Employers' perceptions of the employability skills of new graduates

The [Scottish Council for Research in Education] SCRE Centre (University of Glasgow) investigated employers’ perceptions of the employability skills of new graduates, and the steps which universities take to develop them. The research found that the majority of employers are satisfied with their graduate recruits, but there is a notable minority who are not. Employers expect graduates to demonstrate a range of skills and attributes that include team-working, communication, leadership, critical thinking, problem solving and often managerial abilities or potential. Several recommendations are made, including: employability should be at the centre of [higher education institutions’] HEIs’ strategic planning, both centrally and at the level of individual faculties and departments; and partnerships between HEIs and employers need to be effective, sustained and equitable.