Introductory description

CE928-10 Employer Engagement and Labour Markets

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The contexts in which employer engagement work is undertaken;
The aims and goals of employer engagement work;
Relationship with career development theories (e.g. social learning, community interaction);
Facilitating career and employability learning through employer engagement and use of labour
market intelligence;
Media influences and labour market intelligence;
Comparing and contrasting sources of labour market intelligence;
Understanding employer, student, graduate and institutional needs;
Contrasting perspectives on graduate employability;
Internationalisation in relation to employer engagement and labour market intelligence;
Creating, recording and disseminating labour market findings;
Policies and practices to maintain appropriate levels of labour market intelligence;
Employer engagement case studies (internal-facing focus);
Employer engagement case studies (external-facing focus);
Internationalisation case studies;
Evaluation (reaction, learning, transfer and impact criteria);
Integration into existing and/or future working context.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Comprehensively distinguish a range of aims, roles and contexts (including international) relevant to employer engagement.
• Carefully analyse employer engagement practices and stakeholder needs.
• Systematically identify findings from labour market analysis and contrasting perspectives on graduate employability.
• Critically describe sources of labour market intelligence (including international) and relevant theoretical perspectives.
• Critically evaluate labour market intelligence and graduate employability.
• Systematically apply the knowledge listed above to enhance delivery in at least one context.
• Creatively use the knowledge listed above to design revised or new provision in at least one context.

Indicative reading list

Binder, A.J., Davis, D.B. and Bloom, N. (2016) Career Funneling: How elite students learn to define and desire ‘prestigious’ jobs, Sociology of Education, 89(1): 20 – 39
Morrison, A.R. (2014) 'You have to be well spoken': students' views on employability within the graduate labour market, Journal of Education and Work, 27:2 179-198
Offer, M. (2001) The discourse of the labour market, in B. Gothard, P. Mignot, M. Offer and M. Ruff, Careers guidance in context, London: Sage. Chapter 5: 76- 92
Okay-Somerville, B. and Scholarios, D. (2014) Coping with career boundaries and boundary-crossing in the graduate labour market, Career Development International, 19:6 668 – 68
Praslova, L. (2010) Adaptation of Kirkpatrick's four level model of training criteria to assessment of learning outcomes and program evaluation in higher education, Educational assessment, evaluation and accountability, 22 (3): 215-225
Tomlinson, M. (2012) Graduate Employability: A review of Conceptual and Empirical Themes, Higher Education Policy, 25:407-431

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

Comprehensively distinguish a range of aims, roles and contexts (including international) relevant to employer engagement;
Systematically identify findings from labour market analysis and contrasting perspectives on graduate employability;
Critically describe sources of labour market intelligence (including international) and relevant theoretical perspectives;
Critically evaluate labour market intelligence and graduate employability;
Carefully analyse employer engagement practices and stakeholder needs;
Systematically apply the knowledge listed above to enhance delivery in at least one context;
Creatively use the knowledge listed above to design revised or new provision in at least one context.

Transferable skills

Carefully and thoroughly present material in clear written form by identifying, analysing and applying key texts and practices using appropriate and adequate structure, spelling, grammar, syntax, length and referencing.