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Contents Keynote Address
Employability - Are we getting it right? Stuart Norton Higher Education Academy (HEA) Academic Lead Employability
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Presentation
An overview of the journey towards industry-driven higher and degree apprenticeships and a case study of an integrated approach Adrian Bamber and Candice Downie Engineering and Science
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Workshops A. Trailblazing: Working to develop higher education (HE) apprenticeships Sarah Rodriguez and Christopher Willitts
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B. Pedagogies for employability: Walking the tightrope of employment and employability in higher education Michael Holdsworth and Alison Burns
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C. Employability and critical pedagogies in a neo liberal context David Hayes
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D. Enhancing employability into the criminology and criminal justice curriculum Laura Thomas and Fatema Desai
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E. Great graduate – getting to know employability! Naomi Owen
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F. The Debate Society as a tool to develop graduate skills Angy Young
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G. Embedding employability through careers advice Phillip Higginbottom
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Keynote Address Stuart Norton
Higher Education Academy (HEA) Academic Lead Employability
Profile
Stuart has worked in academia since 2003, writing and developing a range of criminology and policing programmes, including a direct entry pre-join route into the Thames Valley Police. He joined the HEA in April 2016 and currently leads on the HEA’s UK and international work regarding employability. As the Academic Lead for Employability, Stuart works flexibly and collaboratively to support the HEA’s role in informing UK sector-wide learning and teaching policy. Stuart supports institutions, discipline communities and individual academic and professional services staff, engaging in a range of national and international work. Stuart is a Senior Fellow of the HEA, having gained recognition for his work around embedding employability and scaffolding learning in the curriculum at his previous institution. A member of the Society of Evidence Based Policing, he is currently undertaking further postgraduate studies in Applied Criminology and Police Management at the University of Cambridge. Stuart is an External Examiner for Plymouth University and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David for public service degree programmes.
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Employability – Are we getting it right? Abstract
Employability is a complex notion, often ill-defined or not defined at all. So what is it we are all working towards? With the context of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and the Government White paper providing a new landscape, it is clear that now, more than ever, employability matters - but what is it and are we getting it right? Are we confident that we are focusing on developing the right things? Do you have an approach that is consistent, yet flexible enough to engage all stakeholders internally and externally and thus impacting positively on all students?
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Presentation Candice Downie
Curriculum Manager Engineering and Science
Profile
Candice received a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering (first class) from the University of Bolton in 1994 and an MPhil in Engineering (Composite Materials) from the University of Manchester in 1999. She was a senior lecturer in Engineering at the University of Bolton and is currently Curriculum Manager of Higher Education (HE)Engineering at Blackpool and The Fylde College. Her research interests involve investigating the educational application of HE within further education (FE), engineering teaching and learning, and the impact of the transition from FE to HE. She is also actively involved in the academic curriculum design and delivery of undergraduate degree apprenticeship programmes. She is a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Adrian Bamber
Operations Manager and Key Account Holder Engineering and Science
Profile
Adrian received a Postgraduate Certificate in Education Leadership and Management from the University of Leicester in 1992 and is currently studying towards his Doctorate of Education at the University of Bolton (second year). He was Curriculum Manager in Automotive and Project Management at Blackpool and The Fylde College and is
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currently Operations Manager and Key Account Holder in Engineering and Project Management at Blackpool and The Fylde College. His research interests involve investigating the efficacy of applied HE and whether degree apprenticeships lead to tangible employer benefits. He is also actively involved in the strategic development of higher and degree apprenticeships at Blackpool and The Fylde College, at levels 4, 5, 6 and 7.
An overview of the journey towards industry-driven higher and degree apprenticeships and a case study of an integrated approach Abstract
With the introduction of the levy on employers to support apprenticeships, higher and degree apprenticeships - which integrate academic and professional, technical workbased elements - are at the forefront of our thinking for curriculum design, innovation and employability. This presentation will provide the background to developing a customer/industry-focused curriculum in engineering and project management. Through the examination of a case study in project management and an exploration of the blueprint used to further develop both aerospace and nuclear engineering degree apprenticeships, it is hoped to provide a number of key messages and examples of good practice when working collaboratively with employers. The importance of working differently, integrating the academic with the technical, professional and work based, and the importance of co-created opportunities and programmes will be explored and discussed.
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Workshops A. Trailblazing: Working to develop higher education (HE) apprenticeships “Degree apprenticeships are the latest model to be developed as part of higher apprenticeship standards, seeing apprentices achieving a full bachelor’s or master’s degree as a core component of the apprenticeship” (Directgov, 2016). This session aims to provide you with information about the government agenda surrounding the introduction and development of degree apprenticeships. Sarah and Chris will share their experiences with you about being involved in an employer-led group known as the Trailblazers, which concerns the development of apprenticeships within their curriculum area. The second part of the session will allow you to research your curriculum area in order to investigate planned apprenticeships or opportunities for curriculum development within your own subject discipline.
Sarah Rodriguez Biography
Sarah Rodriguez, HE Senior Tutor, graduated from Lancaster University in 2009 with a degree in Criminology, followed by an MSc in Criminal Investigation in 2015 from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). She has worked at the College teaching on public services and other related higher education programmes for seven years. Sarah is currently serving as Special Police Constable and Trainer/Mentor for Lancashire Constabulary and completes on average 25 hours a month policing the streets of Blackpool. Sarah also delivers training on equality and diversity to new police officers and special constables and supports/mentors
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new special police officer recruits while in their probationary year. Sarah has just completed five days with Blackpool Social Services Team, during which she visited high risk families:, as a police officer she has made referrals to social services but she wanted to gain further insights and experience into the non-uniformed public services. Sarah has recently completed her MSc in Criminal Investigation with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and is currently engaged in research around child sexualexploitation and localised grooming: fraud, complex case management, homicide and serious and organised crime.
Christopher Willitts Biography
Christopher Willitts graduated with his first degree from Blackpool and The Fylde College in Internet Media Technologies and is currently the Senior Tutor Higher Education in Computing. Christopher has been involved in both the development and further embedding of the Partners for Success framework, promoting blended learning opportunities within the curriculum area. He has a passion for emerging and evolving technologies and endeavours to utilise them whenever possible within a classroom environment. Christopher has been heavily involved in the revalidation of the FdSc and BSc Interactive Media Development programmes along with the BSc. Information Technology, he has also written units for the FdSc. Software Engineering and Games Design and has recently been involved in the process to revalidate the Network Engineering, Cyber Security, and Software Engineering degrees. A love of emerging technologies has led Christopher to many new undertakings: in September 2016 he achieved his Master’s Degree with Distinction in Interaction Design at the University of Central Lancashire; his research focused on the emergence of video game-based interactive visual media, and the method by which the experience of the viewer (or secondary player) can be improved using a bespoke framework. In recent years, he has worked closely with Brian House Children’s Hospice, assisting the charity in raising their social media profile and helping to raise awareness and support funding opportunities. He has also spent this time delivering social media best practice presentations to different departments in the College as well as to local businesses.
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B. Pedagogies for employability: Walking the tightrope of employment and employability in higher education This session aims to explore the tensions between employment and employability in higher education whilse maintaining the quality and effectiveness of the student experience. The two concepts exist with seemingly different ideologies and varying pedagogical approaches: this poses challenges and raises questions about their relevancy and currency. In the age of the student as the consumer, increased focus is placed on higher education institutions (HEIs) to be what some have termed a ‘career factory’ rather than an institute of higher learning. Furthermore “the employability and skills agenda set down by government may not be fully shared by students” (TLRP, 2010, P21). Although this session will not provide the answers to the problem at hand, critical debate will enable us to analyse potential pathways for navigating the student/consumer through the demands of employability while meeting the rigours and standards of higher education programmes.
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Michael Holdsworth Biography
Michael Holdsworth graduated from the Royal Scottish Conservatoire (formerly the RSAMD) in 2006 with a BA in Acting. Here he developed a keen interest in naturalistic acting techniques, working with the ensemble and acting through song. Whilst at the academy, Michael was fortunate to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of their Complete Works Festival and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s production of Peer Gynt. While training, Michael worked extensively with the National Youth Music Theatre, Youth Music Theatre: UK and the National Youth Theatre. Michael also worked as an assistant director for productions at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007 and 2009. He was responsible for the revalidation of the College’s BA (Hons) Musical Theatre and delivers the modules: Acting for Musical Theatre, Performance Entrepreneurship and Professional Performance Realisation. Michael is currently working towards his MA in Making Performance at Edge Hill University, where he is focusing on the development of pedagogy for ensemble practice within the musical theatre chorus.
Alison Burns Biography
Alison Burns has worked as a professional self-employed performer for 19 years. Her career has taken many guises in the creative arts, encompassing extensive touring in Europe and Asia. Alison holds a degree in Acting and is in the process of applying for an MPhil in Creative Writing at Bolton University. These combined experiences have led to a teaching career at Blackpool and The Fylde College that has spanned 5 years. Alison is currently Programme Leader for Performing Arts (Further Education) and works with level 6 students on modules in Theatre Making and Professional Performance Realisation.
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C. Employability and critical pedagogies in a neo-liberal context This workshop will attempt to discuss and develop critical pedagogies that address the dominant discourse of neo-liberal employability; it will also seek to create spaces for thinking about work, education and leisure within and beyond the neo-liberal work-centred society. A key focus will be on the potentiality of informal processes of de-institutionalised and active social learning, involving a dialogical relationship between multiple stakeholders engaged in the co-creation of knowledge. Active social learning would facilitate alternative activities and informal networks of production and exchange outside of the formal economy and formal education; it could also provide different ways to experience identity, purpose and social solidarity other than that constructed by the neo-liberal work-centred society. There is a rich legacy of theoretical and practical arguments and strategies for delineating the existential and cultural limits of economic rationality and the workshop will seek to explore these. Modern work has arguably become essential for income, social inclusion and a sense of meaning and identity that offers moral agency, solidarity and social recognition. However, at the same time, these functions of work are threatened by the continuing erosion of stable, meaningful and fulfilling employment. This can be viewed as a problem in a society, where people are ideologically, materially, culturally and psychologically bound to paid employment. Related to this is the increasing problem of stress in the workplace, which has been met by neo-liberal organisations embracing positive psychologies. Arguably, the ‘psychological is political’ and these practices have been introduced in support of a neo-liberal employability paradigm that neglects the social model of health.
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David Hayes Biography
David Hayes lectures on the FD/BA Criminology and Criminal Justice programmes at Blackpool and The Fylde College. In recent years, he has also been employed at Lancaster University, teaching on the Criminological Thought module as part of the Applied Social Science programme. He has a Masters Degree in Social Sciences from the Open University and his areas of specialist academic interest are critical criminology and ethnographic research. In 2013, David carried out research on the cultural hybridity of educational practitioners in a further/higher education (FE/HE) dual sector institution, which he presented at the HE symposium. More recently, he has been engaged in the ethnographic research of social and political movements in Lancashire and is currently acting as a consultant on a novel by the Head of Creative Writing at the University of Cumbria.
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D. Enhancing employability into the criminology and criminal justice curriculum The aim of this workshop is to share the practices of the criminology team in developing graduate skills and attributes, and future employability. The workshop will explore the different teaching and learning methods incorporated in our programme to enhance employability and how the team prioritises adding value to the curriculum by helping students to recognise their employability skills and required attributes. To draw students’ attention to employability skills the programme team focus on different aspects of the curriculum to place the issue of graduate employability centre stage: within the workshop the team will make explicit links to the Higher Education Academy publication ‘Pedagogies for Employability’. The teaching and learning strategies embedded into the criminology programme shift the focus from ‘employ’ to ‘ability’; this enables the team to develop critical, reflective abilities that support future employability. Dacre Poole and Sewell (2007) introduced a practical model to explain the concepts of employability. Kumar (2007) introduced a personal development model - Self, Opportunity, Aspirations and Results (SOAR) - the emphasis of which is to enable students ‘to value and exploit learning for the linked purposes of personal growth, intellectual ability and preparation for future careers’.
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Laura Thomas Biography
Laura Thomas is currently the programme leader for both the Foundation Degree and BA top-up in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Blackpool and The Fylde College. While studying towards her undergraduate degree she engaged in extensive research on crime, punishment and human rights: her postgraduate research was based on the criminal justice system’s response to sexual offending. Laura’s other research interests include criminal law, international perspectives, child exploitation and victimology.
Fatema Desai Biography
Fatema Desai is currently a lecturer of psychology on the Criminology and Criminal Justice degree programme at Blackpool and The Fylde College. While studying psychology at undergraduate level, Fatema’s area of research was how to implement and enhance psychological theories and techniques for effective pedagogical learning in the classroom. This led to her conducting extensive research during her MA in Education and Applied Linguistics, where she explored how language can be used to enable all types of student to access lifelong learning.
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E. Great graduate – getting to know employability! Are you confident that your curriculum equips our graduates with the attributes employers are looking for? Could we do more? ‘The B&FC Employability Strategy is an organisation-wide approach requiring close partnership working across all areas of the College’s business and throughout the student life-cycle’ (B&FC Employability Strategy 2016 – 2020) This session will discuss our Employability Strategy 2016/20 to identify key employability skills and graduate attributes. We will take a look at our key objectives and take an in-depth look at our current practice to identify areas for improvement. This workshop will encourage curriculum areas to share best practice and develop their own curriculum to enable our graduate students to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the attributes that employers value. Aims: • to ensure colleagues can identify the College’s eight key graduate attributes • to assist colleagues in understanding our Employability Strategy and how this relates to the higher education curriculum • to assist colleagues with reflecting on best practice in curriculum areas and identifying areas for development
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Naomi Owen Biography
Naomi Owen is the Higher Education Workplace Learning and Employability Manager at Blackpool and The Fylde College and has been working in the education sector for over 10 years. Naomi graduated in 2014 with a first class honours degree in English and has recently joined the HE Directorate to provide support in improving and enhancing the employability processes within higher education provision. Naomi works closely with the Quality Assurance Agency and the Association for Sandwich Education and Training (ASET) to develop ideas and to create and implement initiatives that enhance the teaching and learning experience and engage students in developing their commitment to employability, lifelong learning and professional development
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F. The Debate Society as a tool to develop graduate skills Question - How might we develop an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in our graduates, helping them to blend their technical and creative training with ‘softer’, collaborative skills: resilience, adaptability, resourcefulness and enterprise? A recent report into the future prospects of graduates indicates that there is a shifting landscape indicating there are no longer jobs for life, and in the future, careers and employers will need to become more fluid. Graduates will need to be multi-skilled and flexible; as educators we must help them to understand and embrace the critical importance of this interdisciplinary approach. It simply is not enough to get a good degree; employers in many ways are telling universities, students and graduates that they must possess that extra something that will enable them to make a successful transition into employment. Skills like assertiveness, negotiation, business skills, and influencing communication and commercial awareness are described as being necessary by employers but are not always present in graduating students. Many employers state that they take the degree as a given and values, attitudes and engagement are key. Our response to this in Creative Arts and Digital Industries (CADI) was to introduce a debate series that brought together like-minded individuals, meeting outside of curriculum and College hours, and provided an opportunity for focused, stimulating discussion and debate focusing on fashion as a social and global phenomenon. The ‘Fashion Tuesday’ series has so far discussed fashion as artistically driven, capitalistic and political, ethically charged and unstoppable. Students and tutors have engaged enthusiastically with the series, developing a wider personal framework of specialist knowledge and understanding of the industry but also, and perhaps more importantly, honing their ability to think critically and propose and negotiate original ideas. This workshop will discuss ways in which we can encourage our graduates to ‘take greater personal responsibility for acquiring and continuously updating skills for progression and success’ and explore ways in which we can support a collaborative, adaptable, resilient and enterprising approach.
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Angy Young Biography
Angy Young has worked at Blackpool and The Fylde College for 20 years and is the Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Fashion and Costume for Performance, BA (Hons) Fashion Design and BA (Hons) Fashion Design (Contemporary Costume) programmes. Angy has extensive industry experience and is currently working with London label ‘This Is The Uniform’ as Brand Consultant. She recently completed a Master’s Degree at the University of Salford in ‘Fashion Innovation – Entrepreneurship’: her research focused on the difficulties facing the fashion graduate upon entering the industry and on creating strategies to support them as they make the transition from student to fashion professional.
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G. Embedding employability through careers advice This workshop will explore and discuss the support available through the Careers Team in relation to employability, including an overview of group session work aimed at higher education students. The workshop will examine how careers support wraps around career outcomes that occur in the curriculum. In the workshop you will be given the opportunity to explore highlighted career related resources which are specific to higher education students. In addition, a brief introduction to career theory and how this can have a positive impact on the learning experience will be provided. Aims: • to explore how the Careers Team can support curriculum-embedded employability • to develop understanding of the career tools available to students including the use of etracker as a career planning tool and a launch of the ‘Careers Glideshow’
Phillip Higginbottom Biography
Phillip has worked at the College since 2001 and as a Careers Adviser since 2008. He has completed a variety of career and counselling-related qualifications including the Level 6 Career Guidance and Development qualification, which is nationally recognised as the industry standard for career guidance work. Phillip and the Careers Team are members of the Career Development Institute, which is the single UK-wide professional body for people working within career education and the Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) sector. In December 2016, the team were successfully reaccredited with the Matrix quality standard for information, advice and guidance (IAG).
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