Challenges for Student Employability

The main factors that impact student employability in the United Kingdom are:

• Changes in technology
• Demographic factors
• The environment
• Globalisation of education
• Changes and expectations in society
• Student Engagement

Acquire Learning College aims to embed employability in its culture and promote it among its learners and stakeholder through the following opportunities:

• Industry in the Classroom – Speakers from industry/local employers are invited to share their experiences and industry updates with our learners
• Work-based learning – Students are provided with placements and internships to receive real-life work experience while studying with us.
• Employer involvement in Course Design – We engage with employers to obtain feedback and reviews on our courses which provides a valuable source of feedback on the choice of modules/content best suited to working environments.
• Business Mentoring Relationships – By developing relationships with local employers, our learners gain practical experience and professional mentors from various sectors.
• Business Incubation Centre – We provide workstations, printing, internet, counseling, and other on-campus facilities to help develop entrepreneurial skills and encourage them to start or further develop their business ventures.
• External Visits – By arranging external visits to other higher education institutions, military airbases, and garrisons, our learners gain a true insight into the real corporate world and experience leadership and management in the workplace first-hand.

Alongside the above, Acquire Learning College also plans to incorporate the following processes within our Employability Policy in the coming years:

• Use the Subject benchmark statements to identify generic/transferrable skills which students develop over a set time.
• Involve employers as an external reference point within programme design and approval processes.
• Learning and Teaching practices will be implemented following a professional evaluation when the tutor is a practitioner.
• Recruit external examiners/assessors from various businesses, industries, or other relevant professions.
• Chart the employment record for Acquire Learning College students who have become employed after completing their studies and obtain feedback from them and their employers.
• Create a Student Alumni with a social platform for students to share their learning experiences.
• Organise career guidance workshops by inviting managers/employers on campus and delivering career opportunities to students.
• Employer-led Employability Workshops on Campus, Career Development Planning, and Academic Skills courses.
• Student Academic Partnership (SAP) – Paid student internships through entrepreneurship societies, Alumni students mentoring current students, the passport to practice (online system), Team consultancy projects students solving real business problems for charities and local enterprises.
• Business Launchpad – Train students to create business plans and make plans to obtain funding through various platforms.
• Form links with other higher education institutions with a similar focus on graduate employability.
• Company visits and Insight days are offered and advertised by employers who aim to recruit undergraduate students.
• Work Shadowing – Students are provided with short-term, informal opportunities to spend time on company premises with no contract or expectation of making a working contribution as it is solely an observational activity.
• Arrange employment-related workshops and seminars for students, such as CIPD recruitment and interviewing skills conferences.
• Ensure students can access industry-standard learning resources and course content such as magazines, journals, and online publications.
• Student Award – STAR (Students Taking an Active Role) recorded on HEAR. The award is subject to an assessment carried out by local employers to form a panel of judges.
• Form a student union, regularly publish content on a student newsletter and blog, and create presentations on group projects relating to courses and modules.
• Encourage Employer engagement such as requests for research, consultancy, collaboration, and enterprise activities; strategic partnerships and consortiums; advisory boards; requests for bespoke courses; career and guidance activities, sharing opportunities such as job vacancies, internships, and placements; job fairs; employer representation on the Board of Directors; engagement with professional bodies; formal membership of approval panels.