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• A skills-based approach to professional development helps students gain confidence in their unique abilities and points them to careers where they will thrive.
• Faculty receive training in how to incorporate strength-based learning into their courses and how to use it to personalize teaching.
• Students participate in self-assessments, peer assessments, reflective exercises, and online quizzes to gain a clear understanding of where they naturally excel.

 
It’s difficult for people to understand their strengths and even harder for them to understand their weaknesses, and that might be particularly true for students. It’s important for business schools to focus on employability and personal development, but when such initiatives are done wrong, they can be negative experiences—reminding students of what they lack, rather than identifying the skills they already have.

At Manchester Metropolitan University Business School in the U.K., we wanted to move away from the “deficit model” of personal and professional development that focuses on plugging the gaps in students’ skills. We know that when employers are looking to hire, recruiters generally evaluate graduates on their strengths, not their weaknesses. We also know that more than half of our students are the first in their families to attend university, and 65 percent are from diverse backgrounds.

Therefore, in 2021, we implemented a program that approached professional development from a positive, skills-based perspective. Our goal was to help students gain confidence in their unique abilities and identify where they’ll be able to thrive when they move into their careers. While the program initially was rolled out to first-year students, it now covers students at all levels of study.

Of course, we had offered employability training in the past, primarily through a required module. Unfortunately, because the module was only available in the first year, many students were not in the right mindset to understand its value, and most viewed it as a tick-box exercise.

We offered additional extracurricular training, but we realized that we might be unintentionally excluding students who had other commitments, such as work and caring responsibilities. Often, students who engage with extracurricular activities are the ones who have the time and space to do so.

To avoid the risk of some students benefiting and some students missing out, we embedded skills-based employability training into the curriculum. Through this approach, we not only signaled the importance of building and applying these skills, but made certain that all students had the same opportunities.

How We Began

When we decided to move to a strength-based approach, we initially encountered resistance from some academics who were hesitant to adapt their teaching methods and replace existing content. Concerns included uncertainty about how to integrate strength-based learning into established curricula and whether it would be effective across different disciplines.

We knew that because faculty members would be the ones incorporating strength-based learning into core teaching modules, it was imperative for them to understand how the new approach worked and how it would impact both student outcomes and career readiness.

Instructors learned how to personalize academic guidance and institute project-based learning once students had identified their strengths.

Therefore, we implemented a program of workshops and discussion forums, led by experienced faculty advocates, external education consultants, and industry practitioners. A train-the-trainer model is a fantastic way to ensure knowledge cascades across all teaching staff.

In these sessions, we provided faculty with practical methods they could use to help students identify and build on their strengths. These included structured self-assessment tools, peer evaluations, reflective exercises, case studies, and group projects that could be integrated into the curriculum without disrupting or displacing core academic content.

At the same time, we trained faculty on how to assess students based on their competencies rather than their deficits. For instance, faculty members participated in hands-on case studies where they practiced integrating strength-based methodologies into their teaching. We also showcased real-world case studies that demonstrated how strength-based learning has improved student engagement and employability outcomes.

Through these methods, instructors learned how to personalize academic guidance and institute project-based learning once students had identified their strengths. For instance, if students are strong communicators, instructors might urge them to take on marketing and communications roles within group projects. Students with excellent problem-solving skills might be the ones to lead strategy discussions, while those with high emotional intelligence might become team mediators.

Over time, perceptions shifted as faculty began to see the impact of strength-based learning on student motivation and achievement. Today, many faculty members actively contribute to refining the approach and integrating it more deeply into their teaching and mentoring strategies.

How It Works Now

We have designed our program to be a progressive model that ensures that strength-based learning builds throughout the students’ time at the university.

In the first year: Students identify their realized strengths, unrealized strengths, learned behaviors, and personal weaknesses through some of the in-class activities mentioned above, including structured self-assessments, peer assessments, and reflective exercises. Students also complete online quizzes such as the assessment.

Students participate in mock applications, interviews, and assessment activities to get firsthand experience demonstrating their strengths in professional settings.

By engaging in these exercises, students gain a clearer understanding of where they naturally excel and where they might need additional development. Faculty facilitate discussions that help students connect their strengths to academic tasks, leadership opportunities, and professional aspirations. We also take several steps that ensure students will continue to develop their strengths during the first year:

• The school provides students with structured workshops, mentorship programs, and targeted skill-building sessions, as well as access to books and industry case studies that further develop their abilities in practical, real-world contexts.
• Faculty integrate strength-focused development into assignments, group projects, and internship opportunities.
• The careers service center offers tailored coaching to help students translate their strengths into employability skills, preparing them to articulate their unique abilities confidently on job applications and during interviews.

In the second year: We introduce skills-based assessment training, which is led by faculty members, careers service professionals, and external industry experts. This training, integrated into the curriculum, provides students with critical preparation for the job market.

Students participate in mock applications, competency-based interviews, and employer-led assessment activities. These exercises are designed to align with real-world hiring practices, giving students firsthand experience in demonstrating their strengths in professional settings. Faculty and career advisors provide feedback, ensuring students develop practical strategies to enhance their employability.

In the final year: We include a more practical on-the-job module that’s overseen by faculty members in collaboration with industry mentors from partnering organizations. In this module, students apply their strengths in real-world business scenarios, such as consulting with external employers, developing entrepreneurial projects, or leading strategic initiatives.

As students use their strengths in classroom settings, they develop both their confidence and their practical skills.

Students receive structured guidance and feedback from academic advisors and, in some cases, industry supervisors. Through regular debriefing sessions with faculty, students learn to refine their approaches and reflect on their career readiness.

As students use their strengths in classroom settings, they develop both their confidence and their practical skills. As a result, they are more likely to be successful in school and on the job.

As We Look Ahead

Going forward, we plan to integrate strength-based learning into more postgraduate courses while we continue to monitor the impact of our current program. In particular, we will incorporate this type of learning into our new MBA program with the support of , an AI-powered tool for measuring and developing talent.

Through Cappfinity’s virtual reality technology, students will engage in simulated activities such as interviews, board meetings, and one-to-one meetings with co-workers. These activities will help students develop and understand their individual strengths.

We also will look for ways to measure the success of our strength-based learning measures. We plan to do so through evaluating assessment outcomes as well as students’ self-assessments of how prepared they are for work. In the longer term, we will monitor students’ postgraduate outcomes to gauge the success of our efforts.

So far, implementing strength-based learning has been an exciting journey. We hope to see other business schools take the same approach, so they can see the positive impact it can have on students’ confidence, motivation, and ability to thrive in the job market.