We think about employability skills as part of historical study – through engaging in public history.
Employability skills are embedded at key points throughout our courses including in the compulsory second year module ‘Making History’ which involves students undertaking work-based placements. Recent placements have seen students working at companies and organisations such as the National Trust, GMB Union and Morecambe Fringe Festival.
There are also plenty of opportunities to apply your subject knowledge, understanding and skills on a range of field trips and other activities. Search and observe historical documents at Lancashire Records Office. Explore influential exhibitions at the People’s History Museum and The Walker Art Gallery. Benefit from our partnerships with external bodies such as the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres and The Atkinson in Southport. If you’re thinking of studying our BA (Hons) History & Politics course, then you will also be able to visit party conferences and meet politicians on campus.
All these opportunities and more are available to you throughout your degree and whatever additional opportunities may arise for you to enhance and develop your future, we will support you.
Whatever opportunities may arise for you to enhance and develop your future, we will support you.
People’s History Museum
“The principal concern of the People’s History Museum is the representation of the history of the lives of ordinary working people and their efforts through political activities to improve their conditions. The great benefit of visits to institutions like this is that they take history off the page and do not present the past as something that is dead and finished, but instead link past conflicts to current developments and specific places that still exist. Amongst other things, students are familiarised with archives and how they operate, preparing them for the research-based dissertations in third year.”
Roger Spalding, Senior Lecturer in History
Lancashire Record Office
“History students at Edge Hill University have access to a huge amount of digital sources but most historical sources are not yet digitised so a visit to a major working archives is important. The archives held at the Lancashire Record Office are unique and irreplaceable and cover very wide and diverse aspects of Lancashire’s history. Students get an introduction to the operation of the archive and also short talks on careers in the sector.”
Professor Alyson Brown, Associate Head of the Department of History, Geography and Social Sciences
Liverpool Playhouse Theatre
“Through our partnership with the Everyman & Playhouse Theatres in Liverpool, History students at Edge Hill get a behind the scenes tour of the Playhouse in Williamson Square, which opened as The Star in 1866. We see the different seats – the stalls, gallery and dress circle – and think about class and gender in the Victorian era. We’ve used the stage for presentations, and we’ve filmed a 360 degree video. In this way, we combine real-life historical research with digital methods.”
Dr Bob Nicholson, Reader in Digital Humanities
Upon graduation, our students are equipped with many key transferable skills, including critical analysis, the ability to conduct research, communication, debating and reasoning. All of these skills are highly regarded by employers.
Our previous history graduates have successful careers as academics, civil servants, museum curators, journalists and solicitors, amongst many others. With employability skills embedded throughout our courses, we actively encourage our students to embrace any opportunities to gain work-related learning experience, with financial assistance often available through the EHU Student Opportunity Fund.
May 20, 2022
