Skills Development In Higher Education And Employment

The last decade has seen radical changes in higher education. Long held assumptions about university and academic autonomy have been shattered as public and political interest in quality, standards, and accountability have intensified efforts for reform. The increased influence of the state and employers in the curriculum of higher education is exemplified by the increasing emphasis on so-called core or transferable skills; an emphasis supported by the Dearing Report which identified what is called key skills as necessary outcomes of all higher education programmes. However, there is little research evidence to support such assertions, or to underpin the identificaiton of good practice in skill development in higher education or employment settings. Further, prescription has outrun the conceptualisation of such skills; little attention has been paid to their theoretical underpinning and definitions, or to assumptions concerning their transfer.

Anyone with a responsibility for curriculum development or policy making within higher education who wants to advance learning and promote employability amongst their students will find this book absolutely essential reading.

This book is the first to show how to integrate Personal Development Planning (PDP) activities into teaching in higher education. It is packed with activities, exercises, lesson plans, resources, reflective questionnaires, skills audits and case studies, and with suggestions for how these may be customized to suit different groups of students in different subject areas. By embedding activities into the curriculum, students are encouraged to engage with the PDP process to help them: gain a better understanding of what and how they are learning improve study skills gain a clear idea strengths and areas for development improve ability to explain and discuss skills and abilities with prospective employers, with the evidence to support your claims become a more effective, independent and confident self-directed learner. Personal Development Planning will help all staff and educational development professionals, teachers in HE, and advisers and support staff in careers services enable students to build up a personal development record to improve their ability to relate their learning and achievements to employers' interests and needs and, ultimately, gain employment.

This book is about SOARing to Success: a pedagogy that engages individuals in a structured and supported process of personalised learning, leading to the development of transferable career management and employability skills. The SOAR model (as it has come to be known and used) provides tried and tested ways for educators to implement Personal Development Planning (PDP), Career Development Learning (CDL) and employability agendas. The theoretical concepts and practical activities that are interpreted and integrated within SOAR require all learners to make meaningful dynamic connections within and between Self, Opportunity, Aspirations and Results, through inbuilt requirements for self-reflection, action and interaction, research, analysis and synthesis. Especially relevant for regeneration in the post-pandemic world, this fully updated edition emphasises and addresses the needs to: focus more broadly on multidimensional employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship take account of post-Covid-19 educational and employment landscapes, changing labour market realities and employers’ technology-enabled recruitment methods engage proactively and positively with ways to strengthen resilience, health and wellbeing in ourselves and others tackle academic learning and assessments with digital research and information literacy skills be(come) adaptable and/or adaptive according to the demands of different contexts co-create (with social enterprise and business skills) a better world in which self-actualisation aligns with the actualisation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals reflect globalisation in the internationalisation of higher education (HE). Packed full of useful practical features, this text and its e-resources will help all staff and education development professionals, teachers in HE and advisers to motivate and enable students to relate their learning and achievements to the demands of life and work in our times.

Focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, which in recent years has been the engine of global economic growth , this volume surveys trends and prospects in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with particular reference to achieving inclusive growth and the greening of economies. Underlying the increasing pressure for new models of TVET provision is the rapid pace of technological change, demand for a work force which is highly responsive to evolving needs and a transforming market place that calls for higher order skills and lifelong learning. The book proposes a re-engineered, modernized TVET system that fosters an innovative approach which enhances the employability of workers as well as the sustainability of their livelihoods. The book includes contributions from leading policy makers, researchers, and practitioners, including those in the private sector in analyzing and forecasting the most urgent priorities in skills development. The book argues for creative approaches to TVET design and delivery particularly with a view to improve job prospects , and meeting the goals of inclusion, sustainable development and social cohesion. Addressing issues such as the chronic mismatches between skills acquired and actual skills required in the work place, the volume proposes diversified approaches towards workforce development and partnerships with the private sector to improve the quality and relevance of skills development . The new imperatives created by ‘greening’ economies and responses required in skills development and training are addressed. Developing TVET is a high priority for governments in the Asia Pacific region as they seek to achieve long-term sustainable growth since the .continued success of their economic destinies depend on it. The volume also includes an emerging framework for skills development for inclusive and sustainable growth in the Asia and Pacific region.

The purpose of Career Development in Higher Education is to provide a broad and in-depth look at the field of career development as it applies to individuals involved in higher education activities, in a variety of educational and vocational training settings. The book will examine some of the field’s major themes, approaches and assumptions using the writings of a variety of regional and international experts/authors. Specific emphasis is spent examining issues reflective of today’s challenges in developing and maintaining a workforce that is diverse, flexible and efficient. Readers will be provided with an action based framework built on the best available research information.