First Footsteps

Engaging Early-Stage Students

(Parts 1 & 2)

WithEmployability

A CCMS funded project exploring the provision and potential to embed more information about career development for students within the School of Biological Sciences

Final Report July 2009

Ross Cameron, Sarah Swan, Andy Wetten, Gail Hutchinson & Tania Lyden

Contents

Page
Summary / 3
Introduction and Background / 4
Project Objectives / 6
Methodology / 7
Relaying Information to Students about Employability and Career Development - Best Practice within the School of Biological Sciences / 7
Information from the Advisory and Student Steering Groups / 9
Employment Statistics (Based on CAS ‘6-Month’ Data) / 12
Students Aspirations (A Review of Part 1 Students’ Attitudes to Careers on Entering University in 2007) / 16
Embedding Specific Employability Activities in the School of Biological Sciences / 21
Career Event / 21

Student Preferences for Companies / Organisations

/ 24
Student Responses to the Career Event / 29
Company Responses to the Career Event / 30
Science Communication Module / 30
Overview of the Career Event and Science Communication Module / 32
Conclusions and Recommendations / 38

Key Points from the Project

/ 41
Recommendations / 43
References / 45

Summary

This project investigated the potential to enhance student employability by introducing information on career development from a relatively early (Part 1 and Part 2), rather than later (Part 2 and 3) stage of University education. As higher education becomes more expensive and employment less certain (due to the current economic recession), enhancing the prospects for a career in their chosen discipline, becomes increasingly important for students. In developing and marketing their courses too, Universities need to be aware that students may select universities based on their track-record for graduate employment. The School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading conducted this project to investigate students’ attitudes to ‘career-based’ education and to develop opportunities to provide earlier and more effective information and experiences. Data gained from interviews and surveys suggested that within the Biological sector, students do choose courses (some more than others) on the career prospects they offer, and that Universities have some responsibility for improving employment prospects. ‘First destination’ data suggested that employment within a sector / field was strongly dependant on degree subject. Nevertheless, previous work experience helped improve subsequent employment prospects, and encouraging students to undertake placements may be a primary mechanism to help students enhance their career prospects. Embedding relevant information within the curriculum and encouraging students to talk to career advisors from an early stage was deemed to be an appropriate way to encourage students to seek placements. ‘Classical’ career development teaching was not always popular with students, however, and University staff need to provide more imaginative means to engage students with this subject. The report recommends adopting mechanisms that break down the barriers between ‘academic’ subject matter and that associated with career development. Techniques employed in the recently developed ‘Science Communication’ (Career Management Skills) module are providing a very effective ‘vanguard’ in this respect. Nevertheless, this is currently a Part 2 module, and there may be other, earlier, opportunities for students to begin to engage with career issues, within the context of wider educational parameters.

Introduction and Background

“The overall aim of the project was to enhance student employability by captivating their interest and awareness about career development from an early stage.”

The School of Biological Sciences formed in August 2005 with a merger of the School of Plant Sciences and the School of Animal and Microbial Science. One of the primary thrusts for the merger was to enhance the number of students entering the ‘generic’ Biological Sciences BSc degree as this area of education was seen as a significant ‘market opportunity’, yet one that the University was under-exploiting. It is well recognised that Biology is a popular A-level subject and one that many students wish to continue when they enter higher education. Unlike other degree subjects such as Engineering, Law, Business Studies etc., however, a clearly defined career route is less evident in Biology. Many students do indeed develop careers in biological disciplines, but a significant proportion do not and these may enter careers in the civil service, local government, the financial sector and elsewhere. In a competitive market place for Biology students, Reading University felt that in needed a distinct and unique branding to help entice more students to choose Reading. One element of this is to provide an environment that encourages interaction with industry and facilitates greater opportunities for students to develop careers in the biological sector. In essence,to promote the notion that a Reading Biology degree increases your chances of developing a career in biology.

In addition to the generic Biology degree, the School also offers a suite of degrees specialising in specific elements of biology and statistics. (Table 1). As with Biology, it is assumed that students are attracted largely by an interest in the specific nature of the discipline, e.g. Microbiology, Botany, Zoology etc. In a small number of degrees, however, good career prospects and a more defined career route may be a motivating factor for students choosing the subject area. These degree programmes often have close links with industry and sandwich placements may be compulsory (e.g. Landscape Management) or students expected to do some clinical / lab work in an industrial setting for the degree to gain its accreditation (e.g. Biomedical Science). The variety of different degree types ranging from traditional ‘academic’ pure sciences through to the more applied sciences provides an ideal opportunity to gauge the diversity of opinions relating to career development (both by students and indeed staff).

This project was undertaken in an attempt to understand more fully the extent to which students consider and engage with career issues whilst at university. Indeed we wished to focus on ‘early stage’ (Part 1 & 2) students particularly, where career considerations are more likely to be deemed remote and of a lower priority compared to other aspects of university life. Paradoxically, these are the students, though, who can gain most by fully exploiting their vacations and sandwich placements to gain a greater insight into the world of work and to explore the career options available to them.

Table 1. The range of BSc degrees offered within the School of Biological Sciences (as of 2007)

Biological Sciences / Biochemistry / Applied Ecology & Conservation / Applied Statistics
Biological Sciences + Industrial Experience / Biomedical Sciences / Botany / Business Statistics
Medical Microbiology / Environmental Biology / Statistics
Horticulture & Landscape Management / Maths & Applied Statistics
Zoology / Maths & Statistics

NB. The number of degrees has been rationalised and altered since 2000 and degree names do not necessarily match with subsequent tables and figures.

Three main questions drive the project

  1. Do early stage (Part 1 & 2) students consider employment opportunities and career development a high priority?
  1. Does the School of Biological Sciences provide adequate information and encouragement with respect to placements and wider career development?
  1. If not, what procedures can be implemented to help students gain relevant industrial experience, and to improve their employment prospects on leaving university?

Project Objectives

The specific objectives within the project were:

  • Identifying and disseminating current 'best practice' within the School on aspects relating to employability.
  • Set up a student steering group (SSG) from School of Biological Sciences.
  • Set up a database on employment statistics that will be useful for verifying success of the project and help market our degree programmes in future.
  • Embed specific employability activities in Parts 1 and 2 so students can better understand the context of their Higher Education and help them maximise the opportunities to seek and gain industrial experience.
  • Recognise and award students (where appropriate) for their attempts to engage with industry and improve their employment potential. E.g. via a certificate scheme.
  • To exploit existing IT systems such as Blackboard, so students can present their portfolios / CVs in a professional manner, and could have the opportunity for 'marketing' their skills to potential employers.

Methodology

Information was gathered throughout the project via accessing existing data bases (e.g. Career Advisory Service’s Alumni database) or gathering data from questionnaires and interviews. Where possible, data values are meaned with some degree of variability indicated (usually, standard deviance or error). Variations in sample size often resulted in unbalanced data sets allowing minimal further statistical assessment. Data are gleaned largely from early stage (Part 1 and 2) students. The project ran for 3 years and information was gained from student experiences covering 5-6 years of University life. It should be noted that during this period, changes in the teaching curriculum and personnel, and not least the merging of the two original schools could lead to some variability and inconsistency in responses from students e.g. change in attitudes to the Career Management Skills Module.

Relaying Information to Students about Employability and Career Development - Best Practice within the School of Biological Sciences

This proved to be one of the most difficult objectives to achieve! E-mail requests for information were sent out to all academic staff, with only 2 replies. This was followed by more specific requests to the degree advisors and admissions tutors – again with limited success. In total only 7 academics replied. Low levels of engagement by academics in this context is perhaps,not that unusual. Not only are academics very busy, but some aspects of ‘embedding employability’ in the curriculumcan be seen to challenge academic freedom and counter the philosophy of ‘education for education’s sake’ (Lees, 2002). Despite the low response rates though, some relevant information was gleaned from the process. Not least, a number of academics considered themselves to have a poor understanding of the work place in non-academic institutions and were not necessarily comfortable discussing career development with students unless it related to research based careers. There was some suggestion of a bias based on those degrees that had a more applied element to them, i.e. those lecturers with contact with industry were able to provide more positive insights.

Key comments from academics included:

  • Encourage guest speakers (and particularly those hosting student visits) to provide information about their own career progress. This has the advantage of students understanding employability within the context of specific subject matter, e.g.

“field ranger discussing applied zoology, but also providing advice to students about approaching employers and key skills required to do a ranger’s job”.

  • When a lecturer discusses his / her own research, highlight interactions with industry and industry’s requirements. For example, Government LINK projects involve close collaboration with industry. Similarly, a number of academics within the school have experience of Knowledge Technology Partnerships and gain insights as to what is required of a ‘good graduate’ from an employer’s perspective.
  • Put information in lectures in ‘real world’ context where possible – Demonstrate to students that an understanding of scientific facts is essential, but so too are communication skills and tact.

“Listeria or Hysteria ! – Engaging with the public regarding microbial based diseases often involves a fair deal of psychology as well as microbiology”.

  • Use Part 3 thesis projects as a platform to discuss issues with industry. This can vary from doing the entire project during the placement year to just encouraging the student to order their own consumables from a lab supplier. A number of organisations now offer student bursaries for Part 3 projects to encourage students within the School to enter their business sector later on.
  • Some programmes actually specify interactions with industry in the module– e.g. Landscape Managers in conjunction with a landscape architect develop a Design and Management Plan for one of the nearby local authorities, and present this to the council (who often implement it!). Similarly, Horticultural students will devise a marketing plan for a new plant or product and discuss it with commercial nurseries.
  • Discuss with students the benefits of joining bodies such as the Institute of Biology, Institute of General Microbiology, Landscape Institute, Local Wildlife Trusts etc.
  • Make a ‘mental note’ to discuss career progression with tutees, even Part 1 students.
  • Encourage students to attend conferences held by professional or industrial bodies regarding key scientific or social issues. (Especially where bodies have a student discount scheme).

Information from the Advisory and Student Steering Groups

Two groups helped co-ordinate the project and provide intellectual input. The Advisory group included personnel from the Career Advisory Service, Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Placement tutors (Biology, Food Science & Agriculture). The Student group met twice with 6 and 8 students attending, respectively. These groups generated a number of interesting points and strategies that could be adopted.

Key points included:

  • There is a difference between specific skills relevant to a discipline and generic ‘graduate’ key skills that students could obtain from a degree. Both were equally valid. Many would study Biology but never have the intention to gain direct employment in it (e.g. army entry, civil service etc.).
  • Would it be useful to develop some sort of comparison between Reading’s Biology and that of other Universities. – were we ‘par for the course’ or could we do better in helping career prospects?
  • It was agreed that getting information was one of the main challenges and common to these types of scenarios.
  • Students need an incentive to return questionnaire – prize
  • Having a set period when they were requested to fill in a form may help e.g. end of a formal class. (the CETL does this).
  • Placements are very important in getting students engaged with employability.
  • ‘Selling’ the Placement / Sandwich place element is possibly the catalyst for further interest in career development.
  • Has to be student lead – students can be ‘encouraged’ by curriculum activities, but they need to use their initiative in pursing opportunities. (need to recognise that many lecturers were not that well informed about careers outside University !!!).
  • Students benefited from external speakers from industry, but if this was a specific exercise (e.g. lunchtime talk) attendance was low (speakers did not return!). This format needs to be embedded in modules (and the speaker may need to cover curriculum content to some extent). In Agriculture it was noted that Part 1 students were interested in this too, i.e. never too early to start talking about placements and job opportunities?
  • The incentive for academics to engage with industry (talks, placements etc) was that research opportunities often arose after links had been made. E.g. a placement student works on project with a company and then uses this as a platform for their Part 3 thesis. The company is interested in the results and negotiates with the academic about follow-on research through a formal research contract.
  • PDP scheme - this could be used as a vehicle to get students to approach the Admissions and Degree Development (ADD) Office, e.g. to notify them of a specific meeting run by the ADD Office every year.
  • Could 10 minutes of the Part 1 curriculum be made available for the ADD Office to talk to students about placements. Ideally, prior to Easter break.
  • The School has adopted the i-Learn Project scheme. This is a student driven activity and allows students to maintain a personal reflection of their development, including key skills learned.
  • Students require more help from academics about how to apply for funding for places and courses, including post-graduate opportunities. Currently no clear process identified – variable help from tutors.
  • Careers fairs were seen ‘as a non-starter’ for Biology students – too general and dominated by finance and service industries.
  • Generic ‘Career Management Skills’ modules and even help from Careers Advisor Service was often regarded as too general, and few direct contacts with Biology related employers were available. The format of the CMS module though appears critical here - See points later referring to recent modifications to the CMS module – now termed ‘Science Communication’.
  • Talks from students who have been out on placements or have won places on courses etc. was seen as useful by students.
  • E-mail poor medium for communication:- Few students looked at e-mail regularly enough to sift through for circular notices related to job opportunities invited speakers etc.
  • Potential for location in library to be identified for job adverts - somewhere all students regularly pass.

Employment Statistics (Based on Career Advisory Service ‘6-Month’ Data)

The Career Advisory Service employment data was use as a baseline to help determine where Reading Biology graduates found employment. This is from a survey taken 6 months after students graduate, and so is not always an accurate reflection of the first ‘true job students attain (i.e. some may go back to temporary work and others take a gap year). Taylor, (1986) and Shah et al., (2004) also noted that ‘first destinations’ may not be an ideal data-base to reflect overall employment potential. The data also does not distinguish between ‘no job’ and ‘no reply’. The data is sourced from 2000-2006 and some degrees have discontinued or been initiated during this period.

By far the largest degrees in terms of student numbers are Biological Sciences and Zoology (Figure 1). The data for total employment (Figure 2) is suspect due to the reasons outlined above, nevertheless, there is a suggestion that both Applied Statistics and the Physiology and Biochemistry (one of the precursors to Biomedical Science) are useful degrees from a generic employment viewpoint. Of the students who are known to be in employment (or further education) Statistics degrees gave a high conversion to relevant employment (Figure 3). In contrast, less then 50% of Environmental Biologist employed actually possess a post relevant to their degree. In terms of achieving a wage commensurate with university degree status, again Statistics showed the strongest response, with all the students in employment at ‘graduate scale’ income (Figure 4). Salary structures, however, for students who had studied subjects such as Animal Science, Applied Biology, Botany and Environmental Biology were considered ‘below par’.