Current narratives in HE are moving beyond a narrow focus on securing employment for students to include them developing a wider and more holistic set of 'attributes'. This brief presentation summarises this trend and explore some of the challenges and future trends that may result.

1. Beyond ‘employability’ - developing
graduate attributes
24th March 2014
Louis Coiffait
@LouisMMCoiffait
Head of Research,
OCEA and thepearsonthinktank.com
Editor,
Blue Skies (http://pearsonblueskies.com)
and Open Ideas (https://research.pearson.com)

2. Learning as we teach; e-books, an
overview l 21/11/2013
2
Agenda
 A little context, international and UK
 Different definitions of ‘employability’
 Examples of ‘graduate attributes’
 Beyond graduate attributes

3. Reminding ourselves of the current context
Why might ‘employability’ matter around the world?
 Glimmers of recovery after 2008 global recession
 Plan A austerity, reforms to make English HE more ‘responsive’
 UK Plc, the (6th) globally competitive knowledge economy?
 2030 global labour force of 3.5 billion, 2.9 billion today
 Projected shortfall of 40 million university-educated workers by 2020
 60% of global labour force growth from India, South Asia and Africa
http://thelearningcurve.pearson.com. McKinsey http://goo.gl/rXg60

4. Reminding ourselves of the current context
Why might employability matter in the UK?
BBC/ONS http://goo.gl/hLJbfy

5. UKCES – a skills-based approach
Different definitions
Individuals with ‘employability skills’ should have eight attributes:
UKCES http://goo.gl/ohCTD

6. Providers should follow 6 principles to embed employability:
1. Based on real workplace practice
2. Experiential
3. Personal
4. Reflective
5. A structured and integrated process
6. Strong institutional leadership and resources
UKCES – a skills-based approach
Different definitions

7. HEA - pedagogy for employability
Different definitions
“a set of achievements, - skills, understandings and personal
attributes – that make graduates more likely to gain employment
and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits
themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy”
Providers encouraged to;
1. embed effective employability practice within the curriculum
2. develop institutional level frameworks
3. develop strategic approaches to employability
4. support the graduate enterprise agenda (see NACUE)
HEA http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/employability

8. ‘Career readiness’ in the USA
Different definitions
e.g. ACT National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)
 WorkKeys credentials measure hard, cognitive "real world" skills
1. Applied Mathematics
2. Locating Information
3. Reading for Information
 NCRC Plus ranks individuals’ soft skills
1. Work Discipline: Productivity, dependability
2. Teamwork: Tolerance, communication, attitude
3. Customer Service Orientation: Interpersonal skills, perseverance
4. Managerial Potential: Persuasion, enthusiasm, problem solving
ACT http://goo.gl/c1aVL

9. USA Partnership for 21st Century Skills
Different definitions

10. Some other related agendas and narratives
Different definitions
 (social) enterprise and entrepreneurship
 Creativity
 Service learning and volunteering
 Work-related learning (work experience, sandwich courses etc.)
 (Global) citizenship
 Wellbeing
 Sustainability
 Personalised learning
 Careers guidance / management
 Values

11. Queen Mary Statement of Graduate Attributes
Examples of ‘graduate attributes’
Seven commitments to students.
Three institution-wide ‘Vision attributes’ at the heart of teaching and
learning across the institution as a whole:
- Engage critically with knowledge
- Have a global perspective
- Learn continuously in a changing world
Four disciplinary/departmental ‘Realisation attributes’:
- Rounded intellectual development
- Clarity of communication
- Research capacity
- Information expertise

12. University of Aberdeen’s Graduate Attributes
Examples of ‘graduate attributes’
“…a wide-ranging set of qualities which you will develop during your
time as a student, in preparation for employment, further study and
citizenship.”
- Academic excellence
- Critical thinking and effective communication
- Learning and personal development
- Active citizenship

13. What’s new here?
Examples of graduate attributes
Broader focus on individual outcomes, beyond attainment or employment
But also achieves institutional and societal outcomes
Not new, but UK a leader (see BIS/i-graduate http://goo.gl/hfMEpm)
Follows trends and different stakeholders over time
e.g. see current http://enhancementthemes.ac.uk by QAA Scotland
Variable policy and practice, different interpretations by actors
See Barrie http://goo.gl/edYhmU
Generic versus specific – to the institution, faculty, educator or student
Allows for differentiation (and competition)

14. Where next?
Beyond graduate attributes
 Funding follows learners in England, 4 UK nations diverging
 Increasingly competitive and marketised system
 Key Information Set (KIS) http://unistats.direct.gov.uk
 Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) http://www.hear.ac.uk
 Growing focus on outcomes, but risks of over-simplification;
e.g. education = employment = salary / economic growth
 Yes one way of making a university distinctive and attractive
 But the major implications (and potential) for teaching and learning
 Lifelong learning; before, outside and after HE
 Improving student experience and outcomes – flourishing, ownership

15. Thank you!
Louis Coiffait
@LouisMMCoiffait
…comments
and questions?