Student Employability Policy

Policy Coversheet
Policy Title: / Student Employability
Policy reference number:
Committee/ Office- assigned reference number:
(if applicable) / SEC/2011/2/0423
Name of Committee/ Office which approved the policy: / Senate
Date of committee/ office approval: / 4 May 2011
Expiry date/ Validity period: / Perpetuity
Reference number of policy which this replaces:
(if new policy enter ‘New’) / new
Office responsible for developing the policy: / Secretariat
Name of the person completing the coversheet: / John Dickinson
Classification category of Policy:
(select from list below) / Student Services

Policy classification categories
Policies & procedures for or relating to:

i)  Conducting University Business
ii)  Academic services
iii)  Student services
iv)  Human resources
v)  Recruitment
vi)  Resources
vii)  Equality and diversity / viii)  Health and Safety
ix)  Estate management
x)  Complaints
xi)  Records management and data
xii)  Research
xiii)  Charging regimes and policies
xiv)  Other (please describe above)

Form ref. GAP/2008/1134

SEC/2011/2/0423

LANCASTER UNIVERSITY

Senate

4 May 2011

Agendum SB.4

From: Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Colleges and the Student Experience

Document: Student Employability Policy

Proposal: That the Senate notes the Student Employability Policy which has been approved by the Colleges and Student Experience Committee for immediate implementation as set out below

______

A key priority for Lancaster University is to provide programmes of study and opportunities outside core learning activities which enable all our students to gain graduate employment and/or successfully undertake further study.

We seek to produce graduates with a strong knowledge of their subject area who are characterised by the ability to make a positive difference to society, a willingness to take the initiative in their jobs and communities and well-developed leadership skills. During their courses of study our students have opportunities to develop high level skills in:

·  Problem solving

·  Application of knowledge

·  Analysis and critical reflection

·  Oral and written communication

·  Negotiation and influence

·  Application of modern technologies

Responsibilities of Lancaster University

Within this key objective, the University is committed to:

1. ensuring higher-level skills are embedded and clearly articulated in academic curricula and are regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure continuing relevance;

2. working with employers and other stakeholders to ensure fitness for purpose for Lancaster provision and support;

3. increasing and enhancing opportunities for work-related learning through internships and placements;

4. providing opportunities for voluntary work and skills development through LUSU, Colleges, Societies and Clubs

5. delivering effective career education, information and guidance through CEEC, academic departments and faculties;

6. providing opportunities for recording achievement and personal development through for example the Lancaster Award, PDP, MyPlace, MyPGR;

7. providing opportunities to give students the specific skills needed to apply for and gain employment in a global workforce

8. continuing to engage with alumni as appropriate to ensure continuing success.

Responsibilities of students

The commitment of the University is grounded in the expectation that students will accept their own responsibilities both to achieve academically and to prepare themselves for their chosen careers. Specifically within the context of this policy, they will be encouraged to:

1. engage with employability services offered by the University in whatever manner best meets their individual needs;

2. develop knowledge and awareness of the set of skills, understandings and personal attributes they will require to be successful in employment;

3. provide to the University information and advice on aspects where the University could further refine its activities;

4. keep the University informed both of their employment and study achievements after graduation.

Variations

The University fully recognises that students of Lancaster come from a wide variety of backgrounds, study at a large number of locations both nationally and internationally, and have very different employability needs. The University will, as much as is possible, cater to meet the individual needs of its students, in full recognition of the following.

1. Students identified as disadvantaged in the employment market (e.g. mature students, students with disabilities and minority ethnic students) will require additional specialist services designed to meet their diverse needs.

2. The needs of students differ across the institution, and each faculty and school will identify its own internal operational strategies, procedures and support mechanisms.

3. Similarly, students studying on a collaborative programme or one taught away from the main university campus, may also have different needs. In collaborative cases it will normally be the case that students will receive their primary employability support from the collaborative institution to a level approved by Lancaster as equivalent to that offered on the main campus.

Appendix 1

Student Employability Policy: Implementation and Monitoring

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Colleges and the Student Experience has overarching responsibility for:

·  the strategic development of student employability within the institution.

The Centre for Enterprise, Employability and Careers (CEEC) will:

·  provide support to both students and staff (particularly careers tutors) in developing all aspects of employability including entrepreneurship;

·  provide increased opportunities for placements and internships;

·  provide information on opportunities to gain specific skills needed in a global workforce;

·  continue to engage with alumni in liaison with departments;

·  have operational responsibility for the delivery and monitoring of the Lancaster Award.

LUSU, Colleges and LUSU Involve will:

·  provide fora to allow students to gain voluntary work experience and additional skills.

Information Systems Services (ISS) will:

·  provide an institutional platform, MyPlace, MyPGR, to allow students to build individual PDPs as well as access employability-related information and guidance.

Faculties and departments will:

·  embed and articulate higher level skills in academic curricula;

·  embed employability into departmental operating processes;

·  work with relevant employers to ensure our degrees are fit for purpose and increase placement opportunities;

·  each department, or equivalent body, will appoint a Careers Tutor from among its academic staff to be the key liaison between the department and CEEC and give full recognition of the work undertaken.

The Secretariat will:

·  ensure employability is reviewed in annual teaching reviews and through the Periodic Quality Review;

·  monitor collaborative arrangements through agreed collaborative approval and review processes.

In fulfilling the Student Employability Policy as set out above the University sets the following actions, targets and KPIs.

This year CEEC will:

·  deliver 3300 careers information enquiries;

·  deliver 1600 1:1 guidance interviews;

·  deliver 130 CEEC workshops (CVs, Interview Skills, etc.);

·  advertise 1350 graduate job vacancies;

·  advertise 500 work experience vacancies (nb these are often multiples of 10s and 100s);

·  organise an annual Careers Fair for 70 exhibitors and 2000 students;

·  host 55 employer presentations (nb plus 40/50 employer workshops during Insight programmes);

·  create 70 career mentoring partnerships;

·  monitor students interaction with CEEC and review outcomes;

·  co-ordinate 150 student internships and placements.

This year the University will:

·  collate data on student destinations by department/subject and set targets for enhancement;

·  clarify the role and position of the Careers Tutor within departments and provide guidelines (attached as appendix 2);

·  review and enhance the Lancaster Award with a target enrolment of 1000;

·  consider the rollout of the Lancaster Award to collaborative partnerships as appropriate;

·  establish the Colleges and Student Experience Committee to act as the governing body to oversee employability matters for the University.

In addition to these appendix 3 sets out a matrix of activities for all parties concerned with student employability detailing specific actions to be completed. Inherent in all of these is an overall commitment by all parties to encourage the full use of central workshops, information resources and one to one careers guidance provided by CEEC and other specialist services.

Appendix 2

GUIDELINES FOR CAREERS TUTORS

The Careers Service at Lancaster University is committed to enabling its students to make informed decisions about their career choices, take steps to realise their goals, and to develop the capacity to manage their careers throughout their working lives. It is not always immediately obvious to students where, how or even when the Careers Service can help them and so Departmental Careers Tutors play a crucial role in ensuring that their students take full advantage of the careers resources available to them.

1.  Liaison and communication

v  Each faculty has a Careers Adviser partner based in CEEC. Departments should supply the name of the Careers tutor to CEEC before start of academic year. CEEC will provide briefing /training for new careers tutors.

v  Departmental and Faculty Careers tutors should liaise with their Careers adviser before the start of each academic year to programme the 1-hour workshops for each year group and to arrange the Insight Programme.

v  The details of the careers tutor should be in the departmental handbooks and on relevant web pages

v  CEEC will send Final Destination Statistics (FDS) to careers tutors. Careers tutors should use this to update their Looking Ahead Careers for ...

2.  Dissemination and sharing of information

v  A Careers notice board should be present in all departments so that students can have more direct access to careers information. Information and notices will be sent to careers tutors intermittently for display on the notice board.

v  Careers tutors should be aware of the Lancaster Award and encourage students to complete the award.

v  Departments will be expected to provide expert knowledge regarding higher degrees relevant to their subject area either through the careers tutor or other nominated member of staff.

3.  Partnership and collaboration

v  Careers Tutors may wish to work with their adviser partner to organise ‘Careers Days’ within the department where alumni and other professionals give talks about their careers to the students.

v  Careers Tutors can promote the importance of ‘employability’ skills in their departmental course so that they are identified and developed within the curriculum to provide students with the best chance of achieving their immediate career aims.

Appendix 3
Year / Specialist Services (CEEC and faculty-based) / Faculty/Department / LUSU/College / Student
Pre-arrival and Intro Week / ·  Produce Timeline and send out in advance
·  Provide compulsory subject focused talks in intro Week
·  To offer training for Careers Tutors and link to CEEC Faculty Advisor
·  To promote Lancaster Award / ·  Ensure Careers Tutor is trained and has clear job description and role is advertised to students
·  Update Looking Ahead Careers for....
·  Promote Lancaster Award
·  Contact CEEC Careers Adviser to discuss activities/timing for year / ·  Inform students about range of volunteering, sports and societies on offer
·  Promote Lancaster Award
·  Sign-post students to CEEC to aid post-activity reflection for applications and LA / ·  Review timeline
·  Review activities on offer before arrival
·  Sign up for a range of activities
·  Register for the Lancaster Award
·  Note Department Tutor
·  Customise CEEC4jobs account
1st year UG / ·  Sign-up students to Lancaster Award
·  Deliver 1hr departmental workshop
·  Deliver Insight programme (if not in 2nd yr)
·  Deliver Vacancy services / ·  Timetable 1 hr workshop by CEEC
·  Arrange & promote Insight programme (if not in 2nd yr) / ·  Encourage engagement in extra-curricular activity through college tutor system (College only)
·  Support students in Lancaster Award / ·  Engage in all CEEC activities
·  Attend Career Opportunities Fair to identify work experience opportunities
·  Attend 1st Yr CEEC session in Summer term
2nd year / penultimate UG / ·  Deliver range of career planning, employability and 1hr department workshops
·  Provide employer-led programmes and presentations
·  Deliver Insight programme (if not in 1st yr)
·  Deliver Vacancy services / ·  Timetable 1 hr workshop by CEEC (Lent)
·  Arrange and promote Insight programme (if not in 1st yr)
·  Invite CEEC to department review meeting / ·  LUSU to provide training and skills recognition advice for Society and College Officers (LUSU only) / ·  Seek additional activities to broaden University experience
·  Undertake work experience
·  Attend 1 hr CEEC session in Lent
·  Review CV
·  Research preferred occupation
Final year(s) UG / ·  Deliver Department 1hr workshops
·  Deliver Award completers workshops
·  Deliver Vacancy services
·  Deliver guidance interviews / ·  Timetable 1 hr workshop by CEEC (Michaelmas)
·  Provide job references for students
·  Inform CEEC of further study and job destinations where known / ·  College Senior Tutors to provide references for student job applications as appropriate (College only) / ·  Attend 1hr CEEC session in Michaelmas
·  Finalise applications for jobs or further study
·  Complete Lancaster Award
PGT (all years) / ·  To provide PGT career planning talks in Intro Week / ·  To consider inviting CEEC to give a career planning talk in the department / ·  As above / ·  Attend CEEC PGT Intro Week and departmental talks
·  To review CV and attend relevant CEEC sessions
PGR (all years) / ·  To provide PGR career planning talks in Intro Week
·  To provide an annual PGR career planning programme in the summer term / ·  To publicise the annual PGR career planning workshops offered by CEEC / ·  As above / ·  Attend CEEC PGR Intro Week talk
·  To attend the CEEC PGR career planning workshops in the summer term