Using the Living CV to Help Students Take Ownership of Their Learning Gain

Abstract

There is an increasing emphasis on embedding employability skills and work experience within the Higher Education curriculum to address new concepts of ‘learning gain’ and the perceived student demand for a ‘value for money’ experience. An exploratory study, at a southern university in the UK, found that many students articulated an improved level work-readiness when they were presented with the ‘Living CV,’ an initiative that connects programme learning outcomes to CV outputs. During 2018, a mixed methods study (n = 127) was conducted across all three years of our fashion degrees. Students completed pre and post questionnaires before and after a presentation on the Living CV and their views were further explored in a focus group and interviews. Results found that the Living CV presentation heightened students’ awareness of the applicability of their programme learning to their future employability and highlighted how they could use their academic learning outcomes on their CV as a tool to achieve this. The study recommends that personalised and explicit coaching on ‘work literacy’ should be integrated into university programmes at all levels to include the Living CV, discussion about and experience in the world of work, increased employer engagement, and preparation for interview.