Supporting employability in today's dynamic and ever-changing world – Advance HE’s new framework

Over the last two decades, the term employability has become much used within the landscape of higher education (HE). In today's dynamic and ever-changing world, higher education institutions (HEIs) face the challenge of preparing graduates who are not only equipped with the necessary academic knowledge and skills but also possess the qualities and adaptability to thrive in an evolving, complex and unknown future.

Employability, in its broadest sense, encompasses a range of values, behaviours, attributes and competencies that enable graduates to navigate the complexities of the modern world – particularly the workforce (although not exclusively) and adapt to a range of changing demands. While debates over definitions still exist, the sector as a whole has shifted to a far more active stance on embedding practices and supporting students, arguably driven by a range of external factors that, depending where you are situated geographically, will have more emphasis as a key driver; graduate outcomes, regulations, metrics, league tables, student satisfaction, employer demands, governmental policy, internationalisation and student demands – to name those that I suspect will be near the top of most reader’s lists.  

Employability Framework

The last two years have seen the progression and development of new frameworks in nine thematic areas. Launching today is the Employability Framework that is a progressive enhancement on the works previously shared; drawing upon both evidenced based peer reviewed literature and more nascent grey literature such as reports, working papers, case studies and evaluations. This has been further supplemented by feedback from the global sector through a range of webinars, summits and guided conversations. This new framework shapes the direction for the series and points to three core components that form the structure of the frameworks: the student, the educator and the institution.

The student 

As a student-centred framework there is a recognition of the responsibility and ownership students play in enhancing their own employability through partnership of their learning and actively seeking opportunities to develop necessary skills and knowledge. This can be achieved through a variety of mechanisms and the framework identifies the core areas necessary to consider.

The educator

The role of educators is pivotal in fostering employability by embedding it into the curriculum and creating a learning environment that nurtures the development of the essential skills identified in the student dial. Educators can do this by a range of methods and the framework gives recognition to the need of contextualising the work to specific environments, ensuring the framework is inclusive and avoids being prescriptive in its methods.

The institution

The final but critical component is the institutional commitment to employability. HEIs can create a supportive and enabling environment that fosters employability by establishing a clear and strategic approach to employability that aligns with institutional goals and integrates employability into all aspects of the student experience. Without this, educators will not be encouraged to prioritise employability in curriculum design. Furthermore, there is a need to invest in the broad spectrum of support for employability; critically careers departments, but also through wider extra-curricular activity such as workshops, mentorship programs, enterprise hubs and so forth.

Come together

These are all necessary in order to build a culture and environment that is supportive; we simply cannot rely on individual components of the frameworks, it is how these come together to promote internal and external stakeholder engagement that is key. Fostering strong partnerships with employers, students and within professional support is critical to ensure the curriculum and learning experiences are aligned to enhance student success. By truly embedding employability into the curriculum, encouraging student engagement and fostering institutional commitment, HEIs can play a pivotal role in equipping graduates with the necessary qualities to succeed in their chosen careers and contribute meaningfully to society.

Benchmarking

The framework is a benchmark to consider when developing approaches, with the need for a critical awareness that it does not sit in isolation; it is one thematic lens that the student success journey should be viewed through. By way of example, you cannot consider embedded employability without reviewing your assessment practices. Similarly, you cannot appropriately support international students without reviewing your approach to employability. There are distinct frameworks in each area, and they are designed to intersect rather than address all elements at a granular level. It is therefore necessary to identify and address the nodes of intersect across all thematic areas.

This is the first framework within the series that can help HEIs deliver student success and I am delighted to launch this in 2024, a sector-developed framework that is of and for the sector – a framework to enhance your practice and enable students to achieve their potential.