Careers education case study (1): Integrating careers into a media module at a new university in north-west England
Working in the media is both the title of a final year 20-credit module and the aim of most of the students on TV, radio and commercial music production, journalism, film studies and media studies degrees. Jointly delivered and assessed by Careers and Employability and the Department of Media at the University of Chester, it aims to raise awareness of the availability and demands of jobs in a highly volatile market. Students develop and synthesise knowledge and understanding about the media sector, and self-assess and map their own capabilities against specific job criteria.
Module structure
Taught sessions and guest lectures from industry professionals help prepare students for three assignments:
1. Job study (30%)
2. Job application and group presentation (30%)
Part one: application for a vacancy, assessed by a BBC recruiter.
Part two: interview-style group presentation on a topical media issue, eg the opportunities presented by the ‘newspaper' telephone (recently launched in Sweden).
3. Personal employment strategy (40%) requiring a review of the requirements and developments in their intended employment field. This has to include a viable fall-back position and rationale with a targeted CV and personal statement.
Real-world context
This module provides students with a real-world context for research, planning and presentation. The fall-back position is a reminder that this is a highly competitive world that requires hard work, total commitment and a modicum of luck; and if they don't succeed at first, they will be able to use their very transferable skills to seek alternative employment in the short or even long-term.
For further information on this case study, please contact Jean Knowles, Careers Adviser, Careers and Employability, at the University of Chester.
What are careers education case studies?
These case studies have been compiled by members of the AGCAS Careers Education Task Group, building on the good practice developed in the Careers Education Benchmark Statement. They aim to show the diversity of practice and how careers education is developing as a discipline within HE. We hope they will inspire other practitioners to share their experience by drafting case studies that we can publish during 2009. If you have any comments about this section, or would like to submit a short case study summarising your own experience, please contact Iwan Griffiths.
Read all case studies in the series.