Encounters with the leading edge
Learn how we collaborate with local organisations to provide exciting learning opportunities
Career Development Module: Consultancy project
What is it?
A consultancy project involving collaboration between students working in groups to deliver against a live brief set by a local charitable organisation. This model works well as an encounter with the leading edge of industry and society and makes strong use of active learning whilst integrating skills and attributes development throughout.
It includes assessments that meaningfully connect to students’ futures as they respond to the brief set by the external organisation through a live group presentation to professionals from the organisation and a written report. This structure could be adapted if working with other kinds of organisations or sole traders to meet your Leading Edge Encounter objectives.
How does it work?
The charitable organisation identifies a current challenge affecting their service. The module tutor and professionals from the organisation introduce this to student teams who are supported to use the Osborn and Parnes Creative Problem Solving model and other techniques to identify and pitch their preferred solution/s back to the organisation.
Why does it work?
By focusing on a current challenge faced by the organisation, the consultancy project provides an effective active learning opportunity that is informed by awareness of and engagement with societal needs, values and the public good and that makes a meaningful impact in the community.
Through our experience and resources, we can support you to design similar encounters which can provide your students with valuable work-related experience. We can also help design appropriate scaffolding around encounters of this kind so that students are supported to thrive and get the most from the experience, including reflecting on their development.
Find out more
Want to know more about how the Careers Service can help you to provide an encounter with the leading edge? Contact your Faculty's Team Manager:
Jessica.Jung@newcastle.ac.uk (HaSS Faculty Team manager)
Chris.Roberts@newcastle.ac.uk (SAgE Faculty Team manager)
Gillian.Mabbitt@newcastle.ac.uk (FMS Faculty Team manager)
More information
Employability Education is often best integrated within programme modules where there is collaboration in the design and delivery between careers professionals and academic staff from the discipline. When demand for support is high, we may need to prioritise support for programmes and modules where the potential impact on student outcomes is greatest.