standard and where the nation’s wealth & advancement through research will stem


Administrators (hopefully!) see the university as a place where they can support the work oftheir academiccolleagues


Academic staff see the university as a place where they teach and can

conduct scholarly activity/research


....and sometimes herein lies a tension because professional advancement is often achieved through research rather than teaching

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Balance

RESEARCH TEACHING



....with a result that academic staff lose direction and focus on their research rather than their students


....but you ladies & gentlemen are here, I guess, because you believe in internationalisation and have the desire to enrich the lives of your students & therefore I can take you one step further


....what I’m about to say will seem obvious on reflection but for many it is something they havenever really thoughtabout

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Medicine - pieces fitting together

Integrated Degree


Study

Study

Clinical experience

Clinical experience

Graduate doctor

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Dentistry - pieces fitting together

Integrated Degree


Study

Study

Clinical experience

Clinical experience

Graduate dentist

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History


Study

Study

Study

Study

Graduate historian

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Economics


Study

Study

Study

Study

Graduate economist


....knowledge of the world of work (hopefully) but no experience of it!


....does this make sense?


....so why should we do one thing for the doctors & dentists and another for the historians & economists?


....the answer of course is we shouldn’t


....and this is where the idea of a ‘Placement’ comes in

So what is a placement?


European Data: Participation in Work Placements

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Graduates who participated in work placements/internships (percent).Brenda Little, 'Squaring the Circle?', ASET Conference Proceedings 2007.

Other data from the UK Courtesy of ASET

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• Every year 120,000 students go out on placement• Academic Performance

Sandwich students Firsts 15.1% 2.1 50.8% 2.2 27.0% Thirds 4.2% Unclassified 2.9%

Non-sandwich students Firsts 10.5% 2.1 44.8% 2.2 31.0% Thirds 6.9% Unclassified 6.8%

• EmployabilitySandwich students Full-time paid work 65.7% Part-time paid work 3.9% Voluntary work 0.4% Work and further study 8.7% Further study only 10.4% Unemployed 4.8% Not available for employment 5.2% Other 0.9%

Non-sandwich students Full-time paid work 56.4% Part-time paid work 7.6% Voluntary work 0.9% Work and further study 8.4% Further study only 15.5% Unemployed 6.0%% Not available for employment 4.1% Other 1.1%

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Some of the things we do at NTU…………..• Maintain a

comprehensive database of students and job vacancies

• Interview individually all placement students registered with us

• Produced advertising and information leaflets

• Produce an annual student satisfaction survey

• Invite organisations into NTU to give presentations

• Assist students to produce good cvs & letters of application

• Check that staff have visited students and that employers are content

• Maintain strong links with CAS, the Business School & C and I

• See that NTU’s policy on Health & Safety is implemented

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Some of the things we do at NTU…………..

• Endeavour to inculcate the ethos of professionalism in students, particularly by example

• Run a big student recruiting drive in year 1

• Broadcast our activities outside of NTU

• Develop assessment methods and strategies

• Turn any setbacks into opportunities

• Capitalise on employer visits

• Provide a repository of knowledge in the field of employment, student loans etc

• Support academic staff in their mentoring roles

• Keep a watching brief on national developments - ASET

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Skills and Attributes ChecklistTHE TOP 10

• IMPORTANT SKILLS• Motivation & enthusiasm• Team working• Oral• Communication• Flexibility• Customer focus• Problem solving• Managing own learning• Commercial awareness• Planning & organisation

• DIFFICULT TO FIND SKILLS• Commercial awareness• Leadership• Risk taking/enterprise• Project management• Managing own learning• Second language• Problem solving• Customer focus• Report writing• Cultural sensitivity

Finally I leave it to the students themselves to say what they think



Any Questions?

Acknowledgement: PowerPoint Template Philip de Kock

helping our undergraduates to become global players in the job market

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