The DfEE has recognised that the term transferable skills is too vague for the practical purposes of teaching and assessment. It has therefore defined the phrase Key Skills to mean a set of generic skills which [it says] individuals need in order to be effective members of a flexible, adaptable and competitive work force and for lifelong learning. The Key Skills are:
It is interesting to note that the transferable skills identified in the Physics Programme Aims and Objectives include ones that nearly match those of the DfEE:
When the School next revises its Aims and Objectives it is likely that it will adopt the vocabulary used by the DfEE as this seems to be becoming the national standard.
It seems unlikely that Universities will have an independently assessed Key Skills curriculum forced upon them:
'The Government is content for the Authority to mount a small scale pilot of different means of independently assessing these Key Skills. However, I remain sceptical about the feasibility of such independent assessment, and would see such work as having a lower order of priority than either the work on the first three Key Skills or on developing the wider Skills through Progress File.'
Tessa Blackstone ministerial reponse, April 1998.
It is also arguable that although Key Skills (with the possible exception of number 6)
are possible to teach and assess, they are not actually what most employers
seek in graduate employees. According to a firm of consultants in the field
of graduate assessment and recruitment:
'The transferable skills that employers identify tend to be those that support organisational performance. They may be identified as follows:
It is easy to identify occupationally relevant skills acquired through training and education but much more difficult to pinpoint transferable skills.'
- Interpersonal skills
- Communication skills
- Self-management skills
- Intellectual skills
SHL Direct, WWW site 1998.
However, since Physics graduates have traditionally been popular with many employers because of the package of transferable skills they bring with them, it can do no harm to identify these and highlight their role within our current programmes.
On arrival at Exeter Physics students take part in the Induction Period for Stage 1 Students where they receive introductory information about a wide range of topics including IT provision, library facilities, budgeting, counselling and study methods. Students also develop their social skills very rapidly during this period. Training in group work, problem solving and using the library, is also provided by the School during Weeks M0-1. Much of the Stage 1 Tutorial Work involves developing transferable skills. Tutorials continue to have this role throughout all years of the programmes. Physics graduates are expected to have a relatively high-level of mathematical facility (advanced 'application of number') and Stage 1 students can take either PHY1115 Mathematical Skills or PHY1116 Mathematics for Physicists, depending on their performance in a diagnostic test, with optional mathematics assistance classes for students who need extra help for some reason. IT skills training is provided during the first year by the PHY1108 IT Skills for Physicists module and by the PHY1107 Practical Electronics I module. PHY1107 also trains students to detect and correct complicated problems in a systematic manner. Level 1 Laboratory module which includes activities such as group work, presentations, record-keeping and report-writing as integral parts and offers an opportunity to apply some of the skills acquired in PHY1108 to the production of a report. After the exams, Stage 1 students take the PHY0000 Communications Skills course which also involves a considerable amount of group work and problem-solving.
The Summer Vacation Report requires students to study independently a topic of their own choosing and to write a dissertation which will be marked, and used as the basis of a presentation to their Stage 2 tutorial group. Second year students are able to choose options which include skills training: PHY2004 Scientific Programming in C , PHY2003 Practical Electronics II, and PHY1116 Mathematics II (if not already taken in Year 1). The Level 2 laboratory PHY2017 reinforces the practical skills learned in Year 1, and requires students to make a formal presentation to an audience of significant size comprising their peers and staff. Students are encouraged to start considering options for their future careers after the Semester-II examinations and can obtain advice from the Careers and Employment Service as well as training in interview skills and practice at taking psychometric tests.
Stage 3 tutorials put considerable emphasis on solving general problems as preparation for the PHY3124 and developing written communications skills by writing short essays. The Stage 3 projects involve assessed written, oral and poster presentations.
Students can also acquire additional skills by choosing appropriate options and electives in their Stage 2 and 3 years that suit their personal requirements.