Student voice and influence on employability in Australian higher education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2017vol8no1art657Keywords:
higher education, graduate employability, student unions, student voice, student equityAbstract
Higher education institutions are increasingly focussed on improving the capacity and potential of their graduates to gain employment. Attempts to develop employability skills through both mainstream and extra-curricular activities create new demands and expectations for students. Despite these demands, little attention has been given to student voice and influence in the employability sphere. Furthermore, the specific role of student unions in improving employability has been marginalised in Australian research. The research reported in this paper involved conducting a national survey of student groups and a comprehensive desktop review to capture student perspectives and investigate strategies to improve employability. From the research five broad student-centred approaches were identified: providing input into university employability strategies; placing students in positions of leadership and responsibility; delivering careers services; managing clubs and societies; and advocating for students from equity groups who have relatively poor completion rates and/or graduate outcomes. The findings are discussed and recommendations targeted to higher education institutions and student unions are provided.
Metrics
References
Australian Government. (2017). Higher education reform package. Retrieved 12 May from https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-reform-package-0
Bennett, D., Richardson. S., & MacKinnon, P., (2016). Enacting strategies for graduate employability: How universities can best support students to develop generic skill. Part A. Canberra, ACT: Australian Government, Office for Learning and Teaching, Department of Education and Training.
Brett, M. (2016). Disability and Australian higher education: Policy drivers for increasing participation. In A. Harvey, C. Burnheim, & M. Brett (Eds.), Student equity in Australian higher education: Twenty-five years of A Fair Chance for All (pp. 86–108). Singapore: Springer Publishing.
Bridgstock, R. (2009). The graduate attributes we’ve overlooked: Enhancing graduate employability through career management skills. Higher Education Research and Development, 28(1), 31–44. doi: 10.1080/07294360802444347
Brooks, R., Byford, K., & Sela, K. (2015a). Inequalities in students’ union leadership: the role of social networks, Journal of Youth Studies, 18(9), 1204–1218. doi: 10.1080/13676261.2015.1039971
Brooks, R., Byford, K., & Sela, K. (2015b). The changing role of students’ unions within contemporary higher education. Journal of Education Policy, 30(2), 165–181. doi: 10.1080/02680939.2014.924562
Burnheim, C., & Harvey, A. (2016). Far from the studying crowd? Regional and rural Australians in higher education. A. Harvey, C. Burnheim and M. Brett (Eds), Student Equity in Australian Higher Education: Twenty-five Years of A Fair Chance for All (pp. 143–162). Singapore: Springer Publishing.
Centre for the Study of Higher Education. (2008). Participation and equity: A review of the participation in higher education of people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and Indigenous people. Melbourne, Australia: Universities Australia and the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne.
Curtin University. (2016). Curtin Extra Certificate. Retrieved 15 May 2017 from https://graduations.curtin.edu.au/graduate/curtinExtra_faq.cfm
Department of Education Employment and Training (DEET). (1990). A Fair Chance for All: National and institutional planning for equity in higher education. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
Edwards, D., & Coates, H. (2011). Monitoring the pathways and outcomes of people from disadvantaged backgrounds and graduate groups. Higher Education Research and Development, 30(2), 151–163. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2010.512628
Equality Challenge Unit (ECU). (2007). Inclusive students’ unions: Survey findings 2007. London: ECU.
Graduate Careers Australia (GCA). (2015). Graduate destinations 2014: A report on the work and study outcomes of recent higher education graduates. Melbourne: Graduate Careers Australia Ltd.
Harvey, A., & Andrewartha, L. (2013). Dr Who? Equity and diversity among university postgraduate and higher degree cohorts. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 35(2), 112–123. doi: 10.1080/1360080X.2013.775921
Harvey, A., Andrewartha, L., Edwards, D., Clarke, J., & Reyes, K. (2017). Student equity and employability in higher education. Report for the Australian Government Department of Education and Training. Melbourne: Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research, La Trobe University.
Harvey, A., Burnheim, C., & Brett, M. (2016). Towards a fairer chance for all: Revising the Australian student equity framework. In A. Harvey, C. Burnheim, & M. Brett (Eds.), Student equity in Australian higher education: Twenty-five years of A Fair Chance for All (pp.3–20). Singapore: Springer Publishing.
Li, I. W., Mahuteau, S., Dockery, A., M., Junankar, P. N., & Mavromaras, K. (2016). Labour market outcomes of Australian university graduates from equity groups. Perth, WA: National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) at Curtin University.
Martin, N. D. (2012). The privilege of ease: Social class and campus life at highly selective, private universities. Research in Higher Education, 53, 426–452. doi: 10.1007/s11162-011-9234-3
Messum, D., Wilkes, L., Peters, K., & Jackson, D. (2016). Content analysis of vacancy advertisements for employability skills: Challenges and opportunities for informing curriculum development. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 6(1), 72–86.
Mestan, K., & Harvey, A. (2014). The higher education continuum: Access, achievement and outcomes among students from non-English speaking backgrounds. Higher Education Review, 46(2), 61–79.
Quality Indicators for Teaching and Learning (QILT). (2017). Quality Indicators for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved 12 May 2017 from https://www.qilt.edu.au/
Radloff, A. (2010). Doing more for learning: Enhancing engagement and outcomes. Australasian Survey of Student Engagement: Australian student engagement report. Camberwell: Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).
Richardson, S., Bennett, D., Roberts, L. (2016). Investigating the relationship between equity and graduate outcomes in Australia. Perth, WA: National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education at Curtin University.
Rivera, L. A. (2011). Ivies, extracurricular, and exclusion: Elite employers’ use of educational credentials. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 29(1), 71–90. doi: 10.1016/j.rssm.2010.12.001
Stuart, M., Lido, C., Morgan, J., Solomon, L., May, S. (2011). The impact of engagement with extracurricular activities on the student experience and graduate outcomes for widening participation populations. Active Learning in Higher Education, 12(3), 203–215. doi: 10.1177/1469787411415081
Tran, T. T. (2016). Enhancing graduate employability and the need for university-enterprise collaboration. Journal of Teaching and Learning in Graduate Employability, 7(1), 58-71.
Walpole, M. (2003). Socioeconomic status and college: How SES affects college experiences and outcomes. The Review of Higher Education, 27(1), 45–73.
Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher education: what it is – what it is not. Learning & Employability Series One. York: The Higher Education Academy.