TSD+ Award

e

t + The T rin it

y Sa

dd Y Dri nd od

D

San wi

avid Emp t D

YDDS + TSD Award

bi

o

d ga

loy a

wye

in

Gwobr

li

ty

Aw

ard + Gwo

br Cy

fl

Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Title of Course:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Year:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David will take all reasonable steps to provide the facilities and services set out in this Guide. The information in this Guide is accurate at the time of printing. Please visit the University’s website for the latest information.

2

T S D + • U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D

Welcome… to the University of Wales Trinity Saint David!

It is widely acknowledged that the main reason undergraduate students choose to study at university is to enhance their career prospects. Following dramatic increases in higher education provision in the UK and fundamental shifts in the graduate recruitment market, a degree is no longer enough to guarantee a graduate a satisfying future career. Employers are looking for ‘work-ready’ graduates with clear evidence of job specific skills in addition to high level graduate attributes.

The Trinity Saint David+ Award has been designed to supplement your degree programme and provide additional opportunities for you to build up your employability skills in a systematic way during your period of study. We want to see you taking part in a range of activities on campus and in the community to enable you to further develop key transferable skills that you will come across during your academic studies. These skills will be logged in a new Skills Passport which you will be able to show to future employers.

The University will pilot the Award with Level 4 students at Carmarthen and Lampeter during the second semester of 2012/13 with the view of introducing the scheme to all students in September 2013.

What is Employability?

The Higher Education Academy defines employability as ‘sets of achievements - skills, understandings and personal attributes – that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy’ (Higher Education Academy 2012). Employability skills are now generally recognised as an essential precondition for the effective development and use of other, more specialist or technical skills required for particular jobs and are a key underpin to one’s effectiveness at work. Trinity Saint David has already embedded employability as a key feature of its academic provision and this new scheme is viewed as an additional opportunity for you, as students, to engage in activities that will allow you to further develop a wide range of employability skills.

U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D • T S D +

3

Positive Attitude A positive attitude is the key foundation of employability. That type of attitude involves a readiness to take part, openness to new activities and ideas, and a desire to achieve results. It underpins and links together the other key capabilities such as self-management, team working, business and customer awareness, problem solving, communication and application of numeracy and information technology.

Through its Employability Award, Trinity Saint David will encourage you to plan and pursue an active programme of personal development in skills that will help you succeed in life after university and is based on a combination of skills raising through your programmes of study, volunteering, internships and work placements, part-time and vacation work and involvement in running clubs and societies. These employability related experiences will, hopefully, prepare you to become confident, capable and employable graduates on the one hand and, most importantly, active, caring, thoughtful and responsible citizens on the other.

Employers’ Perspective Broadening students’ academic experience through offering them an opportunity to gain “reallife” expertise during their college days has many benefits. The acquisition of further, noncurriculum skills resulting, hopefully, in a more rounded personality makes them a more attractive proposition to any potential future employer. Students also gain by being able to more effectively evaluate the likely personal demands upon them of any specific job opportunity - based on the wider set of skills and background experience they have acquired through the TSD+ programme.

The bronze, silver and gold awards should also help to impart further credibility to any work experience claimed. That TSD will be offering this programme should also hopefully be seen by any new (HE) applicant as a benefit and allow the University attract more students on to campus.

Hywel Evans, Managing Director, Computeraid Ltd, / Chairman, Swansea Business Forum

The Trinity Saint David Student Experience The University of Wales Trinity Saint David offers its students a distinctive learning experience.

The small campus environment and its friendly, caring and supportive approach to the student body provide a student experience that is quite unique in Wales. It is also an institution whose campuses are rooted in their local communities and which have, over the years, established valuable links with a range of local organisations, businesses and other partners.

The University has established its Employability Award in order that you, as students, can compete successfully in the graduate market, that you can stand out from the crowd and that you are given a head start at a time when there are more and more graduates competing for career openings.

4

T S D + • U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D

Sustainability In planning for the future, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David has agreed to put sustainability at the heart of its new strategic plan. Sustainability education prepares people to cope with, manage and share social, economic and ecological conditions characterized by change, uncertainty, risk and complexity. Creating a more sustainable future for us all is a growing concern for the world. Trinity Saint David is now looking to decrease its carbon footprint on its campuses and in the classroom create a curriculum more focused on active global citizenship to increase the employability of its students. Sustainability will be embedded within a range of activities, both curricular and co-curricular, that will allow you to gain a thorough understanding of sustainability concepts, skills and values enhancing your future employment prospects.

Graduate Attributes Most universities promote a set of graduate attributes that have been agreed at an institutional level and embedded throughout the student’s experience. Trinity Saint David’s five key graduate attributes that will feature prominently in your programmes of study and around which its Employability Award has been developed are: • • • • •

Communication Teamwork Learning and Personal Development Active Citizenship Creative Problem Solving

By focusing on these particular attributes, a Trinity Saint David graduate should be able to:

Communication • • •

communicate effectively for different purposes and in different contexts initiate and manage change that supports sustainable development in personal, institutional and social contexts develop and apply a broad and balanced knowledge of sustainable development

Teamwork • •

work collaboratively and in interdisciplinary teams act as a constructive team member, contributing practically to the success of the team

U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D • T S D +

5

Learning and Personal Development • • • • • • • •

manage themselves and their time effectively have an interest in lifelong learning identify their personal strengths and weaknesses create a capacity for self reflection, self discovery and personal development respect others and their perspectives, values, and knowledge be motivated, inspired and equipped to act on their personal beliefs develop a high level of self-reflection at a personal and professional level understand, critically evaluate, adopt thoughtfully and communicate sustainability values

Active Citizenship • • • • • • • • •

appreciate a range of ethical and moral issues appreciate social and cultural diversity appreciate the importance of environmental, social and political contexts to their studies solve or ameliorate real life problems through employing holistic as well as reductionist approaches, as appropriate to the issue understand a range of social and civic responsibilities together with the rights of individuals and groups appreciate the concepts of enterprise and leadership in all aspects of life demonstrate a readiness for citizenship in a civilized and inclusive society see opportunities and to set and achieve specific goals demonstrate social and political awareness in a regional, national and global context

Creative Problem Solving • • • • • • •

6

think creatively, holistically, and systemically and make critical judgements on issues apply theory to practice and vice versa provide leadership and pro-activity in effecting change advocate for positive changes through collaboration, mediation and consensus building strategies apply skills and knowledge in service to one’s community analyse, evaluate and resolve complex problems and conflicts handle change and adapt to new situations

T S D + • U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D

How does the Trinity Saint David Employability Award work?

The Trinity Saint David Employability Award is a joint initiative between the University and the Students’ Union, both of which will work with you to ensure that you are rewarded for any relevant co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and work experience undertaken by you during your study at the University. These should normally be in addition to the learning experiences that you will experience as part of your academic studies.

You will be asked to successfully complete one activity per attribute in order to achieve a specific award - you will be awarded 200 points for each of the different activities, thus enabling you to achieve a Bronze Award on the accumulation of 1000 points, a Silver Award on the accumulation of 2000 points and a Gold Award on the accumulation of 3000 points. It’s as simple as that!

In order for the University to verify and accredit your various activities, you are kindly asked to provide evidence of your achievements to the Students’ Union or another location on the campus on specific dates in March and May (exact details will be sent to you following your enrolment) in order for your Skills Passport to be stamped. Please note that your achievements can only be recorded through this document. We hope that you will be in a position to present your evidence electronically from September 2013 onwards.

You will be asked to provide a very brief description of the activity undertaken on the relevant page within this document together with a short piece reflecting on your learning and development. A list of the types of activities associated with each of the five attributes is appended at the end of this document.

Please remember that you will be able to choose your activities according to your own interests and priorities. However, you will be required to choose five activities that relate to the agreed attributes in order to gain a specific award. A possible model is as follows:

U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D • T S D +

7

Trinity Saint David+ Bronze Award - 1000 points

Attribute

Activity

Points awarded

Communication

Attend at least three workshops as part of the University’s Enterprise Support Programme

200

Teamwork

Represent the University as a member of a team on four different occasions

200

Learning & Personal Achieve a sports qualification at the University or in Development the community

200

Active Citizenship

Help organise the annual Fair Trade Week on campus or in the community

200

Creative Problem Solving

Enrol on the ‘One Planet Skills Passport’ module

200 Total 1000

Trinity Saint David+ Silver Award - 2000 points Attribute

Activity

Points awarded

Communication

Peer mentoring

200

Teamwork

Undertake part-time work at the University or in the 200 community

Learning & Personal Undertake a study abroad experience Development

200

Active Citizenship

Undertake voluntary work either at the University, the Students’ Union or in the community eg, as a member of the University’s Sustainability Group

200

Creative Problem Solving

Undertake the role of Student Representative for the academic year

200

Total 1000

8

T S D + • U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D

Trinity Saint David+ Gold Award 3000 points

Attribute

Activity

Points awarded

Communication

Undertake the role of Student Ambassador on behalf of the University

200

Teamwork

Work with colleagues in the Students’ Union to publish an annual Student Review of the student experience at TSD based on the Student Written Submission to the QAA during the 2012 Institutional Review.

200

Learning & Personal Learn an additional language at the University or in Development the community

200

Active Citizenship

Support a local or national charity on a regular basis 200 throughout the year

Creative Problem Solving

Undertake a period of work experience to supplement one’s study eg, at the Centre for Alternative Technology

200

Total 1000

How will I be informed of the various activities associated with the Trinity Saint David Employability Award?

The Students’ Union will have a dedicated notice board in their buildings in Carmarthen and Lampeter where information about a range of opportunities for students will be updated regularly. The University will also highlight opportunities for all students through regular e-mails and text messages and will include on its main website a web page dedicated to the Award. You will also be able to communicate your views or ask any questions on the Employability Award through the following e-mail address: employabilityaward@tsd.ac.uk

Presentation of Skills Passport All students will receive a full Skills Passport at graduation which will detail all that they have done and which they can take to employers.

U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D • T S D +

9

Graduate Attribute 1: Communication Brief description of activity: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Evidence presented: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Reflection on your learning and development: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ......................................................................... ......................................................................... .........................................................................

Verified & approved by: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10

T S D + • U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D

Graduate Attribute 2: Teamwork Brief description of activity: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Evidence presented: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Reflection on your learning and development: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ......................................................................... ......................................................................... .........................................................................

Verified & approved by: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D • T S D +

11

Graduate Attribute 3: Learning and Personal Development Brief description of activity: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Evidence presented: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Reflection on your learning and development: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ......................................................................... ......................................................................... .........................................................................

Verified & approved by: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12

T S D + • U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D

Graduate Attribute 4: Active Citizenship Brief description of activity: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Evidence presented: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Reflection on your learning and development: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ......................................................................... ......................................................................... .........................................................................

Verified & approved by: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D • T S D +

13

Graduate Attribute 5: Creative Problem Solving Brief description of activity: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Evidence presented: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. .............................................................................................

Reflection on your learning and development: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ............................................................................................. ......................................................................... ......................................................................... .........................................................................

Verified & approved by: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14

T S D + • U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D

Appendix The following lists provide examples of activities that could be undertaken in relation to each of the five graduate attributes highlighted on page 5. Additional activities that could be undertaken to achieve the five attributes could be identified by the University, the Students’ Union or yourselves, as students, and formally presented for approval by the Trinity Saint David Employability Award Management Committee.

1.Communication

2. Teamwork

• Trinity Saint David Leadership Programme - students learn the importance of leadership that promotes social, economic and environmental sustainability.

• Peer Assisted Study Sessions – higher year students facilitate groups of lower year students to help them develop study and learning strategies.

• Student Representative – students volunteer for a position of responsibility within their academic School where they will need to communicate with academics and students.

• Volunteering – provides students with the chance to develop a range of skills while giving something back to the community.

• Work experience – enables the students to develop a range of skills and build up their experience in the workplace while still at university.

• Student Ambassador – provides students with opportunities to promote the University at Open Days, interview days and at a range of community events.

• Attending and participating in a range of workshops offered by the University’s Research and Development Unit.

• Learning a new language – students will be offered the opportunity of learning new languages during their three years at the University.

• Peer Assisted Study Sessions – higher year students facilitate groups of lower year students to help them develop study and learning strategies.

• Volunteering – provides students with the chance to develop a range of skills while giving something back to the community.

• Work experience – enables students to develop a range of skills and build up their experience in the workplace while still at university.

• Represent the University within a team context – enables students to demonstrate their ability to work with others in support of a common goal.

• Undertake part-time work at the University or in the community – provides students with experiences that involve dealing with customers, handling money, organisation and planning and working under pressure.

• Playing in a band or as a member of the University’s choir.

• Rag fund raising.

• Attendance at the University’s Enterprise Support Programme.

• Working with others to arrange sporting or charity events.

• Work with colleagues in the Students’ Union to publish an annual Student Review of the student experience at TSD based on the Student Written Submission to the QAA during the 2012 Institutional Review.

U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T D AV I D • S U R V I VA L G U I D E

15

3. Learning and Personal Development • Achieve additional qualifications as a result of one’s own initiative.

• Undertake a study abroad experience.

• Learn an additional language at the University or in the community.

• IT training and certification.

• Health and safety training courses.

• First aid courses.

• Member of the Student Researcher editorial board.

• Organisation of academic workshops.

• Attendance at academic conferences.

• Trinity Saint David Leadership Programme.

• Trinity Saint David Enterprise Support Programme.

• Work experience.

• Attend specific workshops e.g. Personal Skills, Career Management Skills run by new Employability Unit.

4. Active Citizenship • Involvement with sustainability issues and groups.

• Undertaking training in environmental management.

• Supporting the institution in delivering campuses that reflect the highest standards of environmental performance • Volunteering e.g. through links with CAVO and CAVS. • Undertaking an elected role within the Students’ Union.

• Student Representative.

• Work with disadvantaged groups.

• Peer mentoring programme with local schools with the aim of increasing the participation in education of underrepresented groups.

16

• Internship opportunities in the community.

• Trinity Saint David Leadership Programme.

• Work placements with employers around sustainability.

• Organise networking events with employers in relation to sustainability.

• Service Leadership Programme – this programme allows students to learn about leadership and service in the context of individual, group, and community opportunities. Throughout the programme, there will be an array of activities that will enable the participants to discover how they can help create positive, sustainable change on the Lampeter and Carmarthen campuses.

5. Creative Problem Solving • Enrol on the ‘One Planet Skills Passport’ module.

• Student Representative.

• Work experience.

• Trinity Saint David Enterprise Support Programme.

• Volunteering.

• Develop and manage the Students’ Union website.

• Working with others to organise sporting or charity events.

• Working with sound or lighting equipment for a band, event or show.

T S D + • U N I V E R S I T Y O F WA L E S T R I N I T Y S A I N T DAV I D