The search for good work: supporting non-traditional students into, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The search for good work: supporting non-traditional students into, through and after university

Jerry O’Neill Fergal Finnegan Department of Adult and Community Education Maynooth University

EMPLOY – rationale and objectives

• Rationale: using biographical research to addressing a major gap

in research on access and equality.

• Objectives:

1. Understand employability from the ‘non-traditional’ student and graduate perspective. 2. Explore the impact of age, gender, class, ethnicity and disability on graduates and students’ experience, expectations and transitions. 3. Find out about the attitudes and needs of employers in different sectors. 4. Seek out the views of university staff. 5. Map the different HE contexts and identify the differences and similarities across Europe. 6. Think about how we can best support non- traditional graduates.

Project no. 2014-1-UK01-KA203-001842-TP

Partners

EMPLOY – Enhancing the Employability of Non-Traditional Students in HE

• No. 2014-1-UK01-KA203-001842-TP

Who we spoke with

Cohorts: Ireland (Maynooth University) EMPLOY network (x6) Final year undergraduates 20 + 14 (2nd interviews) 185+ Graduates 10 60 Employers 10 60 University staff 10 60 Total 64 365+

Speaking with a range of audiences

• Website: http://employ.dsw.edu.pl
• Podcasts
• Handbooks (one for students; one for university

staff/employers)

• Video
• Twitter: @EMPLOY2016
• Leaflets
• Consultation and listening to advisory groups
• International and national conferences
• Papers, articles and in the future a book.

What we learnt from students and graduates

• Remarkable commitment and determination of

people over very long periods of time.

• High value given to education especially for

‘naming the world’ and carving out space and time for personal development.

• Importance of ‘good work’.
• Hidden barriers in college and the labour market:

class, care responsibilities and disability.

• Uncertain destinations and risky transitions.

Precarity commonplace after college.

• The degree is no longer enough!

Uncertain pathways and risky transitions

Learning across the research cohorts: Staff and employers’ views

• Highly varied perspectives across and within

cohorts.

• Employers search for talent and the importance
• f ’that little bit extra’.
• Staff approaches largely dependent on their role

and professional interests.

• Shared desire amongst most staff and employers

in supporting non-traditional graduates but not always clear how this can be done.

Departure points: for MU and beyond

vEnsure there is space and time to explore career

• ptions through peer support, mentors, access
• ffices, departments and career services.

vNeed to bear in mind many students do not have access to accurate information on how degrees link to careers. vRecognise the importance of placements and work experience vFoster social networks. vGather more fine-grained data in HE and in labour market destinations research

Recommendations for employers

• Work with universities, student bodies, societies, other

stakeholders to create meaningful placement/internship

• pportunities for minority groups
• Look critically at the notions of mobility and flexibility
• Examine recruitment practices for unintended bias.
• Review work practices and policies that may create barriers for

minority groups

• Explicit targeting of non-traditional groups in recruitment processes
• Engage and develop in sustainable partnerships with universities,

student organisations, NGOs, employer bodies that will enhance diversity in your workplace over time

Where next?

• Opportunity to do something

groundbreaking?

• Need to collaborate within and beyond the

university and approach these issues in an integrated and systematic way.

Many thanks and please visit

• Website: http://employ.dsw.edu.pl
• Twitter: @EMPLOY2016