module specification

This module has been designed to develop students’transferable employability skills in self and project management in order to test future career plans.  Student’s personal goals will provide the momentum to complete a small-scale project addressing career aspirations in relation to employers’ needs and emerging trends in different sectors. An important aspect of the module is the development of personal resources and networks, this may include working directly with an agency or community.
Students will learn about managing self, goal setting, appraisal, the different stages of project management and develop a critical understanding of organisational cultures.
Students will achieve this range of skills and understandings throughtutor guided, peer group  and independent learning activities leading to the completion of a career development plan and the development of resources and networks. A reflective account of the process of developing their project incorporating relevant theory will enable students to chart their progress towards their goals.
 

To provide an opportunity for students to:

- develop transferable employability skills including self and project management in order to test future career plans in relation to employers’ needs and emerging trends in different sectors

- identify personal goals and complete a small scale project addressing career aspirations
-  develop a critical understanding of employer needs and organisational cultures
- formulate a career development plan and a databank of resources and networksto enable students to chart their progress towards their goals
 

• Self awareness and self management
• Goal setting and personal development planning
• Self development principles and practice
• Trends in employment sectors and employers needs
• Approaches to employers and consideration of organisational cultures
• Project management principles
• Developing networks and resources
• Career development
• Critical reflection and analysis
 

Students’ learning will be developed through their engagement with a range of individual and group-based learning and teaching methods including multi-disciplinary small group learning, role plays, case-study analysis, interactive workshops: collaborative problem-based learning and personal reflection and reflective writing. Students will also access Weblearn, DVD materials and other  on-line educational resources to develop independent learning skills.

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

1. Analyse employability skills in relation to employers’ needs and emerging employment trends in
different sectors

2. Identify personal development goals and apply skills  for career planning through undertaking a small scaleproject which addresses career aspirations including thedevelopment of personal resources and networks

3. Apply theoretical approaches to the changing nature of organisations, cultures and employment in different sectors

4. Reflect on their learning and analyse critically their approachto and assumptionsabout careerplanning and the changing nature of employment.

The purpose of the assessments is to reinforce students’ learning through a structured and time-bound process of reflection, development of skills and writing. Students’ achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed throughout the module through both formative and summative assessment. Assessment will be spread over the 15 weeks of the teaching cycle. A range of assessment methods will be used including individual and group work exercises and self-assessments, reflective writing tasks, presentations and mini-simulated meetings, and a draft project plan.  Students will complete a career development plan to demonstrate the ability to reflect on their performance, goal setting and employer needs analysis (LO1,2). Students will also produce an electronic file of resources and networks developed throughout the module (LO2).  Students will reflect on their learning on the module through the production of a reflective account of the process of developing their project incorporating relevant theory, appraisal of the quality of networks (LO3,4); resources and progress made with an action plan to develop skills further.

Boud, D., Keogh, R. and Walker, D. (1985) Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning, London, Kogan Page.

Collin, A. & Young, R.A. (ed 2000)The Future of Career Cambridge University Press

Cotterell, S.(2010)Skills for Success The Personal Development Planning Handbook Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan

Handy, C. (2005)Understanding OrganisationsHarmondsworth

Brooks, I. (2009)Organisational Behaviour: Individuals, Groups and Organisation Culture and Identity Edinburgh Pearson

Parker, M.(2000)Organizational Culture and Identity London Sage

Thompson, N. (2009)People Skills Handbook Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan

Wenger, E. (1999) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity, Cambridge, Cambridge University

Web sources and tools

http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/pdp/

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/pdp

http://www.careerpsychometrics.com/career-development-planning-process-free-assessment/

http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careeractionplan/a/action_plan_lng.htm

http://www.thestairway.co.uk/publications/understanding-organisational-culture.html

http://www.sscalliance.org/Home-Public/SectorSkillsCouncils/SSC_Contacts.aspx

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmdius/48/48i.pdf

http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/data/files/publications/GUIDE_Working_with_the_Public_Sector_-_Busting_the_Myths.pdf