Graduate Employability: Future Directions and Debate

Abstract

Notes on the Contributors; List of Figures; List of Tables; Chapter 1: Introduction: Graduate Employability in Context: Charting a Complex, Contested and Multi-Faceted Policy and Research Field; Introduction: The Political Economy of Graduate Employability; Locating the Problem of Graduate Employability; Level of Analysis in Graduate Employability; Employment Versus Employability; Qualifications as Declining Currencies: Skills, Capabilities or Capitals; What We Know About the Graduate Labour Market; Employers and Graduates; Organisation of This Book; References. Chapter 2: Graduate Employability: A Critical OversightIntroduction; What Is Employability, Where Did It Come From? What Are the Main Dimensions Within the Broad Spectrum of the Employability Literature?; A Brief Modern History of Careers, Work and (Un)Employment: The Context of Employability; Employability in Public Policy, the Skills Debate; Employability as a Human Resource Management Strategy; Graduate Employability and the Higher Education Context; The Individual Focus: Employability Measures and Self-perceived Employability; Employability: Potentially Helpful, But Not the Answer? ConclusionsReferences; Chapter 3: Employability, Employment and the Establishment of Higher Education Graduates in the Labour Market; Introduction; The Purpose of Higher Education; Higher Education and Employability; Outcomes of Higher Education; On the Demands of the Labour Market and What Is Learned in Higher Education; Employability on a Structural Level; Employment, Unemployment and Earnings; Establishment in the Labour Market in Sweden; Discussion; References; Chapter 4: Critical Perspectives on Graduate Employability; Introduction; Higher Education and Graduate Employability. Dominant Perspectives of Graduate EmployabilityCritique of Dominant Perspectives of Graduate Employability; Alternative Theoretical Perspectives; Structural Constructivism and Bourdieu; Critical Realism and Archer; Developing a Critical Agenda: Implications and Challenges; Notes; References; Chapter 5: Developing a More Coherent and Robust Basis for Employability Research: A Critical Realist Perspective; The Critical Realist Perspective; A Critical Realist View of Employability; The Critical Realist Challenge to the Current Employability Debate; Concluding Comments; References. Chapter 6: Boundaryless and Protean Career Orientation: A Multitude of Pathways to Graduate EmployabilityIntroduction; The Neo-Liberalisation of UK Higher Education; Increased Participation and Diversification in Higher Education; Graduate Employability Agenda; Work-Integrated Learning; The Evolving Nature of Careers; Traditional Career; Contemporary Career; Boundaryless Career; Protean Career; MBA and Specialist Masters Insights; Graduate Career Orientation; Directions for Future Research; Conclusions; References; Chapter 7: Employability and Depth Psychology; Introduction; Depth Psychology.