UL students boost employability by recording all their life experiences

Students in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) are recording all their life experiences to tell a more complete story of who they are

Dr Chris McInerney, director of the AHSS Transferable Skills Unit, University of Limerick.

Arts students in the University of Limerick will enjoy enhanced employability with the launch of a new Transferable Skills Unit (TSU), equipping students with the core competencies needed to thrive in the modern workforce.

Housed within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS), the TSU aims to prepare students not only for their first job but for a lifetime of career transitions in an increasingly AI-powered, dynamic economy.

“Students don’t just need knowledge, they need to be able to apply that knowledge in the workplace and in their communities,” said Prof Chris McInerney, director of the AHSS Transferable Skills Unit. “University of Limerick has a longstanding focus on student employability, and this new unit is a continuation of that commitment.

“All UL students work placements of six or nine months, some for a full year. They get out into the workplace. Many students have full-time and part-time jobs while they’re studying. A lot of students also volunteer, both inside UL and outside. Others take on roles in UL student societies.

“We are now giving students a platform in which to record their skills and experiences. What we have been doing over the past year is working with the students on developing their e-portfolio for the workplace.”

 The new TSU’s mantra for students is ‘The Three R’s’: Recognise your skills, Record your skills and experiences; and Reward. The reward will take the form of students applying for digital credentials in recognition of skills and experiences gained, most notably in problem-solving and communications.

Still in its infancy, the new UL unit is working with university staff and the student cohort to buy into the new e-portfolio concept. The impetus is also coming from employers, notably from multinationals in the Limerick region, who are telling UL that they want to recruit more AHSS students, and bring their creativity and communications as well as their problem-solving skills.

This, along with UL’s talks with The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), a statutory body of the Department of Education, is giving impetus to UL’s drive to record all aspects of the students’ life experiences to tell a more complete story of who they are.

Dr Chris McInerney, director of AHSS Transferable Skills Unit, University of Limerick, Sandra Joyce Dean, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at UL, Ann Ledwith, interim provost/ deputy president at UL, and Joe Leddin, regional skills manager, UL.

The TSU will support students on their academic journey and future career by equipping them with the essential skills, abilities and attributes needed to address the complex problems.

Meanwhile, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), three in ten (39%) core skills will change globally by 2030 (for Ireland that figure is 37%). The Transferable Skills Unit responds directly to this challenge, helping students become more agile, resilient, and future-ready.

“Our role is to make sure that no one is left behind,” said Prof McInerney. “We are getting our students ready for the workplace, which is constantly evolving. Students attending open days often ask what job they can expect to get from completing each course.

“The truth is that people have always changed jobs. In the future, there will be more people changing their careers several times. That transferability is also reflected in this strategy, which has led to the creation of a number of new degrees.” 

 The TSU will initially focus on seven transferable skills, with more to be added at a later stage. These seven transferable skills include critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving, creativity, communication, digital literacy and sustainability literacy.

AHSS will offer three new programmes each with a distinct transferable skills component. These programmes include the BA Professional Pathways, MSc Communications, Emerging Technologies and Industry Practices, and Professional Diploma in Transferable Skills.

The seven transferable skills will also be integrated within a range of existing modules on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across the faculty.

Prof McInerney said: “We keep on meeting people who have successfully made the journey from one career to another. This is about a new horizon for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences students.

“We are also bringing in people from industry to talk about their experiences to the students. We are building these experiences into the curriculum of each course. 

“The Transferable Skills Unit represents a major shift in how we prepare our students for the realities of working life. We’re focused on developing not just knowledge, but skills like creativity, curiosity, digital skills and a whole range of interpersonal skills and intrapersonal skills.

“They are the skills that enable people to deal with complex problems, both in the workplace, and in society. We want to enhance the employability of our graduates whether they are in their first job or second career.

“Transferable skills are important because they allow students to make links and connections between what they learn. As a result, our graduates are in a better position to transition from life in university, but also to transition from one career to another.” 

  www.ul.ie/tsu