Context setting presentation at a conference on employability in UK higher education.

1. Employability in HE – scene setting
15th March 2013
Louis Coiffait, Head of Research
@LouisMMCoiffait
The Pearson Think Tank
thepearsonthinktank.com

2. The Pearson Think Tank
Who are we and what do we do?
 Independent think tank focused on education access and quality
 Ongoing programme of research and thought-leadership e.g.
 The Academies Commission (with the RSA)
 Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education
 pearsonblueskies.com, on the future of higher education
 Careers2020
 University admissions
 Policy intelligence, analysis and comment e.g. Policy Watch, blogs
 All of our content and activities are free

3. Reminding ourselves of the current context
Why might employability matter around the world?

4. Reminding ourselves of the current context
Why might employability matter in the UK?
Guardian http://goo.gl/PJN3E

5. UKCES (2009) – a skills based approach
Phase 1. The Employability Challenge

6. UKCES (2009)
Phase 1. The Employability Challenge
Providers should follow 6 principles to embed employability:
1. Based on real workplace practice
2. Experiential
3. Personal
4. Reflective
5. A structured and integrated process
6. Strong institutional leadership and resources

7. Higher Education Academy (HEA) 2006 + 2012
Pedagogy for employability
“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”
Providers encouraged to;
1. embed effective employability practice within the curriculum
2. develop institutional level frameworks
3. develop strategic approaches to employability
4. support the graduate enterprise agenda (see NACUE)
HEA http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/employability

8. ‘career readiness’ in the USA
What other models are there?
e.g. ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)
 WorkKeys credentials measure hard, cognitive "real world" skills
1. Applied Mathematics
2. Locating Information
3. Reading for Information
 NCRC Plus ranks individuals’ soft skills
1. Work Discipline: Productivity, dependability
2. Teamwork: Tolerance, communication, attitude
3. Customer Service Orientation: Interpersonal skills, perseverance
4. Managerial Potential: Persuasion, enthusiasm, problem solving
ACT http://goo.gl/c1aVL

9. The US Partnership for 21st Century Skills
What other models are there?

10. Other related agendas and narratives
What other models are there?
 (social) enterprise and entrepreneurship
 Creativity
 Service learning and volunteering
 Work-related learning
 Global citizenship
 Wellbeing
 Sustainability

11. Where next for employability in HE?
What other models are there?
 Funding follows learners in England, 4 UK nations diverging
 Increasingly competitive and marketised system
 Key Information Set (KIS) http://unistats.direct.gov.uk
 Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) http://www.hear.ac.uk
 Growing focus on outcomes e.g. employment = economic growth?
 A way of making a university distinctive and attractive
 Implications for teaching and learning

12. Thank you!
thepearsonthinktank.com
…any questions?