Making a difference the Higher Education Achievement Report

Making a difference: the Higher Education Achievement Report: supporting employability and career development in Wales and beyond… John Jackson, University of Bangor Gary Jones, University of Swansea Rob Ward, The Centre for Recording Achievement

In the beginning… White Paper on ‘the Future of Higher Education’ (HMSO, 2003) • “we must … ensure that we have robust ways of describing, measuring and recording student achievement which are helpful to the student, to institutions, to employers, and to other stakeholders. ” (para. 4. 7).

The HEAR: a summative record… 1. provides a detailed (national and international) single record of student achievement; (incorporating both the DS and HE Transcript); 2. enables provision of a full academic record, including the opportunity for detailed information of achievement in respect of different forms of assessment; A wider record… 3. provides a common structured format within which to include details of the wider achievements of the learner within section 6. 1.

4. is designed to be much more than an exit document, being developed from entry to HE onwards. This will enable it to be used: • as a basis for reviewing progress and planning future activities; • to support student engagement with a range of opportunities beyond the curriculum; • as an aide memoire for students in considering applications for sandwich placements, study abroad or internships, or for permanent employment or further study before the final award is made; • subject to appropriate permissions, as a source of information that can be accessed by prospective employers (and admissions tutors).

Perspectives on the HEAR: • an institutional record to be implemented; • a richer record of achievement; • a resource/catalyst to support student engagement and claims to employability… • a potential resource for employers and recruiters…

Swansea University - enhancing students’ employability Swansea University q has issued a Diploma Supplement to all undergraduate and Masters’ students since 2005 q was awarded a Diploma Supplement label for the period 2009 - 2013 - one of only 3 in the UK to have been awarded a label in recognition of it meeting the criteria q issued a Diploma Supplement and an e-HEAR to students in 2012 but since 2013 only issues an e-HEAR (Diploma Supplement) q was awarded a Diploma Supplement Label, based on the e -HEAR (Dip Supp), in December 2013. www. swansea. ac. uk

Swansea University - enhancing students’ employability Why did Swansea University risk its Dip. Supp. Label Status? In the students’ interest ü It is electronic and hence easily accessible by many parties ü The Gradintel Software allows employers to access the records ü The e-HEAR is a live document and is referred to throughout the student’s candidature to encourage and promote development ü Additional non-academic achievements can be recorded in section 6. 1 such as prizes and awards – using the Gradintel software ü The Academic Registrar no longer has to sign them all personally!!! www. swansea. ac. uk

Swansea University - enhancing students’ employability Section 6. 1 Recording Personal Achievements Employability enhancing aspects of the curriculum - Mobility - Work placements - Language skills - Welsh-medium provision etc Personal achievements and Awards Swansea Employability Award Swansea International Award Discovery Volunteering Award Egypt Centre Award Military Training Qualification Swansea Sustainability Award Students’ Union Skills Award (TBC) Entrepreneurship Award (TBC) Gwobr Academi Hywel Teifi (TBC) University Prizes A range of College and University prizes are recorded on the recipient’s HEAR (Diploma Supplement) www. swansea. ac. uk

Challenges • Student engagement with Gradintel; • Staff engagement with the new personal tutoring system; • Managing the Students’ Union Award. www. swansea. ac. uk

Liaison between Careers & Employability, Academic Registry and Students’ Union Opportunities & Strengths Existing BEA scheme has already laid much-needed groundwork for 6. 1 SU formalising student involvement, recording activity Internal activities data, from a wide range of academic and service departments, provided in bulk-upload format Academic staff recognising the national status of HEAR and helping to promote engagement (via existing personal tutors system) But slowly, and some more than others! Facilitates more focus on students’ personal development

Self-assessment analysis of your skills & qualities Summary of the Core Programme of the BEA Skills Planning Practice profiling assessments (3 rd-party-assessed) Practice reasoning tests (3 rd-party-assessed) Career management workshops Skills development workshops Reflections on your activities & experiences Personal employability statement

Summary of BEA Activities Programme Menus A proportion of extracurricular activities Experiences of work Volunteering, representation, clubs & societies Enterprise & innovation Skills development, training & learning A proportion of co-curricular activities Subject-specific activities & experiences Reflections upon your curriculum

• The Core Programme facilitates the cross-referencing of the graduate attributes identified in a skills plan, with those enhanced/attained and More focus on reflected upon throughout the bespoke Activities Programme students’ • In addition, the enhancement/attainment and reflection upon any personal equivalent graduate attributes in the curriculum can be referenced in the development BEA; this provides an understanding of a ‘triangulation’ of attributes across the different aspects of the student’s university life • HEAR will facilitate further by drawing all of these aspects into one easyreference point Curricular Co-curricular Extracurricular

Updating existing BEA regulations to include HEAR Some of the Challenges Bilingual HEAR? Formative access for students Interface with existing bespoke BEA software Empty 6. 1 – suggested BEA Core as minimum, to help combat Clearly differentiating between HEAR, BEA & CVs Marketing at/communication with 1 st year students

On employers and recruiters…. employers come in all shapes and sizes…

Aggregated employer messages… • Simplicity of format and concise content, though not at the extent of removing the individual and personal focus > ‘sales pitch’ for the University to be avoided!. • Institutional verification of wider achievements seen as a new and welcome development. • Substantial preference for an electronic HEAR, and for this to be available for scrutiny in respect of applications for internships or - in the final year of undergraduate study - for employment opportunities (the evolving HEAR). • Primary value in enabling students to be ‘more choiceful’; importance of making the most of the University experience, thinking and acting to develop a range of experiences and achievements beyond academic programmes, and in providing a richer record they could use to articulate and evidence achievements.

HEAR supporting student/graduate progression – and employability… The applicant uses their HEAR as an ‘aide memoire’ to help when filling in an application form – or developing their CV – manually. Paper HEAR, virtual HEAR data reflected back to via student portal and/or end of year HEAR provided via trusted third party organisation. Document share - the applicant grants access by email to a specific employer to whom they have applied in support of their application. (requires employer to register with University, student controls access) Virtual HEAR (PDF) delivered by institution or trusted third party organisation.

Through electronic matching - ‘talent spotting’ - by the use of software that facilitates an interrogation of students/applicants achievements by potential employers. HEAR held as a data set. ‘Data Exchange’ -the incorporation of data derived from the HEAR within online application systems. HEAR held as a data set, needs to conform to technical specification.

Over to you… Given the scenarios, what can the various actors do to enhance student employability?

Employability… a perspective from Google ‘Your degree is not a proxy for your ability to do any job. The world only cares about — and pays off on — what you can do with what you know (and it doesn’t care how you learned it)…. . in an age when innovation is increasingly a group endeavour, it also cares about a lot of soft skills — leadership, humility, collaboration, adaptability and loving to learn and re-learn. ’