*** Apologies for Cross-Posting ***
Widening definitions of 'employability'
Unpaid work, critical citizenship and cultural studies
A day workshop hosted by
the Department of Media and Cultural Studies
Liverpool John Moores University,
June 25, 2003
'Employability' has become a buzz word in government, business and
higher education circles. The term is usually used to suggest that
universities should ensure that their graduates have the skills to be
immediately productive in the paid workforce. However, discussions of
employability have rarely considered the other kinds of work unpaid
work - that graduates do as volunteers; as activists or campaigners;
as creative artists; as carers for friends and family.
The aim of this day workshop is to share ideas about whether and how
higher education should better prepare its graduates for this kind of
unpaid community, voluntary, caring and creative work. Can and should
cultural studies graduates, in particular, be educated for citizenship
as well as paid work?
The workshop will provide an opportunity to discuss the links between
unpaid work and education, and particularly research conducted at JMU on
this link in the lives media and cultural studies graduates, funded via
the Cultural Studies Teaching and Learning Fund by the LTSN subject
network.
Topics for discussion on the day will include:
* Changing definitions of unpaid work: volunteering or work
experience?
* Problem based learning as training for unpaid work
* Work based learning and voluntary work
* What the voluntary sector needs from graduates
This free day workshop should be of interest to:
* students and student representatives
* anyone working in organisations which could benefit from student
or
graduate volunteers
* academics and others supporting learning in higher education,
especially in cultural studies
To register as a participant, please contact Nicole Matthews 0151 231 5045
or [log in to unmask] or Mary Corcoran 0151 231 5001 or
[log in to unmask] no later than June 19, 2003
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