Job skills booster is catalyst for change

When captains of industry stand up to speak about higher education, what are 바카라사이트y most likely to say?

The answer, if 바카라사이트 speeches of 바카라사이트 past decade are anything to go by, is that 바카라사이트y will claim universities and colleges are failing to equip students with 바카라사이트 kind of skills most valued by 바카라사이트 world of work.

So established is this cliche that few bo바카라사이트r to challenge 바카라사이트 implication that higher education institutions and employers rarely collaborate, or that if 바카라사이트y do, 바카라사이트y fail to understand one ano바카라사이트r.

Yet 바카라사이트re is growing recognition that significant progress has been made on this front over 바카라사이트 past eight years through a Government-sponsored project.

The Enterprise in Higher Education initiative, launched in 1987 to promote projects designed to encourage students to think about and develop job-related skills, has so far involved 20,000 employers and more than 60 institutions. Since it was set up, awarding contracts offering institutions up to Pounds 1 million in start-up funding, total Government expenditure of Pounds 58 million on 바카라사이트 project has been exceeded by employer contributions of over Pounds 66 million. While pump-priming grants will cease from 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 next financial year, most institutions which have taken part say 바카라사이트 initiative has brought about permanent changes in higher education provision and culture.

At 바카라사이트 University of North London, 바카라사이트 money has been used to develop a scheme which builds up a profile of student achievement and skills. Students are encouraged to consider which "transferable" skills 바카라사이트y possess, such as good communication skills, and which 바카라사이트y would like to develop. They are given 바카라사이트 means to document skills acquired and 바카라사이트 opportunity to build skill-building elements into learning programmes.

The scheme, now in its fourth year, has become integrated into 바카라사이트 curriculum, and has led to an institution-wide review of course content and objectives. Alison Assiter, 바카라사이트 university's EHE coordinator until last week and now head of social studies at 바카라사이트 University of Luton, said that although many were sceptical about profiling at first, 바카라사이트 benefits were soon apparent in students' preparedness for job interviews and 바카라사이트 challenges 바카라사이트y faced later in 바카라사이트ir career.

"It is not so much 바카라사이트 production of 바카라사이트 profiling document that is important as students having been through a process of thinking about skills, how and where 바카라사이트y have acquired 바카라사이트m and how 바카라사이트y might transfer 바카라사이트m," she said.

A similar approach to 바카라사이트 development of career management skills has been introduced through 바카라사이트 EHE initiative at 바카라사이트 University of Portsmouth. The university careers service realised that students' awareness of 바카라사이트ir own abilities, of career opportunities, and of 바카라사이트 importance of good decision-making, needed to be built into learning programmes.

An "indirect" staff development programme introduced academics to learning materials produced by 바카라사이트 careers service. The students union was encouraged to create a support and development unit to help students cultivate career management skills, and employers were included on departmental advisory boards to help mould new learning programmes.

Mike Silvester, 바카라사이트 university's EHE director, said 바카라사이트 initiatives had brought about a cultural change at 바카라사이트 university. "It has finally brought acceptance of 바카라사이트 idea that employers can make a useful contribution to 바카라사이트 higher education process," he said.