Ensuring that graduates are ‘work-ready’ and ‘employable’ is becoming an increasingly important consideration for universities. The latest research study by the Edge Foundation examines the National Software Academy (NSA) at Cardiff University based in Newport, Wales, as a model of higher education delivery. The report explores how the NSA has built employer engagement in the development and delivery of curriculum to make it timely and relevant to the workplace, and delivers teaching that ensures graduates leave “work- ready”.
The NSA was set up to address the skills shortages in the local and national technology sector, where employers had expressed concern about the lack of graduates with the skills needed to contribute in the sector. Right from the outset, employers were able to offer their expert viewpoint about what their employees needed to know and be able to do when they joined the workplace. Industry experts were involved in the initial design of the course and they continue to have input into the curriculum content to ensure that it is kept up to date with software development and technology, given the pace of change in this sector.
The conclusions of this research suggest that the NSA’s inclusive and targeted approach to employability development, and the intensity in which employers are involved, contributes greatly to their graduates being highly employable. Employers were extremely positive about the students they had worked with on projects and employers who had recruited NSA graduates praised their readiness for the workplace and the immediate contributions they were making to the organisation.
Key findings from the report include;
- The NSA develops and sustains strong and meaningful employer relationships.
- All students take part in a number of authentic client-facing projects in student teams. The 4-week projects in every semester are set by employers or other external partners and address a real-world issue that is pertinent to that client. Students present their final ‘product’ to clients and NSA staff at the end of the project.
- Curriculum content at the NSA has been developed in partnership between academic staff and industry experts. NSA staff foster close relationships with a wide range of industry partners to encourage their continuous input into the curriculum content and to encourage employers’ visits to the NSA, delivering guest lectures and attending networking events. Networking with industry keeps the teaching staff’s industry knowledge up to date and supports the integration of the newest demand from the industry into the curriculum.
- The methods of teaching employed at the NSA are not typical of a HE setting - which are often theory-heavy and largely lecture-based. At the NSA two and a half hour interactive teaching blocks are set up based on a continuous cycle of theory and practice. This approach contributes to the development of strong problem-solving skills.
- Students at the NSA also develop employability skills through their explicit teaching. For example, external experts have been brought in to run workshops on effective presentation techniques. Employability skills are also referenced in module objectives to ensure they are developed throughout the course.
- The physical environment of the NSA is set up to emulate a work-place rather than a traditional university teaching environment. The teaching spaces are open-plan office-style classrooms that support collaborative working approaches. Practices that exist in industry are also integrated into the NSA environment, such as daily briefings, walls that can be written on to plan and inspire, and bookable meeting rooms.
- Students are strongly encouraged and supported to take up opportunities to work in relevant placements either short term during holiday periods or on an ongoing basis.
- Relationships are developed and sustained through open and respectful lines of communication, including between staff and industry partners as well as between staff and students.
The elements of the NSA delivery model are not unique, however their combination and intensity within the course may add to NSA’s successful outcome.
