ENHANCING STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY:

							               ENHANCING STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY:
            Higher Education and Workforce Development

Ninth Quality in Higher Education International Seminar in collaboration with
     ESECT and The Independent. Birmingham 27th-28th January 2005




Employability – connecting with employers, students and governments
… an Australian tale

Martin Smith
Careers Service, University of Wollongong, Australia
Chair, Steering Committee, Higher Education Workplace Skills Olympiad


Abstract

What are the mechanisms for collaboration between the stakeholders at the
education - work interface? What are the challenges hindering collaboration?

The Higher Education Workplace Skills Olympiad (HEWSO) was conceived to
provide students with the opportunity for ‘putting their knowledge to work’.

The evolution of the HEWSO model and management structures will be outlined –
including stakeholder involvement (government, employers and the HE sector) in
the policy and implementation processes.

A complementary element of this paper is an overview of the strategic
approaches to offer a suite of work based learning programs at the University of
Wollongong.


Australian Structures for Collaboration

Apart from the professional bodies (such as the Institution of Engineers and the
Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia), the key groups at the interface
between higher education and work include:

AAGE – Australian Association of Graduate Employers
ACCI – Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
AVCC – Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee
BCA – Business Council of Australia
B-HERT- Business Higher Education Round Table
DEST – Department of Education Science and Training (Federal government)
GCCA – Graduate Careers Council of Australia
NAGCAS – National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services

Traditionally NAGCAS, the GCCA and the AAGE have worked closely on projects
on an intermittent basis, mirroring the AGCAS, AGR and Prospects/CSU
relationship. Within the last 5 years there has been movement to formalise the
relationship, and as a bridge to this, opportunities have presented where the
three bodies have undertaken useful work.

Specifically, a tripartite conference has been staged every three years, firstly in
1999 and then in 2002, with the next planned for 2005. Other collaborative
efforts are reflected in relevant national programs and discussions. The focus of


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these collaborations have been on issues relevant to education and work settings,
such as a curriculum development symposium designed to stimulate progress in
relation to careers in the curriculum, graduate recruitment issues forums, and
network meetings staged regularly to provide opportunities for relevant staff to
meet pre and post recruitment cycles.

The Board of the GCCA is structured such that Directors represent NAGCAS,
DEST, the AVCC and the AAGE. This Board has become a focal point for
collaboration since it was established in 1968.

Government Policy to Encourage Collaboration

In recent years, the Federal government, through DEST, has been encouraging
collaboration between sectors via policy and funding initiatives and via its own
internal departmental structures. This has resulted in practical examples of closer
collaboration between a wider variety of the organisations listed above. One such
example is work towards developing the Employability Skills Framework.

Employability Skills Framework and Related Inventories

In order to provide the government with a detailed understanding of the
employability skill needs of industry, DEST (2002) commissioned BCA and ACCI
to conduct a research project into Employability Skills for the Future. The report
published in March 2002 has become a key skills inventory used by most
stakeholder groups.

However within the HE sector, since the early 1990’s, many individual universities
have progressively been working towards the establishment of their own skills
inventories, often titled ‘graduate attributes’, which they believe their students
develop during curricular and extra curricular activities.

By 2004 it is possible that students exiting the HE sector would be aware of a
number of skill inventories, as identified by government, various sectors of the
graduate labour market, and by their own university.

DEST established a project advisory group in May 2004 to further develop ways
to embed the Employability Skills Framework (ESF) within all education sectors. It
is anticipated that new initiatives will be supported by the government to
encourage institutions to further develop awareness amongst individuals of the
ESF. Eg funds have recently been provided (June 2004) to the federal and state
government resourced website - My Future
(http://www.myfuture.edu.au) where an electronic portfolio will be made
available that will enable individuals to track and record the development of their
employability skills.

A History of Challenge in Work Based Learning

Since the late 1980’S NAGCAS members working in university careers services
have endeavoured to provide work based learning opportunities for students.
These WBL programs have been designed to complement faculty based
placement programs, such as Co-Op, Internship programs and other industrial or
clinical placement programs ( eg. in Teaching and Nursing).

Co-Op and Internships have not traditionally flourished in Australia – perhaps due
to a shorter term approach that graduate employers display towards a
development focus for students / graduates. This less positive approach to




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graduate development has also negatively impacted on alternative WBL programs
that individual universities have sought to initiate.

In addition, since the early 1990’s there has been an increasing need to respond
to the WBL aspirations of international students.

In response to these factors, NAGCAS conceived a group based work based
learning program – the Higher Education Workplace Skills Olympiad (HEWSO),
which contained elements from work based learning programs taking place
internationally in recent years.

Higher Education Workplace Skills Olympiad

Since 2001, between 11 and 18 universities have participated in the HEWSO
program, where each university is linked with an individual employer – with up to
40 students at each campus being involved. It is anticipated that 20 universities
will participate in Jan/Feb 2005 (and 12 universities have just participated in the
newly established September 2004 Spring program).

HEWSO is a national program that links multi-discipline teams with a host
employer to solve a real business challenge within a four week period. Student
teams are constructed with a balance of gender, discipline and ethnicity. Up to 5
teams from each university may participate. Teams produce a business report
and team presentation for the host employer. It is experiential learning in a
competition framework as the strongest team from each university, as judged by
the host employer, then goes on to compete in the national finals.

In recent years the national judging process articulates directly to the DEST
Employability Skills Framework – further strengthening DEST and BCA support for
HEWSO. As DEST is the major funding source, this makes good strategic/ political
sense.

HEWSO fosters within students a better sense of:

   -   their discipline and how it can be applied to workplace settings
   -   how their generic skills/graduate attributes/employability skills can be
       applied to workplace challenges
   -   professional workplace cultures, structures, and relevant ethics
   -   how their career aspirations connect with specific occupations and
       industries.
   -   the value of working within multi-discipline teams

One unintended outcome has been the positives associated with students
from various cultures working in the team context. Strong bonds and
friendships have been developed as a result of the teamwork over the
period of the program.

Student evaluations have been consistently high. Comments such as “This is the
best thing I have ever done at university” and “thank you for an unforgettable
summer” are indicative of the value to student participants.

Employer comments about their involvement have also been very positive,
especially the quality of the work that students have produced. “the quality of
their work was equal to or better than many commercial consultants we have had
present to us”.




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Evaluation processes in recent years have pointed to the issue of the ‘one size fits
all’ model not adequately responding to the needs of students/ employers from
regional campuses, and those campuses outside of the larger metropolitan areas
of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

In response to this, the HEWSO Steering Committee supported the establishment
of a second HEWSO model – a shorter 5 day program that takes place in the
break in the middle of semester two. As of the second half of 2004, a shorter
HEWSO Spring program is now offered to complement the traditional one month
HEWSO Summer program. 12 universities participated in HEWSO Spring in
September 2004 and 20 have committed to HEWSO Summer in January –
February 2005.

HEWSO received the 2003 Award from the Business Higher Education Round
Table for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Collaboration in Education and Training’.
This award recognizes the quality of the processes and outcomes of HEWSO to
date, as well as the complexity of managing the relationships between the diverse
stakeholder groups.

HEWSO Management Structure

HEWSO Policy and procedures are determined by the HEWSO Steering
Committee, which contains representatives of the supporting and sponsoring
bodies.

National coordination and implementation of HEWSO is carried out by the Chair of
the Steering Committee, supported by the Project Manager and, since July 2004,
a Regional Project Officer. A NAGCAS Working Party also makes
recommendations to the Steering Committee via their NAGCAS representative
(the NAGCAS President). The HEWSO Steering Committee members represent:

AAGE – Australian Association of Graduate Employers
AVCC – Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee
BCA – Business Council of Australia
DEST – Department of Education Science and Training (Federal government)
GCCA – Graduate Careers Council of Australia
NAGCAS – National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services

Campus Coordinators in university careers services and HEWSO Liaison
Officers in host organisations have responsibilities for their own
interactions, again centrally co-ordinated by the Project Manager.

Regular meetings (usually via teleconference) as well as providing suitable
opportunities for input and discussion regarding policy and processes have
ensured ongoing commitment from stakeholders. Throughout the years it
has been critical to consider the employer perspective in relation to
ensuring their buy-in to the process at the AAGE and at the individual host
employer level.

Barriers to Student Participation in WBL

An issue for increasing student participation in HEWSO and other WBL
programs, is that students spend many hours outside of their formal study
programs undertaking paid work in areas such as retail and hospitality.
WBL programs that are unpaid and that do not contribute to credit may be
overlooked by the student community.




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In response, HEWSO is promoted as an activity that contains many
benefits connected to enhancing student employability.

Student participation at each university can be up to 40 students.
However, numbers on some campuses can be as low as 8, with many
campuses averaging 25 students and a small number each year
participating with the maximum of 40 students.

Exploration by HEWSO organisers re the potential for credit for student
involvement in HEWSO has been raised at Steering Committee level,
however individual institutions need to support such an initiative.

Connections to Career Development

Career Development theories promote the concept of knowing as much as
possible about the world of work (opportunity awareness), in order to make
informed career choices (Law & Watts, 1977). Whilst many students are
developing workplace experiences, they tend to take place in casual work settings
such as retail and/or hospitality. Most often, this employment is purely to obtain
funds to pay for their degrees.

The challenge is to facilitate student interactions with a wider range of
industry/occupational areas, in areas that complement their degrees. It has been
recommended that university careers services have a key role to play in the
development of these workplace offerings (Watts, 1997).

In 2003, the OECD conducted a study, published as ‘Career Guidance and Public
Policy: Bridging the Gap’. This research drew on data from 14 countries. The
study found that career guidance programs should offer students more ‘real life’
experience of the workplace (OECD, 2004). Australia – one of the countries
participating in the study, was urged to explore more opportunities for work
experience.

HEWSO is a tangible example of a national WBL program that is providing
students with exposure to workplace cultures, structures, occupations and the
expectations of the graduate labour market.


The University of Wollongong Scenario

Located 90 minutes south of Sydney by car and train, the University of
Wollongong (UOW), has an enrolment of 18,000 students on campuses spread
down the south coast of New South Wales.

Since the early 1990’s the University of Wollongong has identified the ‘graduate
attributes’ that each graduate develops whilst undertaking their studies. The UOW
Graduate Attributes are:

      A commitment to continued and independent learning, intellectual
       development , critical analysis and creativity
      Coherent knowledge in a discipline, appropriate ethical standards and
       defined professional skills
      Self confidence combined with oral and written communication skills of a
       high level
      A capacity for, and understanding of, teamwork
      An ability to logically analyse issues and implement decisions




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          An appreciation of cultural and intellectual diversity and the ability to
           function in a multicultural or global environment
          A basic understanding of information literacy and specific skills in
           acquiring, organizing and presenting information, particularly through
           computer based activity
          A desire to continually seek improved solutions to initiate and participate
           in organizational and cultural change
          An acknowledgement and acceptance of individual responsibilities and
           obligations and of the assertion of the rights of the individual and the
           community.

Since 2000, the Careers Service has been developing a suite of WBL programs
(under the banner “putting knowledge to work”) that provide students with the
opportunity to apply their studies to the workplace.

The following programs complement programs available within courses/subjects
offered by the faculties across the university, and have been staged on an annual
or ongoing basis from the years stated:

2001   -   Higher Education Workplace Skills Olympiad
2002   -   Careers Service Internship Program
2003   -   ARTS301 – ‘Arts Internship’ subject
2004   -   Employment Experience Program
2004   -   Univative Illawarra
2004   -   Graduate Attribute Challenge
2004   -   Students in Free Enterprise
2005   -   COMM290 – ‘Applied Learning’ subject

Whilst some programs described within this paper are in the pilot stage, others
have been staged over a number of years with positive outcomes identified for
the students, the businesses and industry partners involved, and the wider
university.

The government sponsored ‘Employability Skills Framework’ and the university
‘graduate attributes’ have been incorporated into the assessment processes for
HEWSO, Univative Illawarra and the Graduate Attribute Challenge – thereby
guaranteeing that students develop skills relevant to Australian workplaces.

An online tool ‘My Portfolio’ has been developed and has been trialled. It enables
students to record skill development during their university experiences, within
the curriculum, and through workplace and community settings. This portfolio
approach was designed around the ESF and the UOW graduate attributes. My
Portfolio and each WBL program highlight outcomes that explicitly connect with
the workplace skills for the future.

This enables the university to identify processes that make the graduate
attributes more meaningful to our students, and becomes another supporting
process in any internal or external quality review process.

The WBL programs have been developed with extensive collaboration internally
and externally. Internally with faculties, administrative departments and other
Student Service units. Externally with business/industry, government and
community sectors within the local region and across the nation.

A short description of the programs and their outcomes appears below:




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The Careers Service Internship Program allows students in their final year to
work within the Careers Service on activities such as events (Careers Fairs),
administration and research, IT support, marketing and liaison with students and
graduate employers. Students who are entering their final year are selected by
past interns. One or two interns graduate to become paid part time trainees in
the following year.

The Careers Service Internship Program has been in existence for 3 years.
Student participation has averaged 12 students from various disciplines.
The students involved have stated in their evaluations that they have
grown in confidence and skills in dealing with employers and university
staff. Employers have consistently rated our Interns as working to an
extremely high standard in their event related activities (such as Careers
Fairs).

The Higher Education Workplace Skills Olympiad is a national program that
links multi disciplined teams with a host employer to solve a real business
challenge within a one month period. The student teams produce a business
report and team presentation for the host employer. It is experiential learning in
a competition framework as the strongest team from each university then goes
on to compete in the national finals.

UOW annually enters 40 students into the HEWSO program.

Univative Illawarra is based upon the HEWSO model – however because UOW
is located within an identifiable region (as opposed to a metropolitan area) the
context was appropriate to stage a regional event. Student teams are linked with
regional business and industry. In its first year of activity, two recent HEWSO
host employers located within the region undertook to become sponsors of
Univative Illawarra.

Univative Illawarra was staged for the first time in June/July 2004 with 5
host employers from a variety of industry sectors working with a total of
12 teams and a total of 48 students. Potentially this program could cater
for up to 250 students as there is significant interest from regional
organisations / employers.

The Employment Experience Program seeks regional placements for students
from various disciplines who have registered to be involved in the program. An
employer registers a project that an individual student can work on. The length
and attendance pattern is negotiated between the student and the employer.

The Employment Experience Program was initially implemented in 2002 by the
University Union. They have recognized the strategic value of the program being
managed via the university Careers Service. In 2004, our first year of co-
ordination 22 students have been working on projects.

ARTS301 – Arts Internship This subject is a combination of guest speakers
(Arts alumni) and lectures that highlight the connections between an Arts degree
program and the generic and workplace related skills that employers value.

ARTS301 was delivered for the first time in the second half of 2003. The subject
was developed as a collaboration between the faculty and the Careers Service. 22
students enrolled. The subject increased awareness of their discipline related
skills and their more generic graduate attributes, and how both might be applied
to a workplace context. A successful end of subject event was held where both
students and the employers who placed the students were on hand to speak with



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enthusiasm about their respective experiences. ARTS301 was also staged in
2004, with course delivery refinements set in place in response to evaluation of
the 2003 delivery.

COMM290 – Applied Learning To be offered for the first time in 2005, this
subject will enable students who participate in designated WBL programs to be
granted credit for their involvement. Assessment will be based upon submission
of a journal and report of their experiences, structured according to academic
prescription. This subject has only just been granted approval and fuller
assessment structures are to be finalised over the coming months.

Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) This international program has a
community development focus whereby student teams work with identified
community groups and develop programs to empower targeted individuals.
Teams of students compete against other university teams during national finals
based upon business reports and formal presentations.

Graduate Attribute Challenge (GAC) This program mirrors the University of
Aberystwythe’s Student Skills Competition.

GAC is designed to enable students to discover the connections between the UOW
Graduate Attributes and their employability skills through direct communication
with employers, whilst researching their own skill and attribute development from
their field of study, and how these are interdependent. The ‘challenge’ is that
each faculty provides a team(s) of students who compete against other faculties
to demonstrate the outputs of their research. 42 students were involved in this
first year of operation.

For further details on all programs           listed   above   please   refer   to
http://www.uow.edu.au/careers/discover/


Connecting Programs to Policy

Given the concrete benefits that accrue for university students who
experience the world of work prior to the conclusion of their studies, and
that the university careers service is in a strong position to co-ordinate
WBL programs that complement existing faculty based activities (such as
Industrial experience and clinical placements), the University of
Wollongong Careers Service believes that the WBL programs on offer are
an effective strategic initiative.

All connect with the agendas established at the government and institutional
level, as most have assessment processes that clearly articulate to the
inventories such as the ESF or UOW Graduate Attributes.

In addition, in the quality environment, institutions will be highly regarded when
they can clearly demonstrate the connections between their strategic plans and
their processes and student outcomes. The GAC represented an excellent method
to not only inform students of the UOW Graduate Attributes but also to provide
an opportunity to further develop many of these attributes. GAC represents an
opportunity to validate the objectives of the Faculty Direction and Resource Plans
– within the Learning and Teaching Strategic Plan.

The Commerce subject Applied Learning provides students with the
opportunity to gain credit for their involvement in WBL. This has been a
major stumbling block in the past to increasing student participation – as



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programs that result in no pay and no credit for students who are time
poor are likely to struggle with student uptake.

In a more general sense, the Careers Service is being recognized across the
university as significantly contributing to the ‘University Experience’, having a
positive impact on graduate outcomes and graduate destinations, and fulfilling an
important role in developing stronger community linkages.

Fostering support from business and industry has been a key factor in the
successful implementation of these WBL programs. In program development at
the national and regional levels, this collaboration with stakeholders has been
critical. Highlighting the benefits of collaboration with the employer community
has been possible through careful consideration of the respective contexts of all
stakeholders at the education – work interface.



References

Department of Education, Science and Training (2002). Employability Skills for
the Future. Canberra, Commonwealth of Australia.

Law, B & Watts, A. G. (1977). Schools, careers and community. London: CIO
Publishing.

OECD (2004) Career Guidance and Public Policy: Bridging the Gap.

Watts, A. G. (1997) Strategic Directions for Careers Service in Higher Education,
CRAC/ Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, London, Burlington
Press.




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