Issue 33 Autumn 2012 - Bases

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Right: Inevitably, the increase in tuition fees may makeprospective students ‘cost savvy’Higher education and the employabilityagenda – sport and exercise scienceleading the way!Kelly Goodwin provides a basic overview of the changing face of Higher Education (HE) making referenceto the employability agenda and maximising relationships between academia and the sport and exercisescience practitioner.Increased tuition feesThe August flurry of activity surroundingA level results and the increased need foruniversities to meet their student numbersthrough clearing once again, broughtthe matter of increased tuition fees tothe forefront of the media. HE is aboutto change significantly as fees are set totriple in the face of economic crisis. Thisis not without implication with universityapplications falling by 8.7% compared tolast year (The Guardian, 2012). Despitethis dip, morale remains high; the trend foremployers looking to employ individualswith Higher Education qualifications isexpected to continue (Willetts, 2012).Value for money?Inevitably, the increase in tuition fees maymake prospective students ‘cost savvy’.Normally when one pays a high pricefor something, that transaction buildsexpectation (Fullick, 2011). This has raiseddiscussion around the topic of the studentbecoming a consumer of HE. A topic opento debate but one simply cannot ignore thefact that the cost to go to university hasincreased threefold, inevitably raising thequestion “Is a university education valuefor money?” Research is finding that manyyoung people are now considering theworth of Higher Education (FreeSpeech,2012). This in itself raises questionsregarding how one successfully measures‘value’ or ‘worth’. A simple method is tomonitor graduate employability. Undeniably,the ability to secure a job is a very effectiveway to demonstrate whether a programmeof study is equipping the student effectivelyfor the world of work.White papers of influenceTo help prepare for radical tuitionreform the Department for Business,Innovation and Skills (BIS) produced awhite paper: HE, Students at the Heart ofthe System in June 2011 - a reform paperempowering the student and renewingthe focus on quality teaching, feedback,preparation for work and graduateoutcomes. It is an enlightening paperespecially if one considers that reformsidentified are now coming to fruitionsuch as Key Information Sets (KIS) andStudent Charters. It would seem thatthis white paper does have influence - asthe employability agenda is a key focusit is worthy of consideration. The needfor universities to look again at how theywork with practitioners across teachingand research activities is clearly statedleading to the paper requesting Prof SirTim Wilson to undertake a review ofbusiness-university collaboration. Publishedin February (2012) this review focuses onenhancing graduate skills and ensuring asmooth and successful transition betweenuniversity and employment. An agenda forchange is proposed; an agenda that will helpmake the UK the best place in the world foruniversity-industry collaboration (Wilson,2012).“To enhanceemployability graduateskill sets need to be highlyrelevant to industryrequirements. As such thereis a need, greater than everbefore, to understand inmore detail the potentialemployment roles, specificskill sets required and careerprogression routes in thefield of sport and exercisescience.”The employability agendaWilson (2012) highlights the need forUniversities to publish graduate jobdestinations. In addition, strategies todevelop and record students’ employabilityand entrepreneurial skills should bepromoted through public literature toinform student choice. How effectively acourse of study demonstrates its alignmentwith the employability agenda may influenceHE recruitment figures. Using employabilityas a method of evaluation is by no meansa new concept. The UK’s Higher EducationStatistics Agency (HESA) already undertakesThe Destinations of Leavers from HigherEducation (DLHE) survey. This in turnproduces powerful statistics that influenceHE league tables. What is new is therecommendation that the universitiespublish job destinations and careerprospects providing Higher Education withgreater freedom to collect and disseminateemployability data and greater opportunityfor practitioners to demonstrate theirinvolvement with HE.Networking between universities andthe business community is critical (BIS,2011) and needs to be fostered. Universitiesare seen as an integral part of the supplychain to business assisting growth andeconomic prosperity. In order to strengthenthe supply chain, improvements to eachlink of the chain are needed. This can beachieved by close collaboration betweenacademics, practitioners and employers andan understanding of each party’s prioritiesand capabilities (Wilson, 2012). Keepingit simple, communication needs to beimproved.The Wilson Review (2012), in short,identifies the need for the design anddelivery of university programmes to berelevant for current and future businessneeds; graduates who are skill competentand confident; businesses which effectivelyupdate Universities with the necessaryemployee skills and graduate recruitmentthat matches business need with graduateskills.Sport and exercise science leadingthe wayIn the field of sport and exercise science therecognition of the importance of universitybusinesscollaboration is well established.Often sports science practitioners work18 The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 33 n Autumn 2012 n www.bases.org.uk
60x270 sport psychology ad:Layout 1 11/07/2012 15:3with academic institutions to shareknowledge and expertise, many academicsare active practitioners and there arenumerous examples of excellent practicewhere employability skills, internshipsand work-based learning are embeddedinto the curriculum. The opportunity forstudents to undertake additional vocationalqualifications and to gain hands on practicalexperience and insight into the appliedsetting of sport science is often exceptional.While reviewing the two papers, itbecomes clear that the sport and exercisescience community are in fact, doing muchof what is asked for already. The questionremains – how well? An equally importantconsideration is how well HE documentsexisting good practice to ensure that itis packaged in a way to inform studentchoice while demonstrating establishedlinks between employers, practitionersand the university. If, in the future, studentemployability statistics were used as aperformance indicator to help informstudent choice, the importance of graduatesfinding employment should not beunderestimated. To enhance employabilitygraduate skill sets need to be highlyrelevant to industry requirements. As suchthere is a need, greater than ever before,to understand in more detail the potentialemployment roles, specific skill setsrequired and career progression routes inthe field of sport and exercise science. Thisinformation must come from industry itself.Improved communication with practitionersand employers will help to ensure coursesof study remain relevant, competitive andwhere possible, the curriculum is mappedto industry requirements.The unprecedented drive to improveemployability provides opportunityfor reflection on existing practice andsubsequent enhancement. HE at presentmay present challenges but also substantialopportunity for increased collaborationbetween HE and the world of work andthe potential for collaborative pedagogicresearch between industry and academia.words: Kelly GoodwinKelly is a Senior Lecturer at BournemouthUniversity and a BASES probationary sport andexercise scientist. She is a member of The Sportand Exercise Scientist Editorial Advisory Board foreducation and professional development.ReferencesDepartment for Business Innovationand Skills. (2011). Higher Education: studentsat the Heart of the System. Crown copyright.Free Speech. (2012). Higher Education special,Coin Exchange Edinburgh. Available: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01m2dk5/Free_Speech_Higher_Education_Special/Fullick, M. (2011). Are students theconsumers of higher education? Live chat bestbits, Higher Education network: the Guardianprofessional.The Guardian. (2012). Number of UKuniversity applicants drops 8.7%, Ucas figures show.Available: www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jan/30/uk-university-applications-drop-ucasWilletts, D. (2012). BBC News - A-levels2012: Top grades down this year. Available: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19266381Wilson, D.L. (2012). A Review of Business-University Collaboration. Higher Education FundingCouncil for England.The Sport and Exercise Scientist n Issue 33 n Autumn 2012 n www.bases.org.ukNeed a BASESsupervisorand want towork withelite athletes?PgD Supervised Practicein Sport Psychology• Designed for postgraduatestudents who have completed anMSc Sport Psychology (orequivalent)• Applied study and practice tosupport BASES supervisedexperience and/or BPS Stage Twotraining• Guaranteed a qualified supervisor• Guaranteed access to a cohort ofelite/development athletes• Access to a professionalpsychology clinic on campusFor more information:08455 194 787www.glam.ac.uk/sportThe University of Glamorgan is a registeredcharity. Registration No. 1140312.19
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Page 29: Nanette’s notesProf Nanette Mutri

Issue 33 Autumn 2012 - Bases

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