Employability Skills Unit introduction Ainsley Smith http asmithatmancat

Employability Skills Unit introduction Ainsley Smith http: //asmithatmancat. wordpress. com/ E-mail ainsley_smith@mancat. ac. uk

Employability skills? ? This unit is not about being employed, but about having “Employability skills” compatible with jobs which fully utilises your degree!!

Employability skills? ? It will also provide useful information, and guidelines, regarding job responsibilities for: v other peoples actions v groups or teams v making important decisions v carrying out, and reporting on, research activities

So how does it fit in with other units? ? v It fully compliments the Foundation Degree in Computer Network Managements technical subjects v It builds on the skills covered in the “Personal Effectiveness” unit v It provides further insights to the organisational goals, and objectives, covered by the “Information Systems in Organisations” unit

So what are the units outcomes? ? A student who successfully completes this unit should be able to: v. Identify, describe and evaluate their own, and others’ job related responsibilities and performance v. Investigate and describe the dynamics of working with others, and the associated responsibilities of being a good team member, and/or team leader

So what are the units outcomes? ? A student who successfully completes this unit should be able to: v. Develop, present, and evaluate a strategy for solving problems v. Develop, present, and evaluate a strategy for handling, processing and communicating information

So what about a bit more detail? ? v. Own and others’ work responsibilities and performance v. Job descriptions and specifications v. Job responsibilities v. Setting job performance targets v. Individual appraisals and development systems v. Motivation and performance

Setting job performance targets

So what about a bit more detail? ? v. Dynamics of working with others v. Team and group work v. Group working to achieve corporate objectives and goals v. Group problem solving v. Team projects

So what about a bit more detail? ? v. Dynamics of working with others, continued v. Leadership v. Selecting the team v. Motivation and loyalty v. Target setting v. Monitoring and control v. Action Planning

Team building ingredients Ingredients seen as important to the successful set-up and launch of such team efforts include: • • Selection of participants Establishing goals Allocation of roles within the team Harmonizing personality types Training on how to work together Support within the team Making effective use of resources Communication between team members and leaders

So what about a bit more detail? ? v. Problem solving strategies v. Specification of the problem v. Identification of possible outcomes v. Research, plan and implement v. Monitor and present outcomes v. Evaluation of the solution against the specification and desired outcomes

Cause & Effect

So what about a bit more detail? ? v. Strategies for handling, processing and communicating information v. Identify outcomes v. Research, plan and process v. Monitor and present outcomes v. Evaluation of communication strategy

A SWOT by an individual manager could look like this:

What about assessments? ? v. There are two marked assessments v. Assessment 1 v. A Personal Development Plan (PDP) which will be updated, and monitored, at regular intervals through out the course Showing your continuous development in understanding, and applying, “Employability skills”

What about assessments? ? v. There are two marked assessments v. Assessment 2 v. A report, no longer than 1500 words, showing you have fully utilised “Employability skills” at your workplace, and how this has contributed to organisational efficiency

How do I provide evidence of good “Employability Skills”? ? v. Examples of supporting evidence could be: v. Work assessment reports v. Case studies v. Project management activities v. Research reports v. Supervisory activities v. Decision making outcomes v. Team building and leading v. Meeting organisational goals and objectives

Books of interest • One Step ahead: Writing Reports Seely J Oxford University Press ISBN 0198662831 • Creating teams with an edge Havard Business Essentials ISBN 1 -59139 -290 -X • Manager’s Toolkit Havard Business Essentials ISBN 1 -59139 -289 -6

Books of interest • Winning Decisions J Edward Russo & Paul J. H Schoemaker Piatkus ISBN 07499 2285 0 • Developing your staff Patrick Forsyth Kogan Page ISBN 0 -7494 -3525 -9 • Leadership Styles Tony Kippenberger ISBN 1841123579 Capstone Express