Equality and Diversity – enhance your employability March 5, 2013
Posted by Louise Honey in : Job applications, The Careers Group Blogs, disability, employability and skills, inclusion, skills development , add a commentIt is likely that many of you will be familiar with the ‘employability’ skills that are looked for by recruiters. Coming up with examples of your team work, leadership and strong communication skills is relatively normal for most roles within most industries.
But what about an understanding of equality and diversity issues?
I came across an interesting blog post from Sheffield Hallam University for their social science students and feel it has some really relevant stuff for anyone about to leave student life behind and enter the world of work. Protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act which defines ground in which discrimination is unlawful are noted as; age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Whether you consider yourself as potentially facing barriers to employment under one of these characteristics or not, it is argued that an understanding of equality and diversity issues is an attractive skill for potential candidates to hold.
The post comments on three main themes in relation to how your knowledge can be of benefit;
- Managing your own work life – this details the importance of understanding whether you are being discriminated against or harassed and what you can do about it. It’s important to be able to judge when to challenge things and when to assert rights to equal treatment.
- Relating to diverse groups of co-workers and clients – being aware of the basics of equality law and being able to relate to a diverse group of people is presented as highly attractive to employers and an employability skill in itself. In certain industries this knowledge of cultural diversity and disability rights is an essential criteria for potential candidates.
- Managing a diverse workforce- whether management is part of your position immediately or something you move on into later in your career, the processes involved will require equality and diversity awareness as you recruit, train and appraise staff.
This post signifies that employability skills can go beyond teamwork and communication and your learning and understanding of equality and diversity will show you as an attractive employee.
Read the full post here http://employability4socialsciences.wordpress.com/employability-skills/equality-and-diversity/
Could You Be A Dyslexia Tutor? October 26, 2012
Posted by Katie Dallison in : employability and skills , add a commentWhat do you think it takes to be a good tutor? If you’re looking for a new position at the moment, and are trying to work out what you’d like to do, then dyslexia tutoring might be worth a try…
I’m dyslexic myself and have been a teacher and tutor for the last 9 years. I now run an online tutoring agency and we’re currently looking for people with dyslexia (and dyspraxia, dyscalculia and SEN) to become specialist dyslexia tutors.
What’s the big idea?
The traditional learning environment is stacked against dyslexic students. The focus of learning is almost 100% on reading and writing. These are things dyslexics normally struggle with. I have developed a learning methodology that focuses on teaching dyslexic students in a way that focuses on their strengths rather than their weaknesses.
So, why are we looking for people with dyslexia?
It’s absolutely not essential that you have dyslexia, anybody can apply to become a tutor with us. But we think that dyslexics have insights that can be really useful when you’re explaining our concepts to dyslexic students. Plus, it’s not a vocation that a lot of dyslexics would normally consider, so we’re really focusing on trying to get people involved in something they wouldn’t normally do.
What skills do I need?
- Excellent communication skills – All our lessons are carried out online (via an online classroom) so being able to listen and communicate effectively are absolutely essential
- Self-confidence – Lessons are 1 to 1, but still you need to have confidence in what you’re teaching to be able to manage the student, and correct and constructively criticise where necessary
- Eager to learn – The methodology we teach isn’t complex, but you’ll need to really want to take this role on.
- Organised – Each lesson is one hour long (rates are approximately £20 per hour) but you will need to spend time planning and organising each lesson to make sure it is as effective as possible
- Patient – Students can be really difficult to work with sometimes, and students with dyslexia have often had so many issues educationally that they are closed off from something new. It is your job to change that!
- Inspirational – Students that we work with can be totally demotivated by education. A big part of your role is about showing by example that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that you can achieve what you want as a dyslexic, it is just an extremely challenging role
Anyone can be a tutor, but only a few make really great tutors. If you feel inspired and want to get involved, please check out our dyslexia tutoring page and click ‘Become a specialist tutor’.
I look forward to chatting with you soon
Interested in working in Science/Technology? February 27, 2012
Posted by Katie Dallison in : Career choice, Ethnic minorities, employability and skills , add a commentBP have launched their annual diversity programme, this year highlighting their Positively Ethnic Network (PEN), a Black and Asian ethnic minority employee group within BP. The programme provides an opportunity for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students to spend one week at BP shadowing employees, visiting operating sites and picking up invaluable presentation, CV and interview skills. It’s a great chance to experience first hand what a career in this field would be like!
It’s open to first and second year students and you’ll need 220 UCAS points (not including general studies) and to be on track for a 2.1 degree in a STEM subject. To apply email BP at: bppen@bp.com if you are interested and they
will contact you directly.
Applications close on 9 March 2012 so get in early!
To read more about what BP offers for graduates visit: bp.com/ukgraduates
Know who. Know how. February 15, 2012
Posted by Katie Dallison in : Career choice, Events, Industry Information, city jobs, commercial awareness, employability and skills , add a commentThis is the motto for Elevation Networks (EN), a youth employment charity that aims to bridge the gap between under-represented groups and industries, helping young people to become more competitive in today’s labour market. They aim to:
-
Provide an alternative route for young people and their career paths
-
Adopt an inclusive approach to career information
-
Reflect public opinion regarding current student related issues by conducting regular qualitative research
-
Interact with employees from a range of departments within a company
-
Offer first hand information of work-place or industry roles and responsibilities; as opposed to students reading generic script online or in publications.
During February (2012) they are offering a wide range of events that you can go along to, hear about different careers and meet specialists in the field. Check out the Reach calendar and the Elevation Network website for more information (http://www.elevationnetworks.org/)
(Edited 09/04/2013: Year of event included)
BBC Launches Search For New Disabled Presenters January 20, 2012
Posted by Katie Dallison in : creative careers, cultural sector, employability and skills, further study and training, tv , add a commentEver fancied yourself on the telly, presenting a range of shows to an adoring public? Well, this could be just the chance you’ve been waiting for! The BBC are looking for 6-10 people to join the BBC Academy next summer.
Angela Chan, Independents and Diversity Executive at the BBC, said; “We’re looking for people with real passion and knowledge who are great communicators and have the potential to build lasting careers in the media. If you’re successful you’ll receive some of the best training the BBC has to offer, be exposed to a host of industry contacts, and have a great showreel to launch your presenting career.”
Applications are open now until the 31st of January 2012. To find out more please visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/news/presentable.shtml
