Guidance April 2007 - Glasgow Caledonian University

AIMING UNIVERSITY LEARNING @ WORK
LEFT TO RIGHT: DR
BRIAN LANG, PRINCIPAL
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
ST ANDREWS,
PROFESSOR CAROLINE
MACDONALD PRO
VICE-CHANCELLOR,
LEARNING & TEACHING
GLASGOW CALEDONIAN
UNIVERSITY, JOHN
MCCLELLAND, CHAIR
OF FUNDING COUNCIL,
SIR MUIR RUSSELL,
PRINCIPAL, UNIVERSITY
OF GLASGOW AT THE
LAUNCH OF THE
AIMING UNIVERSITY
LEARNING @ WORK
PROJECT, 8TH
FEBRUARY UNIVERSITY
OF GLASGOW
Aiming University Learning @ Work
A Clear Focus on Employability of Scotland’s Graduates
In Scotland today, a growing emphasis is being placed upon
ways to increase graduate employability. Growing numbers
of students are accessing higher education in the belief that
a university course will improve their future career
opportunities. The world of work is changing and university
graduates are facing increasing competition and are no longer
‘guaranteed’ a job for life. Tackling these issues and
expectations is a particular challenge for those subject areas
which do not currently have a strong tradition of offering
students opportunities for work experience or work-related
learning. To help address this challenge, the University of
Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of
St Andrews have secured funding from the Scottish Funding
council for an innovative project; the Aiming University Learning
@Work Project.
The project has four main strands:
1 Exploration of current activities relating to work-related
learning and employability within Scottish universities.
2 Examination of the views and experience of recent graduates as
they make the transition from university to employment and
feeding these back into curriculum development.
3 Exploration and development of opportunities for work
experience.
4 Support and development activity aimed at embedding
work-related learning within the university curriculum.
The project will identify barriers to and opportunities for
enhancing student employability and work-related learning.
Lessons from recent graduates will build a picture of their
experiences, attributes, skills development and personal growth.
This information will prove invaluable as steps are taken to
consider changes to improve university programmes of study.
The project will also pilot models for sustainable work-related
learning across a range of disciplines, particularly
‘non-vocational’ disciplines, and explore the feasibility of building
collaborative partnerships with employers and others.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
NUALA TOMAN, PROJECT LEADER
AIMING UNIVERSITY LEARNING @ WORK
GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITY
T: 0141 273 1345
E: employability@gcal.ac.uk
DAVID CARSE
DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
MANAGER OF
GLASGOW CALEDONIAN
UNIVERSITY STUDENT
ASSOCIATION,
SPEAKING AT THE
LAUNCH OF THE
AIMING UNIVERSITY
LEARNING @WORK
PROJECT
1
SFC (2006) Learning to Work: Enhancing employability and
enterprise in Scottish further and higher education. Edinburgh: SFC
The potential benefits of this project are huge. Not only is there
an opportunity to increase the proportion of employable
graduates, the project will undoubtedly provide a wealth of
information which is of relevance to careers and guidance staff.
It will provide us with relevant lessons, opportunities and
pointers which will prove useful in guiding future university
applicants through the maze of institutional and subject choices.
This is particularly important as the provision of good quality
career education, information and guidance have been
recognised as central to enhancing employability 1 .
The Project is being led by the University of Glasgow based in
the Careers Service and each partner institution has recruited a
team of dedicated staff charged with taking the project forward.
14 GUIDANCE www.caledonian.ac.uk