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Frances
Oh dear, I guess a lot of people would take issue with the discourse you deploy, as well as with some of your points.
It’s “the responsibility of HE to produce well rounded graduates” … ‘produce’: is that what HE is, a ‘production’ process?
Why do we “you have to acknowledge the changing face of HE to respond to the needs of this type of student and the economy they will be going back into”?
Should we call students ‘consumers’? What does that do to our understanding of what HE is about?
Can employability be **taught**? What kind of concept do we think employability is, that it might (or might not) be legitimate to say it can be taught?
As for ‘Graduate Attributes’, if ever there was a more educationally dangerously meaningless phrase, I find it difficult to think of it.
Isn’t one of the distinguishing characteristics of higher education that those who teach and research in it, and those who undertake their studies, should engage in clear, sound,
robust, critical thinking? And why is that sort of thinking so often put on one side whenever employability is being discussed, so that nonsense terms like graduate attributes are used without embarrassment?
Personally, I am committed to helping students prepare for their post-graduation lives, including but not solely in terms of their employment. And in furtherance of that, I
am committed to challenging the ‘skills and attributes’ approach that has done so much damage to the possibility that we can develop effective ways to help students, in terms of their future employment and future lives. Over 20 years since the start of Enterprise
in Higher Education, the first major attempt to develop what would now be called ‘employability initiatives’, yet the same old, same old is being recycled with no indication that there might be a better way.
Regards
Len
From: List for UK HEI employability developers [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Frances Rowan
Sent: 17 October 2012 14:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Don't give up the day job - article
Looking forward to the full book from Dr Williams! While I understand and empathise with some of her points my overall impression is a lack of acceptance that the role of HE
has changed. If you acknowledge that the labour markets have “forced” people into HE, then you have to acknowledge the changing face of HE to respond to the needs of this type of student and the economy they will be going back into.
They are a different type of consumer than even 10 years ago and I would argue that the “commitment to engaging in rigorous academic and challenging academic pursuits” is probably
more solely pursued at postgraduate level. It is the responsibility of HE to produce undergraduates well rounded graduates with a variety of knowledge and skills, hence the focus on “Graduate Attributes” from more and more HEIs. While I do agree that employability
is not always taught by the right person, research shows it is always received better at a more subject specific local level.
Frances
Frances Rowan
Employability Adviser
UWS
From: List for UK HEI employability developers [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Christopher Hargreaves
Sent: 17 October 2012 13:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Don't give up the day job - article
Hi Ruth,
I saw this article the other day, it's intriguing as a perspective and I would be interested to know what the groups thoughts are on this.
I think that no matter where employability is implemented be it within HE or from another source (such as ourselves) working alongside HE, it has to be promoted by academics as well. Students
need to be pushed to think about their futures as, and our research shows this, the majority don't really consider it until either they are asked, or when they graduate.
Anyway they're my thoughts on the subject but I would be very interested to hear any other views.
Kind Regards,
Christopher Hargreaves,
The Level Scheme Ltd
The Enterprise Centre
University of Hull
Cottingham Road
Hull
HU6 7RX
Company No. 8211559
T: 01482 464 937
Sent from my iPhone
On 17 Oct 2012, at 11:38, Ruth Lawton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hello everyone
As referred to in another discussion there is an interesting article in this issue of Times Higher Education about the views of one academic who questions the role of employability in HE.
The link to the article is here:
best wishes
everyone
Ruth
Ruth Lawton
University Learning & Teaching Fellow for Employability
Centre for the Enhancement of Learning & Teaching
Birmingham City University
City North Campus
(0121 331) 5126
6th Floor Edge Building
My ePortfolio: http://portfolio.bcu.ac.uk/view/view.php?id=130820
Creating Future-Proof Graduates: http://www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/employability/futureproof
Co-author of Pedagogy for Employabilityhttp://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/employability/pedagogy_for_employability_update_2012
Please consider the environment and think before you print
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