Universities, Employability and Human Development

The book makes a significant contribution to critical higher education studies, specifically to graduate employability research and to capabilities and education research. The book moves beyond the simplistic conception of alleged 'gaps' in graduate skills and 'mismatches' between employers and universities, and instead provides an innovative multi-dimensional and intersectional human capabilities conceptualisation of graduate employability. The book challenges an individualised notion of employability, instead locating employability issues in social and economic conditions, and argues that employability choices cannot be divorced from inequality. Qualitative and quantitative data from multiple case-study universities in South Africa are used to explore the perceptions and experiences of diverse students, lecturers, support officers and employers, regarding what each university is doing, or should be doing, to enhance graduate economic opportunities and contribute to inclusive development. The book will be highly relevant to students, scholars and researchers in the fields of education and sociology, particularly those with an interest in graduate employability.

Advances an innovative human capabilities approach to graduate employability Highlights the importance of paying attention to the intersections of personal, university and social conditions to enable more effective and fair university interventions for diverse students Brings together and explores the perceptions and experiences of diverse students, lecturers, support officers and employers

Auteur
Melanie Walker is South African research chair in higher education and human development at the University of the Free State, South Africa.
Samuel Fongwa is a post-doctoral fellow and researcher at the Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development at the University of the Free State, South Africa.

Texte du rabat

Contenu
Chapter 1. Contextual and Policy Conditions.- Chapter 2. Graduate Employability, Global Shifts and Local Realities.- Chapter 3. A Human Capabilities Conceptualisation of Employability.- Chapter 4. Employability and Conversion Factors.- Chapter 5. Access and Participation.- Chapter 6. Democratic Citizenship.- Chapter 7. Employers and Graduate Opportunities.- Chapter 8. Aspirations, Capabilities and Navigating Future-Forward.- Chapter 9. Human Development, Capabilities and Graduate Employability.-