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Post-practicum Strategies to Translate Clinical Experience to Attributes of Employability: Responding to Graduate Selection Criteria

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Augmenting Health and Social Care Students’ Clinical Learning Experiences

Part of the book series: Professional and Practice-based Learning ((PPBL,volume 25))

Abstract

Graduate employability is important to students, employers and universities. Typically, personal and professional attributes that enhance employability are addressed directly throughout the curriculum through a variety of learning activities from the classroom to clinical placements. Employability, however, also includes an ability to communicate those attributes to potential employers. In this chapter, we describe an approach to assist students to more effectively communicate their graduate attributes through the written and interview components of applying for employment. The aim of this project was to develop and evaluate a series of post-placement activities, including mock job applications and simulated interviews designed to enhance the employability of physiotherapy graduates. In brief, 47 final-year physiotherapy students were recruited to participate in a series of voluntary learning activities. Each student wrote an application for a hypothetical new graduate position in one of four employment sectors. A sector representative evaluated each application and provided written feedback to the applicant and a score to the investigators. Students then underwent training to improve the content and presentation of their applications, before subsequently applying for another position in a different sector and undergoing a mock interview. Sector representatives scored the written application and interviews and provided further feedback to the students.

Results indicated that overall student satisfaction with the approach was 89.9 ± 10.6%. Written application scores increased from 6.1/10 (SD 1.8) to 7.1/10 (SD 1.7) (p = 0.01) from the first to the second attempt such that the number of students scoring above the projected cut-off for interview selection of 7/10 increased from 24 (51%) to 29 (61%) (p ≤ 0.001). Student confidence in communicating attributes of employability through a written application increased from 1.6/5.0 (SD 0.6) to 2.7/5.0 (SD 0.6).

These findings demonstrate that strategies to improve translating attributes of employability into job applications improve student applications, increase their confidence and may increase the likelihood of progressing to the interview stage of recruitment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia

    Garry Kirwan, Neil Tuttle, Benjamin Weeks & E-Liisa Laakso

  2. QEII Jubilee Hospital, Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Coopers Plains, Australia

    Garry Kirwan

  3. Mater Research, South Brisbane, Australia

    E-Liisa Laakso

Authors
  1. Garry Kirwan
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  2. Neil Tuttle
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  3. Benjamin Weeks
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  4. E-Liisa Laakso
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Garry Kirwan or Benjamin Weeks .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, QLD, Australia

    Stephen Billett

  2. Nursing & Midwifery, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia

    Jennifer Newton

  3. School of Medicine, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia

    Gary Rogers

  4. Medical Education Unit, Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, QLD, Australia

    Christy Noble

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Kirwan, G., Tuttle, N., Weeks, B., Laakso, EL. (2019). Post-practicum Strategies to Translate Clinical Experience to Attributes of Employability: Responding to Graduate Selection Criteria. In: Billett, S., Newton, J., Rogers, G., Noble, C. (eds) Augmenting Health and Social Care Students’ Clinical Learning Experiences. Professional and Practice-based Learning, vol 25. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05560-8_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05560-8_6

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