Hardback
How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates
Giving a platform to the debate about graduate employability from the student, university and employer perspectives, this innovative How To Guide explores the challenges associated with ensuring the employability of university graduates. In defining the nature of employability, the book discusses how the concept is a shared responsibility dependent on individual capabilities, the labour market and social capital.
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Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
Students invest significant resources in coming to university and universities play a crucial role in enabling their students to benefit from this investment and to be employable once they have finished their degree. Giving a platform to the debate about graduate employability from the student, university and employer perspectives, this innovative How To Guide explores the challenges associated with ensuring the employability of university graduates. In defining the nature of employability, the book discusses how the concept is a shared responsibility dependent on individual capabilities, the labour market and social capital.
Considering what employers want from graduates, this book looks at how universities can provide strong graduate outcomes and inclusive career opportunities irrespective of student background. The book illustrates ways to embed employability across the curriculum, suggesting innovative approaches to careers guidance and specific employability initiatives, while upholding the benefits of entrepreneurial activities and widening participation opportunities. With insights from around the world, the book concludes by thinking about the institutional response to the challenges faced by the employability agenda, reflecting on how research has developed over the past 20 years.
Interdisciplinary and comparative in scope, this book of international case studies of employability approaches across a wide range of educational institutions will prove an engaging resource for students and scholars of business, education management, and teaching methods. Its exploration of regulatory environments will also prove useful for policymakers working in education.
Considering what employers want from graduates, this book looks at how universities can provide strong graduate outcomes and inclusive career opportunities irrespective of student background. The book illustrates ways to embed employability across the curriculum, suggesting innovative approaches to careers guidance and specific employability initiatives, while upholding the benefits of entrepreneurial activities and widening participation opportunities. With insights from around the world, the book concludes by thinking about the institutional response to the challenges faced by the employability agenda, reflecting on how research has developed over the past 20 years.
Interdisciplinary and comparative in scope, this book of international case studies of employability approaches across a wide range of educational institutions will prove an engaging resource for students and scholars of business, education management, and teaching methods. Its exploration of regulatory environments will also prove useful for policymakers working in education.
Critical Acclaim
‘How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates is a comprehensive blueprint for enabling employability and improving student outcomes. The contributors suggest innovative approaches to embedding employability in the curriculum vis-à-vis strong graduate outcomes and inclusive career opportunities, understanding what employers want from graduates with a strong focus on developing employable graduates who continue to be useful in the long term.’
– Obinna Okereke, Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) Blog
‘A thoughtful and challenging compendium of insights into employability – a really important agenda for individuals, employers and policymakers alike. This book highlights research that we can all learn from and build on in pursuit of securing positive graduate outcomes for all.’
– Daisy Hooper, Chartered Management Institute, UK
‘How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates is a valuable and much-needed addition to the complex conversation around graduate employability. With its emphasis on shared responsibility and a genuine vision for improving graduate outcomes for non-traditional students, this book will appeal to practitioners, policy makers and students alike.''
– Caroline Rueckert, Griffith University, Australia
‘The book provides valuable insights into developing student employability, paying due consideration to unlocking the potential of under-represented student groups. It recognises the need for future students to create work, exploring entrepreneurism’s fit with employability. The book should be an interesting read for researchers and practitioners in higher education, given the importance of graduate employability in the sector.’
– Denise Jackson, Edith Cowan University, Australia
– Obinna Okereke, Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) Blog
‘A thoughtful and challenging compendium of insights into employability – a really important agenda for individuals, employers and policymakers alike. This book highlights research that we can all learn from and build on in pursuit of securing positive graduate outcomes for all.’
– Daisy Hooper, Chartered Management Institute, UK
‘How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates is a valuable and much-needed addition to the complex conversation around graduate employability. With its emphasis on shared responsibility and a genuine vision for improving graduate outcomes for non-traditional students, this book will appeal to practitioners, policy makers and students alike.''
– Caroline Rueckert, Griffith University, Australia
‘The book provides valuable insights into developing student employability, paying due consideration to unlocking the potential of under-represented student groups. It recognises the need for future students to create work, exploring entrepreneurism’s fit with employability. The book should be an interesting read for researchers and practitioners in higher education, given the importance of graduate employability in the sector.’
– Denise Jackson, Edith Cowan University, Australia
Contributors
Contributors: Efimia Anastasiou, Ida Andersson-Norrie, Emily Beaumont, Dawn Bennett, Brett Berquist, Anna Chudy, Elaine Clarke, Linda Cowan, Kathy Daniels, Valerie Derbyshire, John Day, Shane Dillon, Emily Dixon, Martin Edmondson, Omolabake Fakunle, Sonia Ferns, James Forde, Kate Foster, Caroline Fox, Laurice Fretwell, Patrick Glauner, Paul Gratrick, Charles Hancock, Saskia Loer Hansen, Caroline Harvey, Helen Higson, Kaye Howells, Emily Huns, Melpo Iacovidou, Sue Jennings, Parminder Johal, Thea Jones, Madelaine-Marie Judd, Judie Kay, Carolyn Keenan, Alison Lawson, Dawn Lees, Colombine Madelaine, Rebekah Marangon, Pamela McGee, Fiona McGonigle, Sarah Montano, Emma Moore, Siobhan Neary, Louise Nicol, Gillian O’Brien, Ramon O''Callaghan, Catherine O’Connor, Heather Pasero, Bice Della Piana, Tracy Powell, Ross Renton, Anna Richards, Darren Siggers, Ruth Smith, Lecturer, Susan Smith, Renáta Tomášková, Jacklyn Tubb, Matthew Vince, Fiona Walsh, Iwan Williams, Dino Willox, Victoria Wilson-Crane, Lizzy Woodfield, Yuchen Xiao
Contents
Contents:
Foreword xvii
Preface xix
List of abbreviations xxiii
PART I INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
1 Why employability matters 2
Saskia Loer Hansen and Kathy Daniels
2 Whose job is it to make a graduate employable? 13
Martin Edmondson
3 Employability: the student voice 24
Omolabake Fakunle and Yuchen Xiao
PART II WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT FROM GRADUATES
4 Creating a new university to meet the employability challenge 36
Ross Renton and Fiona McGonigle
5 Developing employability skills through working in a law clinic 47
Kaye Howells and Sue Jennings
6 Problems delivering the skills employers want? Creativity
– a case in point 56
Elaine Clarke
7 Mind the gap: employers’ and students’ perceptions of
skills and knowledge needed by accounting graduates in Greece 67
Efimia Anastasiou, Siobhan Neary and Alison Lawson
PART III EMPLOYABILITY AND THE CURRICULUM
8 Employer input to curriculum and assessment 79
Gillian O’Brien and Darren Siggers
9 Real work opportunities in the curriculum: three different
approaches 89
Charles Hancock, Tracy Powell, John Day and Alison Lawson
10 Using a professional skills module to develop student confidence 100
Parminder Johal and Ruth Smith
11 Developing an ecosystem: employability skills and
authentic assessments 109
Sarah Montano
PART IV INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CAREER GUIDANCE
12 Using career pathways to tailor and personalise
employability activities 118
Rebekah Marangon
13 The Career Studio: peer-to-peer support 127
Emma Moore and Paul Gratrick
14 Supporting employment outcomes for students from Asia 136
Louise Nicol
PART V PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF
EMPLOYABILITY ACTIVITIES
15 Using social action to support skill development 149
Fiona Walsh
16 The Big Challenge: interdisciplinary development of
employability skills 159
Valerie Derbyshire, Laurice Fretwell and Caroline Harvey
17 Modifying the journey to graduate employment through
changes to work-based learning 168
Catherine O’Connor
PART VI ENTERPRISE/ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES
18 ‘One for all and all for one’: the 3Es (employability,
enterprise, and entrepreneurship) 179
Emily Beaumont
19 BSEEN: extra-curricular enterprise and entrepreneurship support 188
Carolyn Keenan
PART VII WIDENING PARTICIPATION
20 Employability monsters: breaking barriers to
employability for widening participation students 198
Dawn Lees and Kate Foster
21 Supporting ‘first in family’ students: My Generation
Career Coaching Programme 207
Heather Pasero
22 Unlocking the potential of under-represented students 215
Iwan Williams and Pamela McGee
23 Social mobility and London’s left-behind graduates 224
Emily Dixon
PART VIII INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
24 Using the net promoter score to understand international
alumni satisfaction 234
Shane Dillon
25 Meeting the employability expectations of international
students in transition to higher education in the UK 244
Victoria Wilson-Crane and Linda Cowan
26 How partnerships can make a difference to securing jobs
for international students 253
Jacklyn Tubb and Caroline Fox
PART IX INSIGHTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
27 How England’s policy and regulatory levers have shifted
accountability for graduate employment 263
Lizzy Woodfield
28 Approaches to developing graduate employability in Australia 273
Judie Kay and Sonia Ferns
29 Enabling employability in New Zealand 284
Brett Berquist
30 Lessons from Germany 295
Patrick Glauner
31 European University initiative in enabling student success 304
Renáta Tomášková, Ida Andersson-Norrie, Bice Della
Piana, Anna Chudy, Melpo Iacovidou and Colombine Madelaine
PART X INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSE
32 Global Professional Award: a three-year skills
development programme 314
James Forde
33 An integrated institutional approach to employability 323
Dino Willox, Anna Richards and Madelaine-Marie Judd
34 A strategic institutional approach to employability 333
Susan Smith and Emily Huns
35 Student experience(s) and an integrated pastoral approach
to employability 342
Matthew Vince and Thea Jones
PART XI A FINAL REFLECTION
36 Reflections on 20 years of research on employability and
its effect on policy and practice 351
Helen Higson
Index
Foreword xvii
Preface xix
List of abbreviations xxiii
PART I INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
1 Why employability matters 2
Saskia Loer Hansen and Kathy Daniels
2 Whose job is it to make a graduate employable? 13
Martin Edmondson
3 Employability: the student voice 24
Omolabake Fakunle and Yuchen Xiao
PART II WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT FROM GRADUATES
4 Creating a new university to meet the employability challenge 36
Ross Renton and Fiona McGonigle
5 Developing employability skills through working in a law clinic 47
Kaye Howells and Sue Jennings
6 Problems delivering the skills employers want? Creativity
– a case in point 56
Elaine Clarke
7 Mind the gap: employers’ and students’ perceptions of
skills and knowledge needed by accounting graduates in Greece 67
Efimia Anastasiou, Siobhan Neary and Alison Lawson
PART III EMPLOYABILITY AND THE CURRICULUM
8 Employer input to curriculum and assessment 79
Gillian O’Brien and Darren Siggers
9 Real work opportunities in the curriculum: three different
approaches 89
Charles Hancock, Tracy Powell, John Day and Alison Lawson
10 Using a professional skills module to develop student confidence 100
Parminder Johal and Ruth Smith
11 Developing an ecosystem: employability skills and
authentic assessments 109
Sarah Montano
PART IV INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CAREER GUIDANCE
12 Using career pathways to tailor and personalise
employability activities 118
Rebekah Marangon
13 The Career Studio: peer-to-peer support 127
Emma Moore and Paul Gratrick
14 Supporting employment outcomes for students from Asia 136
Louise Nicol
PART V PRACTICAL EXAMPLES OF
EMPLOYABILITY ACTIVITIES
15 Using social action to support skill development 149
Fiona Walsh
16 The Big Challenge: interdisciplinary development of
employability skills 159
Valerie Derbyshire, Laurice Fretwell and Caroline Harvey
17 Modifying the journey to graduate employment through
changes to work-based learning 168
Catherine O’Connor
PART VI ENTERPRISE/ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES
18 ‘One for all and all for one’: the 3Es (employability,
enterprise, and entrepreneurship) 179
Emily Beaumont
19 BSEEN: extra-curricular enterprise and entrepreneurship support 188
Carolyn Keenan
PART VII WIDENING PARTICIPATION
20 Employability monsters: breaking barriers to
employability for widening participation students 198
Dawn Lees and Kate Foster
21 Supporting ‘first in family’ students: My Generation
Career Coaching Programme 207
Heather Pasero
22 Unlocking the potential of under-represented students 215
Iwan Williams and Pamela McGee
23 Social mobility and London’s left-behind graduates 224
Emily Dixon
PART VIII INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
24 Using the net promoter score to understand international
alumni satisfaction 234
Shane Dillon
25 Meeting the employability expectations of international
students in transition to higher education in the UK 244
Victoria Wilson-Crane and Linda Cowan
26 How partnerships can make a difference to securing jobs
for international students 253
Jacklyn Tubb and Caroline Fox
PART IX INSIGHTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
27 How England’s policy and regulatory levers have shifted
accountability for graduate employment 263
Lizzy Woodfield
28 Approaches to developing graduate employability in Australia 273
Judie Kay and Sonia Ferns
29 Enabling employability in New Zealand 284
Brett Berquist
30 Lessons from Germany 295
Patrick Glauner
31 European University initiative in enabling student success 304
Renáta Tomášková, Ida Andersson-Norrie, Bice Della
Piana, Anna Chudy, Melpo Iacovidou and Colombine Madelaine
PART X INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSE
32 Global Professional Award: a three-year skills
development programme 314
James Forde
33 An integrated institutional approach to employability 323
Dino Willox, Anna Richards and Madelaine-Marie Judd
34 A strategic institutional approach to employability 333
Susan Smith and Emily Huns
35 Student experience(s) and an integrated pastoral approach
to employability 342
Matthew Vince and Thea Jones
PART XI A FINAL REFLECTION
36 Reflections on 20 years of research on employability and
its effect on policy and practice 351
Helen Higson
Index
