THE RESEARCH ISSUE
graduate skills and labour market readiness: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON THEIR OWN EMPLOYABILITY Maxine Swingler, Lecturer in Psychology, and Archie Roy, Careers Manager, at the University of Glasgow, report on a student-focused study, funded by QAA Scotland, intended to gain a multidimensional perspective of where students feel they have got to in their readiness to enter a complex, global graduate labour market. “It’s [digital skills] becoming super important in ever y single aspect, not just employme nt, but ever yday life, basically. So, going forward, I’m not going to sto p here.”
people from Getting to know ed unds has open diverse backgro lly a t the world is re my eyes to wha of e more aware like. It makes m how re ut I’m not too su globalisation b into ings when I go that changes th rk. the world of wo
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his research was commissioned by QAA Scotland to investigate students’ views on equality of access to skills development opportunities, skills acquisition (including digital skills) and readiness for graduate employment. We used surveys and focus groups to gain in-depth understanding from 327 undergraduate and postgraduate students (51% UK, 26% EU, 18% international) across fifteen Scottish universities. The project was led by a team of academics, a careers manager and student interns.
EFFECTIVE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Our results suggest that higher education institutions are successfully equipping students “…I had to with graduate skills, work par t ti m y expens through academic es, I was o ft e par take in courses, professional extracurr ic ula or social events wh ich w provided oppor tun ities developm ent.”
ersity could “I think the univ the age students in do more to eng ar he I f the degree. earlier years o g /4th years doin a lot about 3rd ry ve ing skills but more and gain years.” little for 1st/2nd
ha skills t s u h an “Teac n d e rs t u s u e h e lp field w of the ike ooks l l t i t a is wh . T ha t d l e fi t he t o u ni v
