Presentation at the HEA-funded workshop 'Using active and experiential Learning to improve student employability in Business and Marketing'. This workshop was aimed at colleagues seeking ideas and advice about incorporating active and experiential learning into the marketing curriculum or wishing to improve upon current practice. The workshop identified various approaches which enable students to gain valuable employability skills and considered the benefits and disadvantages of these approaches. This presentation is part of a related blog post that provides an overview of the event: http://bit.ly/NanSOJ For further details of the HEA's work on active and experiential learning in the Social Sciences, please see: http://bit.ly/17NwgKX

1. Using Active and Experiential Learning
to improve student employability
in Business & Marketing
When experiential learning is not part of the curriculum (2)
Jenni Jones
HEA Workshop 14th November 2013

2. Objectives of this session
• To introduce our student mentoring scheme
• To share expectations and learning
– The University/The Institute of Directors (West Midlands)
– Mentees/Students
– Mentors
• To share the successes
• To share some additional feedback
• To offer ideas for future programmes

3. So what is mentoring?
Mentoring is….

4. Our IoD Student Mentoring Scheme
• The purpose
– Employer-student partnership; Directors as ‘critical friends’
– Recognising/supporting/developing employability skills and beyond
• The people
– @40 mentors & 72 mentees (final year Business School students)
• The process
– Students complete short form about expectations from mentoring
– We match students with a mentor in their aspirational/future career
– Mentors trained and students attend a short expectations session
– Students and mentors meet for group reviews/celebrate successes
http://youtu.be/3PHlwH7QOVc

5. Expectations
– The University/The Institute of Directors (West Midlands)
• To support students beyond the classroom teaching
• To offer real life experiences for students
• To build student’s networks
• To develop wider relationships with each other
– Students
• To get a job
• To develop employability skills, particularly in relation to marketing self
• To have a fantastic CV and apply for the right jobs
• To learn from ‘role models’
– Mentors
• To share real life experiences and enthusiasm for business
• To offer practical advice
• To open doors
• To put something back

6. We have gained so much from the experience; mentors have
helped us revisit our strengths and development needs,
showed us how to work on some of these, encouraged us to
consider what job we REALLY want and introduced us to
some additional networks that can help support and guide us
towards our career goals.
Some of our student mentees

7. What was learnt by them?
• Students
• What employers need and want and what they (the students) really need and want
• How different departments and different companies operate
• Further developed interview techniques
• How to use a PDP to focus on strengths and development needs
• Honed employability skills; time management, presentation skills, marketing self
• Increased self confidence
• Re-motivation towards studies
• The importance of networking
• Mentors
• What students need and want
• What different generations bring
• An insight into different counties and different cultures
• New knowledge in relation to business (e.g. modern marketing techniques)
• Developed mentoring skills, including flexibility/adaptability – one size does not fit all

8. It is good to know
there are real quality
individuals prepared to
work very hard to gain
a business role in the
future. I would like to
say that if more people
in business had the
approach and integrity
that my mentee has,
business for the future
would be in safe
hands.
My mentees and I have
been on a journey. Our
first meetings were to
identify strengths and
what jobs my mentees
were looking for. I
provided both of them
with the opportunity of
meeting with my HR &
Finance Director, and
other contacts. We then
focussed on their CVs
and applying for jobs and
the final meetings were
more focussed on the
interviewing process.
They have both now
secured jobs.
2 of our
mentors

9. What was learnt by us?
• The University
• Reinforced the importance of students getting out into the real world
• There is always more to do with CVs and interview skills support for our students
• Improved relationships with local employers
• Increased our own networks
• That we can’t do it all
• The Institute of Directors
• Got something of value to give to young people
• Spending time with young people can really bring out the ‘real person’
• Every generation has the responsibility to look forward toward tomorrows leadership
and be involved
• It’s a privilege to be able to help young people
• There are some ambitious young people out there, after our jobs!

10. How was this learnt?
http://issuu.com/universityofwolverhampton/docs/uwbs_ug_student_newsletter_spring_2013?mode=window
http://youtu.be/gDTRcdbUZRQ

11. The successes
• During mentoring
• Real world view; tours of local workplaces
• Real world experiences; mini-work experience days/weeks for students
• Building own networks; meeting senior colleagues, attending IoD regional/local events
• Developing new skills; observing role models, mock interview sessions
• Applying learning; revamped CV, more targeted applications
• Reflection; use of PDP, feedback with mentors, review sessions with other mentees
• Beyond mentoring/student employability
• 16 mentees achieved a first class degree
• 10 mentees were awarded University special prizes
• IoD (West Midlands) Director of the Year Award given to one of the mentors (2013)
• Over 90% of our students are now in employment
• Example 1 – Mike on DHL Graduate Scheme
• Example 2 – James on Nationwide Graduate Scheme
• Example 3 – Jessica in marketing role at Advantage Healthcare Group
• Example 4 – Sylwia at Carillion

12. Active Learning
Taken from: http://www.teachit.so/activelearning.htm

13. Experiential Learning
Taken from: http://www.wageningenportals.nl/msp/tool/experiential-learning-
cycle

14. My mentor Mike
has a background
in Communications
and PR. He helped
me think about
things from an
employer’s
perspective when
they are recruiting,
and I have been
successful in
getting a job.
David is extremely
motivated. He took
advantage of this
mentoring scheme to tap
into my experience and
to find out what
organisations are really
looking for, in order to
develop those skills and
qualities that make an
individual stand out from
the crowd!
David and Mike
(Marketing)

15. This mentoring scheme
built upon both what I
have learned at University
and during my placement.
To have access to people
working at this level for
advice and guidance has
really helped me to
develop. I have been
successful in getting a job
and I really recommend
being mentored to other
students!
This has been a
great example of
how employer-
student partnerships
work. Our mentees
and mentors were
extremely motivated
and committed and
they (and we) have
seen a huge return
on investment!
John and
James
(Business)

16. Additional feedback
Mentees
• ‘I’m getting to know what I’m
good at.’
• ‘I’ve learnt how to manage my
time and workload effectively.’
• ‘I would have liked more meetings
but recognise my mentor is busy.’
• ‘Some mentors were more
accessible and flexible about
meeting up than others.’
• ‘Some Mentors did more than
others; I was happy with my
mentor until I heard that others
had a mentor who did so much
more.’
•
Mentors
• ‘I have learnt that there is so much
involved in degree studies.’
• ‘It’s pleasing to work with mentees
that have so much enthusiasm for
improving their life and who are
focused on achieving.’
• ‘Best to let mentee travel, so they
can see where I work and get
access to other key people.’
• ‘My mentee was wanting to
discuss her dissertation and
involve my organisation in it. I
needed to remind a few times that
here to discuss their employability
and not student work.’

17. Ideas for future programmes
• Need a champion from both sides
• Make it open to all
• Match by aspiration and then location
• Manage expectations of both parties, at the start
• Contract/guidelines at first meeting
• Train/Refresh mentors
• Keep in touch through group review sessions
• Create other ways to keep in contact/build networks
• Widen choice/mix of mentors and students
• Consider other organisations (Chamber, CBI, CIM etc)
• Re-consider how it is marketed to the students

18. ‘It is better to teach people to fish,
than to give them a fish’
Mayo & Lang (1997)
Thank you for listening. Any questions?
Contact details: jenni.jones@wlv.ac.uk