The Increasing Importance of Creativity if business are to survive in an increasing complex world.

According to a major new IBM (NYSE: IBM) survey of more than 1,500 Chief Executive Officers from 60 countries and 33 industries worldwide, chief executives believe that -- more than rigor, management discipline, integrity or even vision -- successfully navigating an increasing complex world will require creativity.

Conducted through in-person interviews with senior leaders and consultants from IBM’s Global Business Services division, less than half of global CEOs believe their enterprises are adequately prepared to handle a highly volatile, increasingly complex business environment. CEOs are confronted with massive shifts – new government regulations, changes in global economic power centers, accelerated industry transformation, growing volumes of data, rapidly evolving customer preferences – that, according to the study, can be overcome by instilling “creativity” throughout an organization.

How can students be supported in developing, applying and articulating their creativity? Is this a key focus within your programme?

Resources:
Creativity and Entrepreneurship: A Regional Analysis of New Firm Formation
Sam Youl Lee, Richard Floriday and Zoltan J Acs
https://papers.econ.mpg.de/egp/discussionpapers/2004-17.pdf

'Creativity and Innovation in business thinking outside the box
' Jon Boyes, Exeter University - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/careersandemployability/pdfs/resources/Creativity_and_innovation.pdf

Resources for developing Creative Thinkers http://tlp.excellencegateway.org.uk/tlp/xcurricula/employability/index.php?i=27

Innovation and Creativity in the Curriculum
http://www.innovations.ac.uk/btg/resources/publications/innovation.pdf

UCAS Employability Profiles and PDP

The UCAS Employability Profiles on this site(http://www.ucas.ac.uk/seps/intro)have been created to suggest the skills that typically can be developed through the study of particular subjects and can be a useful starting point for students to explore their programme of study and evaluate and articulate their personal development.

Job Prospects are still better for graduates than 16-18 year old job seekers -

Despite worrying employment figures, job prospects are still better for graduates than those of 16-18 year old job seekers -

AGCAS President, Anne-Marie Martin, said:

"A degree alone is not a passport into a graduate job and it isn't right for everyone, but to compete internationally, the UK needs a more educated, skilled and flexible workforce.

Consequently, the job prospects of graduates - and especially those who take advantage of some of the many opportunities both within and outside the curriculum to gain experience and learn relevant skills - are much rosier than those of 16 and 18 year old job seekers, and look certain to remain so.

However, we need to make sure that prospective and current students have access to genuinely helpful information and advice when making career and course choices. And, we need to ensure that all young people develop their employability skills alongside their subject knowledge."

Hints for creating an effective Linkedin profle

The article below provides a link to a free resource offering advice about how to develop an effective Linkedin profile with examples of different types of profiles.

Link - http://linkd.in/rNEt6e

Graduate Employability 2012

Interesting commentary about Graduate Employability from Dr Paul Redmond, AGCAS President Elect and Head of Careers at Liverpool University.

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/2bfdda29#/2bfdda29/4

Do your students experience problems with group work?

Have a look at WebPA, this is an open source online peer assessment tool that enables every team member to recognize individual contributions to group work.

See link - http://webpaproject.lboro.ac.uk/