Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: Are computing degree apprenticeships the answer?
Conference Proceeding
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., Fabian, K., Berg, T., Meharg, D., & Varey, A. (2019)
Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: Are computing degree apprenticeships the answer?. In ITiCSE '19 Proceedings of the 2019 ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education. , (126-132). https://doi.org/10.1145/3304221.3319744
This paper describes a study investigating whether apprenticeship computing degrees in Scotland are attracting additional entrants who will become IT professionals and fill a ...
Equality of opportunity for work experience? Computing students at two UK universities “play the game”
Journal Article
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Bacon, L., & Mackinnon, L. (2019)
Equality of opportunity for work experience? Computing students at two UK universities “play the game”. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 40(3), 324-339. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2018.1489219
A recent UK Government commissioned study found concerning levels of unemployment among computing students from disadvantaged, black and minority ethnic backgrounds. The study...
The impact of work placement on graduate employment in computing: outcomes from a UK-based study
Journal Article
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, C., & Webster, G. (2018)
The impact of work placement on graduate employment in computing: outcomes from a UK-based study. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 19(4), 359-369
This study followed recent computing graduates into the workplace and explored their undergraduate experiences of work placements and subsequent impact on graduate employment....
Graduate apprenticeships are great opportunities for individuals, but are they inclusive?
Presentation / Conference
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Varey, A. (2018, December)
Graduate apprenticeships are great opportunities for individuals, but are they inclusive?. Paper presented at Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) Annual Conference
Higher education-level apprenticeships can provide routes to university degrees for people without the financial resources for traditional degrees. In Scotland, the first coho...
Enhancing learning confidence for direct entry computing students
Presentation / Conference
Fabian, K., Taylor-Smith, E., Meharg, D., & Varey, A. (2018, December)
Enhancing learning confidence for direct entry computing students. Paper presented at The Changing Shape of Higher Education: Can excellence and inclusion cohabit?, Newport, UK
Previous studies have shown that students who transfer into university from college (direct entrants) face several challenges when they enter university. In response, the Asso...
From work-integrated learning to learning-integrated work: motivations and apprehensions of Graduate Apprentices
Conference Proceeding
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, C., & Varey, A. (2018)
From work-integrated learning to learning-integrated work: motivations and apprehensions of Graduate Apprentices. In Proceedings of the 3rdInternational Research Symposium on Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education, Stuttgart, Germany (199-207
Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) degrees bring new collaborations between universities and employers and new opportunities for apprentices—to gain a university degree, while also ...
Towards graduate employment: exploring student identity through a university-wide employability project
Journal Article
Smith, S., Smith, C., Taylor-Smith, E., & Fotheringham, J. (2019)
Towards graduate employment: exploring student identity through a university-wide employability project. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 43(5), 628-640. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877x.2017.1390077
Students have expectations of their university education leading to graduate careers, with universities investing considerable resources in institution-wide initiatives design...
Taking education for granted: the role of placement in computing science
Presentation / Conference
Smith, S., Smith, C., Taylor-Smith, E., & Gemma, W. (2017, June)
Taking education for granted: the role of placement in computing science. Presented at Horizons in STEM Higher Education Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland
The importance of placements and internships was highlighted in the 2016 Shadbolt Review of Computer Science Degree Accreditation and Graduate Employability – indeed the secon...
An Enhanced Route from FE to HE Graduation?
Journal Article
Meharg, D., Taylor-Smith, E., Varey, A., Mooney, C., & Dallas, S. (2017)
An Enhanced Route from FE to HE Graduation?. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 5(2), 85-92. https://doi.org/10.14297/jpaap.v5i2.269
This study explores student transitions from further (FE) to higher (HE) education through the Associate Student Project (ASP) and examines the effectiveness of this enhanced ...
Exploring student identity through a university-wide graduate employability initiative
Presentation / Conference
Smith, S., Smith, C., Taylor-Smith, E., Fotheringham, J. & Dencer-Brown, I. (2016, June)
Exploring student identity through a university-wide graduate employability initiative. Paper presented at WACE International Research Symposium, Victoria, Canada
Universities are adopting institution-wide projects designed to enhance opportunities for student work placements and work-related learning across all subject disciplines, as ...