SRHE Employability Internationalisation Steve Woodfield 13 th November

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Enhancing employability through Internationalisation Steve Woodfield Associate Professor, Kingston University London SRHE Employability, Enterprise and Work-based Learning Network Workshop: “Developing the most employable global citizens: How can we encourage and celebrate outward mobility and working abroad? ” Friday 13 th November 2015

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Overview of this session In this session I plan to cover…. • Concepts of ‘employability’ and ‘graduate attributes’ • The internationalisation of higher education in a European context • Findings from three recent research projects that explored the links between employability and internationalisation Your backgrounds, and your experiences, will help to enrich our discussions

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Employment skills Focused on a particular job or industry • Highly vocational – workplace preparation • Specific career pathways (e. g. engineering, nursing) • Linked to professional accreditation • Subject-specific knowledge, skills and competencies • Demand-led skill sets Challenge: equity for non- or multi-vocational programmes

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Employability skills “…. . a set of achievements – skills, understandings and personal attributes – that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy. ”(Yorke, 2006) • Generic – not exclusively skills-focused • Transferable or transversal skills • ‘Softer' and more person-centred focus • Recognition of multiple career pathways • Knight and Yorke (2003) – a blend of understanding, skilful practices, efficacy beliefs (or legitimate selfconfidence) and reflectiveness (or metacognition).

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Graduate attributes • Employability attributes are a subset of wider set of attributes (i. e. life-skills) • Bespoke and defined by individual universities • Expectations of the skills & understandings students can develop via curricular, co-curricular & extra-curricular activity • Can be exhibited before and after graduation • Bridgstock (2009) ‘lifelong career development’ “The contemporary focus on graduate attributes in higher education is really part of a bigger, as yet unresolved, debate about the purpose of university education and how to develop well-educated persons who are both employable and capable of contributing to civil society. ” (Hager and Holland, 2006)

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 What skills do employers want? Sought-after skills Entrepreneurial & intrapreneurial skills teamwork take responsibility for your own ideas problem solving think creatively about problems communication lead yourself & others in new practices time management cope with uncertainty IT skills initiate change numeracy thrive on challenge customer awareness Prospects: http: //www. prospects. ac. uk/applying_for_jobs_what_skills_do_employers_want. htm

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 What about future skills needs? Top 6 drivers of change Skills for 2020 1 Extreme longevity 1 Sense-making 2 The rise of smart machines & systems 2 Social intelligence 3 Computational world 3 Novel and adaptive thinking 4 New media ecology 4 Cross-cultural competency 5 Superstructed organisations 5 Computational thinking 6 Globally connected world 6 New media literacy 7 Transdisciplinarity 8 Design mind-set 9 Cognitive load management 10 Virtual collaboration Davies et al (2011) Future Work Skills 2020: http: //www. iftf. org/uploads/media/SR 1382 A_UPRI_future_work_skills_sm. pdf

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Graduate attributes: staff & students Most important – STAFF Most important – STUDENTS 1. Independence & critical thinking 2. Communication & presentation 3. Motivation 4. Confidence 5. Subject knowledge 6. Problem solving 7. Research skills 8. Self-sufficiency / independence 9. Self-reflection 10. Team workers 1. Communication 2. Confidence 3. Motivation 4. Teamwork 5. Professionalism/interpersonal skills 6. Research skills 7. Self-reflection 8. Independence & critical thinking 9. Self-sufficiency / independence 10. Subject knowledge ‘Unloved attributes’ – from L&T Strategy Enquiry-led learning (terminology) Entrepreneurial and career aware (terminology and ideology) Global citizenship (terminology and ideology) Ethically-minded (terminology) : Gunn University of Glasgow student research project (2010)

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Internationalisation in HE “the intentional process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions and delivery of postsecondary education, in order to enhance the quality of education and research for all students and staff, and to make a meaningful contribution to society” (de Wit and Hunter, 2015)

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Landscape of international HE • Covers a range of activities and can be viewed through many stakeholder lenses • Influenced by conflicting concepts of internationalization and globalization • Strong normative dimension to internationalisation • Focus of public policy and institutional strategy – designed for particular purposes • To operationalise the concept of internationalization it must be viewed as a process, focused on adding value, and designed to achieve desired outcomes • Understanding impact and requires evidence, measurement and evaluation

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 2, 411 respondents from 33 countries in the EHEA

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Institutional activities to support internationalisation Student exchanges 96% Staff exchanges 92% Student work placements/internships 86% Participation in international higher education networks 85% Degree programmes taught in English 81% Strategic partnerships with select foreign institutions 81% International marketing 73% Summer schools 72% Internationalisation at home 64% International student recruitment campaigns 58% Capacity-building projects in developing countries 54% Degree programmes not taught in English 32% MOOCs and other types of online learning 21% Offshore campuses 13% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 110% EUA Trends 2015 Survey: 451 HEIs in the EHEA

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 HEA Internationalisation Framework (2014) Central triangle: core aim 3 orange triangles: core elements Outer ring: 3 ‘audiences’ – operationalise the framework

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Government policy (England)… Education sector ‘industrial strategy’ 06/13 – economic growth & exports – IHE worth £ 10. 5 bn per year “Our HE sector is becoming more international in four ways. It applies to institutions and to people. And it involves movement in and out of Britain. So first there is the increasing presence of international providers in UK. Secondly, British institutions are planting deep roots overseas. Thirdly, there are growing numbers of overseas students who choose to study in the UK. And fourthly more British students opt to go and study abroad. All these trends are evidence that higher education is going global. And that is a good thing as students broaden their experience and successful institutions move away from the confines of a single campus. ” David Willetts MP, Minister for Universities and Science, 2012

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Internationalisation ‘abroad’ “…all forms of education across borders, including circulation of students, faculty, scholars and programs. ” (Knight 2008) • • Credit mobility (student exchange) Study visits and summer schools Degree mobility (full degrees abroad) Staff mobility Transnational education (TNE) - the provision of award-bearing education to students in countries other than that of the awarding entity Work placements and internships Volunteering and service-learning

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 International alumni perceptions of study in the UK (2013) http: //bit. ly/1 n 6024 g • BIS wanted to “examine and evaluate the wider academic, political, social and economic benefits to the UK from non. EU international graduates who studied at HE institutions in the UK” • Better understanding of education as a national ‘soft power’ asset – ‘trust’ in people, institutions, business • Literature review and c. 100 qualitative alumni interviews (57 yrs. post graduation), stratified sample • Limited knowledge about life and career trajectories of degree mobile non-EU alumni • Current discourse based on a narrative around global ‘elites’ - other alumni silent

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Alumni perceptions: benefits map A 4: Personal consumer behaviour A 5: Skilled migration C 1: Career change or enhancement A 3: Professional networks C 3: Cosmopolitanism & intercultural sensitivity A 2: Indirect economic benefits C 4: Personal growth & wider experiences C 5: Social benefits & networks A 1: Additional HE exports B 1: UK ambassadors C 2: English language proficiency B 2: Promoting trust B 3: UK influence during capacity building D 2: Personal multiplier effects D 1: Capacity building & societal development

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Alumni perceptions: career benefits Directly contributed to gaining job 37 Qualification enabled faster progression 36 44 Very much 36 Some extent Skills gained enabled faster progression 43 Little 47 Not at all Gave new idea for career direction 30 0% 41 50% 100%

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Alumni perceptions: personal benefits More influence at home 45 More confident in making success at home 25 40 More confident to work/engage internationally 44 60 Very much Some extent 29 Little Different perception of the UK now 53 I think differently now 57 0% Not at all 39 39 50% 100%

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Student perspectives on outward mobility • Funded by Go International and the British Council (2015) • UK student perspectives on: motivations, impact, decision-making, barriers, support • Inclusive definition of mobility during study – work placements, exchange, visits • Literature review: @elspethjones • Survey: 1, 588 students (37 UK universities) – pre and post mobility • Focus groups: 7 universities http: //go. international. ac. uk/student-perspectives-going-international

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Student perspectives: motivations Interesting new experiences Broadening horizons Enjoyment Developing interpersonal skills Learning new country/culture Improved general employability Prospects of working abroad Improving language skills New contacts outside UK Potential to improve grade Value in obtaining specific UK job Academic credit Other university recognition Doing something worthwhile Pre-existing link with country Friends/peers doing it 22 21 17 15 14 11 11 9 0% very • • important 81 73 65 65 59 56 50 41 43 24 27 22 25 18 14 20% 17 23 27 26 30 31 29 14 31 40% slightly 60% 80% 100% 120% not at all Mix of intrinsic and extrinsic – experience, skills (hard & soft) Little variation by mobility type or duration 21

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Student perspectives: academic & career impact – post mobility Interest in more study abroad 69 Likelihood of working overseas 53 Commitment to degree 44 Language proficiency 39 New academic/prof contacts 29 27 33 31 Degree grade 29 32 0% some 29 Change to career thinking 22 strong 17 39 Obtaining long-term UK job • • 17 slight none 31 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Further mobility – strongest amongst short-term mobility group Is greater academic focus a means to an end?

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Student perspectives: impact on personal development – post mobility Independence 82 Intercultural understanding 76 New social networks 73 Self-confidence 15 19 17 68 Interpersonal skills 49 Interest in global affairs 46 Re-evaluation of view of UK 44 Change in values 29 0% 20% strong 25 some 35 slight none 32 32 30 40% 60% 80% 100% • Employability impacts stronger than academic or employment related • Some unique to mobility experience, others are intensified

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Student perspectives: employability • Gone International highlights enhanced employment and salary prospects • Mobility experiences support general employability enhancement vs. a particular career pathway • 1/3 of students report change in career thinking • Main personal benefits understood to support employability • Key aspect (motivation and impact) is improved prospects of working abroad • Extrinsic motivations (tangible benefits or outcomes) more prevalent amongst women & lower SEG students

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Transnational education & employability development (2015) • Literature review & empirical research funded by the Higher Education Academy • 8 case studies and 66 alumni interviews • TNE: 335, 000 active enrolments + growing vs. 435, 000 IS in the UK • Relatively little research on either student experiences of TNE or its impact on them as graduates • Employability as part of the curriculum is a consideration for quality assurance http: //bit. ly/1 Nt 2 ahh

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 TNE: employability support • Limited evidence in collaborative provision (e. g. franchises, flyingfaculty) where overseas partners usually have significant responsibilities for teaching and learning, and the wider student experience • Some support in branch campuses or online provision where UK HEI has more control (e. g. specific modules) • Many programmes combine intensive teaching out of core hours and online self-study, with limited access to careers services or links with local employers • TNE is delivered differently to different types of students “During the study, I don’t get much sleep. After work, I attended the night class, I have to do my assignment until 2 am and then get up early to go to work again. It was not easy. ” Alumnus of collaborative programme in Singapore

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 TNE: student expectations • Motivations are largely career- or employment-focused – either ‘positional’ (directly work- or job-related) or ‘transformative’ (personal development)* • UK discourse around soft skills and transferable graduate attributes, is less well understood in overseas contexts • Opportunities for developing inter-cultural awareness in monocultural cohorts and overseas experience is limited • Students that are supported recognise the benefits of curricular and co-curricular employability provision “I think that the UK education system is really good at developing work skills. We did lots of teamwork and business communication. They really help me in my work now” Alumnus of a collaborative programme at a university in Uzbekistan *Pyvis and Chapman (2007)

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 TNE: quality assurance • TNE provision is expected to be comparable to UK programmes – including curriculum employability • In practice this also means recognising national variations and motivations for study • QAA in-country reviews therefore should be nuanced to take account of local expectations and norms • Ethical dimension: providing access to relevant and practicable employability support, and communicating its value, helps to provide an equitable study experience • TNE students are currently not included in the UK’s large-scale surveys which provide measures of engagement and satisfaction and student-level data is not collected by HESA

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Internationalisation at Home (Ia. H) Beelen and Jones (2015): “the purposeful integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the formal and informal curriculum for all students within domestic learning environments” Focused on preparing the ‘non-mobile majority’ of students to operate in a ‘global’ society – ‘virtual mobility’ Learning and teaching focus - typical dimensions: • Internationalised curriculum – content, pedagogy • International competence – languages, int. perspectives • Intercultural competence – understanding, tolerance Requirement for TNE students who study wholly overseas?

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Three important messages…. . “On the whole, employability interventions in the curriculum which are devised for home students planning to work in one country are largely appropriate for both home and international students who are planning to work in another”. (Leggott and Stapleford 2007) “Many of the skills developed through international student mobility initiatives are precisely those generic transferable skills sought by graduate employers”. (Jones 2013) “a […] challenge is to consider how internationalisation of the curriculum ‘at home’ might offer similar opportunities for the static majority of students, who do not take part in an international experience as part of their programme of study”. (Jones 2013)

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Useful sources of information • Bridgstock, R (2009) ‘The graduate attributes we've overlooked: enhancing graduate employability through career management skills’, Higher Education Research & Development, vol 28, no 1, pp 31 -44. • Davies, A. , Fidler, D. and Gorbis, M. (2011) Future Work Skills 2020. Palo Alto, CA: Institute for the Future for University of Phoenix Research Institute. Available from: http: //cdn. theatlantic. com/static/front/docs/sponsored/phoenix/future_work_skills_2020. pdf • Hager, P. and Holland, S. (eds) (2006). Graduate Attributes, Learning and Employability. Springer. • Jones, E. (2013) ‘Internationalization and Employability: the Role of Intercultural Experiences in the Development of Transferable Skills’. Public Money and Management. 33 (2), 95– 104. • Jones, E. and Killick, D. (2013) ‘Graduate Attributes and the Internationalised Curriculum: Embedding a Global Outlook in Disciplinary Learning Outcomes’. Journal of Studies in International Education. 17 (2), 165– 82. • Knight, P. and Yorke, M. (2003) Learning, Curriculum and Employability in Higher Education. London: Routledge/Falmer. • Leggott, D. and Stapleford, J. (2007) ‘Internationalisation and Employability’. In Jones, E. and Brown, S. (eds) Internationalising Higher Education. London: Routledge, pp. 120– 34. • Yorke, M. (2006) Employability in Higher Education: What it is – What it is Not. Learning and Employability Series One. York: Higher Education Academy.

SRHE: Employability & Internationalisation - Steve Woodfield | 13 th November 2015 Contact details Thank you very much for your attention! For further information please do contact me. . . Steve Woodfield Associate Professor Centre for Higher Education Research & Practice (CHERP) Kingston University London Tel: +44 (0) 20 8417 3032 Email: s. woodfield@kingston. ac. uk Twitter: @sjwku