The achievements of Kingston University’s sector-leading Future Skills programme which provides graduates with the skills most valued by employers, have been celebrated at a dedicated event.
Staff from across the institution came together at the university’s landmark Town House building to hear from students, module tutors and senior leaders about how the innovative new model of education was transforming teaching across the institution.
The event was opened by Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven Spier, who outlined the progress being made through the University’s visionary Town House Strategy.
“We want to be sought after, we want people to want to work with us and hear what we have to say,” he said. “Businesses have told us what they need from graduates and the skills they weren’t getting. We’re putting those Future Skills into every year of every programme.”
The award of TEF Gold in all categories last autumn recognised Kingston’s commitment to delivering excellent learning and teaching, Professor Spier said. “We’ve really started to deliver the University that we describe in the Strategy. It allows us to remember why we want to work in Higher Education – educating young people for what will be a complicated and challenging life ahead for them, alongside generating and disseminating knowledge.”
The importance of Future Skills in preparing graduates for a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) was highlighted by guest speaker Anthony York, Group People Director of IP Group, during the event.
“AI probably will change the world of employment but what doesn’t change is the human traits that make people successful,” he said. “Being able to demonstrate an ability to learn, adapt, an understanding of communication, exceptional problem-solving skills, is a genuine competitive advantage, for graduates in particular but I’d argue for everyone. The embedding of Future Skills in the curriculum is not a nice-to-have – it’s going to be critical.”