Employability: aligning the message, the medium and academic values

Abstract

For a long time, links have been made between higher education and economic activity. The relatively recent emphases on employability (in the UK) and graduate attributes (largely in Australia) can be construed as contemporary variations. This article describes some of the developmental work that has taken place in the UK but which has obvious relevance to other higher educational systems. Reticence to embrace employability in curricula may in part be due to the failure to present a convincing evidence-base: two initiatives in England have attempted with some success to rectify the weakness. The article concludes by outlining some of the challenges that face both institutions and the higher education sector if employability is to be taken seriously.