Queen Margaret University Employability Strategy 2021 - 2026

The following groups will benefit from the objectives set out in this strategy and are defined as stakeholders.

Students: The Employability Strategy (ES) outlines the approach through which students will be supported to develop the University’s Graduate Attributes throughout their studies, which will contribute to their employability and success as they leave university. Whilst the strategy aims to increase graduate level employment in support of graduate employment targets, students will be supported to make informed choices for their futures, which may include employment, entrepreneurial or voluntary activities, graduating from University ready for a successful life, and reaching their potential. The implementation of the strategy is intended to support undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students on taught and research based courses.

Graduates: The ES demonstrates the University’s ongoing commitment to the employability of its graduates throughout their lives.

Students’ Union: The ES gives an aim and a set of objectives against which the University can be measured, giving focus to the partnership between the University and Students’ Union (SU). It promotes the work of the SU, linking employability to, and promoting participation in, sports, societies and the SU.

Programme Teams: The ES assists in developing and embedding transferable skills within and across the full curricula, building upon excellent examples, such as the Creative Entrepreneurship module, and extending practice. It will provide a further mechanism for the sharing of practice and for the inclusion of careers education with programme design. It will provide focus for conversations between Personal Academic Tutors and students, creating a framework for productive employability focused conversations.

Careers and Employability Team: The ES enhances the work of the team, raising its profile and influence across the University and beyond. It provides an agreed framework for careers activity, ensuring that the work of the team fully supports the strategic focus of the institution. It provides a consistency of approach across programmes and schools. It will facilitate communication with collaborative partners (e.g. programme teams) and ensure best possible use of the Careers and Employability team resources, skills and support. It provides a point of reference for the management of Careers and Employability. It will act as an institutional tool through which to share and discuss issues related to employability within Higher Education.

Professional Services: The ES provides the opportunity for Professional Services staff to benefit from the skills, knowledge and expertise of our students. It will also provide an opportunity for staff development, through mentoring and developing students during their internships and other paid work within Professional Services.

The University: The ES will enhance the University’s reputation for being an institution of choice for students seeking to develop their employability, and will support the University’s strategic aims of becoming the top modern university in Scotland for employment and student satisfaction.

Local Communities: The promotion of volunteering as a method to improve employability is highlighted within the ES, and will provide valuable resources for community groups and charities.

Employers: The ES supports the development of skills and attributes in our graduates, enabling them to contribute effectively to their employers and professions.

Partner Institutions: The ES provides an overview of the approach to employability taken by partner institutions so that best practice can be shared for the benefit of students.

Other Institutions: The ES enhances the sharing of employability practice with other institutions assisting the improvement of practice across the sector.

Scottish Government: The ES provides focus and drive to implement the Scottish Government’s employability agenda within Queen Margaret University. It will link in with the principles of the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce.

Queen Margaret University: Strategic Plan

The Employability Strategy will contribute to achieving the aims and objectives set out in the Queen Margaret University: Strategic Plan 2020-2025, and in particular, to the target to become the top modern university in Scotland for graduate employment and student satisfaction.

In addition, the ES will enable progress towards the following outcomes: Attractive, Relevant and Market Responsive Academic Portfolio

• A portfolio that encourages Government and employers to work with us and people to study with us.
• An increase in the percentage of students gaining work experience as part of their programme.
• An increase in our graduate employment measure.

Innovation

• An increase in the number, range and survival rates of graduate start-up companies.
• An increase in the number of female staff and student entrepreneurs.

Seek out partnership and collaboration

• A clearly visible and highly promoted cross-university approach to partnership working.

Student Experience Strategy 2015-2020

The Employability Strategy supports a number of key priorities set out in the Student Experience Strategy 2015-2020 (update in progress). These are outlined here:

Key Priority: At QMU, all students will have a transformative experience, enabled by outstanding learning and teaching and extra-curricular opportunities, to help them achieve their individual goals and meet the wider needs of society.

Action 4: Review and prioritise the University’s Graduate Attributes

Action 5: Develop opportunities and support uptake of short periods of study overseas

Action 6: Develop appropriate work-related partnerships for every programme

Action 7: Develop, promote and recognise learning achieved through co- and extra-curricular activities

Action 8: Engender a culture of innovation and enterprise by students and graduates to support start-ups, micro and small businesses

Key Priority: At QMU, we will establish, maintain and contribute to communities and an environment within which our students our students can flourish and succeed.

Action 20: Work with the QMUSU to review and expand student sports groups, societies and volunteering opportunities with a view to enhancing campus life and working with the local community.

AGCAS Quality Standard

The AGCAS Quality Standard sets out a series of themes and principles designed to establish and maintain a consistent quality of delivery and conduct and, as such, represents good practice for higher education careers delivery.

Theme 1 - Service Leadership and Management

• Active leadership and management in support of service and institutional priorities
• Recruiting, equipping and developing all categories of staff to ensure high professional standards and adherence to the AGCAS Code of Ethics
• Monitoring, evaluating and measuring the impact of our activities to ensure the continued value of our services.

Theme 2 - Stakeholder Insight and Collaboration

• Using insights into the needs and perspectives of our students and graduates to inform the development of our services
• Collaboration that reflects mutual understanding with academics, employers, alumni, professional organisations and other partners to enhance the provision of services for students and graduates
• Clearly articulating our services and standards to stakeholders to promote informed engagement.

Theme 3 - Professional Expertise

• Anticipating and adapting to trends and predictions in the world of work to ensure our services are relevant to current and future needs
• Delivering institutionally-aligned careers education, information, advice and guidance to provide appropriate levels of support for all students and embed our services within our institution
• Promoting the value and effectiveness of quality-assured professional careers and employability support to foster the trust of our stakeholders.

QMU Graduate Attributes

The following graduate attributes are set out in the QMU Undergraduate Prospectus 2021, and will be subject to a review, completed alongside the implementation of the Employability Strategy:

• Confident and self-reliant with the academic, professional and personal skills for successful personal and career development.
• Creative problem solvers who can bring together skills of enquiry, research evidence and critical analysis to investigate problems and propose solutions.
• Positive contributors to building a just and sustainable society.
• Adept at using many sources of information to sift, create and share knowledge.
• Professional and ethical employees with an understanding of how other fields relate to and work with their own.
• Lifelong learners who can reflect and build on their experiences to achieve success.

The following attributes are included as it is likely they will be considered for inclusion as part of the graduate attribute review process.

• Able to build strong relationships with peers, employers and university staff and develop networks to enable life long career progression.
• Entrepreneurial and Enterprise skills
• Positive Mindset, Resilience

QMU Learning and Teaching Framework

Student centeredness is the primary principle of the Teaching and Learning Framework, and its five aspects are also applicable to the objectives outlined in the employability strategy:

1. Ethics & Values
2. Active learning & student responsibility
3. Partnership & Communities
4. Real world Life-Long Learning (LLL)
5. Personalisation

The Scottish Government’s Fair Work Action Plan 2021 - 2025

The Scottish Government’s Fair Work Convention, is focused on increasing opportunities for individuals and to increase productivity and economic prosperity in Scotland. The Framework has five pillars:

• Effective Voice
• Opportunity
• Security
• Fulfilment
• Respect

The Employability Strategy incorporates the themes laid out in the convention, and will contribute towards its aims by raising awareness of the nature of fair work through the themes with students, graduates and employers across the university. The Strategy will incorporate the developments of skills that will enable students and graduates to build meaningful and fulfilling careers, to advocate for fair work for themselves and others, and to be aware of key labour market challenges such as the gender pay gap, opportunities and support for Disabled People and approaches to flexible working

Current Provision of Careers and Employability support

This strategy is designed to build on and enhance the wide range of careers and employability support currently offered to students and graduates, which includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

• Integration of employability skills development and transition support within the design and delivery of most courses – either as specific modules or throughout the course.
• Work based learning in the form of placements for which credit is earned.
• Extra and co-curricular activities, such as membership of clubs and societies, overseas exchanges, volunteer and part-time work through which students can develop an understanding of their skills, strengths, values and interests.
• One to one Careers Information, Advice and Guidance delivered by qualified Careers Advisers.
• Workshops and webinars on specific career development subjects.
• Employer engagement, Networking opportunities and industry insight provided through careers fairs and events.
• A mentoring programme which matches students with employers.

The Employability Strategy builds on good practice currently in place, and seeks to enhance and expand the support offered to students by considering the unique environment at Queen Margaret University. Evidence for the effectiveness of new initiatives included in the strategy has come from published research, observation of effective practice at other universities and in response to rapidly changing labour market conditions. The following principles are key to contextualising the objectives outlined in this strategy.

A Shared Understanding of Career Development

In order for students, graduates, careers professionals and programme teams to work together to maximise employability outcomes for students and graduates, a shared understanding of career development is required. Developing a careers education curriculum or framework through which career management skills are defined, and career development stages are identified, would enable visibility across the University. Careers and Employability support and activity, as well as employability modules and opportunities within programmes would be aligned with the framework, with agreed content and quality standards.

Students will be able to assess their knowledge of and confidence in careers education subjects at matriculation, in a process known as careers registration, used in many universities including at the University of the West of Scotland, Heriot Watt University and the University of Strathclyde.

Visibility of a structured framework of careers education will enable students to understand what they will learn throughout their studies, and will promote autonomy and reflection on skills and strengths. A range of resources, learning opportunities and experiences will be signposted through the framework so that students can recognise the impact of extra and co-curricular activities, employer engagement and career learning. Students will be empowered to curate their own careers education throughout their time at university and after graduation. It is expected that this process will lead to earlier engagement with Careers and Employability Advisers, and employers, and earlier independent career planning which may lead to improved outcomes for students and graduates. Frameworks such as the Careers Compass developed by the University of Edinburgh illustrate the possibilities presented.

The implementation plan for the Employability Strategy sets out a research project which will result in the development of a proposal for the design of a framework or curriculum, during which best practice across higher education will be examined along with published research.

For context, a model developed or selected at Queen Margaret University could incorporate an accepted model such as the DOTS model developed by Law and Watts (1977), the Career Management Skills Framework developed by Skills Development Scotland (2012) or the Careers Framework developed by the Career Development Institute (2020). A development proposal is likely to outline either in-house development of a framework and the enhancement and alignment of existing resources, or adoption of a framework developed externally. The proposal is also likely to set out requirements for funding for a platform through which students and graduates can map their progress against the framework, and can access technologically driven resources, activities, events and experiences aligned to each stage.

A Shared Terminology for Work-Based Learning

The following definitions are provided to ensure shared terms of reference for the purposes of defining the aims and objectives of the strategy. The definitions do not seek to alter terminology used by individual programmes, schools or professional bodies where the following activities may be described in other ways.

Placement – A compulsory or optional credit bearing opportunity for a student to work in a professional environment related to their course of study. Placements usually take place during term time and are likely to include an assessment of a student’s performance. Placements can be arranged by the University or a student may secure a placement independently.

Internship – An optional work experience opportunity, without an assessment element or earned credits, which usually takes place in university holidays, before a course starts or after graduation. Internships can be any length of time, and whilst unpaid internships are offered, the University commits so only promoting paid internships to students and graduates to ensure equity of access. Internship opportunities may be facilitated by the university,through programme such as the Santander Internship Fund and the Saltire Scholarship Programme, or secured by a student independently.

Work-Based Learning – An umbrella term, referring to a range of activities which a student may undertake whilst studying and throughout their lives. These may include experiences which form part of a programme such as placements, challenge based assignments addressing realistic or current industry scenarios, visits from employers and visits to workplaces alongside other activities. Work-based learning may also refer to extra circular activities including attending careers fairs, internships, work experience or work shadowing, having a mentor, and other work based career research.

Data Driven Approach

By collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data about our students and graduates, their engagement with Careers and Employability services and their career journeys, we will be able to adapt and grow the services provided to ensure they are fit for purpose and respond to changing requirements, market conditions and technological developments. This approach will also enable a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of factors including gender, ethnicity, disability status or socioeconomic background on the careers of graduates. Data sources are likely to include:

• Patterns in attendance of and subjects covered in 1:1 and group guidance sessions from the Student Central system.
• Graduate Outcomes data
• Evaluation of Careers and Employability services by students, graduates, programme teams and external partners

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The projects and programmes detailed in the strategy allow for targeted and enhanced support for students and graduates who face barriers relating to protected characteristics, those who are care experienced, and those from the most deprived postcode areas. A commitment to promoting equality and diversity is shared by those responsible for implementation. In addition, the activities described will enable students and graduates to becoming culturally aware and equipped to join a global workforce.

Regular Strategy Reviews to Reflect Changing Labour Market Conditions

Whilst this strategy presents an outline of the aims, objectives and required actions for the next five years, we have seen rapid and transformative changes to labour markets a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK’s departure from the European Union, and a range of technological developments. In order to ensure that this strategy continues to be fit for purpose, the implementation plan, when agreed, will be subject to regular re-evaluation through annual review.

Focus on Graduate Job and Internship Opportunities

In order to maximise the number of students who go on to find fulfilling graduate level employment over the next five years, a period during which the effects of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to impact the graduate labour market, the University should consider reviewing the approach taken to creating, identifying and promoting graduate level jobs, placement and internships. A dedicated function with additional responsibility for securing and managing government and private funding for employment support programmes would increase options available for students.

Collaborative Working

The implementation of this strategy represents a refreshed approach to ensuring that staff and students across the University work together to share best practice, solve problems and address challenges in order to embed careers education within programmes.  A partnership between programme teams and Careers and Employability will enable a full leveraging of relationships with external partners, sharing opportunities such as jobs and events with students and will ensure that students are aware of the careers support that is available for them.

Employability is more than Graduate Employment

Whilst a key measure of the success of this strategy is the number of students who are in positive destination when they complete the graduate outcomes survey, it should not be forgotten that career and life success for individuals and for society can be defined in a myriad of ways.  This strategy should enable students to develop the QMU Graduate Attributes, and career management skills which enable informed proactive decision making and lead to happy lives and a positive impact on society.

Aims of the Employability Strategy

1. To work collaboratively as a university to create an environment in which students are able to develop academic, personal and professional skills and attributes (QMU Graduate Attributes) so that they can develop meaningful and fulfilling careers and lives.
2. To support the University’s strategic goal to become the top modern university in Scotland for graduate level employment.

Objectives

1. Introduce a Career Management Skills Framework that underpins the delivery of careers education across the University and enables students to assess their progress at matriculation, throughout their study, and beyond.
2. Ensure that employability and careers education is embedded in course design and delivery across the University.
3. Deliver careers information, advice and guidance, to enable students to make informed decisions whilst at university and to develop life long career management skills.
4. Increase appropriate use of work based learning and placements, including support to prepare for credit bearing placements and internships, emotionally and practically, and the provision of opportunities for reflection and career planning.
5. Develop a programme of industry insights, networking opportunities and career learning in the form of careers fairs, events and training opportunities.
6. Identify, advertise and promote relevant jobs, including graduate schemes, graduate jobs, internships and part time work to students and recent graduates.
7. Promote uptake of extra-curricular activities including clubs, societies, volunteering, part time work, awards and supplementary training amongst students and co-curricular activities such as optional placements and overseas exchanges in order to maximise the benefits on employability.
8. Expand the Mentoring Programme to provide opportunities for more students to engage with a mentor.
9. Encourage student and graduate start-ups by promoting the support offered by the Business Gateway and external initiatives, linking with the leadership of the Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Advisory Group.
10. Increase graduate engagement with the full suite of careers and employability support services.

1 - Framework - Introduce a Career Management Skills Framework or Careers Education Curriculum

2 In Programme Careers Support - Ensure that Employability and careers education is embedded in course design and delivery across the University

3 High Quality Guidance - Deliver high quality 1:1 and group guidance and digital information, advice and guidance to enable students to make informed decisions whilst at university and to develop life long career management skills.

4 Work Based Learning -  Increase appropriate use of work based learning and placements, including support to prepare for placements emotionally and practically and the provision of opportunities for reflection and career planning.

5. Employer Engagement - Develop a programme of industry insights, networking opportunities and career learning in the form of careers fairs, events and training opportunities.

6. Graduate Level Jobs - Identify, advertise and promote relevant jobs including graduate schemes, graduate jobs, internships and part time work to students and recent graduates.

7. Extra and co-curricular activities - Promote uptake of extra-curricular activities including clubs, societies, volunteering, part time work, awards and supplementary training amongst students and co-curricular activities such as optional placements and overseas exchanges

8. Mentoring - Expand the Mentoring Programme to provide opportunities for more students to engage with a mentor

9. Entrepreneurship - Encourage student and graduate start-ups by promoting the support offered by Business Gateway and external initiatives, linking with the leadership of the Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Advisory Group

10. Graduate Engagement - Increase graduate engagement with the full suite of careers and employability support services to ensure graduate transition to positive destinations.

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