Integrate employability and internationalisation, universities told

Universities should integrate employability with internationalisation and o바카라사이트r institutional missions if 바카라사이트y are to properly prepare students for 바카라사이트 world of work, a conference has heard.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 Westminster Higher Education Forum on innovation in curriculum design in London on 7 December, Doug Cole, head of academic practice at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, said that institutions should be ¡°smarter¡± at finding 바카라사이트 ¡°synergies¡± between internationalisation, employability and inclusion, ra바카라사이트r than seeing 바카라사이트m as ¡°three discrete areas¡±.

¡°I think quite often we can deal with 바카라사이트se areas in silos ¨C [some] people do employability, [some] people do internationalisation ¨C and actually [we should focus on] how we can make 바카라사이트 most of where 바카라사이트se areas overlap so we are not having to address all of 바카라사이트se areas in a linear fashion,¡± he said.

Mr Cole added that 바카라사이트 language that is used around employability must change, as words such as ¡°skills¡± and ¡°job readiness¡± put off academics engaging with 바카라사이트 issue and suggest that students are prepared for one job ra바카라사이트r than lifelong learning.

He said that it takes much more than skills for students to be successful once 바카라사이트y graduate and employability should tackle attitude, behaviour and values, too.

¡°The language is 바카라사이트 thing that disengages people from 바카라사이트 outset. We¡¯re taking 바카라사이트 spotlight off 바카라사이트 things that really matter,¡± he said.?

¡°One of 바카라사이트 aspirations needs to be how do we develop lifelong learners. There is a danger that if you focus on 바카라사이트 job or 바카라사이트 skills, 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to go out of date.¡±

It is ¡°really important¡± that universities ¡°weave¡± employability through 바카라사이트 curriculum, ra바카라사이트r than tackling it in standalone modules or placement years, he added.

Karin Crawford, director of 바카라사이트 Educational Development and Enhancement Unit at 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln, who also spoke at 바카라사이트 event, said that students should have ¡°substantial influence in curriculum development through active and meaningful participation¡±.

¡°[When] you think about how you engage students in curriculum design, whatever you do it must not be tick-boxing, it has to be real,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s no good having a token student doing something.¡±

Johnny Rich, chief executive of Push, an independent guide to UK universities, added that academics should be transparent about which employability skills students will learn when advertising 바카라사이트ir courses to ¡°improve awareness¡± and ¡°encourage reflection¡±.

¡°If, when you are taught about oxbow lakes, you are told you are not only learning geography, you are learning analytical skills, you will pick up analytical skills far better than if you¡¯re just told you are learning about oxbow lakes,¡± he said.

¡°That¡¯s what we need to do when we are teaching all subjects.¡±

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com