Workplace skills

Advice on how to help students develop employability skills for the 21st century workplace, covering real-world experience and authentic learning that aids graduates in the transition to professional careers.

Man on ball juggling balls in front of a city

How a rich extracurricular campus life nurtures well-rounded individuals

Soft skills such as organisation, communication and networking are often developed outside the classroom. Here’s how universities can help their students learn vital life skills

M. C. Zhang, Aliana Leong

Macau University of Science and Technology

Image representing the uncertainty of the future

How we used a business management theory to help students cope with uncertainty

Uncertainty is a major challenge to mental health so a team at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University used a business management tool to help students cope with worries about the future. Here, they explain how

Zheng Feei Ma, Jian Li Hao, Yu Song, Peng Liu

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Giving students the chance to work in a professional company housed in a university has benefits for all

We started a commercial software company at our university – and you should too

Staffed by students, epiGenesys provides profits for the university and allows students to work in a lively, supportive and successful business environment

Mike Holcombe

University of Sheffield

Training students in effective teamwork and collaboration

The ability to work effectively as part of a team is a vital life skill. Steven Bateman, Yan Jin and Jie Zhang explain how they support and train students in teamwork

Steven Bateman, Yan Jin, Jie Zhang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Recruiting university tutors using an interactive group activity

Hiring candidates with strong academic results may seem like the best way to recruit tutors. But this does not always mean they will have the right attributes to support student learning. In this video, Carl Sherwood explains how and why to use a group interview process to recruit university tutors

Carl Sherwood

The University of Queensland

Lifelong learning needs a reboot to help professionals untangle their continuing education options

Lifelong learning needs a reboot – here’s how to do it

Instead of untangling a miscellany of education products, lifelong learners should find the structure and purpose of their degree continues into their professional life

Matt Riley

Blueprint Prep

University staff and leadership should not forget that the academic and the vocational are deeply intertwined

Don’t forget that the ‘academic’ and the ‘vocational’ are deeply intertwined

It’s not enough to focus solely on academic mission, but neither is it enough to think of universities as little more than training schools, says Sir Chris Husbands

Chris Husbands

Sheffield Hallam University

A teenager with street smarts, but university graduates will need to combine practical and academic skills to boost employability

Do our students need to be book smart or street smart? They need to be both

Employers want talent to jump right in and fulfil new tasks without a lot of coaching. Project-based learning will help prepare students for this new way of thinking and working

Lee Ann Walker

Colorado State University Global

Image of students learning the transferrable skills wanted in the workplace

Strategies to train students in three transferable skills wanted by employers

Two simple teaching methods that faculty can use in the classroom to train students in the communication, problem-solving and critical thinking skills sought by employers, shared by Elly Vandegrift

Elly Vandegrift

University of Oregon

Papparazzi. Bringing in an expert guest to your university classes can help with student attention

Tips on bringing expert professionals to class to support learning

Capturing students’ attention can be a challenge for teachers. We propose bringing the real world to the classroom through expert guests, say Gabriela Espínola Carballo and Mariana Elizondo

Gabriela Espínola Carballo, Mariana Elizondo

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Supporting cybersecurity literacy for workforce-ready graduates

Employers need a cybersecurity-literate workforce, and higher education could play a valuable role in filling the gap

Steven Furnell

University of Nottingham

An excerpt of Romeo and Juliet, a literary work which could be used to teach students career-based skills

Five practical ways the literature classroom can help student careers

Olivia Burgess offers five tips for using literature classes to explore workplace preparation and engage career-minded students

Olivia Burgess

Colorado State University Global

Challenge-based learning: design and delivery in undergraduate courses

Courses that incorporate real problems from real companies offer students a rare chance to acquire knowledge while also developing useful professional skills

Nelly Ramirez Vásquez , Maria del Rosario Rosas Escalona

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Looking to the future of the workforce and universities

The sector must come together when talk turns to promoting economic success

What could be more important than preparing our students for jobs in the local economy and supporting graduates to become the entrepreneurs of the future? asks Sir David Bell

David Bell

University of Sunderland

Advice on guiding students in developing their sense of identity through transitions from education into work

Learner, student, graduate: a toolkit for student identity formation and critical reflection

A toolkit to guide students in developing and critically reflecting upon their own identities and journeys as they progress through higher education and into professional life

Rebecca Westrup, Sophie Reading

The University of East Anglia

LinkedIn is becoming academia’s key tool for career progression

For students and academics alike, it’s harder to ignore LinkedIn’s combination of networking and self-promotional opportunities

Gillian McCurdy

Arden University

Advice on developing higher education programmes that meet the skills needs of Gen Z students

Catering to Gen Z’s needs: creating a flexible and adaptable education programme

Universities need to teach broad knowledge and skills that will help graduates adapt in a fast-changing future workplace. Three academics share insights from developing a generalist approach to training business students

Eric Chee, Roy Ying, Winnie Chan

The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Career action plans: assignments to inform students about job options and start preparing them to their preferred careers

Assessing career action plans: improving graduate employability

Career action plans are assignments designed to guide students in making informed choices and preparing for future jobs. Alexander Bradley explains how they work

Alexander Bradley

The University of Portsmouth

Using 'career corners' to present employment options to students

Career corners: a simple way to improve student job preparation

Many students enter their final year with no idea what they wish to do after university. Career corners aim to help by providing job and industry overviews that facilitate informed choices

Alexander Bradley

The University of Portsmouth

Black, Latinx and first-generation students need help garnering social capital if their higher education investment is to pay off in terms of a career

If we truly want a level playing field, we must focus on social capital

For minoritised students to really benefit from HE, they need support to understand the world of work, build connections and activate networks

Andy Chan, Kristina Francis

Wake Forest University, JFFLabs

Young woman works on engineering planning project, contextual learning, HELF

Contextual learning: linking learning to the real world

Experience in the professional world can set your students up for a seamless transfer from higher education to the world of work

Alexandra Osika, Stephanie MacMahon, Jason M. Lodge, Annemaree Carroll

The University of Queensland

Learning as becoming, lifelong education, holistic approach, HELF framework

Learning as becoming: what do students become as a result of their higher education experience?

A learning framework can help students understand their transition from higher education to the professional world as well as support their holistic experience of university life

Alexandra Osika, Stephanie MacMahon, Jason M. Lodge, Annemaree Carroll

The University of Queensland

Advice on developing a course portfolio that meets workplace demand for upskilling

Pivoting university course offerings to upskill the workforce

Teresa Ironside outlines how universities can develop their course portfolio to meet changing workplace skills demands and deliver education to a wider range of learners

Teresa Ironside

The University of Edinburgh

With the right kind of support, university students with mental disabilities can thrive both on campus and in the workplace

We can help students with intellectual disabilities shatter glass ceilings

With the right approach and a strong institutional commitment, students with intellectual disabilities can thrive at university and in the workplace

Meg Grigal, Ann Werbach

University of Massachusetts Boston, InsideTrack

Woman on rock at beach dipping toes in water illustrating work-integrated learning

Helping students to see the future career value of their work-integrated learning

Real-world experience and outputs tailored to industry allow students to see the relevance of what they learn in the classroom

Sabine Matook

The University of Queensland

Advice on university teaching strategies that will develop student employability

Developing student employability within universities

Yhing Sawheny shares effective strategies for higher education institutions to equip students with the skills they need for the workplace

Yhing Sawheny

Siam University

Virtual work experience can be a game changer for young students

How to work with Forage to implement virtual internships

Ben Powell provides tips and reflections on how universities can improve student employability using Forage, a free online platform offering a range of virtual internship programmes

Ben Powell

University of Westminster

IT technician with a laptop computer and black male engineer colleague in data centre

Connecting on-campus learning with preparation for careers and life beyond the hedges

Career preparation begins before graduation. Ellenor Anderbyrne and Daniel Youd describe lessons learned from building a student career-readiness programme from the ground up

Ellenor Anderbyrne, Daniel Youd

Beloit College

Yellow paper figure surrounded by headlines about health and money anxieties, Covid uncertainty

How educators can help manage Covid anxieties on campus

Simple strategies can allow teachers to connect more deeply with students and help prepare them for stressful professional environments

Michael Ellwood

The University of Queensland

Advice on guiding reflective practices among students as part of their university curricula to aid their professional and personal development

Students as reflective practitioners: a personal development journey

Professional development is often taken for granted and seldom well embedded into university curricula. Alexandra Mihai looks at how intentional learning design can help make it an integral part of students’ learning experience

Alexandra Mihai

Maastricht University

How to set up university mentorship schemes to support students to become the socially responsible leaders of the future

Foster mentorship skills to create the socially responsible leaders of the future

Institutions should look to set up mentorship practices that help students develop the skills they will need to create successful and sustainable companies. Laura-Jane Silverman explains how

Laura-Jane Silverman

The London School of Economics and Political Science

Advice on embedding socio-emotional learning into curricula across disciplines

Mind matters: embedding socio-emotional learning in higher education curricula

Kathleen Chim and Benjamin Chan explain how universities can embed socio-emotional learning into courses across multiple disciplines to better prepare students for the future workplace

Kathleen Chim, Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan

Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Education and grades are often in direct conflict in higher education, so it might be time for a messy divorce

Education and grades are often in direct conflict – it’s time for a messy divorce

Universities don’t do a very good job of credentialing, and the process actively harms students and their learning, so why do we persist? asks Danny Oppenheimer

Danny Oppenheimer

Carnegie Mellon University

Advice on bringing real world practical training into the online classroom through case studies

Keeping it real: bringing practical dimensions into online teaching

Pamela Henderson sets out how to bring real world training into the online classroom by developing effective simulated case studies, based on her experience teaching law

Pamela Henderson

Practical and authentic assessment is crucial for students hoping to show employers what they're capable of

How to make sure assessment practices are as authentic as possible

We all want employers to be confident that students have the skills to do the job. And these skills still require assessment, it’s just done a little differently, says Paula Reilly

Paula Reilly

Arden University

Universities should be preparing now to be inundated with older students given workforce shifts

Universities need to prepare for the mature student onslaught

Higher ed is notoriously bad at attracting and accommodating mature students. Given the workforce shifts spawned by the pandemic, this needs to change, says Dilshad Sheikh

Dilshad Sheikh

Arden University

Advice on developing external partnerships which create opportunities for real world learning

How to develop partnerships that offer students real-world learning experiences

Rhianedd Smith shares insight on how to collaboratively create real-world learning experiences for students with professional partners

Rhianedd Smith

University of Reading

Advice on creating equitable pathways to better engage all students regardless of background or prior knowledge

Co-creation and empowerment: pathways to better student engagement

Effective approaches universities can take to promote equity and improve student learning outcomes and employability, shared by a team from the University of Salford

Sara Namvar, David Greensmith, Niroshini Nirmalan

University of Salford

Advice on inviting industry professionals to share their expertise with students

Hosting industry professionals: embedding vocational skill-building into higher education

Liam Jarvis sets out three common pitfalls and three points of advice for facilitating productive encounters between students and industry professionals in higher education

Liam Jarvis

University of Essex

New approaches to bringing students and businesses together can help address employability issues after university

Four practical tips for bringing students and businesses together

New approaches to student and employer “matchmaking” can help address graduate underemployment – and bring enjoyment for both sides, says Adele Browne

Adele Browne

De Montfort University

Advice on getting students thinking about and preparing for their future careers

Preparing students for an uncertain future through career planning

Lessons in engaging students in future career planning and preparation as part of their university studies, shared by Stephen Warrington, Katherine Cameron and Matt Vickers

Stephen Warrington, Katherine Cameron , Matt Vickers

The University of Edinburgh

Community colleges are at the forefront of work-related study

Community colleges are the front line for workforce innovation

As bachelor’s-granting institutions grow ever more focused on employability, there’s much they can learn from community colleges, say Vicki Karolewics and Bharani Rajakumar

Vicki Karolewics , Bharani Rajakumar

Wallace State Community College, TRANSFR

Universities' conventional, top-down approach fails to recognise that working adults often already possess many critical work skills

Now is the time to design a system in which all learning counts

Our conventional, top-down approach fails to recognise that working adults often already possess many critical work skills, say Lisa McIntyre-Hite and Mackenzie Jackson

Lisa McIntyre-Hite, Mackenzie Jackson

Guild Education

Advice on using digital simulations to prepare students for workplace challenges

How to use digital simulations to prepare students for future careers

How institutions should use digital simulation technology to train students in practical, real-world skills, based on her experience in healthcare courses

Stephanie West

Arden University

Universities and higher education need to do a better job of preparing students for the workplace

How higher education can do better at developing skills for the workplace

Universities must do more to nurture enduring skills that can be transferred across different contexts such as critical thinking, problem-solving and communication, says Ben Nelson

Ben Nelson

Zayed University

Chatbots can be vital tools for university careers services, with one-to-one discussions set to become a thing of the past

How AI and chatbots can deliver personalised career planning

The development of careers chatbots could be considered a threat to guidance practitioners, but the reverse is true, says Caroline Tolond

Caroline Tolond

Arden University

Figure at the top of a ladder illustrating skills for career progression, online learning

Creating opportunities to enhance student employability online

Working online presents opportunities for students to develop their employability in the digital space. Ruth Donnelly lists how remote programmes can prepare them for the changing workplace

Ruth Donnelly

The University of Edinburgh

HE needs to follow tech companies’ lead and go ‘agile’

Universities need shorter cycles of learning and credentialing, such as eight-week academic terms and quick, stackable certificates, says Tom Monahan

Tom Monahan

DeVry University

The importance of a structured mentorship programme for ECRs cannot be overstated

How to ensure your mentorship programme isn’t one of the (many) bad ones

Structured mentorship programmes offer a non-judgemental setting in which to ask those pesky questions whose answers shape careers, says Lia Paola Zambetti

Lia Paola Zambetti

University of Sydney

Displaced workers deserve more than short termism from universities

Displaced workers deserve more than short-termism from universities

Institutions must stop and think before helping reshape the career trajectories of millions of workers, says Gangaram Singh

Gangaram Singh

National University

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