Overt and covert: Successful strategies for building employability skills of vocational education graduates

Abstract

Knowing how well higher education providers prepare learners for the working world is becoming increasingly important at all programme levels, and this is nowhere more apparent than with vocational education training. Ensuring our learners can hit the ground running and become immediately productive is essential for the relevance, and probably the survival, of New Zealand’s Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs). Yet while there is much commentary about the challenges of transitions from tertiary study into employment and the ‘employability skills gap’, there is all too little given to how this is being addressed in teaching. This paper describes the work of an inter-institutional research collaboration into current approaches being used to embed skills that enhance employability. Drawing on a number of frameworks and models, the research team selected ten core attributes: positive attitude, communication, teamwork, self-management, willingness to learn, thinking skills, resilience, innovation, entrepreneurship and cultural competence. The team then identified a range of strategies being used by highly commended teachers to enhance the ten employability skills: firstly, by observing classroom and online practices of 23 selected teachers from participating organisations; and secondly through follow-up interviews with the same teachers. The key takeaway of this research is raised awareness and intentionality of the overt and covert approaches vocational educators are using to enhance the employability of their students.

Embedding Soft Skills Within Learner-Centred Environments For Vocation Education Graduates

“…Findings from the research reported on in this article align with previous literature (Fraser et al, 2019;Green & Blaszczynski, 2012) which suggests soft skills can be successfully and deliberately embedded into vocational education curricula. Tutors from across a range of disciplines show they have a sound understanding of the skills required by industries and are adept at engaging creative and varied teaching strategies to ensure their students have opportunities to develop these skills.…”

“…The tutors described a variety of strategies they used to embed opportunities for their students to develop these soft skills including storytelling, humour, role modelling, targeted activities, and making use of teachable moments. Aligned with previous research, (Fraser et al, 2019) the five tutors interviewed showed how they made both explicit and implicit links to the soft skills being developed. Storytelling provided authentic examples to help students develop self-awareness and learn the importance of taking responsibility.…”

“…Research confirms that many vocational education tutors deliberately embed opportunities for students to develop soft skills within curricula (Fraser, Duignan, Stewart, & Rodrigues, 2019). These authors explain how tutors do this "both overtly and covertly, using a myriad of approaches and strategies which fit seamlessly within their delivery of core curriculum content" (p. 170).…”

Indexes of employability assets: a comprehensive tool for analyzing students' attitudes in Indigenous contexts

“…These findings are also consistent with the finding of Jane and Helen (2008), which points out that both employers and employees consider interpersonal (soft skills), business specific skills, job experience and job-based learning as significantly important. The findings of McQuaid and Lindsay (2005), Van Der et al (2009) and Jane and Helen (2008) are supported by a recent study of Fraser et al (2019), which takes positive attitudes, communication, HESWBL 11,4 teamwork, problem solving, cultural competencies, etc. as core indicators.…”

A Study to Assess Soft Skills of Engineering Graduates in Ernakulam District, Kerala

“…(16) Some of the crucial employability skills which are important in every candidates seeking employment are like positive attitude, communication, teamwork, self-management, willingness to learn, thinking skills, resilience. (10) These days one of the challenges most of the employer's are facing is shortage of skills Entrylevel software graduates lacked communication and social skills , "Communication skills remain a major concern for employers. (11) In India there is a double fold increase in the number of engineering graduates but the graduates who are employable is far below from the reality.…”