As part of the development process, a cross-campus working party was established, and we spent
a year undertaking extensive consultation and preparation work, including consultation with the
students themselves, before piloting the pathway to a cohort of 50 students in September 2012.
The structure of the PSA (PGT)
As the starting point for development was a request for recognition from those students already
involved in extra-curricular activity, we decided to build upon the success of the existing UG PSA
(Activity) award. This pathway allocates PSA ‘points’ to a portfolio of around 220 on-campus
activities, based on a set of internal criteria. Each year, participants claim the PSA ‘points’ for the
activities that they have been involved in (such as being a member of a sports team, or being on
the committee of a student society), and we provide workshops which support students in reflecting
on and recognising their achievements. This allows students to “integrate extra-curricular
experiences into their self-development and to reflect on their own identity, and their personal,
lifelong and life-wide learning” (QAA, 2009). Our workshops and our assessment process also aim
equip students with the ability to articulate their skills effectively in the recruitment process.
For those not familiar with Birmingham’s Personal Skills Award, the structure of the programme
has recently been outlined in some detail by the PSA Programme Manager in the Learning Lives
E-Book (published via Lifewide Learning); see the reference list for more information. In a nutshell,
the PSA (Activity): promotes the development of skills and knowledge, facilitates the recognition of
the skills developed during extra-curricular activities, and teaches learners how to articulate those
skills in the most powerful way to future employers (Jeffries-Watts, 2014).The certificate also
provides formal recognition of the value of their achievements to the student: evidence of [-] abilities
and skills which students can present to employers and others (QAA, 2009).
How did we tailor the award to the needs of PGTs?
Our existing UG pathway provided a good foundation from which to build, however it was clear
from the outset that simply opening up enrolment to PGT students would not be appropriate, and
that we would need to carefully consider the circumstances and needs of the PGT cohort, in order
to identify what we would need to do differently in terms of structure and content.
Firstly, we recognised that FT Masters students may have limited free time to engage with extracurricular activities outside their degree. The benchmark for achievement of the UG award – 150
PSA points from extra-curricular commitments or part-time work - would be difficult (though not
impossible) for students to achieve within one academic year; particularly combined with the
intense workload of studying for a Masters qualification. To address this, we reduced the
benchmark for achievement to 60 PSA points, and after consultation with a number of PGT
students, we also timed the taught workshops sessions to align more closely with the PGT
academic year.
Secondly, it became clear that the sheer diversity of the cohort would present a challenge in terms
of designing the workshop content. Although we undoubtedly have a diverse UG student population
on the PSA (particularly as our programme is cross-disciplinary and open to learners from any
degree programme), this is further intensified at the PGT level. This is not simply increased diversity
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