Graduate Employability; Bridging the gap from Higher Education to Employment

Ryan, Ann (2018) Graduate Employability; Bridging the gap from Higher Education to Employment. Masters thesis, Griffith College.

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Abstract

The employment landscape for graduates is competitive, as they enter into a complex and globalised workplace. The onus is on graduates to quickly add value and bring innovation to organisations, however a review of empirical literature suggests Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are failing to adequately prepare students for employment. This literature highlights a widening graduate skills gap in the areas of professional (soft) skills development. This paper aims to explore graduate’s transition from Higher Education into employment, with a key focus on the concept of employability, and in particular graduate employability and work readiness within STEM disciplines. By researching the views of industry professionals and graduates, this paper reveals the opinions of key contributors, articulating the current viewpoints of what employers require, and what skill set graduates need as they transition from HE to employment. Key research questions will focus on; • What, if any, is the competency gap’ between STEM graduate’s attributes and employers’ expectations within the Pharma / Medtech sector and how can HE address this? - What is the current view of HR professionals, Recruiters and Employers within industry regarding the standard of graduate competence and in the workplace? - What level of competence do graduates feel when starting a new role within the Pharma or Medtech Sector? - What training do graduates feel they need to better equip them for the employment in industry? The research design applied is a mixed method approach using both qualitative and quantitative data, to gain insight and answer the proposed research questions. The research findings echoed the commentary from empirical literature with regard to a deficit in soft skill development in the areas of communication skill, critical thinking and emotional intelligence. In addition, the findings also indicated a disconnect with graduate’s ability to fully align and articulate what they have learned in a HE environment to an employment setting. These findings provided validation for the artefact (Student Handbook) which was the product of this research and also highlighted the need for more emphasis on graduate employment policies within HEI and greater alignment of industry requirements to HE curricula.

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