Careers information for future UG students

Background

The original content strategy called for detailed careers information to be written. This was help students choose a path which would lead to a career filled with activities and an environment they would enjoy e.g. biomedical scientists tend to work in labs. 

Problems

1. We didn't have the time to create this content within the scope of the project - originally it was thought we would but with the changes in resourcing we lost too much time.
2. Careers doesn't have time to check the content we created - they had done some but other work but stalled and they are flat out with employer events through to the end of March. 
3. End Users - when testing students at this level weren't that interested in the careers information. Faculty, Schools and Careers staff suggested this is something that get more interested in after the first year.
4. Sustainability - maintaining this content would take additional resource or need to be done ahead of other work. it isn't certain that this is worth the effort.

Discussion

1. We don't think the University should be authoring this content
2. We could make use of existing content. Possible sources are:
   1. Careers team resources
   • • careers web pages - the content isn't suitable as they aren't providing the detailed information about the roles, the content also isn't mobile accessible
     • Career View pdfs - these do have the content but this content isn't mobile accessible and currently there isn't enough resource to review this regularly. In the future if this content was something we wanted to use it could be included as content in Squiz and embedded on both the Careers site (for current students) and the Topic pages (for future students)
   • Careers NZ website - is accessible and is providing the sort of information we were looking at providing. On the downside it doesn't list other university of providers of qualifications alongside Victoria.
     • Point to content - tell students to go and search site and provide general link
     • Embed content - take some content from site and embed and the careers tab in Topics and Programmes. This is quite complex and whether it is possible to manage this would need to be worked out with Careers NZ. This is a long term option but out of the scope of the project.

Project Solution

1. The careers tab is removed from Topics
2. All Topic/About pages keep the Careers box. This works well when there is only one major or when the majors are closely related. Where there are distinct careers for the majors just write a general statement in this box and then link to a search on Careers NZ. This link should be to the job opportunities page of the Careers NZ site. http://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/
3. Where careers are distinct based on the individual subject this this information will be added to the Topic/Study Options web pages in the subject section write individual career blurbs at the bottom of each Major overview box. Where they aren't distinct we won't include this block at all.
4. The content of either blurb will be decided on a case by case basis but patterns may start to become clear - this still needs to be decided and will evolve as we work through subjects.

Actions

• Gabe Ryan (Unlicensed) to add to the GatherContent template and update advice as the solution evolves 29 Feb 2016 
• Gabe Ryan (Unlicensed) to update advice as the process evolves 12 Mar 2016 
  
• Gabe Ryan (Unlicensed) to supply guidance to Melissa Gough about what we need from them on BA Careers information 02 Mar 2016