Youth Unemployment and the key role employers have.

The following is taken from an interesting piece of work that examines youth unemployment. Mainly within a UK context, (although other countries' approaches are discussed) some of the topics the piece looks include:

problems of youth transitions; the knowledge driven economy; the role of approaches to human resource management; employability; structural factors; careers advice and guidance; apprenticeships and the role of government. 

However, the following quote demonstrates one of the key conclusions of the report is that employers need to take a much more active role in addressing the question of youth unemployment.


"The role and actions of employers are also critical to successful transitions. This means that the shape and size of the youth labour market matters, as too do job quality and the willingness and capacity of employers to offer high quality opportunities for work experience, training and progression.  If employers simply act as more or less passive consumers of the outputs of the education system, then there will be problems.  Employers’ recruitment and selection methods and criteria also matter.  The labour market creates some of the most powerful Type 2 incentives to learn, so the pattern of job opportunities and how  these are accessed will have considerable consequences for patterns of participation and achievement inside the education and training system."


Source:  Keep, E., (2012), Youth Transitions, the Labour Market and Entry into Employment: Some Reflections and Questions  SKOPE Research Paper No.108, May 2012, SKOPE, Cardiff University

Link to the full report:  http://bit.ly/KKMoz9

How to optimise your CV for applicant tracking systems

"It is estimated that over 50% of companies use applicant tracking systems. These ATSs filter uploaded CVs and put them into 'buckets' for employers. If your CV gets into the right bucket a human will read it so it does ultimately need to satisfy the human reader, however, an incredible 72% of CVs are never read by a real person: you've got to get it past the machines first."

Source: Mashable; Interview Mastermind; Optimal Resume on 01 Jan 2012 08.57 am,  sent to me by Richard at Abintegro  - http://www.abintegro.com/public/home

Tricks and tips based on the article - good advice for any CV, whether electronically submitted or not:

1. Identify and use as many of the key words, terminology, buzzwords and jargon as possible - use the job advert, job description, personal specification, and company website to find these.
2. Follow instructions exactly, and complete requested information, regardless of whether it is included in your CV. Leaving information out will cause the filter to overlook your CV.
3. Don't use crazy fonts. Stick to standard fonts such as Arial, Georgia, Tahoma, Impact, Courier, Lucinda, Palatino, Tahoma, Trebuchet, Verdana, Sans Serif (the Optimal CV selected fonts).
4. Use generic file types such as .RTF or .DOC. Avoid PDF, DOCX, WPD, WPS or HTML. Sometimes if you use the latest version of Word, it is better to save document as an older version, as companies may not have adopted the new version of Office.
5. Keep it simple: remove graphics, borders, shading and symbols. Special characters used for bullets like arrows can cause problems.
6. Check for any spelling mistakes: the ATS will miss important keywords when they are misspelled.
7. Don't use white font to hide keywords. Employers are on to this trick and simply highlight the document to spot it - many consider it to be deceitful; some systems can tell if white font is used and eliminate CVs on that basis.
8. Spell out your skills or qualifications. Employers more often than not tend to search on a technical or specialised skill. It's advisable to spell these out as well as using acronyms and abbreviations as it's difficult to predict the exact search term that will be used. The more technical your profession, the more important keywords are.
9. Only include relevant skills and experiences. The rest is just taking up space on an otherwise concise and pertinent CV. However, always list work history date order starting with the most recent. 
10. If you are used to using a more traditional CV an example of a Skills CV can be found on the www.prospects.ac.uk -  see link below. http://www.prospects.ac.uk/assets/assets/documents/cv_skills_based.pdf

Being an 'early bird' does pay off!

A recent survey by the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) found that 70% of  students start looking for employment before they receive their degree, with only 3% still looking for a job 12 months after they leave.
"There is a clear message in this report for recruiters not to wait until the year's end when it comes to finding top talent. Not only are students pro-active in finding job opportunities for themselves, they also start making use of their contacts early," says Prof. dr Steef van de Velde, the Dean of RSM.

Source: Graduate Recruiter, Association of Graduate Recruiters, Issue 66, June/July 2012

10 things not to say in a job interview

Mark King wrote the above article in the Guardian on the 10th May 2012. To compile his list he spoke to Corinne Mills, MD of Personal Career Management, Richard Nott from CWJobs.co.uk and Nik Pratap of Hays Senior Finance. The list appears to state the obvious, but clearly candidates are still making the obvious errors, so it may be useful. See link below for the article.

PS: do not bother with the YouTube video of the same name.

Link to article: http://bit.ly/KjwpYw

Narrative and Reflective Practice

David Winter has written an interesting article on narrative and reflective practice, featured in the March Issue 28 of the National Institue for Career Education and Counselling.

David has: "...attempted to identify a number of tools and methods that could expand the repertoire of structured approaches available to guidance practitioners when reflecting on their work." See link below, it makes really interesting reading.

Winter, D., (2012) Narrative and Reflective Practice, Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, March Issue 28.

http://scr.bi/I8DHCm

WHAT DO RESEARCHERS WANT TO DO? The career intentions of doctoral researchers 2012

The above report has been publishied by CRAC (The Careers Research and Advisory Centre). Over 4,500 current postgraduate researchers undertaking doctoral degrees, from 130 UK universities, responded to an online survey. See link below for the full report.

http://bit.ly/HEQPup

University of Derby Army Careers Day this week on Wednesday 18th April 2012

. The day will comprise:

• Catering corps field kitchen outside the atrium. Sample food served from 9am until supply runs out
• Field ambulance and medical tent
• Bomb disposal – students have the opportunity to operate the robot
• Logistics and engineering – JCB display outside
• Army challenge assault course, including laser weapons – be the fastest (in gym if weather is bad)
• Information stand on triangle in atrium – emphasis on TA recruitment, paid opportunities for students and Regular Army  

Recruitment information sessions in Dovedale suite: The Regular Army, 12-1pm

 

'Embedding Skills and Integrating Learning Development' 22nd June 2012, University of Leicester

There are still places left available on the professional development day 'Embedding Skills and Integrating Learning Development' on Friday 22nd June, University of Leicester
9.30am-4.00pm

£45 for ALDinHE members / £55 for non members
The programme for the day is attached and you can book your place online at the ALDinHE website: http://bit.ly/J3wpyV


The closing date for bookings is: Monday 11th June.

Women's work!

Women work two-thirds of the world's working hours, produce half of the world's food, but earn only 10% of the world's income and own less than one percent of the world's property. On average, women earn half of what men earn.

http://bit.ly/HbhZMR
www.globalpovertyproject.com/infobank/women

'Confidence Knockers'

It can take a good deal of resilience and confidence to hang on to your 'dream' and pursue the career you want, or change your career when you are unhappy at work. I came across an interesting article recently which explores the role played by 'friends' and relatives, who will tell you they have your best interests at heart, but do they? How can you block their dampening of your ideas? Kathleen Mitchell's article below explores the role of 'devil's advocate' together with some strategies of how to counter-attack.
http://www.jobjournal.com/article_full_text.asp?artid=924

Teaching and assessing Reflection in Higher Education - Workshop

The Centre For Recording Achievement have just announced the following workshop.

Manchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Campus, Monday 2nd July 2012.
A ‘leading edge’ workshop: Ormond Council Chamber,
Further details and a booking form are attached to this email. If you have any queries, or are looking to book, then email me – Daniel Brookes – at Daniel@recordingachievement.org – or telephone Cath or I for a chat on 01942 826761. With speakers from the Queensland University of Technology, this day-long event promises to be a really illuminating experience!

The e-portfolio implementation toolkit has just been published following a JISC-funded project

The toolkit is designed to support those involved in the implementation of e-portfolios in Higher Education, Further Education and work-based learning. Follow the link below for further information and to access the toolkit.

https://epip.pbworks.com/w/page/28670505/The%20e-portfolio%20implementation%20toolkit

"Pedagogy for employability" - new HEA publication Authors Ann Pegg, Jeff Waldock, Sonia Hendy-Isaac, Ruth Lawton

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/employability/pedagogy_for_employability_update_2012.pdf

The above publication is a revised and updated version of the first version published in 2006.
The publication "has been updatd with the practitioner in mind - those teaching in the classroom and those engaging with policy and student interactions in other ways, such as careers guidance and learning development workers.
Contents include:

• The economic and policy context for the different nations and ways that individual institutions have responded to this.
• Definitions of employability
• The emergence of models for employability
• Curriculum design and development, which includes:
• learning and teaching practice;
• assessment;
• work-based and work-related learning;
• staff engagement;
• pedgogy;
• strategy.
• Areas for future work
• 10 different case studies from across the UK

3 Skills Every 21st Century Manager Needs - Harvard Business Review

I read an interesting article recently in the Harvard Business Review * which suggested 21st Century Managers needed three key skills:
1 - Code Switching Between Cultures: the ability to work effectively with foreign colleagues.
The challenges the article discusses led me to ask whether or not we are maximising the opportunities our international student body offers to prepare our graduates for working with international colleagues. Given that so few UK firms are British owned, it is likely many of our graduates will face the management challenges and behaviour conflicts working with different cultures will present.
2 - Wielding Digital Influence: how the effective use of online networks will be crucial to success.
The article provides different examples of how online networks can help and support managers and organisations, and given that these networks are clearly here to stay and usage likely to expand, what are we doing on our HE programmes to help our students develop, understand and utilise social media and digital networks? Employers are telling us they are using social networks to recruit graduates; therefore without an effective digital presence, our undergraduates and graduates will certainly miss out on opportunities in the graduate labour market, and in future, be disadvantaged as managers if they aren't equipped to fully utilise the benefits afforded by effective networking.
3 - Dividing Attention Deliberately: this piece embraces the multi-tasking potential the digital age presents us with, and explores its advantages, suggesting that: "In the future, continuous partial attention will perhaps be seen not as a problem but as a critical new skill. And maybe we won't call it multitasking-we'll call it multi-inspiring." So perhaps when we look up and see a lecture hall of tweeters we shouldn't get so disheartened, but embrace the skills they are developing!

*Source: Harvard Business Review: Jan/Feb 2012, Vol.90 Issue 1/2, p139-143, 5p
Molinsky, A, Davenport, T, Iyer, B, Davidson, C, 3 Skills every 21st Century Manager Needs
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=69949242&site=ehost-live

Disabled Graduates holding their own in the Graduate Labour Market

Each year, the AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) Disability Task Group produces a report on the first destinations of disabled graduates nationally.

This year's report, (based on data collected from the 2009/10 cohort) indicates a certain level of stability returning to the graduate labour market following last year's downturn.

Key findings from the report include:

• The proportion of both disabled and non-disabled graduates entering employment rose clearly this year with the rate of increase for disabled graduates slightly higher than for their non disabled peers.
• Unemployment levels decreased for both groups with the rate of decrease marginally greater for disabled graduates.
• The proportion of graduates entering 'graduate level' employment improved this year, with, for the first time, higher proportions of disabled graduates in graduate level employment than non-disabled graduates.

For more information on the key findings, and access to the full report follow the link below:
http://www.agcas.org.uk/articles/486-First-career-destinations-of-disabled-graduates-research-published

The potential in using the Capstone Assignment for final year PDP

I recently attended a CRA (Centre for Recording Achievement) conference and attended an interesting presentation given by Dr Andrea Raiker from the University of Bedfordshire where she discussed developing the "Captsone Assignment" tutorial as a PDP process in developing the graduate identity*.
The presentation recommended the use of the final year "Capstone Assessment" and the supervisor/student/s tutorial relationship as a great opportunity to address a range of final year PDP issues. It was suggested that this is made possible by the shift from teaching to learner centrality and developing learner autonomy, assisting the students to make their own paradigm shift from having an undergraduate to a graduate identity, and thus facilitating and supporting this often difficult transition. If you would like to read more about Dr Raiker's work you can follow the link to her article in a CRA Newsletter or read her journal article, details below.

http://www.recordingachievement.org/news-and-events/publications/pdpuk.html - Issue 23

*Raiker, A. (2010) ‘An investigation into the undergraduate dissertation tutorial as a Personal Development Planning process to support learner development. IN Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education: Special Edition Researching PDP Practice, November 2010. ISSN1759-667X

PDP through Patchwork Text Assessment

I recently attended a CRA (Centre for Recording Achievement)conference, and attended a presentation given by Caroline Marcangelo from the University of Cumbria. Caroline was reporting on a JISC project she had lead entitled "Digitally Enhanced Patchwork Text Assessment" - see link below*
Patchwork Text Assessment is not new, but it certainly has the potential to offer a pragmatic approach to enhancing the curriculum experience. Students are offered a range of activities, which they have to provide evidence of engaging in. The main assessment takes the form of a reflective piece of work, after the completion of the required number of activities.
One of the key strengths of a patchwork text approach to assessment is the opportunity it provides to introduce a range of activities into the curriculum that can be designed to enhance student employability, student self-confidence and self-efficacy. Whilst the latter attributes are essential if our students are to successfully maximise their undergraduate experience in the graduate labour market, these cannot be taught, only developed experientially, which is what the added-value of patchwork text assessment offers.

* Link to final report http://bit.ly/zDGlvR
The final report makes interesting reading about not only the use of patchwork texts but also on the impact of using technologies and peer to peer assessment.

What leads to success?

I came across a very short clip that can be found on the Ted.com network. The piece by Richard St. John includes some excellent quotes from successful people.
The clip could be used to generate discussion about students' contribution to their own success and employability.

Employer input to academic studies

Follow the link for an interesting podcast about how some employers are working closely with universities.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/worldbiz/all#playepisode9

The podcast is entitled "InBiz: Class Struggle: 05 Jan 12"

The hidden benefits of volunteering for students and graduates.

Students and graduates who undertake volunteering projects do not just get the opportunity to develop and evidence their employability skills; these opportunities can inspire and motivate as well as improve self-confidence and self-belief.
An article in the Graduate Recruiter* provides quotes from employers and participants of the Raleigh's international volunteering:
Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Drinks says,

"The people at Innocent who have previously done Raleigh expeditions have greater confidence, enthusiasm and a belief in what can be achieved that motivates both themselves and others around them. When I am recruiting I am looking for something special in people and that is what they get from Raleigh: the gene for ingenuity."

A graduate with a degree in Architecture had applied for over 40 architectural jobs, unsccessfully. Three months after returning from Raleigh he was offered a position with Foster + Partners.

"As important as they are on expedition, skills such as survival, medical, radio and dive training weren't the most important lessons that Raleigh taught me. It was actually the frame of mind, my sense of purpose and achievement and my attitude that anything is possible - that is what has really helped. Working together with people of all nationalities and knowing that your limit is always that little further in front was a great experience."

*Issue 55 Graduate Recruiter, Publisher Association of Graduate Recruiters