Using volunteering to engage social science students in work related learning

Widening participation policies have not just seen an increase in student populations but also a larger diversity of students particularly on social science degrees. For institutions to successfully deliver on producing graduates for the 21st century, effective curriculum design needs to include an appropriate knowledge base while enhancing employability skills and creating an improved market position for the university. Theories of curriculum design are discussed in relation to an undergraduate psychology degree course highlighting the problems faced by designing a curriculum that not only meets the needs of the student and the employer but is also confined to a rigid criteria set down by an accrediting body. A volunteering scheme to run over the course of the degree is suggested as a means for students to experience the benefits of work related learning to broaden the spectrum of attributes that are obtained with relevant and realistic experiences.