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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the views of academics, senior university managers and employer representatives on the design and implementation of an innovative work-based learning (WBL) programme in UK higher education. Design/methodology/approach – The research project draws upon case study research and utilizes data from semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis of policy papers. The experiences of university staff and employer representatives were analysed methodologically using the organisational story-telling framework. Findings – The paper exposes voices which are rarely heard in the public domain and provides insights into the challenges involved in introducing new practices within higher education. The themes that have emerged are: the intensity of the learning experience; tensions amongst academics delivering the programme; and, academic support for students, particularly in relation to the importance of face-to-face contact. Originality/value – The paper addresses key gaps in the WBL literature, most notably a dearth of critical accounts of practice within WBL programmes from the perspective of university staff and employer representatives. This type of research is also needed given the increased priority by governments in relation to forging links between business and higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – International postgraduate education in business-related subjects has grown substantially in the UK. Both MBA and specialist Masters' programmes increasingly offer entrepreneurship as a core or option. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in meeting the expectations and motivations of international postgraduate students. Design/methodology/approach – The authors explored four questions through a survey of international students participating in entrepreneurship courses in two Business Schools: What is the typical profile of the international students' prior education and work experience? What do students expect from studying an entrepreneurship PG course in the UK? What are their experiences of, and learning outcomes from, the entrepreneurship course? What benefits regarding their skills and knowledge do they perceive result from participation? Findings – The results confirm that career development is a major motivator for international study in the UK. Entrepreneurship can help to address cultural tensions between postgraduate students' expectations and their experiences of UK business education. Practical implications – Suggestions are offered for educators on the effective design and delivery of entrepreneurship for international students in the rapidly changing and competitive postgraduate market. Social implications – Cultural integration, learning effectiveness and linguistic capability need to be addressed in designing learning programmes for international students. Originality/value – The paper contributes new evidence to the debate on meeting the career expectations and motivations of international postgraduate students participating in entrepreneurship education, especially in the light of new curricular guidance and UK government regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to present evidence on the impact of enterprise education on young people still at school in London, UK. The study was designed to measure the effect of participation in a Young Enterprise (YE) Company Program on young people's attitudes toward starting a business, and on their enterprise potential. Design/methodology/approach – A longitudinal pre and post test design was used, with a sample of 276 young people. A control group provided a method of isolating the impact of the programme and was used as a test for self-selection bias. An attitudes to enterprise test was administered at the start of the programme and again at the end, nine months later. Findings – It was found that participation does have a positive impact on young people's enterprise potential, however this is moderated by other factors such as gender, ethnicity, socio-economic background and type of school attended. Research limitations/implications – The paper demonstrates the added value of a longitudinal design and the use of a control group. The relatively small sample size limited the extent of multivariate analysis that could be carried out. Practical implications – The paper provides an example of a robust evaluation methodology for the evaluation of enterprise education programmes in schools. Social implications – The paper highlights the importance of context in the delivery of enterprise education. The impact of enterprise programmes is likely to be moderated by a number of other factors such as socio-economic background. Originality/value – The paper cautions against a one-size fits all approach to enterprise education, and is relevant to policy makers and providers. The research design used attempted to overcome some of the criticisms often made of evaluations studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to explore the choices learners have in steering their way through the educational system in the UK. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The paper draws on data from two studies, one conducted in a state secondary school and the other in a Further Education College, both based in the north-west of England. Both used interviews (either individual or focus-group) to collect data, which were then analysed using a grounded approach. Findings |!|#8211; In linking the two studies the authors highlight how the impact of symbolic violence and the relations between groups and classes at school continue into the |!|#34;choices|!|#34; the learners make during adulthood and also into the learner|!|#39;s working life, and that these |!|#34;choices|!|#34; are often a large-scale consequence of many |!|#34;micro-choices|!|#34; arising from day-to-day situations. The acts of symbolic violence described in the college group are not of themselves very different from those described by the school group, though the consequences for the school group cannot yet be known. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; The participants in the two groups are unconnected in that they attend different institutions and are at very different stages of their education. However the authors contend that there is a connection in terms of the participants|!|#39; experience of symbolic violence. Originality/value |!|#8211; The paper draws attention to the existence of symbolic violence in everyday school life, and highlights how these instances can have significant impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to consider the statistical evidence on the effects that ill health has on labour market participation and opportunities for younger and older workers in the East Midlands (UK). Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; A statistical analysis of Labour Force Survey data was undertaken to demonstrate that health issues affect older and younger workers alike. This has an equalling effect on labour market opportunities, which should reduce any potential for intergenerational conflict within the workforce. Findings |!|#8211; Although health problems that limit activities and affect the amount and kind of work an individual can undertake increase with age, there are high levels of ill health of these kinds within all age groups, including the youngest workers. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; The regional statistical analysis can only provide indications, and further research is required to differentiate which groups of younger and older workers suffer from which types of illnesses, as this has direct implications for their employment. Practical implications |!|#8211; A more direct consideration of health in employment, education and training policy is required to enable the development of healthy and long-term working lives that benefit individuals and the economy. Social implications |!|#8211; The consideration of the effects of health issues on the labour market should lead to a reconsideration of the rhetoric, and the reality of intergenerational conflict. There might be less reason for such competition than is generally perceived. Originality/value |!|#8211; The paper considers intergenerational conflict in a labour market context and suggests that health issues have an equalising effect for the relative positions of older and younger workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to estimate the extent of |!|#34;over-qualification|!|#34; (i.e. holding a qualification which is above that required to gain entry to the job being done) and |!|#34;skills under-utilisation|!|#34; (i.e. being in a job which does not make use of the knowledge and skills possessed) in the United Kingdom and to examine whether these conditions are correlated with age. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The paper makes use of the 2006 Skills Survey. Cross tabulations of both conditions with age are produced and binomial probit estimates of both conditions are reported. Findings |!|#8211; It is estimated that 38 per cent are over qualified; 15 per cent are in jobs which do not make use of the knowledge and skills they possess; and age is correlated with the probability of being over qualified but not with the condition of under-utilising the knowledge and skills possessed. Social implications |!|#8211; Skills policy in the United Kingdom focuses almost exclusively upon increasing the supply of more highly qualified individuals. Given the extent of over-qualification and skills under-utilisation demonstrated in the paper, more effort should be made by policy makers to design and implement policies which increase the demand for highly skilled labour. Originality/value |!|#8211; The paper answers three questions: How prevalent are qualification mismatches? How prevalent are skills mismatches? To what extent are the two conditions of being over-qualified and being in a job which does not offer scope to make use of the knowledge and skills possessed correlated with age? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to explore the issues around a multiple generational workforce and more specifically, the challenges and benefits for education providers and employers. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; Reviewing research papers, analysing academic texts, interrogating market intelligence and contextualising case studies, the paper examines the |!|#34;experience|!|#34; or |!|#34;qualifications|!|#34; debate alongside the similarities, differences and overlaps of the cross-generational workforce, with a view to offering education/training solutions. Findings |!|#8211; Demographic forecasts suggest that the UK workplace will imminently be dominated by older, experienced employees. As the composition of the workplace shifts, examining the inter-relationship between groups of workers of different ages/profiles who have different skills, attitudes, expectations and learning styles is vital. The synergy caused by this inter-mingling cannot help but impact on employers, sectors and higher education institutions. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; Data around the |!|#34;older|!|#34; graduate is not readily available |!|#8211; there is still an implicit belief that |!|#34;graduate|!|#34; means approximately 21/22 years old. Whilst many general demographic forecasts are produced, the future is still relatively unknown. Originality/value |!|#8211; The paper builds upon the authors|!|#39; own original research into the employment market from an HE perspective. Little has been so far published around how the generations might usefully work together, especially the idea of adapting the skills and maximising on the overlaps of different generational profiles. The exploration of the hybrid graduate is also a new area for academic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of using several commercial tools in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects for enterprise education at Newcastle University, UK. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The paper provides an overview of existing toolkit use in higher education, before reviewing where and how tools are used across science and engineering disciplines. Feedback was collated from Newcastle educators and students to determine whether the projected enterprise learning outcomes were achieved. STEM learning outcomes were also mapped to the NCEE entrepreneurship learning outcomes framework. Findings |!|#8211; The paper investigated the use of three key enterprise toolkits across the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering and the Faculty of Medical Sciences, where the focus is on innovation and product/service development, rather than on the desire to |!|#34;be an entrepreneur|!|#34;. This reflection on practice evaluates the benefits and student perceptions of workshop tools for enterprise, decision making and teamwork. It makes comparison between the perceived employability needs of these students, and addresses the intended and actual outcomes of these tools. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; Evaluating toolkit use within a single university is constrained by common internal workings, however as exemplars of good practice this is of value to other UK higher education institutions. Practical implications |!|#8211; Consideration is given to entrepreneurial support and development, and whether using existing tools should be used for summative or for formative assessment. It also questions whether tools are fit for purpose. Originality/value |!|#8211; This paper reveals patterns of tool use and their effectiveness across science and engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to obtain a shared understanding of entrepreneurship education and to evaluate the effectiveness of employability and enterprise division in current fashion courses and amongst the students between a British and a Chinese university (UClan and SCAU). Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; It is a three-stage action-oriented PMI2 project (Second Prime Minister|!|#39;s Initiative for International Education) in fashion entrepreneurship, which was funded by the British Council. This paper presents the findings of the first stage of the research project. A combination of literature reviews, participant observation, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were employed to deliver the results at this stage. Findings |!|#8211; The findings represent similarities and differences between UClan and SCAU related to enterprise entrepreneurship education: identify rationale of evaluating fashion entrepreneurship education; and clarify a shared understanding of entrepreneurship education and the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; Due to geographical restrictions and limited resources, smaller-scale samples were selected to gain a deeper insight into different approaches to fashion enterprise and entrepreneurship education between UClan and SCAU. Practical implications |!|#8211; This research will be valuable to academics who wish to develop or enhance fashion entrepreneurship education, in particular with regards to forging links between universities in the UK and China. Social implications |!|#8211; This paper will increase awareness of fashion entrepreneurship amongst students, graduates and academics. Originality/value |!|#8211; This research contributes to the current knowledge and best practice of fashion entrepreneurship education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to discuss the value of social learning from group work that emulates a professional community of practice. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; A thought piece that first, examines the role of group-work projects as part of social learning, then outlines key arguments for social learning based upon applying a |!|#34;communities of practice|!|#34; approach and finally, discusses the experience of a leading UK university in light of Hoadley and Kilner|!|#39;s |!|#34;C4P|!|#34; communities of practice framework. Some reflections are offered to help practitioners and academics who wish to adopt a similar approach. Findings |!|#8211; Developing a communities of practice approach using group work can promote social learning and workplace transferrable skills. The authors discussed five main elements of the C4P communities of practice framework in light of a group project at a leading UK university: |!|#34;purpose|!|#34; |!|#8211; to emulate an IT consultancy environment and create energy and results as part of the final year group-work project; |!|#34;conversation and connections|!|#34; |!|#8211; to promote information exchange between group members through meetings, e-mail, or wikis; |!|#34;content and context|!|#34; |!|#8211; drawing upon organisational knowledge and directing groups to improve the quality of project deliverables. Some key reflections include: emulating real world practice helps develop transferrable skills; building membership of a community through simulated teamwork roles encourages motivation; and group leadership helps achieve common purpose. Originality/value |!|#8211; The paper offers a unique insight and applies a communities of practice framework for analysing and developing group work as part of social learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The aim of the paper is to examine the consequences of students engaging in part-time employment during their studies. It reports the results of a survey of part-time employment among university students. The research examined the possible consequences of combining part-time employment with full-time study, with particular reference to stress. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The research consisted of an institution-wide Web-based survey of full-time undergraduates within a post-1992 university in the UK. Findings |!|#8211; The survey found that part-time employment, in common with many previous studies, is a majority experience for full-time undergraduates. It also found that some students were spending longer in their chosen employment than in time-tabled classes. A central finding was that unlike much previous research, it emerged here that students reported more positive than negative outcomes. Practical implications |!|#8211; The data shows that students continue to engage in part-time employment at a significant level and for some studying is almost a secondary activity. This perhaps raises questions about the existing model of higher education delivery and the need for institutions to consider offering more support mechanisms for individual students. Originality/value |!|#8211; The paper is of value in seeking to clarify the nature of the consequences for students seeking to combine employment and studying. Furthermore the paper builds on our understanding of the continuing growth of student part-time employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the issues experienced in the delivery of a business challenge to a cohort of business undergraduate students at the University of Glamorgan. The challenge involved initiating and running a "real" business and returning a profit within a week. The students worked in groups of up to eight and were given start up capital. The paper seeks to evaluate the impact of the business challenge in terms of changing entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviour, and to examine the skills competencies acquired by the individual students. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a mixed method approach to examine the respondent experience. The basis of the investigation involved a semi-structured questionnaire undertaken on completion of the challenge. In total, in excess of 50 students completed the research instrument. The questionnaire enabled the authors to quantitatively explore the overall impact of the business challenge by student age and gender. In addition, the semi structured design enabled the authors to explore the qualitative "rich data" of individual student experience based on their reflections. Findings – The findings reveal a positive impact in terms of enhanced attitudes towards the attainability and attractiveness of an entrepreneurial career. The findings reveal that the business challenge provided the students with a significant enhancement in generic enterprise skills including team working, leadership, communication and specific business skills such as sales and marketing behaviour. The students valued the opportunity and personal responsibility offered by the business challenge to apply their theoretical knowledge in a real world context. Several individuals reported that the positive experience with their business venture meant that they wished to continue the business alongside their graduate studies. Originality/value – The paper contributes to a limited literature in assessing the impact and benefit of business challenges. It will be of value to enterprise education providers in organising and planning such activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how a UK business school is addressing the Government|!|#39;s skills strategy through its Graduate Certificate in Management, and to identify good practice and development needs and to clarify how the Graduate Certificate is adapting to the needs of Generation X and Millennial students. The paper also aims to test Kolb and Kolb|!|#39;s experiential learning theory (ELT) in a business school setting. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; A case study methodology was adopted. In order to get a cross-section of views and triangulate the data, three focus groups were held, supported by reading documentation about the programme of study. Findings |!|#8211; The skills strategy is not just an ambition for some business schools, but is already part of the curriculum. Generation X and the Millennials have more in common with the positive attitudes associated with older generations than stereotyped views might allow. ELT provides a useful theoretical framework for evaluating a programme of study and student attitudes. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; The research findings from one case study are reported, limiting the generalisability of the study. Practical implications |!|#8211; Good practice and development needs are identified which support the implementation of the Government|!|#39;s skills strategy and address employer concerns about student skills. Originality/value |!|#8211; New empirical data are reported which supports the use of ELT in evaluating programmes of study and student attitudes to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is two-fold; first, to explore the Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education (SPEED) programme, which aims to help students gain real business start-up experience whilst at university and second to examine the impact of SPEED on the students. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; For the first part of the paper, the author explores the SPEED programme in the context of |!|#34;experiential learning|!|#34;. Second, the |!|#34;critical incident technique|!|#34; approach is explored and found to be a suitable approach towards obtaining |!|#34;real-life|!|#34; insights into students|!|#39; business start-up experience. Findings |!|#8211; The paper finds that the |!|#34;experiential learning|!|#34; approach and all |!|#34;critical incidents|!|#34; have been valuable learning experiences for the students on SPEED. SPEED has provided a platform for students to gain the experience, knowledge and confidence to either set up a business or use their new-found experiences to succeed in securing a job upon graduation. Research limitations/implications |!|#8211; As this programme is delivered across 13 higher education institutions in the UK, there is a need for further research on SPEED and for comparisons to be drawn for future practice. Originality/value |!|#8211; This paper provides an insight into student entrepreneurs within a university context, a relatively unexplored area. The results also indicate the value of |!|#34;experience|!|#34; and the |!|#34;experiential learning|!|#34; approach within an enterprise programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the university course trajectories of students from entry to a 3-year full-time undergraduate programme, to graduation with an honours degree, in the light of their self-reported motivations to study. This small-scale investigation took place at a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI). Design/methodology/approach – A small-scale survey using the Academic Motivation (to study) Scale was administered to 102 students on entry to a full-time undergraduate degree course in an interdisciplinary information-based department in a UK HEI. The students' motivation profiles were assessed in relation to their trajectory through the degree course and selected students were interviewed just prior to graduation. Findings – The report focuses on the pattern of student motivations – in general students who achieved "good" degrees were likely to have lower motivation and students achieving "not so good" degrees were likely to self-report higher levels of both autonomous and controlled motivations. Whilst the small sample size and individual variation may partly explain these results, interviews with a small number of participants allowed some further explication of these patterns. Research limitations/implications – Because of the complexity of variables potentially involved in studies relating to motivation, the focus of this study was practitioner reflection. Thus, it examines self-reported motivations measured on a established scale and "success' in terms of progression and attainment. The research findings were from a small cohort study in a convenience sample of 102 students in a particular context, so there are necessarily limits on the generalisability of the study. Practical implications – Elements around student achievement and progression related to their motivation are identified, and may contribute to effective design of learning experiences that students "can be arsed" to engage in. Originality/value – New empirical data are reported which provide an insight into student attitudes to study and the applicability of teacher responses, which are briefly discussed in relation to socio-cognitive and socio-cultural perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a comprehensive study on the specialisations or career tracks supported by the Information Systems (IS) curriculum in the UK. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilises the recently published IS curriculum guidelines (IS 2010) to develop a method for ranking the career tracks of undergraduate IS courses in the UK. Findings – The research presents a prioritised list of graduate IS careers by taking into account the entire IS course provision in the UK. At the same time, it offers data about the size of the IS curriculum in terms of universities in the UK and the number/type courses they offer. Research limitations/implications – The study relies on a previously undeveloped method for measuring career specialisations for UK IS graduates. Additional work is needed to validate the results through comparisons with alternative methods of measuring the careers supported by IS degree courses. Practical implications – By having concrete data about the state of the IS curriculum in relation to its employability opportunities, the IS academy can make more informed decisions about future curriculum development. Further comparative research can be undertaken to support arguments about the relevance of the IS curriculum to industry needs. Originality/value – There has been no similar UK study on this scale which examines the state of the IS curriculum in relation to the career opportunities it offers. The development of the method for this study also offers insights into the structure and recommendations presented by IS 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to discuss the proposal that curriculum designed for and about enterprise education can be sustained via a cyclical model of evaluation. Such an approach takes into consideration an important aspect of enterprise education which is |!|#34;context|!|#34;, a significant aspect overtly linked to the differing subject disciplines offering such curriculum. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; The design of this research project was driven by the authors|!|#39; suggestion that to evaluate the impact of enterprise education pedagogy different factors to those that are currently prescribed need to be taken into consideration. Current evaluation practice is to take a global, generic approach, often utilising quantitative techniques, but the authors argue that evaluation of enterprise education should consider local, contextual factors only |!|#8211; key contextual factors being subject discipline, along with the lecturer|!|#39;s own context, teaching and learning materials and implicit and explicit notions of enterprise education. The research utilised two different modules and approaches to evaluation: first, a questionnaire designed using module materials such as learning descriptor and module outcomes which produced quantitative data that could be linked directly to the module learning and teaching inputs as well as lecturer|!|#39;s approach; and second, a focus group-type approach undertaken with students on a completely separate and distinct module returning qualitative data, The former module was explicitly enterprise education and the latter module had a very implicit nature in relation to enterprise education. The students for the latter module were not aware of the enterprise connotation of the module. Findings |!|#8211; The authors|!|#39; notion that contextual evaluation has real value was upheld in each case. Both lecturers used the data collected to improve and make productive changes to their module content and teaching and learning materials for the following cohorts of students. Practical implications |!|#8211; It is the authors|!|#39; belief that contextual evaluation offers enterprise education pedagogy the opportunity to be evaluated in a more useful and practical forum, with results not only illustrating the impact on students but also on the module content and how this has been instrumental in the students|!|#39; progress. Originality/value |!|#8211; Those wishing to embed and sustain enterprise education by keeping the topic up to date on an annual basis will find this case study useful and, upon request, may have access to the evaluation methods used by the authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]