What makes a graduate employable? Those hiring want recruits with the right skills and knowledge, of course, but employers are discovering that other qualities such as tenacity, effective team working and digital dexterity are as – if not more – important as what someone studied. And distance learners are proving a valuable source of work-ready candidates who embody the traits organisations need now and for the roles of tomorrow.
Over the past year, two-thirds of UK hirers struggled to find workers with the skills their organisations needed, research from The Open University (OU) has found. Employing people with the right digital and information and communications technology experience was a particular problem. At the same time, graduate recruiters are becoming less interested in the actual subject a person has studied – just one in four hires students from a specific disciplinary background, research from the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) shows.
Instead, recruiters want to see candidates who show critical thinking, determination and a readiness to work. “Distance learning is filling a gap in the graduate talent market,” says Sally Hayes, director of students at the OU. “We attract a higher proportion of mature students, who come with the extra life and work experience employers say they want. And it’s a different style of study, which operates online and remotely. It takes six years to complete an OU degree studying part-time, so you have to be committed, organised and really dedicated.”
Recruiters are most frustrated by graduate hires who show a lack of resilience once they are on the job, other ISE data shows. Inabilities to manage up or lead were other common bugbears. This is echoed in findings from the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) recent 21st Century Leaders report, which found being able to take responsibility was the attribute most valued by bosses in new employees. Given this desire for able, self-starting workers, it is no wonder graduates who have demonstrated self-discipline and drive acquiring degrees through distance learning are proving such an attractive prospect.
The majority of those studying through the OU are aged between 25 and 44, with jobs and families. A successful degree outcome is dependent on individuals maintaining motivation and being exceptionally determined, as well as having all the digital knowledge necessary to tackle an online course. Thanks to the internet, distance learning today looks very different to the remote studies undertaken in the past. Current OU students gain a digital fluency from day-to-day engagement with webinars and online tuition, as well as using interactive learning tools, such as virtual courtrooms for law students. In a rapidly changing, tech-driven world, such knowledge, plus the ability to work independently and flexibly, are valuable assets to employers.
The OU seeks to pair its graduates with job opportunities through its OpportunityHub, a portal that advertises vacancies from partner employers, including Network Rail, the National Health Service, HMRC and TeachFirst, to name just a few.
“Employers often say our graduates are more tech savvy, with great transferable skills,” says Hayes. “Some even suggest their retention rates are higher. It’s certainly true that theirs is a conscious decision to study and it’s a big investment for them. Many do it for a career change or to progress in their job, so they take it very seriously.”
She adds: “Technology changes very quickly, but our students are used to working with OU tools on collaborative projects. These constantly evolve and students adapt. Those are just the type of skills employers are likely to need in the future.”
The CMI’s research found that 85% of employers expect graduates to have work experience. Three out of four OU students earn and learn, holding down a regular job. A large proportion are also pursuing their studies in order to progress in their current field. The Leicestershire Partnership NHS trust, for example, trains up to 10 adult and mental health nurses a year through the OU nursing programme. This takes four years to complete and combines equal parts theory and clinical practice. Alison O’Donnell, head of education, training and development for the trust, has seen many trainee nurses taking the OU programme come from within the NHS’s ranks and from the local area, which can result in better retention rates.
“Many of those who take the OU nursing qualification have worked in the NHS for years as healthcare support workers and assistants, so they understand work and have pre-training experience,” O’Donnell says. “These students have roots in the area, they have families and an established base, which is good for retaining them for the longer term. They also see what we’ve invested in them and most want to return that value by staying with us once they’re qualified.”
The OU has taught more than 2 million students since it was founded 50 years ago with a social mission to capture the talent of Britain. A reflection of its success in this aim is the fact it boasts such a diverse student and alumni population in terms of ethnicity, socioeconomic background and geography. It has students and graduates in cities, towns and villages all over the UK, in every remote corner of Britain, as well as around the world. The OU also has the highest proportion of students with disabilities of any British higher education institution. Put simply, its students are everywhere and from everywhere, a fact that proves attractive to enlightened employers seeking to recruit a genuinely diverse workforce.
“Someone who completes an OU degree has been through so much, often juggling caring for children, work and typically 20 hours of study a week for years to get their qualification,” says Hayes. “If they complete the course, that shows great tenacity, as well as subject knowledge. It’s evidence in itself that these people are really exceptional.”
Empower your business. It’s easy and free to tap into the diverse talents of OU students and alumni through the OU’s OpportunityHub
