Skill mastery and the formation of graduate identity in Bachelor graduates: evidence from Australia. Issue 7 (2nd July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jackson, Denise
• Is Part Of: Studies in higher education. Volume 41:Issue 7(2016)
• Page Start: 1313
• Page End: 1332
• Publication Date: 2016-07-02
• Subjects: employability -- generic skills -- graduate identity -- Australia -- employment; Education, Higher -- Periodicals; 378.005
• DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2014.981515
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0307-5079

Abstract

Abstract : Mastery of certain generic skills and the successful formation of pre-professional identity are widely considered to influence graduate work-readiness and job attainment. Given their links with enhanced productivity, performance and innovation, skill development and graduate identity appear critical amidst ongoing global stagnation in advanced economies. This paper focuses on the success of higher education in developing generic skills and graduate identity using national data ( n = 80, 891) for 51 providers. It investigates the influence of certain demographics, study and degree characteristics on these important areas of undergraduate curricula. Furthermore, it gauges recent graduate perceptions on the importance of skill development to post-graduation employment and how these beliefs vary across different employment contexts. Implications for how education practitioners can produce graduates with the skills, self-belief, outlook and confidence to attain a graduate-level job are discussed.