Exit Entry: Skill matching app

Abstract

Exit Entry is a free mobile application for students in Ireland, where they take two assessments - one based on their skills and the other on their interests. It then matches the students with occupations and College & University courses based on their interests. It also allows students to complete free micro credentials courses and activities from IBM and Google in emerging future careers opportunities. This enables students to learn and develop skills in new areas.

Exit Entry has built an extensive social community with 55+ million views of their social content for students. This has enabled students to learn about what Exit Entry offers and has resulted in students on boarding independently and bringing this learning to schools for further engagement (peer to peer referral).

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hy03bWzhej8&feature=share/

The first iteration of our student app was released in 2020 and by mid-2021 Exit Entry had more than 50,000+ student users ranging from first year school students right through to university level.

Resource overview

Website: Exit Entry

• Students download the free Exit Entry app onto their smartphones. (This enables every student access to the technology inside and outside the school environment and promotes inclusion and access.)

• Students complete two assessments for free, for Interests and Skills, which are composed of 60 and 50 questions. (Students have independently completed the assessments and learning options without the support of their schools as it is a mobile application and not embedded in a school's technology stack.) The Interests assessment measures the students’ interests based on Holland's Riasec theory (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional).

• Upon completion, the results will link them to a list of potential occupations and third level opportunities. The assessments take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

• Students also use the Exit Entry app to complete micro credentials of learning in the app from IBM and Google facilitating self-directed learning for all.

Teachers’ role:

• Teachers would, when used in schools, use this resource for students primarily to understand more about their skills and interests and what college course / occupation is right for them and learning opportunities.

• Teachers would suggest this resource as either a class-based activity or homework.

Description of technology

User interface:

The friendly user interface presents emojis to be clicked by the user to express how they feel about each question. These emojis represent a 1 to 5 scale, with answer values and questions being matched with interests. A student might be presented with, for example, a three-letter code RSA, indicating Realistic as their top interest, Social as their second interest and Artistic as their third interest. This code is matched with potential occupations suitable for that user (https://www.onetcenter.org/IP.html/). It is a seamless and simple user interface and design that appeals to GEN-Z.

Algorithm:

Exit Entry’s Psychology team has developed a matrix & matching algorithm and students' 3 letter interest codes are matched through this with suggested courses to provide a personalized course feed.

The skills assessment is based on the Big Five dimensions of personality and employs the words Adaptability (A) Collaboration (C), Resilience (R), Enthusiasm (E) and Self Discipline (S) to be relevant for students.

Exit Entry uses a 50-item questionnaire in the APP, developed from the IPIP (International personality item pool University of Oregon) as its Big Five personality/skills measure.

Devices:

Students need a smart mobile phone and an internet connection to access the resource.

How the resource makes career guidance more effective, efficient and/or equitable for students

It fosters equitable access to information and learning that reduces the impact of a student’s socio-economic background on performance and outcomes by reaching every student outside and inside school (rural and urban).

The collected data and information are highly effective in government planning and resource allocation for schools as it:

• It enables visibility on emerging talent and skills & interest pipeline nationally to support economic development.

• It provides insights into skills gaps to meet labour market demand.

• It supports decision making on allocation of educational funding to best support the interests of students, schools, and the economy.

Challenges or potential barriers to use

Exit Entry is currently only available in Ireland.

Internet connection and a smart phone are required to access the Exit Entry resource.

Currently available in the English language.

The resource is free of cost to practitioners

Support for users

Users do not require support to use the resource.

Further advice for users

Exit Entry has been built to scale globally. The Core science (Skill & Interest assessments) are based on decades of global research in the field of Occupational Psychology and can be adapted to any geographic jurisdiction. All languages can be adapted and integrated into the technology to provide access for any student globally and databases can be structured to local educational markets.

Additional details

 

Has the resource been…	Yes or No?	Description	Link
…informed by research?	Yes	The Exit Entry Psychology team have over 40 years’ experience globally in Occupational Psychology and Psychometrics. The core science of Exit Entry (assessments) has been developed in partnership with Dublin City University. Exit Entry has developed a comprehensive and easy to use career exploration mobile app based on decades of research in the field of Occupational Psychology. This is the study of human behaviour in the work and organisational settings. The Exit Entry app looks at two aspects of human behaviour, namely Skills & Interests. Links provided are the basis of Exit Entry’s research and reference for how and why global science is the core of the Exit Entry solution and offering for students.	https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:ab0b4bbb-3887-422b-93a4-4bc7b89fa2a6/ https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:fc36c4ad-fef3-490c-ac06-3fcab4f83b61/ https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:c0658e44-cbfd-4eef-acc6-addc81cb0701/ https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:05f4f674-e3e0-4074-9246-a0a658960e18/ https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:563463bc-a8d8-4126-bfe9-2f15e6a47859/
…funded by government?	Yes	Exit Entry received partial funding from Enterprise Ireland and is also privately funded.	https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/who-we-are/offices-agencies/enterprise-ireland.html/
…recognized by peers?	Yes	Exit Entry has won a Seal of Excellence by the European Commission and Nomination for the President’s award for Innovation at Dublin City University.	https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:d0f7cdb0-bee5-46dc-a1ce-cfdf0af79d58/
…evaluated?	No

This resource has been endorsed by Carndonagh Community School in County Donegal, Ireland.

Disclaimer: This content is provided by the submitting organisation.