Since the 1990s, UK government policy has sought to increase access to higher education, with a plan to improve social mobility. However, enhancing the employability prospects for all has proven difficult to achieve through widening participation alone. This research explores this paradox, via the experiences of first-in-family undergraduates as…

Vocational high schools aim to create graduates who are ready to work, but in reality, many graduates are not ready to work at this time. Low employability is the main problem. This study aims to design and test a theoretical model of the effect of entrepreneurial readiness, adversity quotient, and social intelligence on employability in…

This study examines an in-depth and systematic review of the effect of education on macroeconomic variables in Ethiopia, taking into account the effect of education systems on the skill gap and unemployment of graduates. Education economies in the literature show the effect of education on economic growth, as well as the effects of education on…

Learning and skills have important economic, social and individual benefits. Yet for decades the United Kingdom (UK) has lagged behind comparator countries, particularly for intermediate skills. This is first report of Learning & Work's Ambition Skills programme which looks at where the UK is on track to be by 2035 and explores the changing…

Purpose: Embedded in higher educational settings, work-integrated learning (WIL) is a key reflection to students' perceived employability. The purpose of this study is to explore the antecedents of internal and external perceived employability. The research attempts to test a theoretical model examining the relationships among human capital, work…

Management educators have developed a wide variety of approaches to ensure students develop job-ready skills, resilience, and other forms of career capital to gain and retain employment in an ever-changing, competitive job market. Yet, concerns about the employability agenda's consequences for students' self-concept and wellbeing have gained…

Teaching students aspiring to media work presents the educator with a fundamental dilemma. On the one hand, students require the knowledge and skills necessary to find and sustain employment within existing industry practices, systems and structures. On the other hand, students need to be prepared for the uncertain and shifting nature of media…

Characterised by strong human capital dependency, Small Island Development States (SIDS) such as Mauritius depend largely on work-ready graduates to boost their economy. Yet, Graduate Work Readiness (GWR) and graduate unemployment feature prominently on the Mauritian government agenda. This paper investigates the previously unexplored issue of GWR…

Quality education is a crucial component of human capital, which has emerged large in the theories explaining economic growth, in particular, and the development discourse, in general. However, in the new era of business today business studies are prime choices of most of the students, and accordingly, this study focuses merely on the quality of…

Purpose: This research moves beyond a focus on employability skills and explores student perceptions of preparedness for graduate life in a more holistic manner. Design/methodology/approach: Final-year business students were asked to outline their concerns regarding graduate life and the personal and professional challenges anticipated in their…

The OECD Career Readiness project makes use of quantitative evidence to identify how teenage career-related activities and attitudes are linked with better adult employment outcomes. Review of multiple national longitudinal datasets confirms that teenage experiences of the workplace through part-time working and volunteering are routinely…

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) considers education a top priority, and more emphasis has been placed on this following the 2016 announcement of Saudi Vision 2030. Since then, the country has witnessed several economic and social changes. As a result, the Kingdom has initiated a plan to invest in human capital through education to diversify its…

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is offered throughout the world to students of various educational backgrounds and career aspirations in an effort to create a skilled workforce. The structure of VET varies greatly across different fields and countries with high-growth, low-growth, and transitional economies. However, a common critique of…

Scotland's colleges have a wide-ranging mission. They meet the needs of a wide range of stakeholders, including individual learners, local communities, regional and national bodies and the national and international economies. That they meet all of these needs to a very large extent is testament to the commitment of the staff and Boards of…