Developing graduate employability through partnerships with industry and professional associations

Students, employers and other stakeholders expect universities to help students maximise their potential to find suitable work, that is, to maximise their employability. For the purpose of this study 'employability' includes the skills required to obtain a new position and those required to maintain existing employment. The development of graduate employability within the student cohort is both complex and challenging for all stakeholders. In order to do this it is necessary to work in partnership with industry and professional bodies and to understand the changing market conditions for graduates across a range of disciplines. Students can best improve their generic skills when they and their teachers fully understand the employer and client (in the case of self-employment) needs and expectations. A framework is developed that maps the key influences on graduate employability as experienced by students, graduates, employers, employer representatives and teachers. Practice in fields experiencing lower employment outcomes are investigated alongside fields with higher employment outcomes. Areas of existing good practice and opportunities for innovation are identified.

The research found that in recent years many frameworks have been developed to address graduate employability, but most become outdated as the notions of graduate employability evolve over time. Also, that conceptions of employability were remarkably similar among disciplines and stakeholders although some gaps were found between employer perceptions of employability and the perceptions of other stakeholders. A major gap concerns the importance of work experience. Contrary to the popular idea that work experience is the best way to develop graduate employability, employers in this study took a much broader view, indicating that experience in general was more valuable than just work experience. Short stories were written that showcase innovative approaches to developing graduate employability. These transcend discipline boundaries and are broadly applicable.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less