EFYE 2008
th
(7
–
th
9
May)
The benefits of embedding employability
into a subject curriculum
Dr Dawn Archer, Dr Helen Day
and Angela Kilpatrick
-- and (some of) our students,
Richard, Lisa and Sebastian
Let’s talk about … ELSIE
The English Language Studies Initiative
for Employability
See http://www.elsieproject.org.uk
Content:
• Introduction to ‘ELSIE’
• Answering the why question
• Answering the how (of employability)
• Our students’ experiences
• Future Developments
ELSIE is …
… an innovative subject-specific employability scheme,
developed at UCLan, which helps students:
1. To get the most out of their degree
2. To reflect on their subject-specific and generic skills
3. To learn how to transfer these skills to a ‘work’ context
4. To research future career options throughout their
degree and beyond
ELSIE is subject specific in the sense that …
It is part of the English Language Studies Workshops (1 & 2)
Breakdown of the first year experience:
• How do you learn?
• Understanding career interests,
goals and
• preferences,
Where does English
fit values
into
• What
project
wouldof
you
like to
the grand
scheme
things?
in Yr
2? as “good”
• do
What
counts
“Understanding why you’re at
University” (DOT model)
Self-development
Subject-based skills
Information skills
English now you’re at
Presentation skills
university?
• What do you need to know
Observation skills
• Essay writing
to do well at university?
Individual student presentations
• What your CV/job
• Making
mostpresentation?
of library/
• What
makesthe
a good
applications
say
about
youand
Starting the ELSIE projects
•
Another
look
at
Employability
e-resources
• Mistakes
to avoid
when
(language
&
representation)
the ELSIE projects
presenting!
•Reviewing
Writing what
a “good”
CV
- what
makes
a good
• Drop-in session
(student
• What
counts
you
needas
to useful
know feedback?
ELSIE
project
feedback
for 1st assignment)
Why develop ELSIE?
• A globally changing society
• Declining number in Humanities students
• Yet, English Language is a requirement for a
majority of graduate jobs …
How do we “teach” employability?
OPPORTUNITY
AWARENESS
SELF
AWARENESS
DECISION
LEARNING
TRANSITION
LEARNING
Theoretical framework adapted from Law and Watts (1977) DOTS career model.
Hearing the voices of UCLAN
students at the EFYE conference …
• Richard’s experience …
• Lisa’s experience …
• Sebastian’s experience …
Richard’s experience …
• Richard is a second year, who has recently
completed his employability project (as part of
EG2000 = English Language Workshop II)
Lisa’s experience
• My Initial Attitude
• What ELSIE Taught Me
• Realising My Potential
• My New Attitude
Sebastian’s experience…
Our ultimate goal for ELSIE students: that they have
sustainable, successful and satisfying careers
(built on a firm English-language foundation).