Employers and Graduate Opportunities

The aim of this article is to raise the profile of time and resource management interventions, not just as part of the delivery of Student Learning Development Services but as a core strategy, supported with interventions and resources that can be systematically evaluated, to help students (both undergraduate and postgraduate) maximise academic and employment potential. This opinion piece puts forward a case for Student Learning Development practitioners to design and deliver interventions aimed at improving students' self-regulated learning skills. The case is illustrated by examples from research on self-regulated learning (e.g. Pintrich, 2004) and from reports on graduate employment figures (e.g. OECD Heckmann, 2013) and employers' perceptions of graduates' employability skills (e.g. Council for Industry and Higher Education, Archer and Davison, 2008). There are also examples of interventions delivered by the Student Learning Development Service, Trinity College Dublin Ireland to help students improve self-efficacy and time management skills. The aim of this opinion piece is to stimulate discussion and ideas as to how educationalists and, in particular, professionals working in Student Learning Development Services in third level environments, can help students to develop these behavioural skills to enhance both their academic and employment potential.

:<i>Studying While Black: Race, Education and Emancipation in South African Universities</i>

This study investigated the perceptions of soft skills among employers and graduates in Sarawak, using descriptive quantitative research methodology to determine if there is a significant difference between the employers and graduates; to compare differences in ranking of soft skills, and thus the occurrence of a skills gap between both parties. The literature reviews in this study emphasized, firstly, the perceptions of graduates and employers on soft skills about employability, a topic which had been studied over the decades across the world, since the skills gap or mismatch arose from the different perceptions is an ongoing phenomenon, that affected the curriculum of the higher education institutions and the labour market in the industries. Second, soft skills development has evolved; it has been referred to as 21st-century skills; a critical component of today's graduates' employability. Then, this study examined the perception of stakeholders involved in graduate employability, in particular, employer and graduate. The skills gap existed as a result of the disparities in perceptions between graduates and employers as the findings revealed there are differences in ranking orders, and frequency analysis confirmed the mean score comparisons of the ranking options between both parties. In terms of employers’ demographic characteristics, significant differences were spotted after analysing a one-way ANOVA. These findings aimed to provide useful information to the stakeholders involved in assisting with the reduction of the skills gap and hence improve the graduate employability in Sarawak.

Digital trust indicates a general belief that people, technology, and processes act or are aligned in ways that fulfill people's digital expectations. This chapter explores and compares the digital trust levels of employees (n = 768) working in different companies in the food supply chain from a worldwide sample. The food supply chain companies are agriculture chemicals, agriculture/farming, food processing, wholesale, and hotel/tourism/restaurant firms. The results indicate that the wholesale companies in the supply chain serving retail, hotels, restaurants, and tourism companies have significantly higher digital trust levels in technology, people, and processes when compared the other chain members. Furthermore, in the micro-environment, the more proximal environmental elements such as customers, manufacturers, or service providers are more trustful when compared to more distal elements such as journalists, government, or non-government organizations in the supply chain. This chapter contributes to the literature by presenting digital trust levels of employees from the food supply chain and their trusted elements in the micro-environment.

The tenacity of the enquiry was to scrutinize the effect of home-based factors on girls’ participation in education in Pokot Central Sub-County in West Pokot County in Kenya. This is in the dainty of apprehension that notwithstanding the introduction of Free secondary Education in Kenya, infrastructure funding by both the National and County governments, bursaries for needy students from National, County governments Non-Governmental organizations and mentorship programs for girls by Non-governmental organizations to stimulate girls participation in education in Arid and Semi-Arid areas in Kenya, girls participation in secondary school education in West Pokot County has endured indefinable and below par participation. The study was guided by the following research questions: what is the effect girls’ participation in home chores and family size on girls' participation in education in Pokot Central Sub-County, West Pokot County, Kenya. The study adopted quantitative research methodology, ex-post facto research design. The study targeted 3100 girls in public secondary schools. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select a sample of 341 girls to participate in the study. Census approach was used in which all the 15 Principals and 15 PTA Chairpersons of the sampled schools were involved in the study. Questionnaires, Interview Schedules and Document analysis guide were used as data collection instruments. Data collected was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Graphic statistics was analyzed in form of frequencies, proportions, mean and standard deviation. Analysis of Variance was used to test the hypotheses. The enquiry established that there was a negative association between family size and girls’ participation in home chores and their participation in education. The study concluded that increased family size and girls’ participation in home chores affected girls’ participation in education negatively. The study recommended that girls should be given minimal home chores so as to enable them to effectively participate in education.

Proficiency in English language skills among graduates that create advantages for the organization is preferred by prospective employers as one of the main criteria for employability. This article provides an overview of undergraduates in higher education and also workplace literacy from the perspective of the employers in the manufacturing industry. The result from the research demonstrates that Malaysian manufacturing industry employers perceive that the graduate employees’ English language proficiency skills are still below their expectations. Therefore, this study recommends that there is a need for intervention into language teaching to improve the English language syllabus level of English proficiency at primary, secondary and tertiary level. At the same time, emphasis on the importance of English in everyday use should be inculcated without neglecting the national language of Malaysia. This will ensure that the teaching of English will be in line with globalization and current workplace demands.

Purpose: This study examines inequality of opportunity (IOp) in university-to-work transitions (UTWT) and employment outcomes in the Western Balkans Six (WB6), a region facing high graduate unemployment, systemic labour market inequalities, and weak institutional coordination. Grounded in the Sustainable Career Ecosystem (SCE) framework, which integrates Career Ecosystem Theory (CET), Sustainable Career Theory (SCT), and IOp theory, this study explores how systemic, institutional, and individual factors shape employability and career sustainability. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a two-stage quantitative analysis with 2019–2021 Regional Cooperation Council survey data, Stage 1 employs OLS regression to estimate IOp in UTWT (time-to-first-job), while Stage 2 applies logistic regression to assess the impact of IOp and career ecosystem factors on employment outcomes (job satisfaction, job security, perceived job opportunities). Findings: Findings reveal significant disparities based on gender, rural background, and socio-economic status, with higher IOp linked to poorer employment outcomes. While skills mismatches and informal hiring mechanisms hinder career sustainability, social capital, public sector employment, and perceptions of government job protection improve employment outcomes. Research limitations/Implications: The study is limited by cross-sectional data and the self-reported nature of socio-economic measures. Future research should employ longitudinal data and qualitative approaches to better assess the long-term sustainability of career transitions. Originality/Value: This study provides a multi-level analysis of graduate employability in an underrepresented region, offering insights for policy, universities, and employers. It contributes to the advancement of Sustainable Career Ecosystem theory by examining how structural inequalities shape graduate employability and long-term career sustainability. The findings align with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work), and 10 (Reduced Inequalities), advocating for targeted policy interventions that promote equitable and sustainable career pathways.Purpose: This study examines inequality of opportunity (IOp) in university-to-work transitions (UTWT) and employment outcomes in the Western Balkans Six (WB6), a region facing high graduate unemployment, systemic labour market inequalities, and weak institutional coordination. Grounded in the Sustainable Career Ecosystem (SCE) framework, which integrates Career Ecosystem Theory (CET), Sustainable Career Theory (SCT), and IOp theory, this study explores how systemic, institutional, and individual factors shape employability and career sustainability. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a two-stage quantitative analysis with 2019–2021 Regional Cooperation Council survey data, Stage 1 employs OLS regression to estimate IOp in UTWT (time-to-first-job), while Stage 2 applies logistic regression to assess the impact of IOp and career ecosystem factors on employment outcomes (job satisfaction, job security, perceived job opportunities). Findings: Findings reveal significant disparities based on gender, rural background, and socio-economic status, with higher IOp linked to poorer employment outcomes. While skills mismatches and informal hiring mechanisms hinder career sustainability, social capital, public sector employment, and perceptions of government job protection improve employment outcomes. Research limitations/Implications: The study is limited by cross-sectional data and the self-reported nature of socio-economic measures. Future research should employ longitudinal data and qualitative approaches to better assess the long-term sustainability of career transitions. Originality/Value: This study provides a multi-level analysis of graduate employability in an underrepresented region, offering insights for policy, universities, and employers. It contributes to the advancement of Sustainable Career Ecosystem theory by examining how structural inequalities shape graduate employability and long-term career sustainability. The findings align with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work), and 10 (Reduced Inequalities), advocating for targeted policy interventions that promote equitable and sustainable career pathways.

Cai and Tomlinson’s (A renewed analytical framework for understanding employers’ perceptions of graduate employability: Integration of capital and institutionalist perspectives. In T. Broadley, Y. Cai, M. Firth, E. Hunt, &amp; J. Neugebauer (Eds.), SAGE Handbook of Graduate Employability (pp. 479–495). Sage, 2023) renewed analytical framework for understanding employers’ beliefs about graduate employability integrates Tomlinson’s (Forms of graduate capital and their relationship to graduate employability. Education + Training, 59(4), 338–352. https://doi.org/10.1108/et-05-2016-0090, 2017) concept of employability capital and Cai’s (Graduate employability: a conceptual framework for understanding employers’ perceptions. Higher Education, 65(4), 457–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-012-9556-x, 2013) conceptualisation of the institutionalisation of employers’ perceptions of graduate employability. This paper uses it to reinterpret an empirical investigation of China-based Finnish employers’ perceptions of Finnish-educated Chinese graduates (Cai, Understanding employers’ perceptions of international graduates: An investigation of the employment prospects of Finnish-educated Chinese graduates in Finnish companies operating in China. Tampere University Press, 2012) to test and enhance the framework. The re-analysis of old findings with the new framework focuses on two questions: What is the explanatory power of Cai and Tomlinson’s (A renewed analytical framework for understanding employers’ perceptions of graduate employability: Integration of capital and institutionalist perspectives. In T. Broadley, Y. Cai, M. Firth, E. Hunt, &amp; J. Neugebauer (Eds.), SAGE Handbook of Graduate Employability (pp. 479–495). Sage, 2023) framework, and how can it be demonstrated? How can the framework be further enhanced? By answering these questions, the paper also contributes to resolving some long-standing debates in the graduate employability literature, such as whether an international education improves employability.

Workplace ideologies play an important role in graduate employability and employers’ perceptions of the ideal employable graduate. However, insufficient attention has been paid to what employers take into consideration when making a recruitment decision and their perceptions of the ideal graduate. We deployed a qualitative methodology to collect data from 50 employers from diverse sectors in New Zealand. We found that employers highly appreciated socio-cultural fitness, constructing career-ready identities and displaying positive psychological qualities while being influenced by the normative ideology of ethnic habitus. Employers, often unconsciously, prioritised candidates who fit within the established cultural norms of the workplace, potentially overlooking qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. Although employers’ narratives demonstrated an awareness of resisting normative ideologies, their recruitment practices often contradicted these ideals. The findings suggest that tertiary institutions could develop policies and activities to enhance graduates’ socio-cultural fitness, enact career-ready identities and promote positive psychological qualities. They may also raise graduates’ awareness of workplace ideologies and realities, enabling them to enact the necessary professional identities in the workplace.

The higher education sector in Australia is moving rapidly towards greater accountability in regard to graduate employability outcomes. Currently, data on new graduates' self-reported generic skills and employment status provide the evidence base for universities to make judgements about the effectiveness of curricula in preparing students for employment. This paper discusses alternative sources of evidence, namely the Graduate Employability Indicators (GEI) - a suite of three online surveys designed to supplement current indicators. They are designed to gather and report graduate, employer and course (teaching) team perceptions of the achievement and importance of graduate capabilities within specific degree programs. In 2009 and 2010, the surveys were administered to stakeholder groups associated with Accounting degrees in four Australian universities. In total, 316 graduates, 99 employers and 51 members of the course teaching teams responded to the surveys. This report presents the aggregated results from the trial. These suggest that the fourteen capabilities at the heart of the GEI are considered important, and that both quantitative and qualitative items facilitate the reporting of essential information. Both Accounting employers and teaching staff consider that important capabilities need to be better demonstrated by new graduates. The graduates themselves identified ways in which their courses can be improved to enhance their early professional success. An importance-performance analysis suggests prioritising particular capabilities for immediate attention in particular, work related knowledge and skills, writing clearly and effectively, thinking critically and analytically, solving complex, real-world problems and developing general industry awareness. This paper suggests that an enhanced industry focus might be effected through authentic assessment tasks, and clear identification of the capabilities developed through the curriculum.

Contemporary South African campus fiction has always been concerned with questions of power, being, and knowledge production. Kopano Matlwa’s novel Spilt Milk, like most campus fiction, evokes and challenges the South African academy, and looks at ways of making the school and/or university a hospitable place. Unlike Matlwa’s sister novels Coconut and Period Pain, Spilt Milk has received few scholarly reviews. I examine how the novel reveals and can be read as a starting point in exploring the intellectual dimensions of colonialism. I investigate the decolonial concept of the coloniality of knowledge and Matlwa’s seeming quest for decolonial education by foregrounding the educational institution Sekolo sa Ditlhora as the prime setting of the novel. The argument around the coloniality of knowledge I advance here is akin to current debates seeking to decolonise (or Africanise) education in South African schools and universities. Theoretically, this article draws from the decolonial ideas on the coloniality of knowledge whose foundations were laid by the Peruvian sociologist Aníbal Quijano, who suggested that, for global domination, colonisers imposed their own modes of knowing and methods of producing knowledge. The concept of the coloniality of knowledge in Matlwa’s fiction is multifaceted since it speaks to the colonisation of space, education, languages, and the ways of life of the colonised people. Following the 2015 #RhodesMustFall protests at South African universities, I argue that the characterisation of Mohumagadi, and her foregrounding of Africa as an epistemic site from which she interprets the world, is an attempt at moving the centre.

This chapter comparatively examines graduate employability issues in India and Australia. This chapter is based onquantitative and qualitative data collected in the surveys by the chapter authors;on four stakeholders (students, graduates, educators, employers) and their perceptions regarding strategies and other components of graduate employability. The chapter is organised into three sections. The first section identifies the key contextual factors impacting graduate employability in India and Australia. The second section presents and discusses the quantitative survey results, focussing on the discrepant perspectives of the various stakeholders and between India and Australia. The third section presents an analysis of the qualitative survey results from a solely Indian stakeholder perspective. Finally, the results are combined and interpreted to derive conclusions, policy implications and recommendations. This chapter is concluded with a survey comment written by one of the responding students in India. This student insightfully recognised that graduate employability is ashared responsibility, and can only be improved through the collaboration of three main stakeholders - students, universities and employers or national employment leaders. The five policy implications are posed to the Indian government through increased public funding: (i) the expansion of the capabilities and attributes of Indian graduates through promotion of practical knowledge and extracurricular student experiences; (ii) the promotion of research and training to the teachers and administrators of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs); (iii) the establishment of publicly funded quality controls and regulatory bodies for evaluating, assuring and improving consistency among private and publicly funded HEIs; (iv) the strengthening of internal quality reviews and improvement processes within HEIs; and (v) increasing employment opportunities for Indian graduates through developing internship initiatives and processing to enhance positive collaborative links between education and employment.

Multilingual education in South African universities: Policies, pedagogy and practicality

After the demise of apartheid it was hoped that a radical shift would give impetus to multilingual education in universities in South Africa. This is predicated on the vigour that South Africa exuded in its endeavour to promote eleven languages to national official status for the country. The question is, will universities ever be able to create a rich tapestry of a genuine all-inclusive multi-lingual language policy that elevates the status and use of indigenous languages in universities? In this regard, the article highlights what transpires with regard to language policy implementation in universities. It also presents the views of lecturers and students of content subjects concerning the promotion of multilingualism in universities. For this research a questionnaire was administered to university lecturers of content subjects whose views the researcher claims to have hitherto been untapped. The article also proposes certain strategies to be implemented so that universities can promote multilingual education in tandem with national endeavours.

The transition from high school to university for first-year students is challenging in academia, globally, and locally. Students must continually provide quality content at university and possess organisational and coherent language skills in writing essays and assignments. They should meet expectations such as demonstrating their academic writing skills, showing meaningful writing, which includes reasoning, and drawing readers’ attention to the pertinent facts. For a few decades, academic support programmes, including writing centres, have been introduced in South African universities to assist first-year students in academic writing. Despite establishing these programmes, poor academic writing persists in many South African universities among first-year students. Therefore, this study explored how the Academic Writing Centre, as a collaborative scaffolded approach, could improve the academic writing skills of first-year English Second Language (ESL) students at a South African university. The study adopted a quantitative method through a descriptive research design. A questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. Fifty first-year students who were registered for the Senior and Further Education and Training phases at the faculty of education of a South African university were chosen (N=50; males=14, females=36). Descriptive results revealed that the Academic Writing Centre could be considered a collaborative scaffolded model to improve the academic writing skills of first-year ESL students. The study recommends exploring writing support centres and lecturers further as essential tools that can assist students in socialising the link between entry and the discourse of university subjects’ academic requirements.