Electronic Precinct - August 1998

Key skills and student tutoring

In May, more than a hundred students and staff attended an award ceremony to recognise their achievements in key skills and student tutoring. Eighteen members of staff received the award of Key Skills assessor, which will allow them to validate the new Key Skills qualifications within their departments. A number of Centre for Careers and Academic Practice staff are also trained assessors and can support departments with accreditation of Key Skills.

Students received their individual Key Skill awards in Information Technology, Communication, and Improving Own Learning and Performance. They were presented with their certificates by Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor John Tarn, who praised their achievements and highlighted the importance of recognis ing skill development in higher education. Many of these students used evidence from their degree course work to compile their portfolio for the award. The Key Skill awards are being increasingly recognised by employers as they provide students with explicit evidence of these skills, including a po rtfolio to demonstrate at an interview.

A large number of students were awarded certificates for participating in the Student Tutoring Scheme, in which they would have typically spent half a day per week for ten weeks helping out in a local school, perhaps supporting a pupil with learning difficulties. The school benefits from the additi onal support, and the students benefit from the additional skills and attributes they gain such as communication and self-confidence.

For further information on the Key Skills issues, please contact Trish Lunt Tel: ext 4620 or Pauline Harrison Tel: ext 4636, or for Student Tutoring Information, contact Paul Shone Tel: ext 4619.