Experiential Learning for Employability (HIB 1049)

Careers brochure, Course Level, Critical thinking, CV, Employability, Intermediate, Lecture, Reflection, Reflective writing, Tutorial, Work Placement, Workshop
Home ยป Experiential Learning for Employability (HIB 1049)
School  Human and Health Sciences
Module Title HIB 1049
Level Intermediate 

(also 3 year document including advice and input for gaining employment skills against each year of the degree programme).
Initiator Selina Copley, Senior Lecturer
Rationale This course is intended to equip students with both academic and practical knowledge of the Criminal Justice System in readiness for a career within the field.  As such this programme integrated academic and vocational knowledge. 

This initiative also developed from increasing awareness of the emphasis placed upon employment opportunities by students. The work also developed in response to the sentiments of the Leitch Report (2006), Higher Ambitions (2009) and the recent Employability directive sent to HE Careers Departments by the Coalition Government.

It is intended to embedcareer readiness within the programme so that academic attainment and employability are both elements of a comprehensive learning package.  Enhanced opportunities for employment are regarded as not only consistent with a good quality product, but providing a unique selling point for a course specifically designed around employment within a particular sector.
Description of Initiative The careers brochure is given to students at the beginning of their programme and a talk is provided later in Term 1 once students have become orientated to their studies more broadly. In summary the key features are as follows: 

Year 1.

  • Explanation of the importance of employability.
  • Broad introduction to potential areas for employment within the Criminal Justice System and Criminology more broadly
  • Advice relating to Volunteer work (recommendation that this is secured in Year 1).

Year 2.

  • Description of the Experiential Learning for Employability module including the development of reflective skills, engagement in 30 hrs of volunteer work/ work placement, the location of transferable skills and the creation of a career development action plan.

Year 3

  • Practical advice relating to job applications, creating a C. V. (expanding upon the work completed within the year 2 module) and person specifications.
  • Outline of the careers fairs and talks that will be provided by the careers department.
Assessment Portfolio with a 2000 word reflective commentary.
Ideas for adapting This framework can be adapted for any course and requires: 

  • An amended version of the careers brochure
  • An embedded 2nd year module (which can also be adapted from the existing module specification)
  • A named careers link tutor who liaises with the corresponding careers advisor (this can be absorbed within the usual allocation for administrative hours).
Resources See below.