Abstract
Students will know some of the benefits and costs of an undergraduate degree. They will be told of the degree 'premium' and that, over a lifetime, they can expect to be better off. A university education will open doors to professions that will seem distant when completing school education. They will anecdotally hear stories about employers expecting a first or upper second. They will also know that some students will never pay back their loans. The reality is that an undergraduate degree can lead to a good job but this is not the case for all students as finding graduate level employment will be very challenging for some. We argue that courses should continually look at ways to enhance the employability of their students.It is understandable that students will see good grades from assessment as the route to a good degree and ultimately to a good job. If assessment can also develop and evidence the skills valued by others, particularly employers, then further benefits are added. There are a number of ways that student employability can be supported, including: careers advice; jobs fairs; visiting speakers and possibly a placement opportunity. We argue that, additionally, assessment can make a difference and with thoughtful design can make an even bigger difference. It is the author's experience that if students are asked what they learnt on their course, they are likely to talk about the outcomes of assessment. If these outcomes also evidence the skills valued by the employer, then this will present a more persuasive response. Assessment is critical for all courses. If assessment can leave the student with outcomes, experience or artefacts that evidence a 'can-do' ability then we argue this must positively impact on employability.
Highlights
It is unsurprising that undergraduates will say that they are working for a first or upper second classification
If assessment can leave the student with outcomes, experience or artefacts that evidence a ‘can-do’ ability we argue this must positively impact on employability
A degree can lead to a good job but not for all; the BIS report shows that one-third of all graduates in the working population are not doing a highskilled job (BIS, 2016, p.11)
Summary
It is unsurprising that undergraduates will say that they are working for a first or upper second classification. Assessment can mean different things to different people: to staff it can confirm the expected learning; to students a proof of knowledge and skills; to an employer it can give credibility to a qualification. It can be a motivator, give a sense of achievement and broaden horizons. We argue that assessment should be designed to deliver fair and consistent results but deliberately give students the opportunity to develop and evidence It may be the case that the course does offer the opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes valued by employers but students still need to find ways to articulate this. We believe that more can be done and that good practice could be extended across a wider range of modules
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