Beyond ticking boxes - fostering a more curious approach to skills identification

Abstract

All too often students and graduates struggle to identify their skills and what they’re capable of. In a competitive, precarious and ever changing job market this can be a barrier, which prevents students and graduates from reaching their full potential.

This talk will focus on a recent research project, which explored methods for enabling students to identify their skills. Situated in the context of Careers and Employability this research sought to move away from an overly prescriptive, tick-box approach to skills identification. This research demonstrated that a more expansive, research-focused model enables students to identify unique skill sets that are closely linked to curriculum-based learning and the needs of the creative industries.

In this lighting talk you will get a whirlwind introduction to the modest teaching intervention and resources required to support your students to author their own skills lists. Giving students this insight into how they can identify their skills can, in turn, have a positive impact on their ability to find work, pitch to clients and collaborate effectively with others.