Good people skills are crucial for getting into the graduate job market, according to the findings of an academic study published by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HESCU) in its Graduate Market Trends newsletter earlier this year.
The research into graduate employability, carried out by academics from the University of East Anglia, found that employers valued interpersonal skills above all other employability skills, followed by written communication skills.
The researchers commented, ‘For many employers, less is expected regarding technical skills than the one thing that all graduates are presumably good at: the ability to present ideas clearly, both verbally and in writing.’
At a recent TED event (Canada) Cameron Herold makes the case for parenting and education that helps would-be entrepreneurs flourish — as kids and as adults.
An entrepreneur since childhood, Cameron Herold wants parents and teachers to recognize — and foster — entrepreneurial talent in children. Bored in school, failing classes, at odds with peers: “This child might be an entrepreneur”.
There have been some exciting developments with XING over the last few months which we wanted to share with you
What has been happening with XING?
• Social enterprise cards, team guides and scenarios are now available.
• New XING materials and prices guide – A new menu listing all the XING materials is now available.
• Scenarios for Chemistry – now available following a request from Plymouth University
• Date for your diary – FLUX 2011 will take place on April 4-6th. You can view highlights of FLUX 2010 here. Let us know if you are considering entering a team for 2011 or if you need further information.
News from XING users
Lancaster University will be demonstrating XING to students and lecturers at the Beijing University of foreign studies in China this June.
The University of Plymouth are hoping to use XING as part of a project funded by the British Council in Sri Lanka. They will be working with their partners, the Universities of Colombo and Kelaniya to develop collaborative delivery of enterprise education.
To find out how XING is being used at other universities click here.
XING in development
We are in the first stages of developing a new card set, glossary and case-studies specifically focussed on planning media projects. This is part of our development for the creative industries. Many of you have been in touch saying there is clear need for this.
The question is how far do we go? James was recently chatting with Chris Thompson at Ravensbourne College of Design and communication who suggested ‘not to water it down too much, we need to inspire not just freelancers and small agencies, but also plant the seed for our most talented to go on to create world class creative businesses as many in the UK have already done’. Let us know your thoughts.
XING is an ever-developing tool, so keep us updated with news about how you are using XING and suggestions for other areas we could target.
Daniella Means was at Flux 2010 as a member of the University of Nottingham team. Brought up in Hong Kong and with a family history in branding, Daniella is herself studying management with a view to a career in sports marketing. read more about Daniella here – Daniella’s profile
A survey by specialist language recruiter, Euro London Appointments has revealed that language skills improve employability. Euro London surveyed 228 employers of whom 86% felt that languages were an important skill set.
At this time of year our enterprise events step up a gear as AS level students make their University decisions and Vocational students enter the workplace.
Experts again play an essential role supporting young people from local colleges to take control of their lives with confidence, aspiration and knowledge.
We are looking for experts on:
• 31st June in Oxford for The Plunge with Abingdon and Whitney College
• 1st July in Bristol for The Plunge with Bristol City College
If you would like to take part please register here
Events will also be running in June and July in:
• Bradford
• Guisborough
• Barnsley
• Burton on Trent
The date are yet to be confirmed but please do contact us to register your interest by email
To find out what happens at a Working Knowledge event click here.
Please do share these opportunities with your networks.
If you’re a British graduate with an interest in languages and policy, you should consider crossing the Channel in the direction of Brussels, the capital of Belgium. At a time when job opportunities for graduates appear bleak in the UK, the European Union wants new recruits to work in the “capital” of Europe where there are scores of other young people and plenty of cafes and restaurants, not to mention large quantities of good beer and chocolate as well as delicious mussels and snails. Read the whole article in the Independent here
Have you ever wondered who the experts are at a Working Knowledge Event? We took a close look at the 40 experts at this year’s FLUX Grand Final in Nottingham where experts gave up a day of their time to judge some of the UK’s top entrepreneurial students.
