Student equity and employability in higher education

This research project was led by La Trobe University’s Centre for Higher Education Equity and Diversity Research and funded through an external research grant provided by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training through the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme - National Priorities Pool 2015. The project was undertaken in collaboration with academics from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), Manchester Metropolitan University (United Kingdom), and the University of Michigan (United States). The purpose of the project was to investigate the extent to which higher education institutions are developing employability strategies, and the extent to which such strategies are perceived as accessible and relevant to diverse student cohorts, particularly students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds. This project included: a desktop review of student employability strategies and initiatives; a desktop review of the role of student unions in equity and employability; a national survey of managers of university careers services; and a national survey of student representatives. Our report begins with a context section in which we: (1) outline the notions of employability, social closure, and different forms of student capital, and explore the current graduate outcomes of the six Australian student equity groups; (2) outline the major drivers of the employability agenda in higher education; and (3) explore major university initiatives around student employability across and beyond the curriculum and examine the equity implications of these initiatives. We subsequently outline our survey findings in relation to: (1) broad trends around the prioritisation of employability within universities; (2) the related equity implications; (3) the role of careers services in employability and equity; and (4) the role of student unions in employability and equity. Finally we discuss our major findings, the overall picture emerging from our research, and the implications of these findings extending to university management, careers services, student unions, employers, and governments.