From passion to profession: an employability framework in sport development

Abstract

Employers seek graduates with a broad skill set who can acquire and implement new skills to quickly adapt to changes in the workplace. To ensure graduates are well-equipped for the workforce, universities should prioritise not just delivery of discipline-specific coursework, but also provision of opportunities for students to cultivate their employability skills. Tailored employability initiatives across the lifecycle of a degree are presented in this paper. By examining a case study in Sport Development, the article showcases how structured employability curriculum can be effectively integrated into core subjects to provide students with the essential abilities and understanding required for graduate employment. This paper demonstrates that universities have the potential to further strengthen students’ employability skills by incorporating customised employability initiatives throughout the student lifecycle, encompassing both curricular and co-curricular activities. Universities are encouraged to work closely with alumni, industry, and other stakeholders to develop a degree-wide approach to employability activities that are tailored to the needs of students and their future profession.