The OU Employability Statement

Study with the Open University to boost your career prospects

• Develop your employability skills through study materials and online resources. With support from tutors and careers advisers, you can identify the skills you are developing that are directly relevant to the workplace – self and time management, determination, self-motivation, managing and improving your learning, communication, ICT, commercial and global awareness, and the practical and professional skills that employers look for (like in Business and Management or Health and Social Care). 
• Professional relevance: many courses (modules) and qualifications have had input from professional bodies (like Social Work and our foundation degrees) and leading public and private sector industry experts and sector skills councils. We also offer short professional courses focusing on specific skills useful in a wide range of work places, such as presentation skills. Some study in IT leads to a licence to practice.
• Recognition: Open University qualifications are recognised by academic institutions and professional bodies in the UK, the European Union and the rest of the world. Many employers, including the NHS, currently sponsor staff through their study, and 75% of FTSE 100 companies have done so.
• Postgraduate and Research students have specialised support from the Research school.
• Beyond the curriculum: there may be opportunities to develop employability through our Student Union or our Postgraduate Student Society, as well as opportunities to sit on some University committees.