Recently, the internationally-renowned museum, The D-Day Story, published on their website a podcast recorded in 2021 by three second year History students, Joshua Bown, Angus Grieve and Shannen Smylie. The students worked with the museum’s archives as part of their assessment for the ‘Working with the Past’ module, coordinated by Mike Esbester. The second-year module encourages students to work with our local community partners where possible and produce work that has a benefit to them and the organisation they are working with. To hear the podcast, go to the D-Day Story website here.
Tag: Portsmouth
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A History degree can open many doors: A student interviews UoP History graduates
In this blog Amber Braddick, recent History with American Studies graduate from Portsmouth, discusses a project she undertook as part of the second year module, ‘Working with the Past’. Amber and some of her fellow students interviewed recent UoP History graduates and asked them about their careers since graduating, Amber found out that having a degree in the Arts and Humanities has been really beneficial to them, something also highlighted in recent studies by organisations such as the British Academy, which Amber also discusses here. The module ‘Working with the Past’ is coordinated by Dr Mike Esbester.
There has been a strong government emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects in recent years. What does this mean to the Arts, Humanities and Social Science (AHSS) graduates? Are they less valuable to employers in the ever-changing world of work? The short answer is no, this is definitely not the case, and there is an abundance of statistical evidence proving this. An AHSS degree equips students with many skills that have been identified by the World Economic Forum as key skills employers look for when hiring staff, for example effective communication skills, critical thinking skills and problem solving skills. As the diagram below demonstrates, all of these highly valued skills are developed in AHSS degrees, including history. Whether it is by critically analysing a source, collaborating in group projects or writing a dissertation; students gain these skills, often without even realising it, while also building up experience and confidence in them throughout their degree.
Source: Qualified for the future, The British Academy
Recently, as part of the ‘Working With the Past’ module, several history students, including myself, interviewed a small pool of graduates from University of Portsmouth (UoP). We talked about the careers they explored after university and how they developed skills on the History degree programme that made them more employable. Chloe, currently the records manager and policy maker for the Falkland Islands government, highlighted skills in communication, time and project management as well as teamwork and confidence as attributes gained from her History degree which are essential to her current career and used daily. In the interview, Chloe said that she feels that all these skills would still be necessary even if she pursued another career not in the heritage sector, due to their versatility. Overall, the skills learnt in the History degree are fundamental in her job as well as being the foundation in which she has built upon in her Master’s course and continues to use whilst studying for a PhD. (Ed. read Chloe’s blog about her experiences here)
Another interviewee, Melissa, is undertaking the NHS Graduate Scheme and worked as the project manager for the Epsom Downs Racecourse Covid Vaccination Centre. Although this career does not specifically relate to a degree in History, Melissa explained how the research and analytical skills gained are crucial for her job. Also whilst in university, Melissa acquired excellent communication skills and had the beneficial experience of working with a range of different people. This was extremely helpful as Melissa has to communicate with many types of people daily, even up to an executive level. Out of 1600 people who applied for the graduate scheme, only 210 were offered a place, demonstrating how vital the skills learned on an AHSS course are. It was also interesting during the interview to hear Melissa explain that she applied to university to do a sports science degree but unfortunately did not obtain the grades required and was offered a place on the History course instead. ‘This was quite a lifeline,’ she told us, as ‘history opens so many doors,’ and does not restrict you to one specific career, while also teaching you many key skills you can ‘take forward into any kind of career’.
Source: Qualified for the future, The British Academy
A second graduate whose History degree prepared her for an unrelated career was CW, the assistant to a Member of Parliament (MP). CW found that doing presentations for the degree course gave her the necessary presentational skills essential for the MP assistant role. They also developed her confidence in talking to lots of different individuals and groups, as she meets with small businesses, charities and visits local schools to ‘bridge the gap between the MP and the constituency when he [the MP] is in Westminster’. Other key skills CW highlights are the analytical and writing skills which are a large focus of a History degree. When applying for her current job, CW was asked to submit examples of written pieces of work and she discusses how her dissertation was perfect to show that she could ‘research, analyse and write to a good standard.’
The last person we interviewed was RD, who is a curator at the National Museum of the Royal Navy here in Portsmouth. Again, RD emphasizes how the research and analytical skills gained in her History degree helps daily when ‘interrogat[ing] sources’ and ‘bring[ing] together an exhibition.’
As is demonstrated in the previous few paragraphs, many key skills arose in every interview, for example writing and analytical skills and working with a variety of people. These skills also appear in the top 10 skills for 2025 list, shown below. In fact, most of the skills on the list are taught on a History degree, with the exception of ‘technology design and programming.’ Not only is History a ‘fantastic degree in its own right’ but it also teaches students the key skills needed for employability and a fruitful career. This is explored further on the UoP twitter page!
Source: The Future of Jobs Report 2020
In many newspapers and in some government policies, it is indicated that STEM subjects ‘are the only path to career success,’ however Tom Lyscom, a senior Policy Adviser at the British Academy voices once again that the skills of an AHSS degree ‘help drive economic growth and play [an] essential part of wider society.’ In the ten fastest growing sectors of the UK’s economy, eight sectors employ more graduates from AHSS subjects than any other disciplines. This demonstrates that graduates from AHSS subjects are just as vital to the economy as STEM subjects and that the skills taught are as diverse as our economy.
To conclude, the variety of skills developed on an AHSS degree are advantageous in increasing employability and most of the skills that the University of Portsmouth’s History degree course develops appear on the top 10 skills of tomorrow. These skills are not only transferable to many different career paths and incredibly beneficial on a CV but they also ‘really develops you as a whole person’ and enhance your understanding of other people’s world views. The misconception that STEM subjects are more important that AHSS subjects is not reflected in the British Academy’s ‘Qualified for the future’ report that shares statistics suggesting the gap between employability is ‘negligible’ and Manuel Souto-Otero, a professor in Social Sciences at Cardiff University reveals that degrees in AHSS subjects are still ‘really popular … actually booming’. Whether you have a clear idea of what you want to do in the future and it requires a History degree, or if you’re still trying to decide, AHSS degrees leave doors open to many different opportunities and the flexibility for career changes, as well as developing many important skills that will get you far in whatever profession you choose.
Bibliography:
Primary Sources:
Interview with Chloe, 17th March 2021.
Interview with RD, 18th March 2021.
Interview with CW, 16th March 2021.
Interview with Melissa, 15th March 2021.
Secondary Sources:
Lyscom, Tom. “Being objective about subjects – Showing the value of Politics and other AHSS disciplines.” Political Studies Association. Being Objective About Subjects – Showing the Value of Politics and Other AHSS Disciplines | The Political Studies Association (PSA). Last accessed 31/03/2021.
“Qualified for the future.” The British Academy. Qualified-for-the-Future-Quantifying-demand-for-arts-humanities-social-science-skills.pdf. Last accessed 31/03/2021.
Reidy, Tess. “Arts graduates are flexible’: why humanities degrees are making a comeback.” The Guardian. ‘Arts graduates are flexible’: why humanities degrees are making a comeback | Postgraduates | The Guardian. Last accessed 31/03/2021.
“Success through STEM.” The Department of Education. STEM Strategy-Success through STEM (economy-ni.gov.uk). Last accessed 31/03/2021.
“The Future of Jobs Report.” World Economic Forum. Infographics – The Future of Jobs Report 2020 | World Economic Forum (weforum.org). Last accessed 31/03/2021.
University of Portsmouth Twitter page. Univ. Ports History on Twitter: “What’s that you say? History … no use in the job market? Errmmm, well, no. 9 of the top 10 on this @wef ‘skills of tomorrow’ list are EXACTLY WHAT WE DO WITH OUR STUDENTS! History at Portsmouth: in the present, looking back, ready for the future! https://t.co/dTobbijWwJ” / Twitter. Last accessed 31/03/2021.
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Accidents on the railways: A story of heartbreak and loss
University of Portsmouth History student Jenny Leng produced a blog for the Railway Work, Life & Death project as part of her work on the second year core module ‘Working with the Past’, coordinated by Mike Esbester. Mike co-leads the RWLD project along with Karen Baker (Librarian, National Railway Museum) and Helen Ford (Manager, Modern Records Centre) with the assistance of Craig Shaw (Volunteer Administrator, NRM). In this blog, Jenny uncovers the stories of Portsmouth railway workers Godfrey and Albert Linegar, who were both involved in accidents at work, one resulting in heart-breaking loss.
To read the blog, click this link.
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The hidden heritage of a naval town: women’s community activism in Portsmouth since 1960
As a naval town, Portsmouth’s history has tended to have a masculine focus. But many Portsmouth women have actively campaigned for women’s rights and set up practical initiatives in the Portsmouth area to improve the lives of women. A Heritage Lottery Fund grant enabled the setting up of a project to interview these women and capture their stories. UoP history reader Sue Bruley was one of the project leaders. Project co-lead Laurel Forster, Reader in Cultural history in the UoP School of Film, Media & Communication explains more about the project and its outcomes.
Sue Bruley speaking The main aim of this project was to document the activism of women in the Portsmouth area by interviewing women from a range of backgrounds and with different interests in community issues. The project, initiated and co-lead by Dr Sue Bruley, Reader in Modern History, of the School of Social, Historical and Literary Studies, worked with the local library, the U3A, volunteers, schools and community groups to unearth and record the impact of feminism and women’s activism.
The project began some years ago with a Women’s Liberation Memory Day, and was followed by a conference in 2014 called ‘Situating Women’s Liberation: Historicising a Movement’. Out of the conference came a journal special issue and a book, edited by Dr Laurel Forster and Sue Bruley called Historicising the Women’s Liberation Movement in the Western World (Routledge 2018). A Heritage Lottery Fund grant made the project possible and the work of the project: interviews, volunteer training, public lectures, touring exhibitions and memory days began. The project garnered a huge amount of support in the city, with over 200 people attending the public lectures and even some artwork to commemorate the project.
Many Portsmouth women who have, since the Women’s Liberation Movement of the late 1960s, actively campaigned for women’s rights and set up practical initiatives in the Portsmouth area to improve the lives of women and their families, came forward. As a Naval Town, with an important Dockyard, the recorded history of Portsmouth has had a particular masculine focus, so it was especially important to record this history. Portsmouth’s own branch of the Women’s Liberation Movement was remembered by many, with its consciousness-raising meetings.
The women of Portsmouth actively campaigned for peace and many stories were told of Greenham Common Peace camps and anti-nuclear demonstrations. Many of our interviewees focused upon the grass-roots campaigning that supported the development of one of the earliest rape-crisis telephone lines and women’s refuge centre.
Others spoke of their work in minority groups within the city, fighting racism and supporting women from all backgrounds. Women working as teachers, city counsellors, faith leaders, or to improve housing conditions for families, have all been interviewed. There are accounts of women’s pioneering work in the Royal Navy and elsewhere in local factories, offices and the university, campaigning for equal rights at work.
All these stories are captured in the project booklet and stored in the archive in the city Library’s History centre.
For further information on the project see the many resources on the project website. These include a learning resource pack suitable for using in teaching ages 14-18 and a bibliography.
Please contact project co-lead laurel.forster@port.ac.uk for further information.
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University and Museum Collaborations: History within and beyond the classroom
In this blog, Dr Katy Gibbons and Dr Maria Cannon discuss the different ways in which the History team (both staff and students) at the University of Portsmouth have worked with the Mary Rose Museum, and highlight some ongoing and future projects.
The History team at Portsmouth is very fortunate in having a number of award-winning museums on our doorstep, and staff and students benefit from this. Only 10 minutes walk from the History team at Milldam building is the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and one of the museums housed here is the world-leading Mary Rose Museum. Now housed in a bespoke setting, the museum is able to offer an immersive experience – a sense of being on board the ship itself as you walk alongside the remains of the ship, and an unrivalled collection of artefacts that offer a unique snapshot of Tudor life.
For a number of years, we have had connections with the Mary Rose Museum. It has offered opportunities for our students to volunteer, undertake placements and to have paid employment during the course of their studies.
History students undertaking a placement at the Mary Rose Museum More recently, the History team has been working with the Museum in a number of different ways. These collaborations have brought benefits to the staff and students at the University, and to the Mary Rose Museum. We hope to continue these collaborations, boosted by the newly-inaugurated Portsmouth Heritage Hub.
Our collaboration with the Mary Rose currently includes:
– A CPD training day for teachers of A-level History. Read more about the day here.
– The highly successful annual Heritage, Arts and Culture Careers Fair. Hosted by the Mary Rose, and organised by the student-run History Society at the University, this offers students a chance to network with representatives from a wide range of organisations within the city and beyond. It is one of the highlights of the academic year!
An exhibitor from University of Portsmouth’s Careers and Employability service talks with recent graduate Nia Picton-Phillips at the 2019 Heritage, Arts and Culture Careers Fair – A forthcoming session at a Children’s History Society Workshop, which explores how to engage children with historical research at museums and heritage sites. To sign up, book here.
– Discussions about the development of the Mary Rose Digital Archive
– The integration of objects from the Mary Rose collection into specialist undergraduate teaching: as part of the new Second Year Module, ‘The Extraordinary and the Everyday: People, Places and Possessions’ students will be offered the opportunity to visit the Museum and conduct research on their artefacts
– On the research front, we are also excited to now be working with both the Museum and colleagues in the Science Faculty at Portsmouth, considering how evidence from DNA analysis can help us to discover more about the crew of the Mary Rose, and to revisit older assumptions about the population of early modern England (for more info click here). Katy and Maria, alongside Dr Garry Scarlett and Dr Sam Robson in the School of Biological Sciences, are part of a cross-disciplinary project, funded by the University, to develop this work further.
Watch this space for future developments on these and other projects!
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History Research Seminars Winter/Spring 2019
Every year, the History team at Portsmouth organise a series of research seminars that take place across the autumn, winter and spring terms. Historians are invited from a range of institutions, both in Britain and abroad, to talk about their latest research projects. The subjects presented cover a broad historical timespan and offer insight into a diverse range of topics. In this winter and spring terms there will be talks on children’s writing in 1930s Britain, relationships in early modern England, immigration in Tudor Southampton, the Royal Marines’ institutional legacy, and the health of British seamen while travelling overseas. All are welcome to attend.
All talks take place in Milldam Building, Room LE1.04.
Wednesday 16th January, 3:30-5:00pm
Children, class and the search for security: Writing the future in 1930s Britain
Hester Barron (University of Sussex
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Wednesday 13th February, 3:00-4:30pm
Queen Catherine Howard: Space, place, and promiscuity pre- and post-marriage, 1536-41
Nikki Clark (University of Chichester)
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Desiring to be fruitful in early modern England
Leah Astbury (University of Cambridge)
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Wednesday 3rd April, 3:00-4:30pm
Responses to, and unexpected consequences of, immigration in Tudor Southampton
Cheryl Butler (Southampton Tourist Guides Association)
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Wednesday 8th May, 3:00-4:30pm
The Graspan Memorial: The Royal Marines and the institutional legacy of the South African War
John Bolt (University of Portsmouth)
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Wednesday 12th June, 3:00-4:30pm
Adrift in medical transit: Distressed British seamen abroad
Jen Kain (University of Newcastle)
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