ERIC Number: EJ1083889
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Dec
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0950-4222
EISSN: N/A
Integrating Employability into Degree Programmes Using Consultancy Projects as a Form of Enterprise
O'Leary, Simon
Industry and Higher Education, v29 n6 p459-468 Dec 2015
This paper reports on an assessment of how enterprise initiatives develop graduate employability attributes, exploring the use of client consultancy projects as a platform for such enterprise provision in higher education. The study was based on reviews of recent literature and an appraisal of an institutional initiative using live projects as an alternative to the more traditional final dissertation. Enterprise initiatives exist in many forms and the final semester postgraduate students in this research are shown to enhance their understanding of client needs, their individual confidence and their team-working abilities. After five years of the programme, and with 60% of students choosing the consultancy project option, the study is offered as a platform for other higher education institutions to use as a basis for enhancing graduate employability and the student experience. It is argued that enterprise activities, in addition to enhancing the student experience, are also of substantial value to higher education institutions themselves and their associated funding bodies.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Entrepreneurship, Employment Potential, Consultants, Higher Education, Doctoral Dissertations, Graduate Students, Teamwork, Student Experience, Student Projects, Comparative Analysis, Job Skills
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (London)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A