Employability

Careers Development

The Careers Service subscribes to a range of careers databases and networks to ensure that students at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David benefit from having access to the latest information. The Careers team is able to assist students in identifying and planning their careers by matching their interests and course of study to relevant jobs. The service also includes assistance with writing applications and CVs, interview techniques, Professional Development Planning (PDP), as well as general careers counselling for individuals and groups throughout their courses. 

Work placements

The University’s Placement Officers assist students to find paid and unpaid work placements with a variety of local companies, some of which require bilingual skills, and there’s also an opportunity for them to participate in national programmes, such as GO Wales, which often lead to permanent employment after graduation.

Work Placements - A ten week programme designed for students and graduates to gain experience whilst working in a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME). A high proportion of our graduates who take part in the programme progress to full-time employment.

Work Tasters - Work experience provides a useful insight into particular jobs and may help you decide on the right career path for you. Going on work experience can lead to job offers and can assist in employment and higher education applications.

Internships - The University also offers internships with bursaries to enable students to find work with companies during vacation periods. These services don’t stop after they graduate as the Careers team makes every effort to ensure that graduates find relevant employment by informing them of the latest job vacancies.

Graduate Academy – is a free full-time and part-time training programme that aims to provide recent graduates with the skills and support needed to help gain graduate employment. Work experience is combined with a qualification awarded by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM), and focuses on the real and practical skills required for success

Job Shop - is a service that is run both online, and through the Careers Service and we have details of many part-time/casual jobs throughout the region on our database.

The University also provides bursaries for internships to enable students to find relevant employment during vacation periods.

Creating a culture of enterprise

The Research and Development Office is responsible for supporting the development of the University’s work outside its core teaching and learning function. This includes the University’s external engagement with businesses, Third and Public sector organisations, as well as underpinning support for activities such as the Gŵyl! Arts festival, the Lampeter Food Festival as well as a range of widening access and community development activities.

The Research and Development Office gives students the opportunity to participate in activities which will enhance their employability, provide the opportunity to explore self-employment/ entrepreneurship and develop skills for use in everyday life.

The Edge Enterprise supports student/graduate entrepreneurship and personal skill development. Students can take part in events and activities organised through an enterprise club and also through collaboration with other institutions. The Edge Enterprise supports activities for undergraduates and graduates to explore opportunities for self-employment, including financial support for fledgling high growth business start-ups. Students and staff are able to benefit directly from these activities by obtaining support for developing projects, initiating business ideas, or turning an idea into a real business. Training sessions on everything from personal presentation to company law are also organised.

Curriculum Support

Internal and external Programme of Study validation panels ensure that all courses contain a considerable element of study skills training, otherwise known as key or transferable skills or employability skills, embedded in the curriculum, in addition to subject-specific and generic skills. The aim is to create independent, reflective learners and thinkers, with transferable assessment outcomes linked to employability. There are a wide range of skills and attributes that can be introduced within students’ Professional Development Portfolios, including:

  • Intellectual inquiry
  • Information Skills (including researching, selecting and organising) 
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT Skills) 
  • Numeracy and Data Analysis, Interpretation and Extrapolation 
  • Reflection and independent thought 
  • Critical and conceptual thinking 
  • Knowledge and understanding 
  • Organisation and Planning (including setting and reviewing priorities) 
  • Communication and Presentation (written, visual and verbal) 
  • Problem-solving and decision making 
  • Experimentation 
  • Collaborative face-to-face exploration 
  • Practice-based research 
  • Creativity 
  • Group and team working, networking, collaboration, leadership 
  • Interpersonal skills of effective listening, negotiating, persuasion and presentation and sensitivity to diversity 
  • Self management, in terms of time, including working to deadlines, planning, behaviour, motivation, individual initiative and enterprise 
  • Metaskills, including the ability to review and evaluate a situation and identify the appropriate skills and knowledge which need to be applied, and skill in reviewing and planning their own personal and professional development, including skills development.

Accreditation

For Employers

The University’s bilingual Professional Practice Framework enables employers to:

  • access learning programmes which directly assist in their competitiveness and which relate to their specific development needs, including Investors in People
  • support the ambitions of their staff within the context of the workplace and the organisation’s interests 
  • incorporate required standards and competencies into flexible programmes 
  • tap into external expert assistance and specialist learning materials.

In addition there are opportunities to work with University staff to develop customised programmes of learning for groups of employees.

Accreditation of Staff Development

If an organisation carries out a range of training to support the continuing professional development of staff then employers can accredit this training towards a HE qualification. This accreditation will add value to the training for both employers and employees. Accreditation will involve the employee undertaking assessed work which will normally relate to the evaluation and implementation of the training in the workplace, providing further benefit of ensuring that the training is applied and developed.

For Employees:

The University has accredited a professional practice framework which enables students to gain accreditation for their every-day work.  With work-based learning students can:

  • create an individual award bearing programme to meet needs which may not be catered for by ‘off the shelf’ courses
  • develop an individual learning programme based around and demonstrated through your work activities 
  • extend their  capability and enhance their effectiveness and employability 
  • undertake self-managed learning, which leads to a nationally and internationally recognised qualification, from units of credit to complete degrees.

In addition students can attend relevant taught modules at the University so that you can incorporate these into your qualification.

How does it work?

Learning in the workplace often occurs subconsciously. By planning and structuring activities, with online support, this learning can be maximised and accumulate towards a qualification. With work-based learning you do not get credit simply for going to work! Work-based learning requires the following additional activities:

  • an agreed learning contract
  • adequate and appropriate research 
  • exploration of the topic beyond the immediate workplace and the points of view within the workplace 
  • networking with others working in the same field at the same or higher levels 
  • exposure to the intellectual challenge of tutors with relevant expertise 
  • evaluation and reflection on progress with the learning and associated work processes.

Here are typical work-based learning activities arising from the workplace:

  • organisational development projects
  • developing new products, processes or techniques 
  • improving existing products and procedures 
  • learning new job roles, skills and competences 
  • introducing change within the organisation 
  • conducting research to solve business problems 
  • engaging in personal or organisational benchmarking, such as against National Occupational Standards, Investors in People, key skills 
  • evaluating and developing current practice