Investigating the impact of a careers development model: validation of the Employability Self Evaluation measure and proposal of a readiness/competence career development model

Whitstance, David and Campbell, Sian (2019) Investigating the impact of a careers development model: validation of the Employability Self Evaluation measure and proposal of a readiness/competence career development model , Higher Education Careers Services Unit, 28pp.

Abstract

Given the increasing use of more holistic models of career development in the HE sector, this research has investigated one such model, the Solent Capital Compass, by statistically analysing data from 5797 Solent University students who completed the online questionnaire based on this
model, the Employability Self Evaluation (ESE), between January 2014 and June 2018. The original ESE (ESE 1.0) contained 16 components arranged into three broad categories of capabilities (classical career management skills or human capital), connections (networking or social capital) and confidence (broader psychological capital constructs underpinning career development). Factor analysis revealed seven independent, psychometrically robust underlying constructs that together form a new employability measure referred to as ESE 2.0. Our new My Employability
model is based on these seven career development factors:
1. My Career
2. My Experience
3. My Opportunities
4. My Network
5. My Creativity
6. My Attitude
7. My Communication
Two focus groups of recent graduates explored the above terminology and confirmed it to be suitably student-friendly. Multiple regression analyses did not show any significant correlations between one-off ESE 2.0 factor scores and objective measures of being in work or graduate level employment. There was a slight positive correlation between My Career and being in further study and a small negative correlation between My Network and being in further study. Like ESE 1.0, we want ESE 2.0 to be first and foremost a learning tool for students but are still keen to explore its predictive potential. Future research may show whether repeated, learning gain measures using ESE 2.0 data have more predictive power for both objective and subjective measures of career success. We hope to include global measures of career readiness, such as level of career thinking data gathered in the Careers Registration project, and maybe other qualitative elements, in future research designs. This will enable us to explore the validity of our proposed readiness/competence career development model. The next step is to develop a more interactive and user-friendly ESE 2.0 App that will support students, lecturers, careers staff and ongoing research. We hope that documenting the process of developing and refining the ESE, as outlined in this report, will be of genuine use to colleagues who are considering similar initiatives.

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Contributors

Author: Sian Campbell

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