Publications.

Break-Out or Break-Up?: Implications of Institutional Employability Strategies for the Role and Structure of University Careers Services, 2008, Butcher, V., and Watts, A. G. Graduate Market Trends, Winter 2008/09, pp 5-7.

This is a report of research into the changing institutional strategies of four universities, two pre-1992 and two post-1992, and how the work of careers services is evolving to reflect these. The focus is on responses to the externally driven government agendas relating to the themes of employability, enterprise, personal development planning, and employer engagement.and the ways in which these have been framed within different institutions.

Career development learning and employability, 2006, Watts, A.. A Guide within the Higher Education Academy Learning and Employability Series, The Higher Education Academy.

This Guide is aimed at HE staff who are responsible for curriculum design and/or delivering curriculum components concerned with career development learning. Themes include the nature of employability strategies and the place of career development learning within them and ways in which career development learning can be implemented within HE and the roles of teaching and careers staff, and students, in this.

Careers Education Case Studies Series, 2008, Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS).

A series of case studies has been compiled by members of the AGCAS Careers Education Task Group, building on the good practice developed and described in the Careers Education Benchmark Statement (this resource is included in this section of Employability Resources). The case studies demonstrate how careers education can be embedded into degree programmes. Academics interested in this should contact their campus careers service.

Future fit: preparing graduates for the world of work, 2009, the CBI and Universities UK.

This report defines employability, highlighting its importance to the current crop of graduates, and describes the role HEIs and employers can play to give students the best possible opportunities to build, refine and articulate their employability skills. It contains, information about what universities and employers are currently doing, including survey findings and case studies to illustrate good practice.

Graduate Employability: can higher education deliver?, 2008, Maher, A., and Graves, S.. Threshold Press (copies are available from Angel Maher at: amaher@brookes.ac.uk).

This book, an output from the FDTL5 'Enhancing Graduate Employability' project, will be valued by those academics across the discipline spectrum, but especially those in the HLST subject areas, who are interested in enhancing the employability of their students. Based on an extensive literature review and empirical research, it firstly discusses the key issues on employability and higher education, especially “the great skills debate”. It then focuses on embedding employability in the curriculum and the challenges associated with this. There is also a chapter on supply and demand in the HLST labour market which is brave given the turbulent and rapidly changing situation for graduates as economies across the world struggle. This book’s sister publication, Developing Graduate Employability: case studies in hospitality, leisure, sport and tourism, is also available from Angela Maher).

Helping Departments to Develop Employability, 2003, Harvey, L., and Knight, P., No.5 in the Briefings for Employability series, The Higher Education Academy.

Aimed at HEI departmental heads and project leaders this briefing encourages heads to actively persuade staff to be involved in the development of the employability of their students, focusing on the role that academics might play in helping students to be aware of, develop and reflect on their employability attributes. Ways in which traditional academic practices, eg formative and summative assessment, can be adapted to the employability agenda are considered.

'Higher Education at Work - High Skills: High Value', 2008, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

This report is essentially a higher level skills strategy for the UK, ie what needs to be done over the next 10 years to equip the workforce with the skills required for an innovative and competitive economy. It is based on the views, over 200+ responses, from a wide range of stakeholders including HE and FE providers and representative bodies, employers' organisations, Sector Skills Councils and Professional Bodies.

How Much Does Higher Education Enhance the Employability of Graduates?, 2003, Mason, G., Williams, G,. Cranmer, S., and Guile, D. of NIESR and the Institute of

This study focused on five subjects areas typical of the wide range of subjects taught in universities, namely: biological sciences, business studies, computer science/studies, design studies and history. Aspects of employability-enhancing strategies in departments in each subject area were considered including: their approaches to skill development; employer involvement with programmes of study; student work experience; and other employability initiatives. Correlations were made with graduate employment outcomes incorporating the views of graduates employees and their managers.

Implementing Bournemouth University’s Employability Strategy in the Subject Areas of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism, 2005, Gush , J. (Bournemouth University), The HE Academy Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Network.

This case study sets out the approach that the university has taken to design and implement a strategy for enhancing employability. This includes selection of the required employability attributes and the integration and assessment of these within the Learning and Teaching strategy, with links to personal development planning and Progress Files.

National Student Forum Annual Report, 2009, National Student Forum (NSF).

The second annual report of NSF describes students' current experiences in higher education and sets out priorities for change. Chapter 2, page 32, focuses on employability. From a student perspective it details the need, and makes the case, for an effective university-wide employability strategy, high profile careers services and high quality work placement programmes and makes recommendations to universities, and other parties.

A subject community perspective on supporting the development of employability, Ward, R., and Pierce, D., No. 7 in the Briefings for Employability series, The Higher Education Academy.

Aimed at Higher Education Academy subject centre managers and directors, this briefing is for academics who wish to think about and implement approaches that will support the students they teach in developing the skills, qualities and capabilities that will enable them to gain employment and be successful in their careers. It includes sections on; "Enhancing employability through the subject curriculum" which looks at ways of fostering employability through different subject curricula; and "What does this mean for developing practice?" which looks at approaches to teaching, learning and assessment that help students to develop the skills and achievements that employers value.

Tools and other resources.

Employability Card Sorts, The Higher Education Academy.

Designing and using a card sort can be an effective way to help students and staff to reflect on, assess, and make choices about employability issues and initiatives. Currently available card sorts can be tailored to meet the differing needs of staff.

To locate other themed and generic resources please click on any of the following:

Centres for Excellence in teaching and Learning (CETLs).

The work of some CETLs is designed, in whole or in part, to enhance aspects of career preparation through learning and teaching. Aspects of integrating employability features into programmes of study across an institution are included in some projects.

Employability and Employee Learning,The Higher Education Academy. 

These web pages describe the work of the Employability and Employee Learning (EEL) team whose remit is “to influence and enhance the student learning experience by facilitating and brokering networks of projects, institutions, individual academics and subject centres in the areas of employability, employer engagement and employee learning.” It includes a keyword search facility to locate HEA employability resources.

EvidenceNet, The Higher Education Academy.

This resource is designed to promote and explore the use of practice- and research-based evidence in teaching and learning in Higher Education.  Phase 1, now available, includes a searchable repository of resources, events and networks from the Academy and beyond.

Projects web pages,The Higher Education Academy

The Academy's Connects services provide easy access to information, resources and networking opportunities specifically tailored to the needs of the learning and teaching communities.