Wolverhampton Employability Award

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Wolverhampton Employability Award

• Helene Turley
• Lesley Hassall
• Careers and Employment Centre

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Summary of Employability Awards

• Point System
• Loughborough University (C) (T)
• University of Birmingham (C) (T)
• University of Bradford (C) (A)
• University of Kent (C)
• University of Warwick (C) (T)
• University of York (C) (T) (M)

• Most / All of the Elements Compulsory
• London South Bank University (C)
• University of Derby (C) (A) ()
• University of Exeter (C) (S) (M)
• University of Gloucestershire (C) (T)
• University of Leicester (C) (T) ()
• University of Sheffield (C) (M)

• Falls between the two options
• University of Nottingham (C) school (T)

Code (C) Careers (S) Students Union (T)
Student Transcript (A) Accredited (M) Multiple
Awards () Charges
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Award Names

• Challenge Yourself University of Bradford
• Durham Award
• Exeter Award
• Employable Gloucestershire Graduate Scheme (EGGS)
  (pilot stage)
• Futures Award - University of Central Lancashire
• Leicester Award for Employability (500 students
  p.a. 0.6 and 0.2 members of staff)
• LSBU Employability Award
• Loughborough Employability Award
• Nottingham Advantage Award (1,000 students p.a.
  / 2 members of staff)
• Skills for Work Certificate University of
  Sheffield (280/750 students complete p.a. / 0.2
  and 0.4 members of staff)
• The Lincoln Award (70-80 students p.a. / no
  additional staff 1st year)
• The Personal Skills Award University of
  Birmingham (2 members of staff)
• The Skills Award University of Liverpool
• University of Derby Award Programme (for
  Employability, Leadership and Management)
• University of Kent Careers Employability Award
• Warwick Skills Certificate
• York Award

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Award Elements

• Work experience
• Interview
• Presentation
• Creating a CV
• Assignments
• Extra-curricular activities
• Employability workshops inc key skills
• Portfolio of evidence
• Job-hunting strategy
• Occupational Study
• Reflection

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Our award

• Work experience
• Skills analysis and development
• Occupational/organisational study
• CV
• Communication and presentation skills
• Reflection and action planning

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Induction (compulsory session)

• Counts as official start of award
• To run several times over 2 month period
• Explain award, assessments, support available
• Skills analysis and self-awareness activities
• Confidence building activities

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Work experience

• 60 hours
• Part-time job/casual/Summer/UK or abroad
• Placement (module related or not)
• Volunteering (module related or not)
• Cannot be counted retrospectively
• Can be 60 hours in total from different
  organisations
• Timesheets and report from supervisor

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Task 1 Skills analysis

• Evidence of 3 out of 6 criteria in 500 words each
• Team building
• Leadership
• Problem solving
• Communication/interpersonal skills
• IT
• Organisational skills, including time management

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Task 2 Work related study

• Job study/organisation study/sector study
• To be approved in advance
• Pro forma to guide structure and content
• Study to be disseminated in careers library, on
  website, in presentations

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Review, reflection and planning (compulsory
session)

• On completion of 60 hours work experience
• To run several times over 2 month period
• Review of progress to assignments
• Reflection on skills and experience
• Action planning (short and long term)
• Feedback to group

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Task 3 CV

• Graduate level
• Targeted
• Reflects work experience
• To meet fixed criteria in pro forma

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Task 4 Presentation

• 5 minute presentation
• What makes me employable in my chosen field?
• Choice of session to attend (5-6 students per
  session)
• Assessed against advertised criteria

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Task 5 Career plan

• Short and/or long term
• Shows evidence of reflection and research
• Conforms to recommended structure/content
• Current/ideal situation
• Strengths/areas for development/overcoming
  barriers
• Steps
• Support and resources
• Reflection/review
• Deadlines

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Timescales

• Academic year
• Session 1 September/November
• Session 2 April/June
• Completion End July
• Vacation
• Session 1 April/June
• Session 2 September/November
• Completion End December

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Resources

• Dedicated website for award
• Support materials on WOLF?
• Optional workshops delivered by Careers and
  Employment Centre, employers, etc
• Duty careers advisers

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Assessment

• Clear pass criteria for assignments
• Can be resubmitted
• Satisfactory report and timesheets from placement
• Getting support before handing in will not
  disadvantage you
• Submit portfolio

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Staffing issues for Careers and Employment Centre

• Delivering sessions
• Assessing tasks/portfolio
• Devising materials
• Creating website
• Administrative work (including recording,
  monitoring and marketing)

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Recognition of award

• Employer endorsement
• On HEAR
• Certificate to be handed out at employment and
  volunteering awards ceremony
• Prize(s)
• Promote alongside Employability Statement and
  Graduate Attributes

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Higher employability award

• Leadership
• Project management
• Mentoring/training role
• Interview assessment
• Personal statement