Right from the start of university life in York undergraduates are taught that in today’s tough job market employability is key, as Education Reporter, Haydn Lewis found out.

STUDENTS of all ages at the University of York are encouraged to keep the endgame in sight throughout their degree and look to life after their course comes to an end.

The university’s careers service organises a programme of workshops with guest speakers to come in and give talks and advice on a range of industries, not just the students’ chosen degree subject.

Dr Poppy Nash, lecturer in education, said: “The idea is that students are aware of their employability skills right from the start of year one. There are opportunities to do voluntary work and work placements and enterprising projects. In the education department we timetable it because we think that university is about much more than just studying academic subjects.

“It is called PEP, a personal employability plan, and the first years have a record from the start of their course of the kind of work experience and placements they have done and by the end of third year we want to see it.”

As part of one of the workshops I went along to speak to students on the education course.

Madeline Crossway, 18, studying a BA in education studies, said: “I came into it wanting to be a teacher, but I think there’d be other careers I’d enjoy more. I have been doing work experience in a school and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to become a teacher, which is why I came along – to see what other careers are out there and what journalism has to offer.

“Working in a school has been enjoyable and the children are nice, but I think I might not like the children any more if I did become a teacher.”

Megan Burwell, 19, who is studying a BA in language and literature, said: “I’m quite interested in magazine journalism, but I’m also toying with secondary teaching. I’ve done work experience in primary and secondary teaching. I’m trying to be optimistic about the jobs market – there’s really not much we can do, but try and do something you like and are interested in.”

Martina Pentrella, 21, doing an education studies BA, said: “People hear you are doing education studies and they automatically think you will become a teacher, but it is quite a broad subject.

“I have worked as an English language teacher in Oxford and I pretty much came across that by accident. I really enjoyed it and wanted to persue the whole education thing, but now I don’t really see myself teaching at the moment.”

Careers adviser Anne Smith said the talks are only part of what is on offer at the university to encourage students to keep an open mind and think about their future prospects.