Graduate Employability, Global Shifts and Local Realities

Abstract

In this chapter we are concerned with a broader frame for thinking about employability, namely the role of universities and the impact of globalization, and the complexities of advancing knowledge and supporting a competitive local economy through developing graduates with the ‘right’ skills. What this might mean for the public good of universities in South Africa also then comes into focus. We consider different perspectives on university functions before turning to higher education and development and our concerns with the current reductionist emphasis on economic growth and market forces, which pulls away from notions of an expansive public good and public-good values. We then look at graduate employability more specifically noting that the concept has gained considerable traction, thereby adding to the argument that higher education is a significant investment.