Abstract:Purpose:This paper reports on research carried out with employers to determine demand for graduate business and management skills in the Scottish workforce. Design/methodology/approach:The research used an employer questionnaire distributed through various methods (either telephone or face-to-face interviews, self-completion and returned by e-mail, or completion of an online survey). 71 employers took part in the study. Findings:The research found that the factors which were most important to employers when recruiting graduates, with a business school first degree, were: personal attitude, employability skills, relevant work experience, and degree result. The most important transferable skills to employers when recruiting graduates were: trustworthiness, reliability, motivation, communication skills and a willingness to learn. Research limitations/implications:The article shows the importance of: graduates developing excellent job searching skills; high quality work experience; and developing business courses that enhance students' employability and better reflect employers' requirements but also reflect important wider educational values.

This article analyses recent developments in policies to promote the employability of unemployed and economically inactive people in the UK. It discusses the extent to which these policies reflect the dominant approaches of 'Work First', where programmes focus mainly on compulsory job search and short-term interventions to facilitate a quick return to work, or human capital development (HCD), where programmes tailor services to promote longerterm skills and personal development. Specifically, the article reports on case-study research into two recent pilot initiatives: Working Neighbourhoods (which targeted a range of intensive services in neighbourhoods characterised by high levels of inactivity) and Pathways to Work (which combines employability services and cognitive behaviour therapy-type approaches to help clients to manage health problems). While both pilots have retained strong Work First features, they potentially represent a shift towards a more HCD-oriented approach, through the delivery of more holistic 'coping and enabling' services. However, there remain concerns that, as with previous progressive policy initiatives, the positive lessons of these pilots will not be fully mainstreamed. We conclude that, if the UK is to balance Work First compulsion with high-quality services delivering progress in the labour market and HCD, a strengthening of 'coping and enabling' interventions is required, alongside a renewed commitment to training.

The role of the wound care nurse has developed to meet the need for expert wound care advice. Internationally, the role has developed with a variety of different titles. Although all positions have some common tasks and obligations, there remain gaps in knowledge around the role of the wound care nurse. This article aims to determine the state of knowledge in relation to the context of practice, scope of practice and impact of the wound care nurse. An integrative review design was used to allow a broad search strategy and to gather papers from a variety of sources. A multi-method search strategy of the literature published between 1980–2011 was undertaken. This included 5 electronic databases, a thesis search and manual search. It was found that the characteristics of the patients wound care nurses care for reflect an ageing population and disease processes, including diabetes and obesity. Internationally, there is little consensus on the level of competence, educational requirements and qualifications required to practise as a wound care nurse. There was some evidence that the wound care nurse improved healing times and decreased pressure injury prevalence.

This article examines the role of inter-agency cooperation, which is one form of 'partnership', in