Purpose: This study explores the perceptions of Australian employers regarding the benefits and challenges of micro-credentials within higher education and enablers of their effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach that included 11 semi-structured interviews with employers affiliated with an Australian university was…

In this qualitative study, we research what constitutes the relationships between conceptions of quality and value associated with higher education as experienced by prospective employers of business graduates. Quality and value in higher education are often linked though the relationship is unclear. Employers are an important and under-researched…

The purpose of this qualitative document review study is to investigate the potential gaps between which skills and competencies students are learning in associate degree accounting programs at community colleges in the Minnesota State College system and what employers are seeking in entry-level accounting position applicants in Minnesota. For the…

Purpose: American Community colleges are vital to the country's economic mobility and are leaders in developing and facilitating career, technical, and workforce education. This study explored employer perspectives on employees' common and specialized skills across industries in the United States. Design/methodology/approach: Employers were…

To advance the employability agenda in higher education, we need new ideas for embedding career skills into university curricula and novel tools for articulating the capabilities of learners. Situated in the discipline of environmental science, the aim of this study was to examine employer perceptions of the skills needed for a career in the…

Purpose: This research aims to understand employers' views and preferences on the assessment of holistic competencies (HCs) in graduates, a topic with existing gaps in literature. With the disparities between higher education practices and employer expectations concerning HC assessment, the study focuses on what employers wish to see in graduates'…

An increasing mismatch between the global supply of PhD-qualified graduates with the global demand within the tertiary education sector comes despite academic positions remaining graduates' first choice of future career. The 'silver medal' choice, research work in industry, is increasingly a likelier outcome, leading to a need to understand…

Many students in vocational education and training (VET) programmes in Norway fail to see the connection with the school-based curriculum content they explore and learn and the tasks they perform during work placements. Consequently, the relevance of various vocational concepts remains invisible when conducting tasks at work, hence student…

Purpose: The paper looks at the feasibility of university placements supporting small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to operate in a sustainable manner. Due to size and resource constraints, many SMEs may regard sustainability more as a burden than a value-adding commercial strategy. Design/methodology/approach: A two-year study was conducted…

In the twenty-first century, artificial intelligence (AI) will change the way organizations conduct their daily operations. In addition, cutting-edge digital technologies like AI, Internet of things, augmented reality/virtual reality, cloud computing, robotics and big data will have a significant impact on the nature of future jobs. This…

This paper explores the implications for higher education of the emergence of new industries, driven by technological changes. The pace of technology-driven changes creates significant challenges for the alignment between the skill needs of industry and provision by higher education. Drawing on concepts from neo-correspondence theory, we examine…

This research was conducted among 50 participants from the tourism industry and 356 students pursuing vocational (tourism) education at the undergraduate level in government colleges of Himachal Pradesh (India). Industry professionals were sampled to identify a list of competencies that they expect in graduates, while, students were surveyed to…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is widely used to connect students with the world of work and authentic industry practices. WIL research and practice is primarily focused on the benefits to students and universities, whilst the value of WIL to partner organisations remains relatively underexplored. This study takes an industry, government and…

A graduate's experiences in higher education impacts performance behaviors in the workplace. Some universities have worked together to offer students a double degree education experience that allows students to obtain international experience and complete two degrees simultaneously, such as the double degree program offered by Centro de Ensenanza…

University graduates not in employment and training in Azerbaijan lack relevant skills and knowledge that would make them eligible for post-graduation opportunities. The SABAH project aimed to address this problem. This article explores the perceived benefits of this advanced education program for students' eligibility for post-graduation…