Curriculum Design: Employability

1. Introduction

 

Employability is a key focus in faculty plans, programme review, unit descriptors and AME.

An Employability Curriculum Framework has been introduced for all undergraduate programmes and is being integrated into the periodic review processes. An accelerated adoption process is available for early adopters within the context of individual faculty strategic plans. The ECF replaces the Framework for Student Career Management and Development.

The Careers and Employability service will be liaising closely with faculties to develop employability in the curriculum and support new areas of employability-related work, including strategic liaison with employers, frameworks for placements and on-campus student employment.

The MMU Threshold Standards define minimum levels of provision that students can expect in all aspects of their learning experience, including support for development of employability skills.

 

Overview of the process

Curriculum teams need to work through each ECF requirement. Programme teams will use available data to consider the career prospects of their graduates and use this information to help plan curriculum content and teaching, learning and assessment (TLA) strategy. Learning outcomes will be mapped against the MMU Graduate Outcomes. The TLA strategy will articulate the approaches and tools which will ensure students achieve these employability outcomes, including work-related experience and reflective practice (for example via embedded support for Personal Development Planning). Employer engagement must also be considered at curriculum planning level.

The links below will guide you through the requirements with further explanation, resources and examples.

MMU Graduate Outcomes

The MMU graduate outcomes should be referred to at all stages of curriculum planning.

Template for mapping MMU Graduate Outcomes through the curriculum (word doc)

On successful completion of their programme of study MMU graduates will be able to:

  • apply skills of critical analysis to real world situations within a defined range of contexts
  • demonstrate a high degree of professionalism*
  • express ideas effectively and communicate information appropriately and accurately using a range of media including ICT,
  • develop working relationships using teamwork and leadership skills, recognising and respecting different perspectives
  • manage their professional development reflecting on progress and taking appropriate action
  • find, evaluate, synthesise and use information from a variety of sources
  • articulate an awareness of the social and community contexts within their disciplinary field

*professionalism may be characterised by attributes such as initiative, creativity, motivation, professional practice and self management. It is for programme teams to specify the attributes of particular relevance to their discipline area.