Professional skills
During your studies you will develop skills across a number of competency areas that are sought after by employers.
“Biosciences is a topical, dynamic area continually advancing, contributing important benefits notonly to the wider health and well-being of individuals and the nation, but also to the economicactivity of the UK. To be able to feed ourselves, while working to maintain biodiversity and a stableand sustainable environment requires a deep understanding of biological processes and appreciate the complexity of these processes and our impact on the planet”
QAA Benchmark 2015
What does it mean to be a bioscientist?
During your studies in the School of Biosciences you will become a professional bioscientist - typically you will specialise in a particular subject – but the defining principles and core graduate skills and competencies that you will achieve apply to all students in the School of Biosciences.
The NUS and CBI defined employability skills as:
“a set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace – to the benefit of themselves, their employer and the wider economy”
CBI/NUS Working towards your future (2011)
Core competencies
There are twelve competencies divided into four sections that you will work towards during your degree and will help you map your skills against those attributes often asked for by employers in job applications.
The list is not exhaustive and you will be encouraged to think about other skills and competencies that you achieve and to keep a record of these, for use when you apply for placement periods, temporary work and your graduate career.
Staff Employability Champions work together to ensure these competencies are considered in teaching development activities across our courses.