Workforce Preparation and Employability

Ongoing changes in the Australian higher education sector are increasing the pressure on institutions [and more directly, on teaching staff] to improve graduate workplace readiness and employability. At present, however, the quantifiable measures by which staff and institutions are assessed [typically ‘rate of graduate employment’] fail to take into account long-term employment and satisfaction. Instead of simply preparing graduates for ‘the modern workplace’, higher education institutions should be building student agency and independence via authentic student-centred and community-oriented learning that encompasses all forms of postgraduate life. By building student agency, independence and a critical approach to the future, we can forge empowered students who are best prepared to make informed decisions about their lives.