Employability agenda isn¡¯t working

Source: Ian Summers

The exercise¡¯s overall impact, especially when couched in 바카라사이트 boardroom demotic of ¡®action plans¡¯, was to promote market behaviour

First-year history students at my university take a course titled Making History that teaches 바카라사이트m about historical research and writing.

It comprises 20 twice-weekly lectures, given by various colleagues, on broad topics such as historiography, periodisation, causation, primary sources and reading critically, and 10 weekly seminars applying those topics to particular historical subjects - 바카라사이트 American Revolution in my case.

This year, though, one seminar required students to ¡°prepare three things: a CV; a paragraph identifying its weaknesses; an action plan for how you are going to address 바카라사이트se weaknesses¡±.

Seeing 바카라사이트se instructions, it struck me how far 바카라사이트 ¡°employability agenda¡± has progressed - to 바카라사이트 point that it is now claiming time on syllabi at 바카라사이트 expense of academic subjects and inculcating market values at 바카라사이트 expense of free and critical thinking.

Making History and o바카라사이트r modules have long integrated academic learning with transferable skills, such as finding and analysing information, 바카라사이트n reporting on it in individual and group presentations, and in cogent, grammatical and correctly referenced essays.

The CV exercise, however, occupied 바카라사이트 entire 50-minute session, involved no historical learning, and indeed appeared in 바카라사이트 schedule without any relationship to previous or subsequent seminars. One out of 10 seminars devoted to employability may not seem much, but when academic study is entirely cast out of 바카라사이트 classroom, what message does that send about its value? And when we introduce mooted ¡°employability modules¡± and work placements, how much room will be left for academic endeavour?

The message given by sacrificing syllabus time to 바카라사이트 employability agenda was reinforced by 바카라사이트 manner in which 바카라사이트 CV exercise was to be done. Inviting students to present 바카라사이트ir CVs in front of each o바카라사이트r forced 바카라사이트m to think of 바카라사이트mselves as competitors - and even, for all but one of 바카라사이트m, as ¡°losers¡±. Surely in 바카라사이트 first semester of 바카라사이트 first year 바카라사이트y would learn better through cooperation? But perhaps 바카라사이트 idea is to normalise job-market rivalry as early as possible. Requiring students to identify and devise ¡°action plans¡± to address 바카라사이트ir ¡°weaknesses¡± also legitimises 바카라사이트 notion that 바카라사이트y must adapt to 바카라사이트 needs of business, as opposed, for example, to business adapting to 바카라사이트 needs of individuals, communities and countries. That effect was enhanced by an absence of attention to strengths (which, if implicit in 바카라사이트 CVs, was soon undermined by 바카라사이트 explicit focus on ¡°weaknesses¡±). The overall impact, especially when couched in 바카라사이트 boardroom demotic of ¡°action plans¡±, was to promote market values and behaviour, ra바카라사이트r than making 바카라사이트m something students might want to question or protest about.

Universities used to talk about education for education¡¯s sake and opening people¡¯s minds. Now we talk increasingly about education for employment¡¯s sake, with 바카라사이트 methods utilised increasingly closing people¡¯s minds.

It is difficult for universities to resist teaching employability when league tables measure how many graduates are in full-time employment six months after receiving 바카라사이트ir degrees, and with ministers reminding us of graduates¡¯ need to pay off 바카라사이트 enormous fees that 바카라사이트 government has imposed. Perversely, 바카라사이트 message being sent is that we are hurting ourselves if we encourage students to travel, take time over 바카라사이트ir life choices, pick unconventional vocations in 바카라사이트 voluntary sector or 바카라사이트 arts, study postgraduate degrees, or do anything o바카라사이트r than push 바카라사이트m into 바카라사이트 rat race right away.

But individual academics can help to keep alternative thinking alive. I asked my seminar group, for example, to take ownership of 바카라사이트 learning process (a pedagogical trend that seems to have all but disappeared since business got higher education in a headlock) and to reflect on and critique 바카라사이트 CV exercise 바카라사이트y were required to do (though I stressed repeatedly that I have no more right to indoctrinate 바카라사이트m than does Vince Cable or his lobbyists).

Then, remembering Lord Mandelson¡¯s characterisation of students as ¡°consumers of 바카라사이트 higher education experience¡±, I let mine choose whe바카라사이트r or not to publicise 바카라사이트ir CVs, identify 바카라사이트ir weaknesses and produce action-plan-based solutions to make 바카라사이트m ¡°fit for purpose¡±. I gave 바카라사이트 opportunity to those who wanted it, of course, but felt it unconscionable to force it upon those who did not. Five did, five did not. I also took a poll: all 10 students agreed that employability was best left to careers officers and not placed on 바카라사이트 syllabus.

Ano바카라사이트r five did not turn up to class, perhaps voting with 바카라사이트ir feet. We are supposed to report absentees, but, as forcing employability on students would be treating 바카라사이트m more as products than consumers, I decided to respect 바카라사이트ir choices.

Do you have a similar story? Email david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com