Enhancing Employability through Personal Development Planning in Biological Sciences

1. Employment and PDP in the Biological Sciences Debbie Holmes, Lorraine Weaver Institute of Science and the Environment

2. The development of the Biology PDP gave the opportunity to: • make much better use of the opportunities given by personal tutorials • helping the students to reflect on the skills that they need to develop to attain the next step within their degree • in preparation for employment

3. The development of the Biology PDP gave the opportunity to: • highlight the special features of a UW Biological Sciences degree which could give advantages when applying for employment

4. Practical skills • normally have a 4 hour session each week for each module • usually includes a practical or field work • in each session there are opportunities to develop skills and attributes which are not assessed • the students are given signed slips which record these and they keep them in a portfolio

5. We made it mandatory to attend at least two personal tutorials each semester and linked this to passing specific modules.

6. Personal tutorials include: • guidance on feedback etc. • reflection on skills achieved • on how these, and other activities, could be useful when applying for employment • the opportunity to encourage relevant voluntary work etc. • discussion of the possible opportunities presented by the Independent Study

7. Careers information included in modules • general careers talk, mandatory modules • S2 of level 4 • second careers talk, mandatory module • S2 of level 5 • visit to careers office in small groups, looking at job advertisements etc. • S2 of level 5 • mandatory capstone module • S2 of level 6

8. Level 6 Capstone module This module will enable the students to: • reflect on the knowledge and skills that they have obtained and how these might be applied • review and reflect on their skills portfolio • prepare a CV and take part in a simulated interview situation

9. Evaluation of student attitudes, experience of seeking employment • questionnaire, in December 09 • LEVEL 4 (n = 42) • only at UW for about 12 weeks • formal input in relation to the careers service was during induction

10. Evaluation of student attitudes, experience of seeking employment LEVEL 5 (n = 47) above plus also one session introducing the careers service in a mandatory module, invited speakers LEVEL 6 (n = 16) one session in mandatory module in year 2 consider skills looked for in graduate, evaluation of student skills, invited speakers

11. Areas considered in survey • knowledge of careers service • advice from science staff • students expectations and perceptions • PDP

12. Knowledge of careers service • No contact / information about careers • LEVEL 4 95% • not really surprising, induction? • LEVEL 5 69% • reflects attendance at session, recall • LEVEL 6 81% • of concern • reflects attendance at formal and optional sessions, recall

13. Have you asked for advice?

14. Have you asked advice? • Student comments indicated advice was nearly always (95%) helpful • This is an under utilised resource

15. Students expectations 6 months 20 – 30% students hope to be in subject specific employment 5 years 60 – 80% students hope to be in subject specific employment (15 -20% retrain) as a group aware of large number of possible occupations

16. Changed direction

17. Relevant skills • Are you undertaking any outside activities that may be relevant to you obtaining employment? • If ‘yes’ are these social, employment or other, tick all relevant categories.

18. Relevant skills About 50% in each year group said no If said yes, then ‘employment’ identified most often as being relevant

19. Employability and PDP • Students split on whether would like more embedded careers activities • Also no consensus on what these might be • Use of PDP files (80% - 60%) but staff not consistent in providing relevant information for inclusion

20. ACTION • Knowledge of careers service • may be that we need to jog students memories • discuss with careers service which are most useful links to add to all module Blackboard sites • any other ideas? • Have you asked advice? • encourage staff to initiate these discussions

21. ACTION Relevant skills already addressed in Level 6 S2 module Employability and PDP review provision of ‘skills lists’ facilitated by work by intern

22. Comment from a year 1 student: ‘studying and education is a joy in itself, don’t spoil it with careers stress too early’

23. Comments? • Suggestions?