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 every single aspect, not just employment, but everyday life, basically. So, going forward, I’m not going to stop here.”

This 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 with graduate skills, through academic courses, professional “…I had to work part time to cover my expenses, I was often unable to partake in extracurricular activities or social events which would have provided opportunities for skill development.”

Getting to know people from diverse backgrounds has opened my eyes to what the world is really like. It makes me more aware of globalisation but I’m not too sure how that changes things when I go into the world of work. “I think the university could do more to engage students in the earlier years of the degree. I hear a lot about 3rd/4th years doing more and gaining skills but very little for 1st/2nd years.” “Teach us skills that we need... help us understand the market of the field we are in and what it looks like getting a job in the field. That is why we came to university.”

services support (e.g. the careers service) PREPARATION FOR and student organised activities (e.g. clubs THE WORKPLACE and societies). However, there is room for While students are confident that they are improvement. developing a broad range of skills relevant

Students were less aware of the to the workplace, they are less confident embedding of skills in the earlier stages of about how to evidence these skills, how to their studies (i.e. first and second year) and meet employers’ expectations, and what the would like more subject-specific careers realities of the workplace really are. guidance and workplace experience.

Students are comfortable with their BARRIERS TO SKILLS inter-cultural communication skills but feel DEVELOPMENT less equipped to apply their knowledge and Students emphasised the importance skills to the global workplace, citing limited of personal responsibility for seeking provision and the financial cost of study opportunities and support for skills abroad as perceived barriers to development development and most felt their higher of global skills. education institution had provided equal

Students felt equipped with digital opportunities for skills development. literacy and indicated that digital skills are Around 20% of students experienced embedded in their studies and learning barriers, with extracurricular opportunities but felt less confident in professional viewed as less accessible to students juggling communication, career and identity part time work and those with ill health or management in digital settings. caring responsibilities. “…I had to work part time to cover my expenses, I was often unable to partake in extracurricular activities or social events which would have provided opportunities for skill “I have been able to dig deep and find skills I never knew I had, this has given me confidence in my own ability and views.” The goal of our research was to enable future students from all backgrounds and characteristics to transition successfully to the graduate workplace. Working in collaboration with academics, students and careers advisers helped us to develop a more inclusive perspective on employability (Daubney &

Walling, 2019).

“Teach us skills that we need... help us understand the market of the field we are in and what it looks like getting a job in the field. That is why we came to university.”

“I know the skills that look good on paper - but the reality of a real workplace (long overdue hours, difficult customers/clients) cannot be learned on a university campus!”

INFORMING EMPLOYABILITY PRACTICE AND HE POLICY Given our findings we recommend that higher education institutions consider: 1. Strengthening connections to the workplace and capitalising on informal work experience: for example, by incorporating volunteer, part-time work and internship experiences in the curriculum (Artess et al., 2017). 2. Emphasising global perspectives within the curriculum, by recognising achievements in global skills beyond travel and study abroad: for example, students’ experiences of internships and intercultural group work (Riley, 2012). 3. Providing opportunities to recognise graduate, global and digital skills, particularly in the earlier years of study: for example, by building reflection and articulation of skills development into the curriculum (Bath, Smith, Stein,

Swann, 2007). 4. Embedding career management skills and employability training within the subject discipline, and incorporating digital settings (e.g., Copsey, 2018;

Kenyon 2019). 5. Providing flexibility in the academic and extracurricular development opportunities on offer for disadvantaged students or those working part-time: for example, online opportunities and local and informal work experience (Heagney & Benson, 2017).

Full report: QAA Scotland Focus on: Graduate Skills Student Views.

Thank you to the co-authors of the report: Maria Gardani, Anna Rolinska, Aikaterini Manoli, Grigorios Kokkinidis, Anoushka Kapoor, William Hasty and Debra Macfarlane

Maxine.Swingler@glasgow.ac.uk @maxine_swingler

Archie.Roy@glasgow.ac.uk