This module will assist students to assess their own skills and the development of these throughout the first year of the course. Skills elements in relation to both academic study and key employability skills will be identified and elements of learning from other modules will feed into the portfolio requirements to demonstrate a student’s development over time. The module embeds and kick-starts the employability framework to enable students to appreciate and value all elements of learning and how these translate to employability longer term. The second part of the module will assist students in their career planning, building networks, effective communication and creating SMART action plans.
Evidence of learning will be presented through a portfolio that reflects the student’s ability to plan, monitoring and revise personal development plans for achieving personal targets to meet the learning outcomes.

The portfolio will be split into two parts to encourage participation throughout the module. At specified points in time, students will receive specific direction on when to complete particular elements, assisting them to manage their time effectively and allowing completion of required elements close to the time of the relevant teaching content.

The portfolio will directly assess LO’s 1 - 3 on each part of the assessment. Part 1 will include submission of:
Assessment of student’s starting point via a skills audit
Evidence of self-assessment
Skills assessment
A research trail
Evidence of a completed academic referencing task
Attendance at an academic study skills session (may be virtual attendance)
Attendance at a library research session (may be virtual attendance)

Part 2 will include submission of evidence of:
Work and life view assessment
Early career options search
Early career choices
Early career planning
Early career action plan
Networking action plan
Attendance at building a professional social media profile
Research into employer mentor scheme
Research into relevant careers fairs

The VLE Blackboard will provide a structured framework for the delivery of this module. A blended learning approach is adopted, which consists of directed and independent study. The module is designed to allow some flexibility in approach to remain responsive to student’s identified needs, but activity will broadly consist of the following:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: (90 hours)
On campus and virtual seminars incorporating key academic skills
Formative individual and group tasks and activities
Contributions to Blackboard Learning Journal and Blogs
Completion of career planning activity and skills audits
Tutorial support (both group and individual)
Module assessment support

Guided Independent Study: (310 hours)
150 hours Research, reading, pre-session preparation
100 hours Review, reflection & formative task completion
60 hours Assessment (formative and summative)

1. Produce, monitor, revise and evaluate plans for personal progress in developing the
skills and abilities required to work in the poverty reduction field
4. Analysis
8. Reflection

2. Demonstrate the development of your own skills and understanding in relation to
work in the poverty reduction field
1. Knowledge & Understanding
7. Application

3. Demonstrate the academic skills required to enable students to communicate to the
required academic standards, including academic referencing
1. Knowledge & Understanding

IT equipment
Access to internet

Cottrell, S. (2019) The Study Skills Handbook, (5th ed), London: Red Global Press

Cottrell, S. (2021) Skills for Success: Personal Development and Employability (4th Ed), London: Palgrave

This module will help you begin to plan your study, develop your academic study skills and identify, develop and record your employability skills throughout the life of the course. In recognising that students often have differing starting points when beginning their learning journey, this module will enable each student to assess their own personal starting point and then to plan their development, setting key objectives which will be evidenced in the portfolio requirements at the end of the module. You will complete a skills audit, research career opportunities, identify skills gaps and produce an action plan to work towards and activity on your other modules will feed directly into the portfolio requirements.
Employer networking events and careers fairs will offer opportunities to speak directly with your future employers and previous graduates will share their learning journeys, offering different perspectives and views.