1. Supporting the emerging professional
– exploiting interdisciplinary synergies
William Blackburn, Norman Creaney,
Margaret Morgan and Jose Santos

2. School of Computing and
Information Engineering
School of Computing
and Intelligent Systems
School of Engineering
School of Computing and Maths
Over 25,400 students

3. Subject focus group
Aim: identify and promote good
practice in professional issues
education within the faculty

4. Subject Focus Group
Graduate qualities,
Accreditation requirements, vocational courses
BCS, IMechE, IET
Professional Issues
Retention and
progression Employability

5. Key topics taught
 Legislation impacting the workplace
 Employability and ethics
 PB Codes of Conduct and Practice
 Sustainable development
 Intellectual property
 Health and Safety
 Entrepreneurship

6. Key skills developed
 Study skills
 Communication
 Innovative thinking
 Team working and negotiation
 Management and leadership ability

7. Key outputs sought
 Knowledge of the core issues
 Self-esteem and self-confidence
 Pride in one’s profession
 Need for professional development
 Commitment to CPD

8. Delivery and assessment
 Lectures, seminars
 Student-led group activities
 Reflective journals, portfolios
 Student presentations
 Innovative activities
 Mock interviews

9. Our approach
 Distinctive PI modules in yrs 1 & 2
 Seek to embed ethos elsewhere
 Encourage student links with the PBs
 We promote the BCS, IET, IMechE
 Use their materials in our teaching

10. Future plans
 What works?
 Build on our success
 Re-focus our efforts

11. Thank you