Student equity and employability in higher education

Ensuring the employability of graduates is fundamental to the modern mission of higher education institutions. Across the Anglo-American world, universities are focussed on improving the graduate outcomes of their students through diverse strategies that include work-integrated learning programs, study abroad experiences, mentoring, and career development services. These strategies are in turn being driven by broader changes to the policy landscape. First, performance-based funding is rising, with governments moving to fund universities on the basis of their completion rates and graduate outcomes, rather than simply student enrolments. Second, information on employment outcomes is increasingly accessible to prospective students, potentially influencing their choice of institution and discipline. This influence is likely to grow as graduate outcome data becomes embedded within global institutional ranking systems, and as student fees continue to rise. Third, the expansion of the higher education sector has led to a decline in the graduate wage premium, credential inflation, and greater student choice, further underlining the need for universities to demonstrate the employability of their graduates.