Transcript Student Careers & Skills - British Council Kazakhstan

USING YOUR CAREERS CENTRE TO
CREATE A VIBRANT ECONOMY
By linking Government strategy, University objectives, and
the labour market to students and graduates
11 April 2015
Sue Bennett
Director, Student Careers & Skills, University
of Warwick
This session will cover
Linking Careers Centre work to Government
policy, University objectives, labour market
knowledge and employers
Foundations of your service
The Careers Centre’s work with students
and employers
Your next steps
UK Government policy
Economic growth is responsibility of the
Department for Business, Innovation &
Skills (BIS)
Invests in skills and education to promote
trade, boost innovation and help people to
start and grow a business
UK Funding
The Higher Education Funding Council for
England (HEFCE) distributes public money for
teaching and research to English universities
and colleges (most are public, not private)
Students pay tuition fees, currently £9,000 p.a.
for UK and EU students, (loans repayable after
graduation) = 2,475,000 KZT p.a.
50% of UK students work part-time during study
Completion rates for undergraduates at all UK
universities is 91.4%, Warwick 94.2%, total
student pop. of 388,915
Linking to Universities
In return for funding, the UK Government
expects universities to contribute to society
and to the economy by:
Educating students at the undergraduate
and postgraduate level;
Undertaking world class research;
Enabling students to become suitably
qualified graduates in the labour market
And in Kazakhstan?
What are the Government’s expectations
of universities in Kazakhstan?
How does your University translate
Government policy into its objectives?
Why does this matter? Because to be
effective and to secure staff and resources
you must link your Careers Centre’s work
to the University’s strategy
E.g. University of Warwick
Our vision is to be a world-class university. One with a
dynamic, enterprising approach to solving global
challenges; one that enables students to create their
place in the world; one that defines the university of
tomorrow
Our mission is to produce graduates who are global
citizens, who are equipped to make an important
contribution to the economy and to society in our interconnected world; to serve our local region, academically,
culturally and economically
University objectives
Our values: pursuit of excellence; ambition and
drive; enterprising; making a difference;
community; accessible; global perspective;
independence
Our goals: enable students to succeed; deliver
world class research; secure global position;
engage our communities; champion social,
cultural and economic growth; secure financial
sustainability
Links to our work:
Enable students to succeed and create their
place in the world; be global citizens; serve local
region
Ambition and drive; enterprising; making a
difference; global perspective; independence
→SCS’s mission: to enable students to become
successful students and employable graduates
“we prepare graduates for jobs that don’t yet
exist, who will have to solve problems we don’t
yet know about” → future proofing graduates
And your Careers Centre?
What is the mission of your Careers
Centre?
Why does this matter? Because you will
have to work hard to secure the resources
you need to provide a high quality,
impactful and impartial service. Clarity
about your purpose will give you
determination and drive
UK labour market
Historically low unemployment at 5.7% of
working age population
Broad range of sectors, inc. service industries
and knowledge economy
Recovering well from the financial crisis
Increasingly buoyant labour market; some
sectors struggling to recruit suitably qualified
graduates → but still fiercely competitive to enter
70-75% of employers want “graduate skills and
expertise” rather than a particular degree
Know your labour market
Role of Government and relevant ministries
Sectors: extractive industries; agriculture;
construction; teachers; medics, health
Which are stable, growing, declining + causes?
Do you understand the expectations of local,
regional and international employers?
Segmenting labour market: e.g. by turnover; by
number of employees; by market share; how
many of your graduates are of interest to them,
and are interested in them
Define your labour market
What sectors of the economy do your
graduates enter/want to enter?
What labour market do you serve?
How would you segment your employers
and what is the rationale for this
segmentation?
Why does this matter? You must know to
be able to provide impartial, informed
advice to your students
Employers want graduates with:
Good degree from a good university
Work experience
A record of achievement, e.g.
sports, societies, volunteering
Ability to understand what is right
for them, and how to tell their
unique story, and adapt it for
different audiences
The skills to succeed in recruitment
Employers* will not recruit graduates who
Cannot work with, and get things done, through others
Are not practical enough to think through problems
clearly and deliver outcomes
Cannot show a passion for chosen career or industry
Are not flexible or resilient enough to work in a
challenging, changing environment (or prepared to
sometimes do dull work that needs doing)
Cannot work with people from different cultures
Have no interest in what is happening in other countries
and cultures
*Stephen Isherwood, Chief Executive, Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), with
300 members, Recruiters’ Club forum, May 2014
Link to Careers
Employer views and labour market data are
historical. So be well informed to ensure
advice to students is current and impartial
Aim to be one step ahead of emerging
labour market trends
Be informed not led by employers
Have careers staff qualified in guidance,
with sector knowledge. Consider AGCAS
Establish and maintain excellent employer
relations
What is AGCAS?*
The professional association for Careers
Centre staff
International membership of 2,500, 150+
institutions, with access to 2m+ students
Conferences, training, and qualifications
A welcoming network of professionals
*Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services
Helping your students to succeed
Embed employability in curriculum
Enable and promote work experience,
internships, placements
Help them to meet employers
Interpret the labour market for them
Encourage and expect independence
Aid them to reflect and Tell their Story
Help them succeed with the recruitment process
Work experience – it’s all good
Early access to graduate job /
application process
Try without committing
Student gains……
Contacts useful for career
?
?
Experience in
any graduate
field
Academic
work, e.g.
URSS
Appreciation of the higher level
skills gained via study
Unique experience for reflection
and future reference
Self reliance & self
understanding
Employability skills – teamwork,
communication, customer skills
Expectations, understanding,
feel & culture of the workplace
Developing application and
interview skills
Broad category of placement,
experience or internship
‘Non graduate’
work
experience
Experience
in chosen
graduate
field
Characteristics of a successful
careers centre
Strong leadership and management with
students at the heart of your service
Qualified careers advisers
Employer liaison
Employability
Placements/internships
Links to rest of University
Essentials
Vision and policies will give a secure
foundation →clarity of purpose, senior
management support, ways to work with
students and employers
Qualified Careers advisers who offer
informed, impartial and confidential advice
Excellent Employer links which draw
employers to your University so students
can meet them, learn about sectors, and
make good choices about their futures
Essentials, 2
Employability and careers staff to guide
students on career decisions and how to
be successful in recruitment
Internships and placements, as part of
course or extra-curricular provide essential
employer contacts + work experience
Links to rest of University, e.g. recruitment,
alumni, academic departments will enable
you to contribute to the University’s goals
in a joined up way
Career guidance
Information and resources for students to research their
options, look at different sectors, employers, vacancies
– Student portal; Drop in Help Desk; Vacancies
database
Advice and guidance so students can make decisions
that are right for them
– AGCAS Qualified Careers consultants who offer 1:1
expert advice and guidance, with in-depth, up-to-date
knowledge of different sectors
– Helping students get a job: CVs, applications,
interviews
– Career Management skills sessions
Foundations for your service
Be attractive and accessible, easy to use
Know your students, faculty and labour market
Have competent, qualified staff who are
committed to student success
Have variety of ways to engage (e.g. online, in
person, by email)
Be informed and up-to-date
Be impartial and confidential
Encourage early engagement
Know your students, faculty
For example, Warwick has 4 faculties, 26
departments, governed in x way . . .; and
24,000 students, of whom 13,000 are
undergraduates, 9,000+ are taught
postgraduates, and 1,800 are research
students.
25% of undergraduates are international
students, 33% of total population
128 languages spoken on campus
Know your students, faculty 2
Disciplines, cohort size
Student interests and ambitions during
University, and for their futures
Academic priorities
Senior management priorities
Networks, networks, networks!
Why does this matter? To deliver a good
service you must understand your
stakeholders
What about you?
What are the student demographics at
your university? E.g. UG/PG, subject split,
cohort sizes
What do you know about your students?
What are the priorities of academic and
senior management?
Why does this matter? To deliver a good
service you must understand your
stakeholders
Everyone’s journey will be different
How can you
measure success?
Student completion rates
Graduate employment rates and salaries,
x months after graduation
Number of your graduates employed in
different sectors
Student feedback, employer feedback
How well you meet labour market needs
How well you serve your local economy
Graduate Employment*
69.6% in paid work
13.1% in further study
5.4% combining work and study
7.6% still seeking work
4.4% not available/other
66% in a “professional” role
£20,500 median salary (full-time work)+
*Latest available data on UK/EU graduates who studied in the UK, collected for the
Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA). Undergraduates and graduates combined,
data collected in January 2014, 6 months after graduation
+ = 5,500,000 KZT
Measures 2
National Student Survey (views of finalists)
International Student Survey (learning;
living; support; arrival)
High Fliers Survey (views of finalists and
Top 100 graduate employers)
Informal and formal Employer feedback
Internal student surveys, evaluation of
sessions and workshops
And what about you?
How will you measure the success of your
service with students, employers, etc.?
How will you use measures and feedback
to improve your service?
Why does it matter? Because resources
are always scarce, and you will face
questions on whether your services makes
a difference, so have the measures of
success to prove it!
Our advice to students
Get the best degree you can by focussing on
academic & professional skills
Get work experience
Make the most of University life
Develop skills and confidence (volunteering, work
experience, clubs and societies)
Meet employers to find out more about them
And decide what matters to you, and how to
present yourself