Esther Kent

Esther Kent

Academic Director, Employability & Placement Lead for Sport


Summary

As the Academic Director for Employability, I provide overall leadership of the 'Innovative and Applied Curriculum' strand of the Employability Plan. I work collaboratively to enhance the step-change in our approach to facilitating highly skilled employment for our graduate. I lead the focus on ensuring ongoing improvement and embedding employability within the curriculum.

About

As Academic Director, Employability I work to ensure Hallam is bold and distinctive in its ambition to be the world leading applied university which will be the Hallam difference. The arrival of TEF, GO and LEO has focused academic minds at Hallam and has provided opportunities to engage more effectively and meaningfully with all colleagues

Continuing and enhancing the step-change in our approach to facilitating highly skilled employment for our graduates is our next challenge. Developing a bespoke Hallam Signature Placement offer along with integrating employer focussed Graduate attributes in curriculum are two key goals. This is complimented with the introduction of Employability Leads in courses and curriculum business development working in collaboration with students, curriculum, employers and Business Engagement, Skills and Employability.

As placement lead and Senior Lecturer in Sport Business Management within the Academy of Sport, I am responsible for the successful deployment of up to 500 student placements per year, which represents nearly £1m of commercial activity within the employer market.

Over the past 14 years, I have spearheaded efforts to expand and enhance the student attainment within higher education and commercial settings. I have been fortunate to be at the forefront of major initiatives to transform training & education infrastructure with British Gymnastics, improve the student experience and develop service partnerships including: 'Future Fit Symposiums, Future Proofing week and NSS overall satisfaction rating of 96% as a course leader.

My commitment to education is profound and extends beyond my professional life. I am deliberately permissive to myself and those around me, allowing innovation in my teaching; this is reflected by attainment of 100% satisfaction from module surveys & internal assessment; in my role as National Trainer within British Gymnastics my external reviews for training and education receive the highest ratings.

Teaching

School of Sport and Physical Activity

College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences

As Placement Lead for the Academy of Sport I support the planning and delivery of placement preparation across 7 undergraduate degrees; allowing for differentiation while retaining consistency, quality assurance and modernism, my innovations include the use of technology, a competency based approach and the engagement of internal SHU and local partners to shape and mentor students. The results have been best in sector, with examples such as employers who feel they benefitted from having a SHU student working with them (94%); Students increased confidence (91%). 

Sports Business Management

BSc (Hons) Sport Business Management

BSc (Hons) Physical Education and School Sport
BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching

Organisational Behaviour & HRM, Management Applications, Events Management, Applied Practical Pedagogy, Introductions to Sport Business Management and the Sports Industry.

Publications

Book chapters

Moss, C., & Kent, E. (2021). Cracking the employability code: a multifacetedand collaborative approach to employability in thecurriculum at Sheffield Hallam University. In Norton, S., & Dalrymple, R. (Eds.) Employability: breaking the mouldA case study compendium. (pp. 61-66). https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/employability-breaking-mould: Advance HE: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/employability-breaking-mould

Internet Publications

Moss, C., & Kent, E. (2023). Cracking the employability code in Employability in Programme Development. https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_973371_smxx.pdf

Kent, E. (2022). Integrating Employability across course curriculums. [Blog]. https://www.governmentevents.co.uk/integrating-employability-across-course-curriculums/

Other activities

British Gymnastics L4 Senior Club Coach
1st4Sport Assessor
1st4sport Tutor levels 1 and 2
British Gymnastics Level 0, 1, 2 3 Tutor
British Gymnastics Assessor at levels 1, 2 and 3.

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