Universities are expected to produce employable graduates. In Education for Employability, experts explore critical questions in the employability agenda: Who sets the standards and expectations of employability? How do students monitor their own employability? How can universities design whole curricula and university environments that promote employability? What teaching and learning strategies facilitate the development of employability? Responsibility for developing and sustaining employability lies with a broad coalition of the individual students, the university, alumni, the professions and industry and is accomplished through the intended curriculum as well as co-curricular, extra-curricular and supra-curricular activities, events and learning opportunities.
We often look back at changing trends in higher education and call them "bandwagons" (temporary fads that everyone rushes to be part of and "jump on"). While much of the hype and jargon of "The Employability Agenda" may fade from the tip of our tongues (or perhaps be subsumed into the norm) in the mid future, there are two fundamental changes that will not: the digital revolution embedded in changing work and economic practices and the “re-globalisation” of the world that this and other politico-economic changes have brought about. These will continue to be part of how we live and work, so tertiary education will need to take its part in supporting employ-ability far beyond either the timing or scope of preparation for initial employment. Employability is important to local, national and international labour market contexts, parameters and policies. As well as impacting workforces, employability is an essential characteristic of workers. It is very important that employability is understood and enacted as personal employability not just employment of individuals. We have found that employability is defined as much, if not more, by mindset rather than skillset. Part of this mindset involves recognising the unknowns of future work and an even bigger part is recognising our responsibilities as workers and educators lies in shaping our own employability and that of the novice learners and workers in our spaces of influence and communities of practice. In Education for Employability (Volume 2): Learning for Future Possibilities we continue on from the big agenda discussions of Education for Employability (Volume 1): The Employability Agenda to explore education for employability in a variety of spaces: in the context of higher education as an entrance into the workforce, in joining communities of practice and in the lifelong pursuit of employability – preparing people for a portfolio of careers rather than a job-for-life. These two books show how educational leaders, educators, industry partners and thought leaders are imagining and addressing the challenges posed by the current and future changes facing our work, practices and workplaces.
Anyone with a responsibility for curriculum development or policy making within higher education who wants to advance learning and promote employability amongst their students will find this book absolutely essential reading.
This book explores a noteworthy variety among economically advanced countries in the competences fostered by higher education, and the emphasis placed either on laying a broad basis of knowledge or direct preparation for professional tasks. In some countries, universities are closely involved in ensuring a rapid transition from student to employee; in others, students typically face a long period after graduation for the search of a suitable career.
This book explores the highly significant and contested area of graduate employability and employment which is paid so much attention by those in the media and policy-makers. This is driven largely by concerns over the wider economic impact and value of graduates as increasing numbers complete their studies in higher education. At a time when graduates are seen as key to economic success, the critical question remains as to how their employability plays out in a changing labour market. This book brings together innovative approaches and research to present an extensive survey of the field. It provides insight on what is a complex and often elusive social and economic problem, ranging from how graduate employability is constructed as an economic and policy agenda to explorations of how graduates manage the transition from higher education to paid employment and finally to suggest future directions for curricula, policy and research.
*Shortlisted in the Management and Leadership Textbook Category at CMI Management Book of the Year Awards 2017* Keen to succeed in today’s competitive job market? Want to learn how to make the most of longer-term graduate career development opportunities? This handy guide is the gateway to help you understand the academic and practical aspects of employability and to make the most of your longer-term graduate employability development. Inside you’ll find: A critical examination of theory to help with your employability studies Practical insights through real-world case studies on everything from job applications, to using work experience and networking effectively Specially commissioned employer, university, adviser and graduate insights from organisations large and small, as diverse as investment banking and international development aid giving you the inside track on what employers are looking for and how to develop your career. This essential guide equips you with the knowledge and practical guidance you need to achieve your full potential during your studies, into your first role, and in your career beyond. SAGE Study Skills are essential study guides for students of all levels. From how to write great essays and succeeding at university, to writing your undergraduate dissertation and doing postgraduate research, SAGE Study Skills help you get the best from your time at university. Visit the SAGE Study Skills hub for tips, resources and videos on study success!
This book investigates the dilemma of educating students for future work in the context of the Philippines, one of the top sources of migrant labor in the world. Here, colleges and universities are expected to not only educate students for jobs within the country, but for potential employers beyond national borders. It demonstrates how human capital ideology reinforces such export-oriented education, creating an assumed relationship among academic credentials, overseas opportunity, and future migrant remittances. Findings indicate that attempts to produce migrant workers undermine the job security of college instructors, skew local curriculum towards foreign requirements, and challenge efforts to develop academic programs in line with local needs. As more developing nations turn to migration as a development strategy, colleges and universities face increasing pressures to produce future migrant workers who will have an advantage over other nationalities. This book emphasises the importance of understanding how this global phenomenon affects colleges and universities, as well as the teachers and students within these institutions. This book raises important questions on the role of universities in today’s global economy and the effects of contemporary migration flows on developing countries.
In these complex and challenging times, students, teachers and employers are all interested in the development of generic abilities as these typically make the difference between good and indifferent employees, successful and unsuccessful learners. This book explains why generic capacities have become so important and argues that the process of acquiring them is both lifelong and developmental.
India Higher Education Report 2020 critically analyzes the role played by the state, industries, and higher education institutions in the employment and employability of educated youth in India. The book discusses a wide range of topics such as employability skill gaps of higher education graduates; curriculum and skills training systems; formal and informal modes of skill formation; crisis of jobless growth in India; migration, education and employment; dimensions of gender, caste and education; general, technical and professional education; vocationalization; qualifications framework and skills certifications; curriculum and pedagogy in higher education for skill development; industry–academia linkages; entrepreneurship education and executive education; and sustainable employment. The book focuses on theoretical insights, empirical evidences and recent data on key issues and challenges of higher education graduate employment in a knowledge economy driven by the unprecedented expansion of higher education and increasing digitization. It offers successful cases of institutional responses, examples of policy and practices as also perspectives of different stakeholders such as employers, employees, teachers and students to present trends in the changing landscape of higher education and future demands of the job market for the youth workforce across sectors, subject disciplines and gender. This volume will be an important resource for scholars, teachers and researchers of higher education, public policy, political economy, political science, labour studies, economics, education, sociology in general as well as for policymakers, professional organizations and associations, civil society organizations, and government bodies.
A decade after the Bologna Declaration has called for the establishment of a cycle system of study programmes and degrees all over Europe the changes actually having occurred in this reform process can be measured and assessed. To what extent did the bachelor students gained international experiences during or after their study program? What is the proportion of bachelor degree holders who are employed about one year after graduation? What are the labor market experiences of those bachelor graduates who started to work? Was it difficult to gain relevant employment? What are the employment conditions for bachelor graduates in terms of income, position, working time, unlimited term contracts compared to traditional graduates? To what extent are bachelor graduates working in areas with close relation to their field of study (horizontal match)? Is their level of education needed for their work tasks (vertical match)? These are the key questions which will be answered in this volume based on surveys of graduates from institutions of higher education recently undertaken in ten European countries (Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, and United Kingdom). The bachelor-master-structure actually implemented varies substantially between the countries and also the consequences of these reforms differ strikingly. In some countries, more students spend a period of study abroad than the goal set for the year 2020 in the Bologna Process; in other countries, not yet a quarter of the expected rate is achieved. Also the frequency of bachelor graduates differs by country who opt for further study, transfer to employment or are both employed and students. The comparative study also provides a wealth of information about the employment and work situation of bachelor graduates as compared to other graduates from institutions of higher education. The book provides relevant information for students and teaching staff at institutions of higher education, employers and politicians and administrative staff dealing with higher education issues.
