Background

In an increasingly competitive and volatile graduate employment market it is vital that students are equipped with skills that enable them to maximise their potential for a successful career.  The Government's aim to increase higher education participation amongst 18-30 year olds to 50% by 2010 and changes in the industrial structure of the country will have profound effects on the type of work graduates will engage in.  As the number of graduates entering the workforce increases, so competition for jobs intensifies. 

Also, the decline in the proportion of graduates following traditional career paths in large national/global organisations and the emerging trends of service sector employment, in small/medium sized firms (or self-employment) has implications for the types of skills needed by graduates. 

The aim of the project is to develop, implement and evaluate a range of curriculum interventions to enhance the employability of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism (HLST) students. In delivering this aim, the project objectives are to:

• Identify and evaluate the skills and attributes required for successful graduate employment in HLST
• Audit curricula in 10 partner HLST departments and develop clear strategies for embedding employability into their courses
• Develop and implement a range of innovative learning and teaching interventions that deliver the strategies to enhance students' employability
• Deliver excellent value for money by encouraging take-up of project outcomes across the HLST communities and beyond

A distinction must be drawn between employment and employability. Employment is synonymous with having a job, whereas employability is associated with possessing qualities that facilitate and enhance employment opportunities. Although there are a number of definitions of employability, one widely accepted definition is that provided by the Enhancing Student Employability Coordination Team (ESECT);  "a set of achievements, understandings and personal attributes that make individuals more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations".

Based on extensive research within the higher education community, Yorke and Knight (2004) have devised a list of 39 attributes deemed important for employability for use by colleagues as a prompt to analyse their programmes and facilitate curriculum auditing. These attributes are categorised under the headings of personal qualities, core skills and process skills. The work conducted by Yorke and Knight underpins much of this research, informing the development of the Graduate Employability Inventory, the Curriculum Audit Instrument and forming the basis for the preliminary focus groups.