The ACAP courses include field education/ work placement component and in that way units and courses have learning outcomes related to employability
‘Griffith will prepare career-ready graduates with the capacity to play an influential role in the world’ (Griffith University, 2018). The University’s mission affirms its commitment to shaping ‘graduates of influence’ who are work ready, but are also ready to make a difference through their work and meaningful engagement with their communities. This commitment to meaning and purpose, and contribution through social engagement, represents a key point of differentiation for the institution. Griffith has embraced the notion of facilitating employability and developed a range of initiatives to foster graduate employability. Griffith’s Strategic Plan 2018-2019 and Academic Plan 2017-2020, seek to foster student employability by setting goals and targets around career readiness and also access to a range of quality opportunities for work integrated learning and other activities for employability development. These goals and targets cascade into annual Operational Plans for the University, and Group Learning and Teaching Plans.
The overall approach to employability at Griffith is best described as ‘portfolio’ (a multiplicity of opportunities within and outside curriculum) moving towards a more formalised ‘award’ approach, with well-developed Group-based employability award schemes available in two Groups (Business Plus and Sciences Plus) and a pilot underway for a university-level Employability Award scheme (Griffith Graduates of Influence). Many Academic Groups and central elements of the University hold responsibilities around graduate employability. There is shared responsibility for employability between Academic, Engagement, and Research DVC portfolios, which means that many initiatives involve co-operation between and across Academic Groups and other areas of the university. In 2015, with consultation from each of Griffith's Academic Groups and Learning Futures, the Careers and Employment Service developed the University's Employability Framework. This framework provided a blueprint to position Griffith as a ‘university of influence’ in graduate success and employability. The Framework comprises four stages of a career success lifecycle: transition in, transition through, transition out and transition up (see section 17 2.7), and indicates the kinds of employability learning that are most suitable for each stage across a range of capabilities and areas of employability learning.
In 2018 the Employability Committee was tasked with reviewing Griffith’s approach to fostering the employability of its students. The review involved consultations with more than 200 Griffith staff in September-October 2018; analysis of strategy, policy and practice across the University; and a contextual review of best research-informed practice across the sector. On the basis of the review findings, it was recommended that the University develop an Employability Strategy and Action Plan for 2019-2021 that: Pursues an institutionally joined up approach that strengthens connections between initiatives, resources, and personnel, and communicates these Yes Yes, but No No, but connections to stakeholders; and adopts nuanced and differentiated strategies to accommodate different learner and professional/disciplinary needs.
Ten guiding principles were also developed to guide Griffith’s overarching approach to fostering graduate employability, and to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of employability-related actions and initiatives. These ten overarching principles are: 1. Short-term and lifelong, life-wide 2. Across the curricular & co-curricular student experience 3. Tailored to learner and program 4. Accessible and equitable 5. Whole-of-student lifecycle 6. Meaningful and purposeful 7. Partnered and connected 8. Evidence-based 9. Future focussed and future capable 10. Active, authentic and collaborative. A total of 20 specific recommendations for action were drawn from the review findings. There is a range of overlapping and complementary institution-level strategic and policy documents that apply to different aspects of graduate employability. These include:
• University Strategic Plan 2018-2019 A core characteristic of the Strategic Plan is: Delivering an excellent educational experience that allows our students to develop their potential and become influential graduates (p6). This characteristic translates to Goal 1, which is: To provide an excellent educational experience to attract and retain students who, regardless of their background, will succeed at university and become graduates and alumni of influence (p7). This goal is supported by a commitment to ensuring that Griffith provides an education that is engaged and relevant. The University is committed to enhancing student employability through industry-engaged programs that are relevant to students’ future career ambitions (p10). Targets set in the Strategic Plan align with those set in the Academic Plan 2017-2020. (https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/186572/2018-2019-Strategic-Plan.pdf)
• Academic Plan 2017-2020 Building from the high-level goal set out in the Strategic Plan, the Academic Plan clearly articulates goals, targets and strategies in support of student employability. Goal 1 is entirely focussed on the importance of enhancing student employability: Engaged and relevant. Enhance student employability through industry-engaged programs that are relevant to students’ future career ambitions (p10). Goal 2 also makes important links to the skills and knowledge that will support student and graduate success: Quality. Our students expect, need and deserve to receive high-quality curricular and co-curricular learning experiences and support services that enable them to prosper at university and to graduate with the skills and knowledge to succeed in their future careers, and become influential advocates for Griffith (p14). Then again, beneath Goal 3, there are strong connections to employability with the focus on developing flexible programs and micro-credentials in support of professional development and upskilling workers within particular industries. (https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/213053/academic-plan1.pdf)
• Research and Innovation Plan 2017-2020 Goal 4 of the Research and Innovation Plan, which focuses on research training, highlights the ACOLA review and the need to: embed greater industry and end-user experience in our programs, and also develop better understanding of how to support the needs of HDR students intending to work outside of academia (p12). The target against this goal is for HDR completions to be maintained above 400 per year by 2020. Student career outcomes (HDR-relevant employment) to be maintained at or above national averages (p13). Strategies 4.7, 4.8, 4.9 and 4.10 specifically address employability. (https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/169873/research-and-innovation-plan.pdf
• Enhancing HDR Candidate Engagement with Industry/Research End-Users: Institutional Strategy Griffith has been actively working towards enhancing industry-university collaboration at the HDR level, and all four Academic Groups have presented strategies for the development and promotion of HDR candidate internship opportunities with research end-users to the Board of Graduate Research. This paper builds on the information presented in the Group strategies, presenting a proposed University strategy for HDR Industry engagement. This strategy will also be fed into the current development of a University-wide employability action plan 2019-2020, specifically into the subtheme of WIL and industry engagement.
• Engagement Plan 2018-2020 The Engagement Plan is key to supporting the learning and teaching employability strategies by outlining an approach for strengthening, diversifying and broadening our engagement with industry and community. Beneath Student engagement, the Plan sets out the following priorities, which align with and support the Academic Plan: Embed employability through enhanced and extended partnerships for work integrated learning, mentoring, and the building of innovation and entrepreneurship skills. Promote active service learning by completing volunteering activities (p6). All of the priorities articulated beneath Industry and policy engagement are important for strengthening employability, in particular: Co-create and refresh programs of study to address workforce needs and skills development. Build upon existing Group strategies to develop holistic industry engagement across the University (p8). Similarly, approaches to strengthen both community and alumni engagement provide further opportunities for expanded student employability initiatives. (https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0039/169878/engagement-plan.pdf
• Internationalisation Strategy 2018-2020 This Strategy again explicitly supports employability and the development of Griffith Graduate Attributes. The section on Student Experience begins with recognition that the Griffith Graduate Attributes explicitly recognises the need to ensure all graduates are competent to work in culturally and linguistically diverse environments, as well as having a well developed sense of social awareness (p8). Further on, the strong links between global mobility and enhanced employability are made, with a goal to further increase the number of students taking up at least one mobility opportunity during the course of their study (p8). A dedicated section on employability explains that it is acknowledged that employability is the primary motivation for many internationally mobile students (p10). (https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0038/169877/gu-internationalisation-strategy.pdf
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan 2018-2019 The following principles outlined in the Plan are important and should underpin the development and delivery of employability initiatives: Be integrated and embedded. Through the concept of universal design, we aim to provide students and staff with a seamless experience. This ensures all members of the Griffith community can experience the University equitably. Integration of equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the university allows all individuals to participate fully and access support where required, which is tailored to meet the diversity of need. Be scalable and impactful. We will aim to invest in policies and programs that can be scaled to reach the largest number of people across our five campuses and online cohort. Policies and program also need to meet the unique needs of those who need them most, and be effective to achieve the greatest impact. (https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0028/533278/FINAL_Equity-Diversity-and-Inclusion-Plan-2018-2019.pdf
• Disability Action Plan 2018-2020 This Plan outlines some fundamental requirements that foster inclusive practice, of which one in particular should inform the development of employability initiatives: adopting the principles of Universal Design and inclusive practices that, at the very least, reduce the impact or remove wherever possible the many barriers to access, participation and success that currently exist and that will continue to emerge (p5). (https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/169880/disability-action-plan.pdf)
• Framework for Program Review The Framework contains a number of questions beneath the section on ‘Learning outcomes – student achievement’ that are employability related: Are students obtaining generic employability skills as a consequence of their studies? Are students acquiring Griffith Graduate Attributes? Are students gaining employment after graduating? Are they going on to further study (in like FOE or different FOEs)? (p5-6) Then, under the section ‘Program monitoring’, the following question: Are industry personnel invited to speak/participate in the delivery of the program as and when appropriate? (p7) And then a suite of questions to ‘evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of the program for stakeholders: What are the students’ perceptions of the learning outcomes from the program (both generic and discipline specific)? What do major employer stakeholders think about the program? What do past graduates think of the program? What are the views of the teaching staff about this program? What do other stakeholders think about the program? Eg, clinical staff, consumers, professional bodies. (p8) (https://policies.griffith.edu.au/pdf/Framework%20for%20Program%20Review.pdf
• Framework for Quality Assurance (https://policies.griffith.edu.au/pdf/Framework%20for%20Quality%20Assurance.pdf
• Work-Integrated Learning at Griffith This policy specifies how the University gives expression to the strategic target identified in the University's Strategic Plan, 2018 – 2019 that 'Griffith will prepare career-ready graduates with the capacity to play an influential role in the world’. The document loosely defines WIL at Griffith and sets out the characteristics that define WIL and the factors considered before selecting WIL host organisations.
• The Griffith Graduate The document lists the Griffith Graduate Attributes, stating the characteristics that the University seeks to engender in its graduates through its bachelor degree programs and postgraduate qualifications. (https://policies.griffith.edu.au/pdf/The%20Griffith%20Graduate.pdf
• Griffith Employability Framework In 2015, with consultation from each of Griffith's academic groups and Learning Futures, the Careers and Employment Service developed the University's Employability Framework. This framework provides a blueprint to position Griffith as a university of influence in graduate success and employability. The Framework comprises four stages of a career success lifecycle: transition in, transition through, transition out and transition up. Discover more about these framework stages, as well as exemplars for each. (https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/215170/Career-Success-and-Employability-framework-final-1.pdf; https://www.griffith.edu.au/careers-employment/staff/griffith-employability-framework
All SAE Programs are designed to a common framework which includes the following features;
Common learning outcomes which deal with business, marketing and legal skills and knowledge.
Compulsory Work Integrated Learning requirements for all Bachelor Degree Students
Embedded Transferable Skills development throughout the program duration
Project Based Learning curriculum delivery framework which requires engagement with authentic audiences
Swinburne employability is a whole-of-university approach, whereby every aspect of the University’s proposition reflects employability principles and activities which apply to all student segments both domestic and international. The Transforming Learning Strategy aligns with the University’s other organisation-wide strategic priorities including Research with Impact and Innovative Enterprise and the PAVE Investment Plan. The critical relationships between enterprise, industry, community and the University required to afford expertise, value and experience each partnership provides to the graduates underpins the SUT strategy.
The Transforming Learning Higher Education, Learning & Teaching Strategy 2017-2020 outlines the approach to achieve the transforming learning vision set out in the Strategic Plan 2025 and how the university can develop Future-Ready Learners equipped for employment and business creation. From this strategy, a vision for the Higher Education Future Learning Experience has been created, building upon the research, the Transforming Learning Strategy and contributions of Swinburne staff through a Future Vision Summit. Four key principles: Professional Purpose; Student-centred course design; authentic learning experiences; Empowering staff to deliver the future learning experience.
Swinburne is creating a digital platform that allows for students to identify, define and communicate their Professional Purpose including their professional goals, relevant graduate attributes and experiences. The platform will be further enriched by labour market data and analytics to allow students to understand the connection between Graduate Attributes and technical skills with live job advertisements
UQ has stated strategic objectives to expand opportunities for students to enhance their employability. This is articulated in the UQ Strategic Plan 2018-2021 https://about.uq.edu.au/strategic-plan as: "Transform students into game-changing graduates who make outstanding contributions and address complex issues with a global perspective.“ This commitment is also articulated in Goal 1 of the UQ Student Strategy 2016-2020: Game-changing Graduates. To graduate students who use their intellectual assets to build meaningful careers, become effective leaders, and turn their ideas into impact. In particular, Initiative 1 to achieve this goal states: "Work integrated learning and student employability program expansion: Provide comprehensive opportunities to develop workplace awareness, workplace skills and industry insight by expanding work integrated learning and student employability programs.“
The institutional approach to employability is encapsulated in Pillar 4 of the UTAS Student Experience Strategy (2016-2020).
Yes. The University Policy on: Courses – Experiential Learning was approved within the last 12 months. The policy sets out principles, standards, procedures and learning objectives (including curriculum design and assessment) pertaining to employability. The definition of experiential learning in the policy is vague, and so it will be re-examined at a later date. However the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) portfolio is working on a strategy to embed WIL into all majors. Furthermore, a WIL Strategy Working Group has been formed to provide guidelines on embedding WIL into the curriculum across the institution.
The Victoria University Strategic Plan (2016-2019) establishes the framework for the Employability Strategy (2016-2019) and commits to ‘offering leading edge career-based education from pre-vocational certificates to PhDs, to help students develop themselves as employees and entrepreneurs.’ The Employability Strategy (the Strategy) sets out a three-year plan to improve graduate employment outcomes for both Higher Education and Vocational Education students at Victoria University. The Strategy aims to significantly improve the ability of VU graduates to gain and retain employment and to build a rewarding career regardless of their personal background, qualifications and professional experience. The Strategy sets a target to increase Higher Education Graduate Employment Rate from 59% (2016 /2017) to more than 67% by 2019 and to increase Victoria Polytechnic’s graduate transition to employment or further study from 86.3% to more than 88% by 2019 as key indicators of success for the Strategy. The Academic Colleges will also establish their own course specific targets to improve Graduate Employment Outcomes.
In terms of a strategies, student and graduate employability is inherent within the University’s Securing Success institutional strategy, and particularly in the central tenet of being a ‘Distinctively Student Centred University’. Section 1.4, 1.5, 1.10, all have employability, experience and outcome as a focus. In addition, the University now has an Employability strategy with an organising framework being Graduate Capital and three strategic pillars or objectives. Creation of work outcomes from the strategy gives an institutional focus to a large array of existing work and focused projects for further work.
An example of this is the University-wide 21C Curriculum initiative that is organised by Learning Transformations office working together with the Office of Planning and Quality and the Office for Employability and Graduate Success. This promotes employability through a range of innovative curriculum projects such as the 21C Flagship Curriculum Projects, The Future of Work Forums and the Partnership Pedagogy Initiative. These offices are working in concert to provide strategic guidance and advise on embedding a focus on appropriate employability related learning outcomes in policies and processes at an institutional and school level.
Working with industry and community partners to ensure employability outcomes for students, and providing quality student experiences directly aligns to Curtin’s Strategic objectives. Curtin’s Vision, Mission and Objectives outlined below exemplify the importance of employability and external stakeholder engagement in meeting strategic directives (See Attachment 2). Curtin’s positioning statement refers to an endeavour to be both industry-facing and industry-embedded and build life-long connections with an engaged alumni.
Curtin recently developed revised graduate capabilities to reflect the changing dynamics of the workforce and ensure graduates are equipped with the skills necessary to succeed. Curtin University funded a three year strategic project from 2013 to 2015 which established an institutional framework for WIL. An article Driving institutional engagement in WIL: Enhancing graduate employability published by the project team who led the strategic initiative is available at https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2015vol6no1art577. Curtin has recently developed a document called Distinctive Curtin Student Experience which incorporates the focus on employability
ECU has a distributed leadership model for employability across Schools and Service Centres, including the Centre for Learning and Teaching (curriculum design) the Directorate of Student Life (Career specialists and mentoring and alumni networks). The recent development of the Student Success Blueprint 2018 – 2021 (the Blueprint); revisions to the Curriculum Design Policy and Procedures, and an organisational restructure are the foundations for an institutional approach to employability at ECU.
Yes, ICMS has a related institutional approach. But 'employability' is yet to be formally defined with a draft Employability Policy currently being finalized. The ICMS vision and purpose shows a related institutional focus: ICMS Vision: Australia's Leader of Career-Focused Education; ICMS Purpose: Educating students for Personal Success in their Professional Life To date, policy and processes supporting this vision and purpose have been focused upon the Industry Training Program and its associated guideline / booklet and subject outlines; which are coordinated within the dedicated WIL Office.
As an institution, Macquarie University is still conceptualising an institutional approach to employability. We currently have an extremely well-established institution-wide approach to work integrated learning through our signature PACE program that is supported by Careers and Employment services, experiential programming, and many ‘pockets of good practice’ across Faculties and Departments as well as employability ideation supported through internal learning and teaching grants. The following examples of programming and practise highlight that employability is actively pursued across the institution: PACE.
Macquarie University’s PACE program is the most coordinated, strategic approach we have to employability. PACE is a a whole-of-University Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program unmatched in Australian higher education in terms of scope, scale, diversity and curriculum integration. All Macquarie Bachelor degrees include at least one PACE unit. The PACE strategic vision is to connect students, partners and University staff in mutually beneficial learning and relationships that contribute to social change and innovation. This in turn enhances student employability and their capability for active citizenship. Since its inception in 2012, more than 29,000 students have undertaken PACE learning activities with over 3,400 partners in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. In 2018 alone a further 8,000-plus students are enrolled across 84 PACE units. From the outset PACE has been strategically framed as a key driver of the University's broader institutional priorities.
The University has piloted a programme for employability at Massey called ‘Kahurei’. ‘Kahurei’ literally means ‘an adorned cloak’, a reference to the range of formal and informal skills that students develop during their time at university. This is distinctive to Massey in its effort to recognise and reward ‘soft skill’ development through cocurricular activities. The concept behind this programme is that students will come to recognise (as will employers) the range of diverse capabilities that students develop and take with them through their learning experiences. We want to recognise this skill development through the verification of activities and competencies to ensure that our students are graduating with clear and defined sets of skills that will make them truly competitive in the workplace.
All SAE Programs are designed to a common framework which includes the following features; Common learning outcomes which deal with business, marketing and legal skills and knowledge. Compulsory Work Integrated Learning requirements for all Bachelor Degree Students Embedded Transferable Skills development throughout the program duration Project Based Learning curriculum delivery framework which requires engagement with authentic audiences
There is no overarching employability strategy. However, a number of strategies indirectly support employability at SCU including: The University Plan 2016-2020 which states Southern Cross University’s mission to prepare “our students to live a life they value and to be effective global citizens...by creating inspirational and engaged learning experiences” The University strategy is supported by targeted strategies such as the Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) which takes a holistic approach to developing strategy for employing Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander staff as well as supporting students into and during their studies.
There are many employability related initiatives occurring in isolation of each other, but not under an overarching employability framework, and with limited linkages or leveraging between them (see link in 1.4). This will change in 2019 with the recently endorsed USC Student Employability Strategy 2019-2022 being implemented.
Evidence:
1.2a Institutional Approach, Policy and Processes
Whilst not explicit in the organisational strategic plan, an institutional approach to employability exists with some strategic plan objectives connected to graduate employability. Currently the Industry Engagement discipline takes responsibility for employability, but the level of responsibility and outcomes needs to be defined at an institutional level.
This is currently an emerging area at Murdoch University. There are areas of good practice, and employability has recently been included as an explicit component of the University’s 2017-2027 Strategic Plan, listed as one of two core goals; “The Murdoch University study experience will provide every student with an outstanding education, leading our graduates to become innovators fully prepared for their future careers”. A key initiative aimed at achieving these goals is the recent development and staged roll out of the “Career Learning Spine’, a new curriculum initiative that requires students to complete 9 credit points (currently conceived as three 3 credit point units) of ‘career learning’ or ‘real world learning’ related units as a part of their course. These units can be made up of a choice either centrally delivered interdisciplinary units, delivered by a team within the Pro Vice Chancellor Education Portfolio, or as discipline-based units where available. In 2018, the centrally delivered Career Learning Spine units had a total of 1008 enrolments.
The UNSW Work Integrated Learning Procedure (currently in final consultation phase) is an institution-wide policy outlining requirements and processes for managing work integrated learning (WIL) at UNSW: https://www.gs.unsw.edu.au/policy/drafts/wilprocedure.pdf
Employability is indirectly referred to in the USQ Strategic Plan 2018 - 2020
Objective 3: enhance our global standing as a source of graduates who excel in the workplace and develop as leaders: USQ Strategic Plan:
https://www.usq.edu.au/hr/resources/plans
Educational Experience Plan Strategy: Develop the expectation and actively promote the development of educational programming that requires a professional or voluntary internship in addition to that demanded through professional compliance. Educational Experience Plan: https://open.usq.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=5581
New Graduate Attributes Policy currently under gazettal will require from 2019 all UG and PG coursework programs to develop students' employability attributes: e.g. Employability professionals who are confident, self-directed, resourceful, resilient and adaptable to change
USQ is currently developing an Employability Strategy to bring together employability across the University
Many undergraduate and postgraduate students may already have employment but may not be in their preferred career