Background to Confident Futures
In the summer of 2005, organisations were asked to tender for the opportunity to help design an innovative and effective programme for students that built on our extensive provision of employability related activity. The Centre for Confidence & Well–Being, a Glasgow–based organisation, specialising in the development of confidence in Scotland was selected to work in partnership with the University.
Creating a practically designed programme from an aspirational concept was a challenge. A university is a multi–faceted/multi–cultural environment and the student experience is relative to the nature of their studies and mode of studying. However, to ensure focus, the approach taken was to gain views and information from the University and its students and to align that with the expertise of the Centre for Confidence and Well–Being on building confidence in organisations.
In seeking to understand the learning context and the needs of students and university, the following issues were pursued:
- What skills and qualities will be developed?
- What will sustain the learning throughout university life and beyond?
- How will progress be measured, both for the individual student, the content of the initiative overall and for external evaluators?
- What will it take to ensure that students "buy into" the programme?
At an early stage it was agreed to involve students and alumni in the design of the programme. This was a crucial and perhaps risky step to take, however it was clear that to gain the most from this exercise a proposed programme should be drafted so maximum interaction was achieved and the end result was a designed programme and not a debate on the initiative itself.
Furthermore, to align the university context with our knowledge and philosophy the consultants:
- Read extensively to understand the university's vision, looking at other initiatives and policies, which resonated with the aspiration of the tender, including the responsibilities associated with the Employability Quality Enhancement Theme.
- Consulted with a number of staff and graduates.
- Worked in partnership with the Confident Graduates Working Group.
- Consulted students through an intensive two–day event, followed by meetings with smaller groups of students.
Based on the Centre's expertise, its focused discussions and intensive development work with students, and consultation with staff, Confident Futures was designed – an innovative and challenging strategy that includes a purpose–built programme of personal and professional development for students around:
- understanding of self (Self Awareness);
- promoting effective behaviours for fulfilling potential (Empowering Attitudes);
- engaging with and influencing other (Building Relationships).
The strategy is designed to enable students to take on increasing responsibility for their own personal and professional development, engage with their programme of studies and relate to their career and future aspirations.