UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Aiming University Learning at Work
Two students walking through campus

"Part-time work experience is very relevant, especially while at uni.  Among other things, it shows that you are responsible in that you are able to manage your life around work/uni/social life, etc."

Further information:

History (University of Glasgow)

History graduates possess a wide range of skills valued in the workplace. They have been trained to research, process and analyse large amounts of information, reflect upon it, and draw conclusions from it. Their subject requires that their communication skills, both oral and written, are excellent, that they can develop and defend reasoned and supported arguments, that they can work independently, that they can adapt to different circumstances, structures and cultures, and that they approach and assess issues and different viewpoints objectively. They will also have experience of working as part of a team, and with considerable human empathy. Despite these skills, and the broader value of a traditional academic History degree in intellectual and personal development, students are finding it increasingly difficult to find jobs commensurate with their abilities and qualifications. We see this as having a number of main causes:

  • History is a non-vocational subject and employers might not therefore see its value and the skills it teaches.
  • Students themselves have not articulated the skills they possess.
  • Academic staff in a traditional academic department can be unengaged with the ‘real’ world of work.

Project purpose

For the purposes of this project, History will focus their attention on second and third year students, whom they consider most receptive, and most in need of the opportunity to engage in some type of work-related activity. The Department’s aim will be to embed and articulate employability within the academic programme and give students the opportunity to gain relevant and valuable experience beyond the lecture hall.

How?

The team are seeking to engage with employers and voluntary organisations who can offer placement or project opportunities to students, as there is no substitute for experience. The type of placement an organisation might consider offering could be voluntary, paid or academic (assessed as part of a course). Students bring with them their academic abilities and subject awareness; organisations can benefit from having a piece of research carried out, or additional assistance for a specified period of time.