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This study gathered and analysed the perceptions of graduates, employers, and the course team regarding graduate capabilities required for early professional success in pharmacy and the extent to which these capabilities are demonstrated in new graduates. The Graduate Employability Indicator (GEI) surveys were administered online to gather stakeholders' perceptions about the Bachelor of Pharmacy offered at a large Australian university. The GEI asks graduates the extent to which their course experience contributed to achievement of the capabilities, and asks employers and course teams about the extent to which new graduates demonstrated the capabilities. This study also assessed the incentives and disincentives of the course team for assisting to develop work-related skills, attributes and personal qualities. In total, 95 graduates, 109 employers and 42 members of the course team participated in the survey. The findings indicated that graduates preferred earlier professional placement in the course. Employers identified communication and professional skills as the most useful capabilities for new graduates. Members of the course team identified benefits to the students, industry and university as the main incentives for developing graduate employability. Both employers and course team members perceived the use of technology demonstrated by the graduates as important, however the graduates perceived this as much less important compared to other capabilities This study provided an evidence-based approach to engage the course team in curriculum renewal for the Bachelor of Pharmacy program. Data collected using the GEI tool provided valuable information for reshaping the curriculum structure.

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As the higher education sector transitions into a standards based, regulatory environment, educational institutions will be required to provide evidence of the employability capabilities acquired by students during the course of their degree studies. Work-integrated learning (WIL) is promoted as a valuable mechanism for embedding and assessing employability skills and thereby enhancing work readiness of graduates. Work placements, also known as fieldwork are a component of WIL that is a common feature in professional qualifications. Disciplines that have not traditionally offered WIL experiences are exploring opportunities to nurture industry relationships and provide authentic learning experiences to expose students to the world of work. The resource implications of managing, monitoring and assessing work based student activities are immense. Challenges associated with quality, equity and consistency remain unresolved. This study focussed on a range of units covering diverse disciplines which incorporated fieldwork experience. The investigation involved discussions with unit coordinators; and the collection and analysis of student feedback. The assessment patterns for the fieldwork units were collated enabling comparison of student and staff perceptions.

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Some degree programs require students to complete self-sourced work placements as a condition for graduation, which is challenging for many international students as they face significant contextual constraints. The literature has indicated typical contextual challenges international students face while attempting to strengthen organizational socialization (OS) during placements in a host country. Despite this, there is still a need for further research on how international students develop perceptions of their workplace context and how these perceptions impact their OS. The current study addressed this gap in the literature, adopting a grounded approach. Data was collected through 27 in-depth interviews with nine international undergraduate engineering students from an Australian university. Findings feature a perception-response model of OS, which helps inform research and practice to enhance international students' placement experiences.

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This study examines employer understanding of work-integrated learning (WIL), reasons for participation and the challenges and barriers posed during the WIL process. This is important given the drive to grow WIL, augmented by the National Strategy for WIL, and the significant benefits it holds in preparing students for their transition to employment. The study was undertaken by the four publicly funded Western Australian universities, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia, and is focused on work placements among business students. Findings indicate employers had very little understanding of WIL offerings at the four Business Schools. While employers generally believed that student work placements are useful for their industry sectors, a number of issues impacted on their engagement in WIL. These included identifying suitable projects and tasks for students to complete; sourcing suitable students; concerns with student performance and capacity to mentor/supervise. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research tools were used with data gathered by an employer survey (N =112) and focus group sessions (N =17). The study recommends a number of ways to alleviate barriers and challenges to improve the WIL experience for all stakeholders and ensure the sustained growth of WIL in the higher education sector.

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Employability of graduates is deemed an outcome universities should strive for as government, industry and students demand increased accountability measures. Most higher education institutions are exploring mechanisms for enhancing the student experience through the inclusion of authentic learning experiences and ‘real world’ assessment strategies in the curriculum. While ‘getting a job’ is a straightforward concept, the notion of employability and what it means to be employable is open to debate. Capabilities deemed to be highly desirable in determining the capacity of a graduate to be collaborative, productive and innovative in the workplace vary according to the perceptions of particular stakeholders.

This comparative study gathered feedback on the importance of employability capabilities from a range of stakeholders including graduates, employers and teaching staff. Data was collected from the same group of stakeholders about the proficiency of graduates in relation to each of the employability capabilities as a result of graduating from a degree program. Teaching staff, graduates and employers of graduates from two large undergraduate programs at Curtin University in Western Australia were surveyed. Both qualitative and quantitative data from the surveys was analysed. The data collected paints an interesting picture of different perceptions of employability. The most highly regarded employability capabilities in each of the disciplines are highlighted and those that are perceived to be lacking in curriculum design identified. Data from the three key stakeholders was triangulated to ascertain diversity in perceptions. Comparison of feedback across disciplines recognises both the diversity and similarity across professions and the varied perceptions of different stakeholders.

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Many governments are expecting higher education institutions to make strong links between the educational offerings and employability while many employers are demanding graduates with prior workplace or community engagement before entering the workplace. As higher education institutions respond to these challenges, work-integrated learning (WIL) is increasingly seen as a powerful educational approach in developing and empowering work-ready graduates, with many institutions expanding their WIL offerings. With the expansion of WIL, however, comes the need for more staffing to resource the activity. The type of staff vary from practitioners (placement coordinators, field practitioners), teaching staff, researchers, and curricular designers, all of whom require a relevant skills set and knowledge. However, to date, professional development opportunities directly related to WIL have been limited, with most opportunities offered by some national associations providing webinars and workshops. Furthermore, little work has been undertaken to determine the actual professional development needs of WIL staff. Presented here are the findings of an online, international survey of 668 WIL practitioners which explores their perceived professional development needs.

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