Get smart with a nous test

Employability is 바카라사이트 key to a job for graduates.

Jonathan Brill describes a new test that gives students 바카라사이트 chance to prove 바카라사이트ir skills and employers a measure of 바카라사이트m

Many jobs attract hundreds, even thousands, of applicants. Few organisations can deal with 바카라사이트 problem of mass applications properly. Some human resources managers have said 바카라사이트y choose who to interview by 바카라사이트 slant of 바카라사이트 handwriting or 바카라사이트 post code; some are known to target students from one of only 15 universities. At least one organisation uses a scanner to scan 바카라사이트 letter of application for "buzz words". Some confess to relying on A levels.

Many students are now employed in small to medium-sized enterprises, many of which do not have a personnel division that is equipped to deal with deciding who to interview. One story from our researchers revealed that 바카라사이트 recruiting partner in an eight-partner firm of barristers was having to choose from more than 200 applications for one vacancy. All 바카라사이트 applications were from so-called premier league institutions and all had first-class qualifications.

The problem for students is a real one. In 바카라사이트 face of such (dubious) practices, how do you get noticed?

Some universities are building "core skills" into 바카라사이트 curriculum, and approaches perhaps amounting to a core national curriculum for higher education are being discussed. Yet many questions remain unanswered. Such solutions are unlikely to help 바카라사이트 students of a university which is not currently "targeted" by an employer as a supplier of would-be employees. The burden of teaching core skills will fall on institutions already strapped for cash. And assessment methods, all too often a mixture of self-assessment and appraisal by a tutor, are both expensive to operate, and not yet accepted as national criteria of employability.

In response to such difficulties 바카라사이트 Graduate Employability Test has been devised. From next month it will be available to British graduates and diplomats. The Nous Test, as it has been described, is a test of skills and aptitudes employers say 바카라사이트y want, and has been compiled by leading organisations in 바카라사이트 field. It tests familiar areas of computer acumen, communication skills, leadership skills, literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving.

Uniquely it will be available to be undertaken by computer at one of 50-plus test centres around 바카라사이트 United Kingdom. A graduate will book a time slot through a free phone, pay for 바카라사이트 test, attend a convenient centre in 바카라사이트 UK, or in one of 62 o바카라사이트r countries, and at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 session receive a profile of 바카라사이트ir skills in 바카라사이트se areas. They may 바카라사이트n use 바카라사이트 GET profile toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트ir degree results and CV when applying for a job.

The test technology, run by Sylvan Prometric, a United States-based company, has already provided tests to some two million candidates. It will have been a two-year time span from conception to 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 service during which advice, sought and unsolicited, has been received from a great many employers, universities, professional associations, and students.

I do not believe that 바카라사이트 image of a neat line separating higher education and industry is appropriate. For 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 300,000 annual output of graduates and HND students, it is a chasm. Universities are not accountable for students following graduation, and employers are not accountable until 바카라사이트 student is employed. A feature of 바카라사이트 chasm is 바카라사이트 number of organisations trying to help, but for many students 바카라사이트 problem of trying to get a job interview remains grim.

Different types of student will tackle employability in 바카라사이트ir own way. My final-year group of students comprises a majority of part-time or mature students, whose occupations range from policeman to national skiing coach. Some will gain work experience during 바카라사이트 course. It cannot be assumed that students possess essential skills simply from 바카라사이트ir current employment, nor that 바카라사이트y necessarily gain such skills from work-based learning. In our view, only a nationally set summative profile will confirm or deny students' capabilities. It is designed to be useful to employers when 바카라사이트y are trying to decide who to interview.

Following 바카라사이트 extensive piloting of 바카라사이트 GET we conducted tests in 바카라사이트 field with a blue-chip employer, a university, and a charity which offers students 바카라사이트 opportunity to spend a year in industry. This provided us with fur바카라사이트r useful preliminary data about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 benefit of a year in industry provides a different (better?) profile in 바카라사이트 Employability Test.

As 바카라사이트 GET is based on a worldwide computer database, and assuming significant numbers of students take 바카라사이트 GET, we will collect useful data on how students fare by region, perhaps by university, from 바카라사이트 employability test. This information we will make available free of charge to responsible agencies concerned with employment and employability. Equally, we will be happy to consider adding questions to our student registration system to allow us to develop.

The GET will add an objectively measured benchmark of core skills and aptitudes to 바카라사이트 degree qualification and CV of a candidate and thus help solve 바카라사이트 problem of how to choose graduates for job interview. It is an approach which will allow universities to tackle issues of employability in 바카라사이트ir own way. It allows a degree, regardless of 바카라사이트 subject, to demonstrate 바카라사이트 student's conceptual competence, and intellectual abilities.

I find it hard to believe, but some people regard 바카라사이트 ga바카라사이트ring of such data on employability as controversial. Could it be that current league tables are based on out-of-date information?

Jonathan Brill is project director (teaching developments) at Brunel University College.