UNIVERSITY OF YORK
STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY STRATEGY
2015-2018
1. Introduction
The University has set out its commitment to student employability in the University Strategy
2014-2020, Key Objective 2, point 5:
We will give our students opportunities to gain experience that will prepare them better for
employment or further study:
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We will encourage all our students to enhance their employability throughout their time at
York, by engaging with development opportunities offered by departments, colleges, the
Students’ Unions and central services (particularly the Careers Service).
We will build upon our existing internship and placement programmes to offer more
mutually beneficial experiences for our students and for leading employers, nationally and
internationally.
We will support students’ volunteering and other forms of work-based learning.
We will encourage and support student enterprise.
We will further develop the opportunities for students to spend time studying abroad
through our Centre for Global Programmes.
Student and Academic Services has also set out a strong commitment to enhancing the student
experience, with a focus on the contribution of Colleges and the development of self-agency,
capability and resilience across the student body. Objectives include:
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To integrate the colleges within Student and Academic Services, ensuring coordinated
support and development opportunities across the directorate that are student-centred and
student-led.
To support our student community in developing the academic, personal and social skills
necessary to engage with a complex and demanding world and in aspiring to achieve great
things in their lives as graduates.
We recognise that at a time in which the University is aspiring to be among the best internationally,
the employability of York students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, is of paramount
importance: for the students themselves, for league table positioning and for developing effective
relationships with external organisations.1
We believe that an education from York equips students ‘for a range of careers, and provides the
tools of discovery, analysis and discrimination to inform the act of choosing’2 . To this end, we set
out a strategy that embraces employability as a skill-set and mind-set valued by the entire
University community.
1
This is a strategy for the whole institution and as such ‘we’ refers to the whole community, including academic
departments, colleges, students unions and central departments.
2 University of York Learning and Teaching Strategy 2015-2020
2. Our vision and aims
We want all students to leave York equipped to make their mark on society – whether through
pursuing research or entering other employment. We want the University of York to be recognised
nationally and internationally as a seedbed for talented graduates offering a valuable contribution
to the world.
A focused approach will enable us to monitor and evaluate our success. We will use the national
Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey as our measure, setting out an
ambitious KPI of 80% of all York graduates achieving a professional/graduate destination by
20183.
We have four strategic aims in support of our vision:
1. Students are expected, and supported, to consider and plan their future options from their
first point of contact with York, throughout their time here, and beyond.
2. All York students connect with the working world throughout their university life, via
work-based or work-related activities, international experience and events involving
employers and/or alumni.
3. All students leave York aware of their capabilities, committed to lifelong learning, and with
the confidence, motivation and resilience to excel in their chosen fields.
4. Employers view York as a ‘University of Choice’ for recruiting high quality students and
graduates.
3. Where are we now?
The University launched its first Student Employability Strategy in 2010. Over the past five years,
the University has seen a clear shift in culture from a minimal awareness of employability and a
sense that it was the Careers Service’s problem to solve, towards accepting employability as a key
part of the student experience, and understanding that developing the future capabilities of our
students has to be a shared responsibility. The profile of the Careers Department (Careers) and the
scale and breadth of activities on offer have significantly increased. (See appendix 2 for a Summary
of Careers actions in support of the Student Employability Strategy vision.)
We now find ourselves in a place where significant progress has been made across the institution,
but we have not achieved the vision or aims that were set in the inaugural Student Employability
Strategy (see Appendix 1 for a summary of barriers to progress). Many of the aims and objectives
have been partially achieved, e.g.:
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3
all students have access to high quality careers information, advice and guidance - but a large
number of them (approximately 40%) do not yet engage with it;
a growing number of students have a high quality student experience and can recognise how it
has enhanced their employability – but not all of them;
an increasing number of employers now recognise York as a seedbed for exceptional talent –
but we are not yet ‘known’ nationally or internationally for it.
This target will remain under constant review to ensure that we improve our competitive position.
From a position of greater institutional commitment to the employability agenda, the 2015-18
strategy builds on this work, allowing us to progress more rapidly than before. We need to
continue to cultivate a culture in which the future of students is a live and important consideration
for all involved in the student experience, whether that be the students themselves or the staff in
academic, support and college communities around them.
In addition to this, recent sector reports provide statistical evidence of the link between higher
employability rates and student learning outcomes for students who study, work or volunteer
abroad. According to one such report, a higher proportion of mobile students achieved a first or 2i,
was in employment within 6 months of graduating and entered professional / graduate level
employment.4
Our strategy should incorporate the recognition that students are entering a global work
environment and we must offer the opportunities for students to gain intercultural and other skills
that employers are seeking which can be demonstrated by international experience.
Outlined below are a number of objectives underpinning each of our aims, but to summarise, the
key elements of change that will make a significant difference to our graduate outcomes are:
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Senior level championship of the employability agenda;
Departmental engagement/commitment, i.e. through the York Pedagogy, Careers Liaison
Officer role and KPIs;
High profile, targeted employability messaging to all our stakeholders – personalised and
institutional;
Emphasis on the benefits of work experience in all its forms, and support in securing it;
Emphasis on the benefits of international experience in all its forms, and support in offering
opportunities through the Centre for Global Programmes;
A pro-active approach to employer engagement.
4. How will we get there?
A number of clear objectives will underpin each of our aims.
Strategic Aim 1. Students are expected, and supported, to consider and plan their future
options from their first point of contact with York, throughout their time
here, and beyond
Underpinning 1a) We will promote the  In response to the Youthsight findings, we will
objectives
University (both
develop a clear brand for prospective students that
internally and
includes messages with explicit reference to
externally) as an
employability, and pre-entry resources that clarify
institution committed to
that planning for your future is an integral part of
preparing its students
University life at York.
for employment and
 Employability will be clearly referenced in the new
further study – setting
York Pedagogy and woven into programme delivery
expectations for
(using frameworks and methodologies appropriate to
4
Gone International: mobile students and their outcomes. UK Higher Education International Unit (2015).
prospective and current
individual departments and programmes).
students, and the
 We will better utilise peer-to-peer processes by
professionals and
equipping upper year students to encourage new
academics around them,
students to develop their employability, e.g. through
about engagement with
College mentoring or departmental buddying
employability.
systems; and through working with the Students’
Unions to ensure that employability is clearly
referenced in communications.
1b) Academic
 The assessment process for the first tier of the new
departments, Colleges
York Award will be carefully designed to ensure that
and Students’ Unions
new students are required to plan their next
will support/ encourage
employability-related steps.
students to participate
 All undergraduate students will be encouraged to
in the new York Award.
participate in the York Award as a standard of college
life. Aligned with their strategic priorities, Colleges
will provide employability-related activities and
encourage students to participate in other extracurricular activities, home and overseas), suited to
their interests.
 All postgraduate students will be encouraged to
access the new York Award at a tier appropriate to
them (the old model was not available to PGT
students unless they had completed their UG studies
at York).
1c) We will strengthen
 We will establish a new Employability Strategy
links between Careers
Group (ESG) to monitor all employability-related
professionals and
activity across the institution.
Academic Departments,  The Careers Liaison Officer role (CLO) will be reparticularly through the
developed and assigned greater status and
development of a more
responsibility. CLOs, together with support from
substantial Careers
Careers professionals, will develop the employability
Liaison Officer role.
plans for their department, tailored to the needs of
their students. The CLO will be responsible for
delivery of the plan and promotion of employability
across their department.
 Heads of Academic Departments will report on
employability activity and DLHE results. They will
consider how to address issues through the annual
financial planning cycle, or a suitable alternative, and
at Advisory Board meetings. Employability should be
an important agenda for senior staff in departments
and a standing item on BoS and/or other appropriate
department meetings . Tailored action plans to
address underperformance (against sector
benchmarks) will be produced and reviewed termly
by ESG.
1d) We will provide
 We will monitor students’ enrolment statements
students with planning
regarding their career-readiness, to determine the
resources and support
appropriate to their
needs and interests.
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support needed through central or departmental
interventions.
We will identify early non-users of careers and
employability provision and survey their needs,
ensuring that they are aware of the support available
to them.
We will ensure that students are aware of the national
and global opportunities available to them, facilitated
by the institution and beyond.
We will use regular consultation to ensure that
resources are appropriate for all students, including
international, postgraduate and distance learning
students.
We will continue to develop and review the
Employability Tutorial to ensure it is attractive to all
students, considering/investigating the use of exciting
new platforms to enhance current provision, e.g.
online course provider FutureLearn.
Strategic Aim 2. All York students connect with the working world throughout their
university life, via work-based or work-related activities, international
experience and events involving employers and/or alumni.
Underpinning 2a) All students will
 The new York Pedagogy will encourage departments
objectives
have the opportunity for
to devise programmes that develop creativity,
work-related learning,
independence, enterprise and initiative and promote
involving employers,
work-related learning, e.g. through the inclusion of
during their programme
case studies, programmes of guest speakers or
of study. This may take a
community based learning etc.
variety of forms,
 We will encourage alumni, both home and
including (but not
international, to support their academic department
limited to) volunteering,
or College with opportunities for mentoring,
enterprise, case studies
enterprise support, work-shadowing, insight days or
and networking
work experience opportunities.
opportunities.
 We will facilitate mutually beneficial links between
employers and departments to support the provision
of e.g. case studies, guest speakers etc.
2b) Undertaking a work-  We will harness the growing interest from both
based placement will be
departments and students to develop/expand
an option for all
accredited placement modules and internship
students.
provision within programmes, both home and
overseas (e.g. through the Year Abroad
programmes).
 We will ease the process for students in finding and
undertaking placements on an individual basis,
providing a toolkit that can be tailored to
departmental requirements.
 We will ensure that the University’s associated
administrative processes are as efficient as possible
2c) We will
promote/offer more
work experience and
opportunities for
international study,
work and volunteering.
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and do not deter students or departments from
participating.
We will boost our promotion of national work
experience and volunteering opportunities.
We will develop a volunteering framework (based on
a hub and spokes model) to facilitate an increase in
the number of volunteering opportunities available
to students, locally, nationally and internationally.
We will significantly increase our promotion of the
benefits of work and international experience, with
campaigns showcasing both opportunities and
success stories to students, prospective students and
staff.
We will grow the number of prestigious international
opportunities for study, work and volunteering
available to students through the Centre for Global
Programmes.
Strategic Aim 3. All students leave York aware of their capabilities, committed to lifelong
learning, and with the confidence, motivation and resilience to excel in their
chosen fields.
Underpinning 3a) We will proactively
 We will use engagement data and intelligence from
objectives
identify and reach out to
academic colleagues to identify final year students
final year students
who could benefit from additional coaching support
identified as being underetc. to enhance their options/decision making.
prepared for work or
 We will develop systems that allow us to personalise
study after graduation
communication about career planning, based on
and offer them
students’ personal declarations on their career
appropriate support.
readiness at the point of enrolment, and their
preferences expressed via the Career Gateway
account management system.
 We will maintain close links with those students in
the first 6 months after graduation, supporting them
into work or study wherever possible.
3b) We will showcase the  We will develop a marketing campaign, clarifying to
importance of reflecting
students what actions they must undertake to obtain
on and converting the
their desired work/study.
skills and attributes
 We will provide students and other stakeholders
gained from a York
with motivational stories of York students’
education into successful
achievements, in work and further study, inspiring
applications to work and
individuals to act upon their own ambitions. We
study.
will further develop our network of recent alumni to
add their voices to the bank of success stories.
 We will ensure students have access to activities that
develop resilience, motivation and confidence, and
are aware of how to cultivate these abilities.
 We will scope out the development of a central skills
testing centre, drawing on support from high profile
3c) We will provide high
quality online and faceto-face support and
resources, enabling
students to reflect on and
develop the skills and
confidence to succeed.
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Strategic Aim
Underpinning
objectives
4.
alumni and employers, enabling penultimate year
students to demonstrate/practise their work-related
skills in a formal assessment centre style
environment – focusing on both online and in
person testing and using this experience as a
diagnostic tool to provide/promote additional
support during the final year.
We will offer a reflective programme through the
York Award, enabling students to consider the value
of their experiences in depth.
We will develop a new, prestigious top-tier York
Award to support and showcase the highly
motivated and our future leaders. This will focus on
developing leadership skills and networks, with the
support of inspiring figures from the alumni and
employer community.
We will provide feedback to all students applying to
employability-related activities brokered by the
University (e.g. job on campus, Student Internships,
volunteering, positions of responsibility etc.) to
ensure they can develop their self-awareness and
application skills.
We will provide employer-partnered application
support both on-line and face-to-face, such as CV,
interview and assessment centre preparation.
We will embed reflection on learning outcomes into
the York Pedagogy and ensure that students
develop, and are ab le to articulate, the transferable
skills that they need to succeed.
Supervisors will continue to regularly support
students in their reflections through the discussion
of Student Employability Plans.
Employers view York as a ‘University of Choice’ for recruiting high quality
students and graduates.
4a) We will take a more
 We will revitalise the Corporate Relations Steering
strategic view of the role
Group, introducing a new tier of membership to
which employer
take forward appropriate operational actions
partnerships can play in
relating to careers and employability.
helping the University to  We will create an institutional brand proposition
deliver its employability
that can be used to engage employers effectively.
strategy.
 We will ensure that student and graduate
employability is part of the dialogue with all new
and existing strategic partners of the University.
 We will cross reference institutional data on
existing employer relationships more effectively in
order to leverage/maximise opportunities for our
students and graduates.
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4b) We will proactively
engage with a growing
number of employers,
locally, nationally and
internationally.
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4c) We will facilitate
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interactions between
employers and academics
across the institution.
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4d) We will promote the
benefits and success
stories of
student/employer
interaction, both within
the institution and to the
employer community.
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We will inform our employer liaison activity
through conducting more detailed analysis of our
departmental DLHE data in relation to emerging
sectors/recruiters.
We will use the new University brand proposition
to develop clear messages for employers that
promote our graduates and include explicit
references to what they bring with them from a
York education – targeting employers that have a
strong fit with our brand.
We will gain a deeper understanding of the
strategic priorities and challenges of key priority
employers by developing senior level links within
their graduate recruitment teams and wider
organisations.
We will continue to develop our structures and
processes to ensure that they maximise employer
engagement and effectively facilitate their access to
our students and graduates.
We will maintain a breadth of employer relations,
linked to the career/sector aspirations of our
students.
We will invite employers to attend key events
within the institution, sharing their perceptions
and perspectives.
We will ensure that the employer voice is
represented, where relevant, in discussions about
curriculum development or work-related learning
etc.
We will target employers who recruit from key
student cohorts, developing links with local
employers and SMEs as well as those with a high
profile and enabling them to connect with
appropriate Academic Departments.
We will diversify the opportunities employers
have to engage with students, through developing
more online and face-to-face models (within
departments, Colleges and societies).
We will seek out opportunities to promote York’s
pro-active approach to employer engagement,
supporting employer/academic engagement and
reflecting York’s specific research strengths and
brand.
We will seek out awards and competitions that
showcase York students to employers.
We will showcase success stories locally,
nationally and internationally.
Significant new developments such as the 3 tier York Award, the development of the York
Pedagogy and institutional promotion of a clear brand to all stakeholders, will allow employability
messages to align in a way that hasn’t previously been possible. By embedding employability
messages and activities at a number of key points throughout the student experience, the intention
is to build a narrative and expectation that will drive students to engage with employability and
feel confident about their future options.
5. Measuring our progress and achievement
Progress towards achievement of our objectives will be monitored by the Employability Strategy
Group.
The most comprehensive comparative measure of our graduates’ employment status is the
Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE). Though its limitations are well recognised,
this measure reflects the widespread aspiration among students and other stakeholders that
graduates will have secured graduate level work or study, or have elected to take time out, within
six months of completing their studies. This is the measure used by league tables in calculating
graduate employability prospects. We also recognise the need for qualitative measures to assess the
impact of our work on current students. This will help us be responsive and tailored in our
provision, so that students access the support they need before graduating. We will monitor our
progress using the following KPIs:
Measure
Current position
KPI
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Improved league table
positioning under the
relevant graduate
employment criteria in
national league tables
Times Good University Guide (the
only newspaper league table that
uses the most recent DLHE data)
2015 position (published in 2014) is
37th.
We aim to be in the top 15 by
the 2019 table (published in
2018).

PGT positive
destination data
We rank 21st of the 24 RG
institutions in the 2013/14 data
with 73.9% in positive
destinations.
 Achieve 76% by 2014/15 data
 Achieve 78% by 2015/16
 Achieve 80% by 2016/17
(proxy for top half of RG)

PGR positive
destination data
 Achieve and maintain 95%
(proxy for top third of RG)
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Key NSS data
We rank 7th of 24 RG institutions in
the 2013/14 data with 94.4% in
positive destinations.
2014 results for supplementary
Careers questions:
 As a result of my course, I
believe I have improved my
career prospects = 83%
 Good advice is available for
 Top 30 by 2016 (pub. 2015)
 Top 25 by 2017 (pub. 2016)
 Top 20 by 2018 (pub. 2017)
To add - appropriate targets
based on overall NSS target
recommendations
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Enrolment data
statistics

Number of UG1 and
UG2 undertaking work
experience as recorded
via the enrolment task
Student engagement
with employability
through Careers
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Student engagement
with international
opportunities
making career choices = 68%
 Good advice is available on
further study opportunities =
72%
37% of final year students who
enrolled in Summer 2014 feel fully
prepared or ready to apply for
work/study.
Our aim is for 50% of final year
students who enrol in Summer
2015 to choose one of these
categories.
No measure available currently.
To be defined when initial data
is available (Oct/Nov 2015).
In 2013/14 60% of the student
population engaged with some
form of Careers led employability
provision.
HESA data
65% to be engaged by 2015/16
and we will continue to monitor
reasons for non-engagement.
To be determined following the
submission of the first set of
mobility data to HESA which
extends beyond programme
placements
We will also put in place internal outcome-based feedback mechanisms, to enable students to
reflect upon and tell us about the effectiveness of employability provision in supporting their skills
and confidence.
This strategy will be revised by the Employability Strategy Group in 2018.
Appendix 1
Action plan – other institutional actions
Strategic Aim 1. Students are expected, and supported, to consider and plan their future options, from their first point of contact with York, throughout
their time here and beyond.
Objective
Detail
1a) We will promote the University
(both internally and externally) as
an institution committed to
preparing its students for
employment and further study –
setting expectations for prospective
and current students, and the
professionals and academics
around them, about engagement
with employability.
In response to the Youthsight findings, we will develop a
clear brand for prospective students that includes
messages with explicit reference to employability, and preentry resources that clarify that planning for your future is
an integral part of University life at York.
1b) Academic departments,
Colleges and Students’ Unions will
support/ encourage students to
participate in the new York Award
 The assessment process for the first tier of the new York
Award will be carefully designed to ensure that new
students are required to plan their next employabilityrelated steps.
 All undergraduate students will be encouraged to
participate in the York Award as a standard of College
Other institutional actions (lead dept or individual)
 Project manage institutional brand proposition (Alison
Kerwin)
 Review where and how employability messages are
communicated to prospective students (Digital Comms/
Admissions, with support from LS/LT)
 Consider the role of funded pre-entry workshops
(Admissions)
 Employability will be clearly referenced in the new York  Project manage York Pedagogy developments (Nigel
Pedagogy and woven into programme delivery (using
Dandy)
frameworks and methodologies appropriate to
 Academic Heads/ CoBoS/CLOs in pilot departments to
individual departments and programmes).
consider employability agenda when planning pilot
programmes (Ac Depts)
 We will better utilise peer-to-peer processes by
 Co-ownership of plans and campaigns (YUSU/ GSA)
equipping upper year students to encourage new
 YUSU to facilitate society engagement
students to develop their employability, e.g. through
 Assistant Heads of College to facilitate employability
College mentoring or departmental buddying systems;
element of peer mentoring (JE)
and through working with the Students’ Unions to
ensure that employability is clearly referenced in
communications and campaigning.
 Timetable into College Officer training (KH)
 Maintain planning link with Achieving Excellence
Bursary criteria (DARO)
 Roll out across Colleges (Kate Harper and all College
Officers)

1c) We will strengthen links
between Careers professionals and
Academic Departments,
particularly through the
development of a more substantial
Careers Liaison Officer (CLO) role
1d) We will provide students with
planning resources and support
appropriate to their needs and
interests


life. Colleges will provide employability-related
activities and encourage students to participate in
extra-curricular activities (home and overseas), suited
to their interests.
All postgraduate students will be encouraged to access
the new York Award at a tier appropriate to them (the
old model was not available to PGT students unless
they had completed their UG studies at York).
We will establish a new Employability Strategy Group
(ESG) to monitor all employability-related activity
across the institution.
 Sarah Leach to ensure College staff are aware of global
opportunities
 Promotion of York Award to PG students (GSA)
 Promotion of York Award to research students (RDT)
 Ensure institution wide membership of both groups
(KD/KL)
The CLO role will be re-developed and assigned
 ESG/UTC to approve and implement stronger CLO role
greater status and responsibility. CLOs, together with
(LS to co-ordinate)
Careers professionals, will develop employability plans  Clear articulation of how the York Pedagogy can
for their department, with delivery tailored to the
strengthen a department’s approach to employability
needs of their students. The CLO will be responsible for
(ND/HS)
the delivery of the plan and promotion across the
 Planning Office/IT support for DEP system. Build into
department.
Management Information Gateway (Jeremy Bennett?
Andrew Male?)
 Heads of Academic Departments/CLOs will report on
 Faculty deans support in promoting ambitious
employability activity and DLHE results in the annual
benchmarks to move us to an institutional 80% (LS to
financial planning cycle (MTP), or a suitable
instigate)
alternative, and at Advisory Board meetings.
 Departments appoint CLOs equipped with the time,
Employability should become a standing item on BoS
skills and interest to support the agenda (HoDs)
and/or other senior management agendas within each
 Suitable alternative to MTP identified (David
dept. Tailored action plans to address
Muckersie)
underperformance (against sector benchmarks) will be
produced and reviewed termly by the Employability
Strategy Group.
 We will monitor students’ enrolment statements
 Share information with supervisors to support their
regarding their career-readiness, to determine the
work with supervisees (CLOs/Academic supervisors)
support needed through central or departmental
 Plan appropriate programme of workshops/activities to
interventions.
address issues identified (CLOs)
 We will identify early non-users (UG and PG) of careers
and employability provision and survey their needs,
ensuring that they are aware of the support available to
them
 We will ensure that students are aware of the national
and global opportunities available to them, facilitated
by the institution and beyond
 We will use regular consultation to ensure that
resources are appropriate for all students, including
international, postgraduate and distance learning
students.
 Consideration of the needs/motivations of non-users
(EOG)
 Investigate including key questions in central University
survey instead of running additional one (GJ/KD)
 Utilise the new building and proximity to International
Relations team to maximise promotional opportunities
(Sarah Leach)
 International Student Support team to support
development of resources and dissemination of
information
 DL working group to ensure employability is on agenda
annually, and support consultation and development
where needed
 We will continue to develop and review the
 Build closer links with wider e-learning resources
Employability Tutorial to ensure it is attractive to all
(ND/HS)
students, considering/ investigating the use of exciting  Support development through contribution to focus
new platforms to enhance current provision e.g. online
groups (Colleges and YUSU/GSA)
course provider FutureLearn.
 Promote ET resources to pre-entry and first year
students during enrolment period and early weeks
(Colleges/YUSU/GSA)
 Link ET to York Pedagogy through tailored
departmental content (ASO)
Strategic Aim 2: All York students connect with the working world throughout their university life, via work-based or work-related activities,
international experience and events involving employers and/or alumni.
Objective
Detail
Other institutional actions (lead dept or individual)
2a) All students will experience
work-related learning, involving
employers, during their
programme of study – this may
take a variety of forms including
(but not limited to) volunteering,
enterprise, case studies and
networking opportunities.

 Senior support and action in the transition to workrelated learning opportunities in programmes for all
(VC, Deans)
 Programme reviews and new programmes to include
work-related learning provision (sign off by UTC)
 Support for departments as they integrate more workrelated learning, and ensure these are signed off (ASO)
 Support and consultancy for integration of work-related
The new York Pedagogy will encourage departments to
devise programmes that develop creativity,
independence, enterprise and initiative and promote
work-related learning e.g. through the inclusion of case
studies, programmes of guest employers or community
based learning.
learning in research programmes where relevant (RDT)
2b) Undertaking a work-based
placement will be an option for all
students.

We will encourage alumni, both home and
international, to support their academic department or
College with opportunities for mentoring, enterprise
support, work shadowing or work experience
opportunities.
 Support departments and Colleges in accessing alumni
to support programme activity (DARO)
 Develop bespoke programmes or events tailored to
students’ needs (CLOs/College Officers)

We will facilitate mutually beneficial links between
employers and departments to support the provision of
e.g. case studies, guest speakers etc.
We will harness the growing interest from both
departments and students to develop/ expand
accredited placement modules and internship provision
within programmes, both home and overseas (e.g. with
Year Abroad programmes programmes).
We will ease the process for students in finding and
undertaking placements on an individual basis,
providing a toolkit that can be tailored to departmental
requirements.
 CLOs to identify opportunities within departments
(CLOs)


2c) We will promote/offer more
work experience and opportunities
for international study, work and
volunteering.



We will boost our promotion of national and
international work experience and volunteering.
opportunities.
We will develop a volunteering framework (based on a
hub and spokes model) to facilitate an increase in the
number of volunteering opportunities available to
students, locally, nationally and internationally.
We will significantly increase our promotion of work
experience, with campaigns showcasing both
opportunities and success stories to students,
prospective students and staff, reinforcing the idea that
 Provide senior support for the agenda (John Robinson)
 Lead discussions on the value of placement modules
within programmes (HoDs/CoBoS)
 Support departments in QAA standard for all new
developments (ASO)
 AR project – simplify the process for students to take a
year out in order to have a year in industry (HS Careers
lead)
 Establish a working group including all relevant
university departments to develop toolkit – to include
Registry, Finance, Students’ Unions, Faculty
representation (chair?)
 Centre for Global Programmes to share relevant opps
(Sarah Leach)
 Utilise VACC to support implementation of the
framework – Matt Matravers
 Participate in the projects (YUSU, Colleges)
 Employability to be a major message across all
institutional marketing hubs, with the establishment of
an employability communications group to oversee
activity (YUSU, GSA, Communications Office, Colleges)
gaining great work experience is the norm at York.

We will grow the number of prestigious international
 Centre for Global Programmes (Sarah Leach)
opportunities for study, work and volunteering
available to students.
Strategic Aim 3: All students leave York aware of their capabilities and with the confidence, motivation and resilience to become the best in their chosen
fields.
Objective
Work areas
3a) We will proactively identify

and reach out to final year students
identified as being unprepared for
life after graduation and offer them
appropriate support.

We will use engagement data and intelligence from
academic colleagues to identify final year students who
could benefit from additional coaching support etc. to
enhance their options/decision making.
Other institutional actions (lead)
 Departments to conduct audits of students in their final
year to identify students who do not have plans – to be
completed by week 3 of summer vacation (CLOs).
We will develop systems that allow us to personalise
 Consider the profiling of York students and recommend
communication about career planning, based on
actions if needed (EOG)
students’ personal declarations on their career readiness
at the point of enrolment, and their preferences
expressed via the Career Gateway account management
system.
 We will maintain close links with those students in the
 Departments refer new graduates to Careers for support
first 6 months after graduation, supporting them into
where needed (CLOs)
work or study wherever possible.
 Support with messaging around graduation to both
students and departments (DARO)
3b) We will showcase the
importance of turning the skills
and attributes gained from a York
education into successful
applications to work and study.
 We will develop a marketing campaign, clarifying to
students what actions they must undertake to obtain
their desired work/study
 We will provide students and other stakeholders with
motivational stories of York students’ achievements, in
work and further study, inspiring individuals to act
upon their own ambitions. We will further develop our
network of recent alumni to add their voices to the bank
of success stories.
 Support from central marketing (External Relations)
 Communications Office
 DARO
 Centre for Global Programmes
 We will ensure students have access to activities that
develop resilience, motivation and confidence, and are
aware of how to cultivate these abilities.
 Provide workshops and resources in support of these
skills (Student Support Services, Colleges, Centre for
Global Programmes)
 Support/develop central Campaign (Allison Loftfield)
 Support from Academic Registrar and John Robinson
 Input/support from Leadership
 Development team (Susan Kane)
 We will scope out the development of a central skills
testing centre, drawing on support from high profile
alumni and employers, enabling penultimate year
students to demonstrate/practise their work-related
skills in a formal assessment centre style environment –
focusing on both online and in person testing and using
this experience as a diagnostic tool to provide/promote
additional support during the final year.
3c) We will provide high quality
 We will offer a reflective programme through the York
 Recruit alumni to support YA tiers (DARO)
online and face-to-face support and
Award, enabling students to consider the value of their
 Include International learning element to YA (CGP)
resources, enabling students to
experiences in depth.
develop the skills and confidence
to succeed.
 We will develop a new, prestigious top-tier York Award  Susan Kane’s Leadership Development team to
to support and showcase the highly motivated and our
collaborate on designing sessions etc.
future leaders. This will focus on developing leadership  DARO to identify influential alumni to participate
skills and networks, with the support of inspiring
figures from the alumni and employer community.
 We will provide feedback to all students applying to
employability-related activities (jobs on campus, SIB,
volunteering, industry placements etc) to ensure they
can develop their self-awareness and application skills.
 Need agreement across the institution - other student
employers/ placement programmes on board when
recruiting (AF to rollout)
 We will provide employer-partnered application
support, both on-line and face-to-face, such as CV,
interview and assessment centre preparation.
 We will embed reflection on learning outcomes into the
new York Pedagogy.
 Pedagogy Steering Group to ensure employability
elements are considered and consulted upon (ND)
Strategic Aim 4: Employers view York as a ‘University of Choice’ for recruiting high quality students and graduates.
Objective
Detail
Other institutional actions (lead)
4a) We will take a more strategic
view of the role which employer
partnerships can play in helping
the University to deliver its
employability strategy.
 We will revitalise the Corporate Relations Steering
Group, introducing a new tier of membership to take
forward appropriate operational actions relating to
careers and employability.
 We will create an institutional brand proposition that
can be used to engage employers effectively.
 We will ensure that student and graduate employability
is part of the dialogue with all new and existing strategic
partners of the University.
 Support review of Industry Advisory Boards (Academic
HoDs)
 Academic Registrar to join group
4b) We will proactively engage
with a growing number of
employers, locally, nationally and
internationally.
 We will cross reference institutional data on existing
employer relationships more effectively in order to
leverage/ maximise opportunities for our students and
graduates.
 We will inform our employer liaison activity through
conducting more detailed analysis of our departmental
DLHE data in relation to emerging sectors/ recruiters.
 We will use the new University brand proposition to
develop clear messages for employers that promote our
graduates and include explicit references to what they
bring with them from a York education – targeting
employers that have a strong fit with this brand.
 We will gain a deeper understanding of the strategic
priorities and challenges of key priority employers by
developing senior level links within their graduate
recruitment teams and wider organisations.
 We will continue to develop our structures and
processes to ensure that they maximise employer
engagement and effectively facilitate their access to our
students and graduates.
 External Relations to develop York brand (AK)
 Institutional brand proposition to feed in to dialogue
(Alison Kerwin)
 Disseminate key messages and calls to action (Vice
Chancellors Office, Communications Office, Faculty
Deans)
 Investigate where/how Target Connect and Raisers’
Edge might feed in (DARO)
 Use CRSG to begin mapping exercise (BJ)
 Identify suitable programmes where students may have
an interest in conducting this research (HoDs e.g. Jill
Schofield TYMS)
 Development of a York Brand to employers
(Communications Office)
4c) We will facilitate interactions
between employers and academics
across the institution.
4d) We will promote the benefits
and success stories of
student/employer interaction, both
within the institution and within
the employer community
 We will maintain a breadth of employer relations, tied to
the career/sector aspirations of students.
 We will invite employers to attend key events within the  Invite employers to the next Teaching and Learning
institution, sharing their perceptions and perspectives.
conference 2016 (FELT)
 We will ensure that the employer voice is represented,
 Review the membership of Departmental Industry
where relevant, in discussions about curriculum
Boards to ensure up-to-date and diverse employer
development or work-related learning etc.
representation (CRSG)
 Ensure that departments don’t see the employer
contribution as ‘interfering’ (ASO)
 We will target employers who recruit from key student
 Use Corporate Relations Steering Group to bring in new
cohorts, developing links with local employers and
voices onto campus (CRSG)
SMEs as well as those with a high profile and enabling
 Identify suitable programmes where students may have
them to connect with appropriate Academic
an interest in conducting this research (HoDs e.g. Jill
Departments.
Schofield TYMS)
 We will diversify the opportunities employers have to
 Support from IT services Team or Web Development
engage with students, through developing more online
team?
and face to face models (with departments, Colleges and
societies).
 We will seek out opportunities to promote York’s
 Vice Chancellors Office, communications Office
proactive approach to employer engagement,
 Ensure that York’s successes are profiled to alumni
supporting employer/academic engagement, reflecting
(DARO)
York’s specific research strengths and brand.
 We will seek out awards and competitions that
showcase York students to employers.
 We will showcase success stories, locally, nationally and  Ensure success and news stories are profiled
internationally.
(Communications Office)
Appendix 2
DLHE Sector Data
% of students achieving a positive destination across Russell Group institutions as measured by the
Times Destination Indicator
PGTs, home, full-time
Cambridge
Kings
Oxford
Warwick
Cardiff
Imperial
Birmingham
UCL
Nottingham
LSE
Newcastle
Southampton
Edinburgh
Leeds
Durham
Liverpool
Sheffield
Manchester
Glasgow
Bristol
York
Exeter
Queen's Belfast
Queen Mary
2013/14
91.2
89.9
88.6
88.1
87.6
87
86.1
84.2
83
82.6
82.4
82.4
80.1
79.6
79.3
79.3
79.2
78.1
78
77.2
73.9
73.5
71.8
71.7
PGRs, home, full-time
LSE
Cardiff
Cambridge
Kings
Oxford
Birmingham
UCL
York
Exeter
Bristol
Imperial
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Newcastle
Southampton
Nottingham
Queen Mary
Leeds
Sheffield
Durham
Manchester
Glasgow
Warwick
Queen's Belfast
2013/14
96.9
96.7
95.6
95.6
95
94.8
94.4
94.4
93.8
93.7
93.7
93.6
93.5
93.1
92.9
92.7
92.7
92.4
91.4
91.2
90.9
90.4
89.8
87.2