Last week, Kloodle visited LJMU in order to talk to their Wide World of Work department. This is the organisation within the university that is responsible for the employability education of the whole university, and represents a careers department on steroids.
To say the students of LJMU are spoilt having such an organisation at their disposal, is, an understatement. The work of this department has ensured that employability skills is incorporated into a students curriculum, ensuring that these activities are given the importance that they deserve and students are engaged with increasing their employability from year 1.
The WWoW department is responsible for standardising this employability effort across the universitys many departments and faculties. This ensures that students all receive the same high standard of employability education and are all being given the skill set to cope once they enter the wide world of work.
Each degree at LJMU, with the help of the WWoW team, has elements of real world work situations, be it placements, work experience, or real world projects that simulate the work environment. The WWoW scheme also issues a verified employability certificate that is internationally recognised and is a rubber stamp of a student employability skills. This provides hard evidence of a students efforts in the area of employability and is an impressive document for any potential employer.
The service also offers a number of advice clinics. Areas such as CV writing, interview techniques, advice on how to hunt for jobs, and how to prepare for assessment centres. For many students, the mere process of applying for a job is daunting, and writing CVs and attending interviews represents a big challenge. The Wide World of Work helps students gain the confidence to enter this process and the skills to do so successfully.
The department oozes student support. You just get the feeling that the students are of primary concern here, and that the staff are willing to do whatever it takes to assist their students in the jobs market. The department are also aware of the impact and responsibility they have to the local economy. LJMU provides a skilled workforce to Liverpool and the surrounding area. The department creates strong links with local businesses who are encouraged to take on graduates, and facilitates the pipeline of students from graduation to a job in the local economy. It is this type of relationship building that strengthens areas of the UK, and the WWoW team deserve a pat on the back for these endeavours.
Employability skills are of utmost importance to the student of today. This type of education is just as important as the nuts and bolts of a degree course, as the endpoint of a degree is, indeed, a job. Having the correct employability skills will ensure you are well equipped for this job hunt and the Wide World of Work provides a service second to none for its students. If you are a student at LJMU you can rest assured that you are being equipped for your assault on your career!
Once equipped with a plethora of employability skills, why not showcase on Kloodle?
