Student Quotes
Why Work-based Learning?
Work experience is seen as playing an important role not only in the development of your work readiness but also in preparing you for a more flexible and varying future of work, where lifelong learning and continuing professional development will be crucial. In the summer of 1997 the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, chaired by Sir Ron Dearing, published a report (commonly referred to as the 'Dearing report') which made recommendations for all Higher Education.
"The pace of change in the work place will require people to re-equip themselves, as new knowledge and new skills are needed... A lifelong career in one organisation will become increasingly the exception. People will need the knowledge and skills to control and manage their own working lives."
"we recommend that all institutions should, over the medium term identify opportunities to increase the extent to which programmes help students to become familiar with work, and help them reflect on such experience"
Both of these quotations are taken from this report and the full text can be found at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/
educol/ncihe/
The Association of Graduate Recruiters, (a group of organisations which recruit and employ university graduates, and which offer services in connection with graduate recruitment) conducted research to predict the skills which will be needed by graduates in the 21st Century. What is interesting is that self-reliance skills are considered to be key to the range of skills required. As a "complete graduate" you will need to be:
- A SPECIALIST - It helps to be an expert in a subject area.
- CONNECTED - Have the ability to work in a team. This might include negotiation, presentation and networking skills.
- A GENERALIST - This refers to general knowledge. This increasingly includes the ability to use Information Technology. Equally you will need to be able to use written communication effectively and to have some basic knowledge about business.
- SELF-RELIANT - Have the ability to manage your career and personal development. Self-reliance skills are the enabling skills that will be essential for graduates to survive in the 21st century.
The Self-Reliant Graduate is aware of the changing world of work, takes responsibility for his or her own career and personal development and is able to manage the relationship with work and with learning throughout all stages of life. Self-reliance skills are the skills to manage a lifetime's progression in learning and work, rather than to do the work itself. They are process skills rather than functional skills. They are:
- Self-awareness - Able clearly to identify skills, values, interests and other personal attributes. Able to pinpoint core strengths and "differentiating factors". Equipped with evidence of abilities (e.g. summary statement, record or "portfolio"). Actively willing to seek feedback from others, and able to give constructive feedback. Able to identify areas for personal, academic and professional development.
- Self-promotion - Able to define and promote own agenda. Can identify "customer needs" (academic/community/employer) and can promote own strengths in a convincing way, both written and orally, selling "benefits" to the "customer", not simply "features".
- Exploring and creating opportunities - Able to identify, create, investigate and seize opportunities. Has research skills to identify possible sources of information, help and support.
- Action planning - Able to plan a course of action which addresses: Where am I now? Where do I want to be? How do I get there? Able to implement an action plan by; Organising time effectively. Identifying steps needed to reach the goal. Preparing contingency plans. Able to monitor and evaluate progress against specific objectives.
- Networking - Aware of the need to develop networks of contacts. Able to define, develop and maintain a support network for advice and information. Has good telephone skills.
- Matching and decision making - Understands personal priorities and constraints (internal and external). This includes the need for a sustainable balance of work and home life. Able to match opportunities to core skills, knowledge, values, interests etc. Able to make an informed decision based on the available opportunities.
- Negotiation - Able to negotiate the psychological contract from a position of powerlessness. Able to reach "win/win" agreements.
- Political awareness - Understands the hidden tensions and power struggles within organisations. Aware of the location of power and influence within organisations.
- Coping with uncertainty - Able to adapt goals in the light of changing circumstances. Able to take a myriad of tiny risks.
- Development focus - Committed to lifelong learning. Understands preferred method and style of learning. Reflects on learning from experiences, good and bad. Able to learn from the mistakes of others.
- Transfer skills - Able to apply skills to new contexts. (This is a higher level skill in itself. Skills are not automatically transferable.)
- Self-confidence - Has an underlying confidence in abilities, based on past successes. Also has a personal sense of self-worth, not dependent on performance.
(Skills for Graduates in the 21st Century; Association of Graduate Recruiters; Oct 1995)
Work-based learning provides you with the opportunity to develop your self-reliance skills.
© 2007
