Reflections on key skills: implementing change in a traditional university

This paper begins by providing an overview of the UK's national key skills agenda, with a view to placing in context the subsequent description of the formulation and implementation of a skills policy by a traditional, research‐led university, namely Queen's University Belfast. The paper is written from the perspective of two members of academic staff who spent two years on part‐time secondment as Skills Development Officers. We outline how a number of small‐scale investigative projects informed our thoughts and decisions, how aspects of management and internal politics influenced the formulation of a university skills policy, and how a series of initiatives evolved that were aimed at supporting staff and students in implementation of that policy. We conclude that while external pressures to explicitly develop students' key skills within higher education are intense, institutions need to reflect more on the implications of any policies and strategies for implementation they impose upon their staff. Within traditional institutions progress can be slow, with the pace of change influenced not only by the level of support and drive from senior management, but also dependent upon the knowledge, experience, energy and enthusiasm of academic ‘champions’ who have a balanced view of the skills agenda.