Increasing Employability Through Programmatic Sustainable Assessment Practices and Familiarity with Recruitment Practices

This chapter makes a unique contribution to this book as it offers a curriculum model for achieving the outcome of augmenting student learning through post practicum interventions. This work builds on earlier research (Bacon R, Kellett J, Dart J, Knight-Agarwal C, Mete R, Ash S, Palermo C. Nutr Dietetics 75(4):418–430, 2018) that describes the development, implementation and evaluation of a new programmatic system of assessment – the Consensus Model. Development of the model has used an iterative approach. This study evaluates the second iteration of the model using feedback from key stakeholders. This model uses sustainable assessment tasks, sequenced across the course of study, to meet the dual purposes of augmenting practicum learning, while also, developing lifelong learning capabilities. This study also demonstrates a connection between assessment and post practicum debriefing. Through these learning and assessment tasks students transform their learning across contexts and participate in employer recruitment practices. Both the students and educators reported that the model developed students’ overall employability skills (Employability Impact Scale educators x = 5.5/7, σ = 1.0; students x = 6.0/7, σ = 0.9). Ninety-four percent of graduates had work as dietitians (or in related positions) within 12 months. These research findings provide evidence that sustainable outcome-based assessment practices can augment post practicum learning experiences and assist students in their transition to the workforce.