The document outlines seven common skill areas essential for employability in HND criminology, including self-management, communication, problem-solving, and application of technology. It discusses how these skills can be integrated into job applications and educational assignments, highlighting a successful video assignment compared to traditional essays. Additionally, it emphasizes the role of open educational practices and resources in enhancing employability pedagogy.

1. “Commons’ Skills For Assessing
Employability?”
Belinda Child
Criminology Lecturer
UCBC

2. The Seven HND Common Skills Areas
Managing and Developing Self
1.
2.
3.
4.
Manage own roles and responsibilities
Manage own time in achieving objectives
Undertakes personal and career development
Transfer skills gained to new and changing situations and contexts
Working with and Relating to Others
5. Treat others’ values, beliefs and opinions with respect
6. Relate to and interact effectively with individuals and groups
7. Work effectively as a member of a team
Communicating
8. Receive and respond to a variety of information
9. Present information in a variety of visual forms
10. Communicate in writing
11. Participate in oral and non-verbal communication

3. Managing Tasks and Solving Problems
12. Use information sources
13. Deal with a combination of routine and non-routine tasks
14. Identify and solve routine and non-routine problems
Applying Numeracy
15. Apply numerical skills and techniques
Applying Technology
16. Use a range of technological equipment and systems
Applying Design and Creativity
17. Apply a range of skills and techniques to develop a variety of ideas in the creation
of new/modified products, services or situations
18. Use a range of thought processes

4. Common experiences
• According to the University of Hertfordshire there
are 38 potential outcomes from the seven
common skills’ areas.
• HND Criminology students were advised to base
their job applications on them – with some
successes!
• Assignment writing for Fds is different.

5. “Tick
Boxes”
1,2,3,4
5,6,7
8,9,10,11
12, 13, 14
15,
16,
17, 18

6. A positive attitude: a ‘can-do’ approach
1. Manage own roles and responsibilities
2. Manage own time in achieving objectives
3. Undertakes personal and career development
4. Transfer skills gained to new and changing situations and
contexts
Business and customer awareness
5. Treat others’ values, beliefs and opinions with respect
6. Relate to and interact effectively with individuals and
groups
7. Work effectively as a member of a team
Communication and literacy
8. Receive and respond to a variety of information
9. Present information in a variety of visual forms
10. Communicate in writing
11. Participate in oral and non-verbal communication
Problem solving
Pegg et al (2012)
“Pedagogy for
Employability”
Application of numeracy
Application of information technology
Entrepreneurship/enterprise
12. Use information sources
13. Deal with a combination of routine and non-routine
tasks
14. Identify and solve routine and non-routine problems
15. Apply numerical skills and techniques
16. Use a range of technological equipment and systems
17. Apply a range of skills and techniques to develop a
variety of ideas in the creation of new/modified products,
services or situations
18. Use a range of thought processes

7. Y1
CJE
FP
POC
RP
RS
NAC
OM
VIC
RP
RS
A positive attitude: a
‘can-do’ approach
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Business and customer
awareness
2.1
2.2
2.3
Communication and
literacy
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
Problem solving
4.1
4.2
4.3
Application of numeracy
5
Application of
information technology
6
7.1
7.2
“The New Grid”
Entrepreneurship
/enterprise

8. A new assessment choice?
• Not really but was for me and the students.
• Offered in the yr 2 FdA Criminology & Criminal
Justice module ‘Challenging Behaviour’ which
examines criminal justice practices that can be
used for dealing with challenging behaviour.
• They had a choice of either a 2,500 word essay or a
‘video’.

9. Youtube Assignment Question
• 33 out of 51 took the ‘new’ option
• Average grade for the ‘video option’: 65.3%
• Average grade for the ‘conventional option’: 54%
Digital marking?
• The alternative method had a higher take up than in
either SS11006 Criminal Justice Environment or
SS30014 Contemporary Issues in the Criminal Process.
But all three modules had a similar pattern with their
grades.

10. #UCBCFP
#UCBCNAC
#UCBCCB
#UCBCHD

11. Conclusion?
• Open Educational Practice (OEP) and Open
Educational Resources (OERs) as a means of
change?
• The emphasis on Creative Commons enables the
doing of a “Pedagogy for employability”? (Pegg et
al, 2012)