WRIPA Director, Dr Andrew Mizumori-Hirst, shared the University of York’s experience of creating an equitable physics year in industry programme within the School of Physics Engineering and Technology at the Advance HE Employability Symposium 2024, Leeds, UK
The Symposium focused on distilling the ‘3Es’ of employability, enterprise, and entrepreneurship and provided a space to discuss and share latest practices in embedding employability.
Dr Mizumori-Hirst outlined in his presentation that 12 month placements are one of the best activities a student can undertake to develop their future employability as well as support social mobility. However, developing a scalable and equitable placements programme is a big challenge when the student body is diverse.
“The presentation explored the barriers to achieving a scalable programme and what we’ve learnt that’s changed the way we provide employability support and guidance for students.” Dr Mizumori-Hirst
The York WRIPA team is working with the university’s Access and Participation Monitoring and Evaluation Team to evaluate whether the placement programme is equitable for all physics students. Analysis of the data from 2016-23 shows that the demography of registered students on the physics year in industry programme reflects the student body. However, there are significant drops in students with a disability, from an ethnic minority or from a lower POLAR 4 background who go onto successfully secure placements.
“It was also a chance to share with the symposium details of our in-progress initiatives to address this inequitable challenge and highlight aspects of our work that have failed and lessons learnt.” Dr Mizumori-Hirst
The presentation also addressed the impact of intersectionality and how social-psychological factors influence self-concept (e.g. self-perception of ability) in students successfully applying for and securing placements.
Research to help develop an Equitable Year in Industry Programme
The project aims to identify specific barriers faced by Physics Year in Industry students, in particular, from underrepresented groups, in applying for placements
In order to improve the careers support we provide students, the University of York WRIPA Team is running a research project funded by the University of York Inclusive Learning Fund with match funding from the School of Physics Engineering and Technology. The research will be conducted with the assistance of two Research Interns and will involve surveying approximately 100 undergraduate students with around 15 in person follow up interviews.
Through this in-depth quantitative and qualitative inquiry, the project aims to identify the specific barriers faced by Physics Year in Industry students, in particular, from underrepresented groups to successfully apply for placements. By better understanding these personal barriers, we can develop equitable interventions and improvements to existing careers support services.
Recommendations resulting from this project will inform evidence-based strategies to create an inclusive and equitable careers support environment aligned with the University of York Physics Year in Industry programme, which better responds to the individual needs of all students.
Building the skills portfolio of physics students through sustainability
Andrew Mizumori-Hirst, School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, Anne Booth, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield
In this article for AdvanceHE we share how the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, has embedded skills training, employers and work-integrated learning across the Physics degree. In particular the article explores the ‘mySkills’ platform which has been embedded into modules to integrate social, economic and environmental dimensions into physics student’s project work.
AdvanceHE members can access the full Lighting the Labyrinth: enhancing student success through the 3Es publication
Digital career resources or a filled lecture theatre are efficient methods to deliver career guidance but are they effective?
By Dr Andrew Mizumori Hirst, Beth Medley and Elizabeth Lansell
School of Physics Engineering and Technology, University of York
published by ASET, the Work Based and Placement Learning Association as part of the Community Knowledge Exchanges series.
What makes career guidance effective is exactly the type of question the White Rose Industrial Physics Academy (WRIPA) are exploring. Just as individuals learn in different ways the same is true of how they acquire knowledge about career opportunities. Students have different ‘invisible barriers’ to acquiring work experience or developing professional networks.
The York WRIPA Team has introduced a different careers guidance approach within the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, offering a tailored 1-to-1, person-led approach to physics students. Our physics students are academically equipped for technical roles. However, they need to have the self-awareness to align their skill set with particular technology sectors and the confidence to act on the careers guidance. Recognising and acknowledging the diversity of our student cohort and intersectionality drives the focus of this work. We believe this is an equitable way to support our physics students to realise their career potential.
“Honestly, the encouragement you gave me last year to apply for internships despite me thinking I didn’t have the skills really gave me the starting step and the confidence to apply for multiple grad jobs this year”
Community Knowledge Exchanges have been developed to share good practice, specialised knowledge and expertise across the ASET community. ASET Members can view the article (and all the other great ASET resources!) via the community section of the ASET website.
ASET offers members a range of professional development opportunities from Staff Development Workshops to their Annual Conference. They work with colleagues at every stage of their career and offer a range of resources to support members whether you are a professional service colleague or academic researching in this space.