Building the Bridge to a Successful Employability:

Building abilities to Meeting Employers’ Needs

Prof Abraham Althonayan

Director of International Business Development and Senior Lecturer in Strategic Management, BRUNEL Business School

Prof Bella Gazdiyeva

Head of International Office Shokan Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University and Visiting Researcher At Brunel Business School

Dr Maged Ali

Lecturer in Digital Marketing and Business Analytics

Prof. Ashley Braganza

Head of Department of Economics and Finance

What is Business Life?

Building your abilities for a better future

A programme of skills based activities which present students with the opportunity to develop essential graduate attributes by:  working,    thinking, and learning together… …to meet the challenges of the future

What is Business Life? Employability?

What is Employability?

“A set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace - to the benefit of themselves, their employer and the wider economy ”

CBI, 2011

Foreword

“The effects of globalisation on economic prosperity are here to stay.

The past five years have shown that no country or company is immune from competition. As the world begins to move from recession to growth, the foundations of that growth have to be strong …..

However, graduates are unable to communicate clearly, work in teams effectively and conduct themselves in a professional manner . ….. I firmly believe that is by providing graduates with employability skills that companies and institutions, in all sectors, will be able to drive innovation, agility and entrepreneurship.…..” Mark Stoddart Head of Talent Acquisition SAS UK and Ireland

Employability Skills and Attitude

Diplomacy / Office Politics Understanding Others / Culture Formal Etiquette Team-working Basic skills (Literacy & Numeracy)

Key Skills Development

Communication Skills Team-working/Interpersonal Skills Creativity/Innovation Presentation Skills Reasoning/Comprehension Problem-solving/Analytical Thinking Commercial Awareness (Company tours)

Interpersonal Skills

Self-Awareness Proactivity Self-Promotion Networking Planning Action

Workplace & Personal Attributes Self-Reliance Skills

Attendance Record Self-Confidence Loyalty Time Keeping Flexibility Motivation Respect for Authority Ease with which Fit into Culture Performance/Productivity

People Skills

Team-Working Interpersonal Skills Oral Communication Leadership Customer Orientation Foreign Language Problem-Solving Flexibility Business Acumen IT/Computer Literacy Numeracy Commitment

General Skills Specialist Skills

Specific Occupational Skills Technical Skills – SAGE Accounting, SAP, SAS

How do We Deliver Business Life

Market Analysis Job Market (Work Placement Employers) Professional and Public Institutes Identification of Graduate Attribute (Skills ) Applied Interpersonal Mapping of the Graduate Attributes to Training Workshops and Academic Programme Implementation of Training Workshops Internal Certification External Certification

Employability Reality: What Employers Want?

Applying Employability Skills into our Modules

Direction

Obtaining External Certification and Accreditation (ECDL, SAGE, SAS, PMI, PRINCE II) Participating in Business Tours to leading Companies Career Coaching Making Success Happen - Industry guest motivational talks Understanding the world of Business through Industry guest lectures Developing Entrepreneurial Skills by engaging with Experts Participating in Industry-University Business Challenge Competitions

The Business Life Journey

Recognition Internal External

EMPLOYABILITY ATTRIBUTES

Team Working

,

Problem Solving, Organisation, Planning and Time Management, Commercial Awareness, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, Digital Literacy and ICT Skills, Language and Communication, Data Analysis and Numeracy Skills, Personal Resilience and Initiative.

How the Business Life Programme Relates to Degree Pathways (UG)

Strongly Recommended Skills

SPSS ECDL Extra Understanding Business Cultures & Etiquette SAS Software Training Sage 50 Payroll Making Success Happen Series Business Tours Business Master classes Introduction to Networking Understanding Business Cultures & Etiquette Understanding Business Cultures & Etiquette SAS Software Training Making Success Happen Series Business Tours Understanding Business Cultures & Etiquette Sage 50 Payroll Sage 50 Accounts Making Success Happen Series Business Tours Big Data Skills SAS Software Training Sage 50 Payroll Understanding Business Cultures & Etiquette Making Success Happen Series Business Tours General

CIPD Interview & Recruitment Training

Marketing Accounting International Business Communication & Influence Organizing & chairing a meeting Customer Service Skills Team work Dealing with difficult people Leadership Project Management Working Environment – Adapting to those around you Presenting to a Boardroom – Prince 2 Practitioner Creative problem solving

Brunel University London Desirable Professional & Administrative Skills 12

The Employability Transcript

Job Ready Graduate with a portfolio of In-Demand Skills ECDL Certification: BCS The Chartered Institute of IT PMI/PRINCE 2 Certification: In Project Management SAGE Certification: SAGE Accounting and Payroll TAX: Self Assessment and VAT CIPD Recruitment skills for Professionals

Business Life Ambassadors

Exposure Experience & Events References Mentoring Why I should be a Business Life Ambassador and contribute to the BL Programme Profiles Skills

Volunteering, Placements and Internships

   Better final year results (often half a degree classification higher) Higher starting salary for graduate positions (having done a placement)     Support for placements:     CV writing Overseas placements Assessment Centre Preparation Placement reflection (on the experience) Improve confidence and industry awareness (work ethic) Development of networking skills, contacts and references Job and sector experience for your CV A chance to put theory into practice

Our Professional and Industry Collaborations

Employers of BBS Students

Professional and Industry Collaborations

Strategy: Moving Forward

 Skills and Competency Assessment System;  Credit system for workshops (perhaps assessment?);  Strengthen accreditation with professional bodies;  Closer collaboration with industry (steering; committee / round table discussions);  Mapping Business Life with Academic Programmes;  Extending BL University wide;  Developing programme of professional skills;  Development across all pathways;  Growing the team.

Recommendation for Kazakh Universities

 Universities and Colleges should integrate employability skills into their academic programmes;  Ensure students gain work experience during their period of study, exemplified by internships, voluntary work, placements etc:  Universities need to ensure a clear structure for placements and employability activities Braganza and Ali 2015

Recommendation for Kazakh Universities (Continue)

 Implement support mechanisms for students who are unemployed after completing their programme of study ;  Universities need to ensure a clear structure for placements and employability activities ;  Spread employability activities across the years of study based on support and involvement from staff and employers; Braganza and Ali 2015  Building a BL culture.

Student Mobility & (Employ) ability

 Maximise chance of successful employment outcome after a degree   Employability Skills and Attitude Volunteering, Placements and Internships  Programme to promote employability attributes by working, thinking and learning together …(disciplines working together)

Q & A