Teaching staff who may be finalising assessment for the year are reminded they now have access to a toolkit aimed to increase students’ employability skills and to improve their preparedness for the ‘world of work’. Targeting commencing to final year students, the toolkit comprises 11 customisable tasks, complete with separate marking guides, including preparing a resume, conducting sector research, creating a LinkedIN profile, and addressing selection criteria. The 11 pieces may be used towards assessment or as a non-graded activity, complementing existing assessment pieces and supporting student success.
New case studies
Since its November 2020 launch the Careers and Employability team have been meeting with academics, course and topic coordinators, program directors and those interested in adopting the toolkit across the Colleges. Several case studies have been prepared – or are under development – in consultation with teaching staff in Business, STEM, Government, International Relations and Psychology which show the variety of ways that the toolkit can be employed. Other cohorts that have either adopted or registered interest have been nursing, screen and media, tourism and arts.
Complementary, centralised resources
The Careers and Employability team have developed many centralised resources that can be tailored and incorporated into teaching materials and used to complement the toolkit. Resources include the development of College-based course specific career and employability resources* for most undergraduate degree areas and a growing suite of career development recordings** (20-60 minutes) – on career planning, job search strategies, resumes, cover letters, selection criteria, interviews, networking and graduate programs.
Why embed employability?
While extensive support is available from Careers and Employability to assist students in enhancing their career-related skill set, primarily via CareerHub* and the Flinders Horizon Award, it is currently optional for students to engage, rather than a required part of their degree process. Embedding employability skills would ensure that more students are supported in their transition from student to employed professional.
Interested to know more?
Check out the Flinders Employability Toolkit or contact the team 8201 2832 or careers@flinders.edu.au and ask to speak to a Career Development Consultant to discuss your ideas.
*Add CareerHub via OKTA to access centralised resources
**Please ensure you are logged in to FLO to access these resources