“Employability” is one of those flashy yet vague umbrella terms universities use in their promotional brochures to boost their enrolment.
But when universities talk about the importance of employability, what are they actually referring to?
According to a survey conducted by Times Higher Education in 2017, employability is one of the most important factors for students going to university. Unsurprisingly, over half of participants reported they attended university to secure a particular career.
For the purposes of the Times Higher Education study, employability comprised of three key elements: the university’s graduate employment rate, careers services, and links with employers.
In other words, employability goes beyond job prospects. Employability also involves:
- Preparing students for lifelong career success.
- Teaching students the interpersonal and professional skills they need to succeed in their occupation.
- Ensuring students are “work-ready” as soon as they graduate.
- Implementing programmes and other initiatives to provide students with career support.
Even though universities might tout a high employability rating in their mission statement, that may not always mean much. You need to do some of your own research to assess your prospective university’s employability opportunities.
When making your university choice, you’ll want to consider 6 additional — and often overlooked — factors besides all those employment statistics. These include:
- the availability of industrial placements
- internships & vacation work opportunities
- links with leading employers
- the careers services
- extracurricular activities and community engagement
- support for entrepreneurship
Availability of Industrial Placements
Industrial placements are a little different than your run-of-the-mill work experience opportunities. These placements — sometimes called “sandwich placements” — actually form part of your university course and may take 9 to 13 months to complete.
Students typically participate in industrial placements during their final year of study. These placements can help boost your employability by:
- Building your professional network.
- Increasing your earning potential.
- Providing work experience in your chosen field.
- Helping you make better choices about your career.
- Offering insight on career paths better suited for your skills.
When assessing a university’s industrial placement opportunities, you’ll need to consider whether the industrial placement is:
- Guaranteed for all or on a first-come-first-served.
- A paid opportunity.
- Open to international students.
- Combined with additional support.
- Applicable toward your final degree results.
Internships & Vacation Work Experience Opportunities
You can also enhance your employability outside of term time. Participating in an internship or work experience opportunity during the winter and summer months is a great way to develop your professional skills and prepare you for the transition into the workforce.
Compared to industrial placements, internships and vacation work experience opportunities are much shorter, ranging from just one week up to three months.
Like industrial placements, these short-term schemes can help you establish good rapport with a potential employer and/or career mentor.
University Links with Leading Employers
Just because a university has a good reputation doesn’t always mean it has strong links with employers.
When making your university choice, consider whether your prospective university collaborates closely with employers. You should be on the lookout for job fairs, networking events, work experience opportunities, business workshops and partnerships, and similar events.
These opportunities will help you network with potential employers that have a strong relationship with your university, thereby increasing your chances gaining work experience and eventually getting hired.
University Careers Services
Most UK universities offer a career advice service or employability centre to support students with career development. However, the level of support and services on offer can vary significantly between different instituitions.
The services offered typically include: CV workshops, job application clinics, and career assessment opportunities. Students can also meet with career advisors who can provide tailored advice and support.
Although careers services can help put you on the right career path, it’s not wise to rely on these services alone if you’re looking to land your dream job. Students must take the initiative to enhance their employability by honing their professional skills and “soft” skills.
Extracurricular Activities & Community Engagement
Professional skills will only get you so far in the workforce. Employers prefer well-rounded graduates who engage with their customers and communities and have excellent people skills.
Volunteering with local charities and participating in societies and/or sports clubs are great ways to develop the soft skills that employers value. These community engagement opportunities can teach you teamwork, problem solving, communication skills, and so much more.
Not only is this the most fun way to boost your employability, but you’ll make some new friends with similar interests and goals — sounds like a win-win!
Support for Entrepreneurship
In the past, universities focused on preparing their graduates for the workforce, which meant there was much less entrepreneurial support for graduates looking to start their own business.
That approach is changing as more students’ career aspirations shift from “employed” to “self-employed”. A study conducted by Santander Universities found that over 25% of university students either plan to start their own business after they graduate or are already self-employed.
If you dream of starting your own business, you should consider whether the university you plan to attend has a vibrant “start-up culture” that will help you meet your career goals.
Even if you’re not looking to start your own business, entrepreneurial skills can significantly boost your overall employability. Indeed, many employers prefer to recruit “intrapreneurs” — creative problem-solvers who work for an established firm rather than themselves. These enterprising employees can be adept at seeking out innovative solutions to business problems.
Universities with top-rated entrepreneurial support should offer a variety of entrepreneurial activities, including business competitions and workshops. For more on entrepreneurship at university, you can see our previous post.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing a university, the importance of employability can’t be understated.
But statistics and promotional jargon only tell part of the story, which is why students should carefully consider the opportunities offered at universities and not simply rely on rankings, and mission statements.
If you’re struggling to choose a university, tell us — what’s the most important employability factor for your needs? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
