Workshops

Details of the 2 sets of workshops for Programme Reps and Society Leaders to choose from for the Student Leadership Conference 2017.

Workshops 1: 13.15-14.15

Employability 101: How to maximise being a Programme Rep or Society Leader

This interactive workshop will give you the opportunity to reflect on the transferable skills you have developed during your time as a programme rep or society leader and how to demonstrate this to a potential employer. Key aspects of this workshop will focus on:

• The role of the programme rep and society leader
• What does an employer think?
• Managing collaboration & team working
• Making the most of the network
• Enhancing personal & professional attributes
• Making the most of opportunities

Learning Enhancement and Development: How to be an effective leader?

What is “effective leadership”? And how do you know if you are doing it? Did you know that there are more books listed on Amazon that consider leadership than cookery?! Given the amount of literature in this area, knowing where to start in developing your leadership style is often very hard. This workshop will help you by looking at some core skills that are essential for practising effective leadership and considering some leadership models.  We will guide you through some exercises to help you understand your leadership strengths and development areas.  At the end of the workshop you will have some actions to take away.

National Union of Students: Liberate my Degree

Many curricula in higher education are still built around the model of a ‘traditional’ student (think about what higher education represented many years ago), and this creates difficulties and disadvantages for many of the different types of students who currently participate in higher education. A wide variety of quantitative and qualitative evidence suggests that not all students are having equitable academic experiences. In 2013, 16 per cent more white British students graduated with a first or 2:1 degree than UK domiciled Black students (ECU, 2014). Research conducted by NUS (Race for Equality, 2011) and the HEA (2012) on the attainment gap and retention of Black students highlights the need for representative curricula and diversifying assessment practices.

Universities rely on rigid curricula and assessment methods that privilege some groups while systematically shutting out those most marginalised from succeeding in education: women, working class, disabled, LGBT+, Black students and those with caring responsibilities. 

In this session we will look at:

• What liberating the curriculum means
• Why it is important
• Making the arguments
• Solutions: campaigns and good practice examples
• What you can do about it

Workshops 2: 14.30 – 15.30

Library Services: Researching future employers using Library resources

When applying for jobs you’ll need to be able to demonstrate to future employers that you keep up to date with news and current affairs in your chosen field of work. You’ll also need to show that you’ve researched thoroughly the organisation or company which you are hoping to work for.

In this workshop we'll look at a number of resources available via Library Services that can support your research and help you get the job you want.

We’ll cover:

• How to search the international news database Factiva to find company, industry and regional news
• How to find company information by searching financial databases such as Business Source Complete, Marketline and IBISWorld

Student Development: Developing as Leader

100% of you are in a position of leadership, but do you feel confident in articulating what leadership skills are and the extent to which you have developed them? This session will look at helping you to understand your strengths and areas for development in leadership. We’ll look at ways in which you can increase your self-awareness through reflection and open inquiry. We’ll identify ways in which you can create your own learning agenda and work through some examples based on students we have worked with in the past. We will also explore ways in which you can keep being inspired and motivated as you progress.

Students’ Union: Making a Professional impact – introduction to networking

One of the key skills every professional has to learn is that of effective networking. In this session, we look to help you develop and understand how to network effectively, build up your confidence and make the best professional impact you can to potential employers, partners and stakeholders. The session will also include a practical element – it is advised for you to bring any business cards you may have with you.