Higher Education Employer Diversity Pilot Project

Transcription

1 Higher Education Employer Diversity Pilot Project

2 Drivers The wider context 182,000 more engineers needed per year to 2022 Low rates of transition into engineering employment Relatively high rates of unemployment The importance of work experience Engineering is failing to draw on the whole of the talent pool. Prof. John Perkins, Perkins Review of Engineering Skills, BIS, 2013 The diversity context 123 engineering subjects across 117 HEIs Female = 17.3% across HE Female = 22.3% across companies BME = 23% across HE BME = 13.7% across companies Indicating potential to do more to ensure that the proportion of BME engineering graduates in HE is reflected in engineering employment

3 Graduate employment & unemployment Employment White 60% Male 56% Female 52% BME 40% Unemployment White 6% Male 8% Female 6% BME 14% University type Russell Group 60% Post 92 51% 2013/14 Cohort 6 months after graduation, HESA DLHE data BME = Black and minority ethnic

4 Steering group companies

5 Benefits For companies Widen the pool within which they fish for graduate talent Promote their company and its employment/internship offer Increase diversity of graduate intake Extend work on D&I - beyond gender Increase social capital Pick up good practice tips from other companies Promote engineering careers to the next generation For students Increase access to graduate recruitment and internship opportunities and employability Increase understanding of the engineering sector Potentially increase their social mobility Identify and follow-up with companies of interest Increase social capital Access informal support through the SEO student Alumni network

6 Two work streams Work stream A - An engagement programme for students and recent graduates (delivered by third party supplier, SEO London) Work stream B - Activity to prepare the SG companies to feed into the engagement programme and successfully engage and recruit relevant students and recent graduates (discussed at SG meetings)

7 Recruitment and selection SEO London selects students based on SG company criteria Invites successful students to attend events hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering Students apply here

8 Engineering Engagement Programme (EEP) content Career paths CV Clinic Practice tests & mock interviews Speed networking Engineering Engagement Programme Assessment centres Site visits Mentoring & coaching Access to SEO alumni network Matching students with employers

9 Student tracking 865 students attracted 157 students selected 31% women 96% BME 72% Post 1992/SED 67% applied to steering group companies

10 Student tracking 69.8% engineering 1 st choice destination 75% increased understanding of engineering career paths 80% increased understanding of opportunities across 13 engineering steering group companies 62.3% increased understanding of engineering recruitment process 46% increased understanding of recruitment timelines

11 Company feedback Very enthusiastic and great to talk to, all came across well and seemed to be keen to hear what companies had to offer This project has proven a successful way of identifying good candidates from alternative sources to that which we have traditionally taken Graduates. Candidates seemed more interested than the first event and degrees seemed more relevant. There was a wide range of subjects represented which were more relevant to my Company. They were articulate, had insightful questions to ask and were clearly passionate about future careers.

12 Student feedback I was interested in Banking and Engineering, in that order. I left the EFT workshop with the preference order being reversed, with engineering as my first choice. After directly speaking to companies, I have realised that most engineers are versatile enough to work for different companies regardless of their specialism or discipline. I now understand the different paths that I can pursue with a mechanical engineering degree and have a deeper and better understanding of how to prepare myself for roles. The career path session and the opportunity to talk to companies were both invaluable for me.

13 Evaluation - recommendations 1. Extend the pilot for a longer period and continue tailoring to company skills needs, and include monitoring and tracking of students up to 6 months after graduation to assess the extent of transition into engineering employment. 2. Companies to continue to explore ways to increase diversity across employment outside of the pilot project 3. Review whether the pilot project is work best place for work on reviewing inclusive recruitment or whether this could sit better under a strand linked the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Group (D&ILG) see above. 4. Companies to review procedures for collection and analysis of diversity data at all stages of the recruitment process to facilitate gauging the success of the EEP.