Employability workshop
| Datum: | 28 november 2024 |
Why?
Please tell us about the motivations behind the practice. What issues and challenges did you identify that inspired you to develop this practice?
The idea was initiated by Andrea Kuiken from the Master programme International Business & Management (IB&M), in an attempt to solve two challenges:
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IB&M is a broad program and students are not always aware of what they can do after.
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Generally, students tend to choose courses that sound interesting or have a reputation for being interesting or easy. Students are less aware of how the choices they make during their studies can help them to pursue certain jobs. (I.e. obtain knowledge and skills that are relevant for specific job opportunities).
Overview
Please provide an overview of the teaching innovation that you have developed. What are the main goals and objectives?
The idea was to create a method for students to explore different opportunities to look into jobs within their academic discipline and to be more proactive in preparing themselves for the job market and shaping their own career path. Additionally, students get acquainted with the FEB alumni platform which can, as a side effect, result in students being more willing to join as an alumni later as well.
At the start of the academic year, all students are invited to the introduction lecture, networking lunch with teachers, and this employability workshop.
The employability workshop has a number of activities:
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Students log into the FEB alumni network and look at which jobs alumni have. In teams, they create a top 3 of jobs that they think are interesting. In their teams or individually, depending on the size of the cohort, students enter these in a poll everywhere.
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For the top 3 of jobs, students should try to find out what these jobs entail. So we ask them to search online for vacancies and check the descriptions and job requirements. This is followed by a discussion of job requirements found.
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Look at Ocasys and courses, which electives and extracurricular activities would prepare you for this job?
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Discussion in which we focus on the content of electives and extracurricular activities (internship, learning communities, focus area, double degree) that students can choose.
Goals/aims:
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Create awareness about job opportunities after their studies
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Create awareness about the possibilities to personalize/tailor their program to meet the requirements in the job market
Side effects:
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Students get to know each other
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Students are introduced early on to the FEB Alumni network and how this can be used.
Process
If applicable, please briefly describe the process that you went through to design, test, and implement the teaching innovation.
Andrea contacted Nienke at Careers Services (CS). Together they used FEB Alumni Network to guide the students on the platform where they can connect with alumni in the same field and academic discipline. FEB Alumni Network allows students to utilise the trusted University of Groningen, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) environment to expand their professional network.
Not only the opportunity for the network but also to scroll between job titles that capture their interest, being a starting point for the activity. Once the students identified a couple of jobs – they were encouraged and had the assignment to look for vacancies in these chosen and identified jobs and profiles. With this, they identified essential skills and job requirements.
Evidence informed
How is your innovation based on existing studies, or have you conducted any study to support your practice?
This practice is based on the lecturers’ experiences.
Programme alignment
How does your innovation align with the course/programme ILOs?
This initiative does not have a direct link to learning outcomes but serves as an additional self-development tool/ career choice tool.
Educational themes
How does your practice align with the C2024 Educational Themes (Employability, ERS, ID&I, Blended/Active learning, Theses, Digital Business, and Data Science)
Employability
Engagement and active learning
How does your teaching innovation promote student engagement and active learning?
It gives students the steering wheel, motivating them to actively learn about their possible career paths, not only in the workshop but also after. We don’t tell them what they should do, but facilitate them to search for the answers themselves.
Challenges
What challenges have you encountered in implementing your teaching innovation? How did you address them, and what would you do differently next time?
The biggest challenge was the timing: the week before the opening of the academic year when not all students were available. About 50% of the students showed up, mainly those that already did a pre-master or bachelor at FEB. We have, however, little impact on the timing, as the regular lectures start on the following week. The only way this can be improved is by communicating to students that we expect them to attend this day. After this first pilot of the workshop, the second workshop was held on the day when all programs held their introduction lectures and welcome festival. This did not impact the attendance.
It remains challenging to link courses on the spot to job descriptions/requirements. A possible way to address this is to invite alumni who can actually share information about the courses they took and how they benefited from them during their current jobs.
The first time that the workshop was given, the students indicated that they found it a pity that they had already selected their electives before the workshop. However, apart from the electives in block 1.1, students can still switch electives, so we started to communicate this more clearly during the workshop.
From the start, the intention has been to organize follow-up sessions, in the form of lectures with alumni and/or a network workshop followed by a speed date event. We tried this in the first year, however, due to clashes with EBF events it didn’t materialize.
Evaluation
How have you evaluated or done research on your practice? Have you gotten any feedback from your students and/or colleagues?
There was an evaluation afterwards and it was very positive but the number of students who participated in the feedback was very poor. Only 4 responses from the 45 participants.
From talking to students, we have learned that they:
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appreciate that they get insight into the type of jobs that they could pursue
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appreciate that they can get to know one another and teachers (during lunch before the workshop)
Scaling up
Can your practice be scaled up and/or be modified for other educational contexts? (Other courses and programmes)
Yes, this is already done:
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a shortened version is included in the introduction talks by career services
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The MSc Supply Chain Management (SCM) and MSc Technology & Operations Management (TOM) have done a similar workshop at the start of the academic year 2023-2024. They added a panel of alumni to the workshop.
Sharing
Have you shared your practice/experience with other lecturers? If yes, how? (in an event, conference, paper, platform, etc.)
Yes, at the FEB education day in spring 2023, this workshop was presented. Moreover, as Career Services uses a downplayed version in their introduction talks, programs are introduced to the idea and also have the option to do the full version.
Contact
Who is the primary contact person for this practice and how do they wish to be contacted?
Career Services - careerservices.feb@rug.nl
Susanne Klinkers or Izette Schouwstra
Video and images
which materials do you already have for inclusion on the website?