Enhancing graduate employability is a priority for many stakeholders in higher education and this research explores graduates’ experiences of, and attitudes towards, the inclusion of employability-related support in undergraduate degree programmes. A literature review is supplemented by primary research on a targeted sample of 104 graduates from humanities, sciences, engineering and social sciences, who span several generations and have over 2250 years of employment experience. The findings are triangulated to a workshop with 23 graduate careers advisory professionals. The results signal some important trends in experiences and attitudes, as well as variations by discipline and gender. While one in 10 graduates prefer a disciplinary focus with just indirect attention to employability, nine in 10 want employability to have greater emphasis, albeit those preferences vary between optional and integrated approaches. Experiences of employability-related support signal a significant shift over recent decades in how that support is provided, with professional service groups such as careers taking a much more active role and the overall level of provision rising. A cautionary note however is that the link with the discipline remains critical and the right balance needs to be struck between the provision of such support and embedding it into the curriculum.

Following identifications of gendered inconsistencies in higher education delivery [Ain, C., F. Sabir, and J. Willison. 2018. “Research Skills That men and Women Developed at University and Then Used in Workplaces.” Studies in Higher Education, Published online. doi:10.1080/03075079.2018.1496412], this work exposes unseen gender-related issues in the graduate population. With graduates prevalent as managers, developing management attributes and employability is emphasised across higher education. Meanwhile, notable disciplinary gender imbalances exist across education and this research explores employability in this context by triangulating Higher Education Statistics Agency and Higher Education Academy data with graduates' degree experiences. Findings reveal notable levels of employability-related support existing, with significant disciplinary variations in its visibility. Some remains unseen, especially in female-orientated disciplines, creating a gap populated by almost 50% more females than males. Consequently, fewer female graduates may recognise certain capabilities as being management-related, potentially resulting in slower career progression compared to male peers, as observed by the Office for National Statistics [ONS. 2019. Overeducation and Hourly Wages in the UK Labour Market; 2006 to 2017. London: Office for National Statistics. Accessed May 2, 2019. https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/uksectoraccounts/compendium/economicreview/april2019/overeducationandhourlywagesintheuklabourmarket2006to2017]. Opportunities exist across disciplines, especially the arts, humanities and social sciences, to enhance visibilities of employability-related support.

This paper explores the impact effective entrepreneurship teaching has on the employability of scientists and engineers. Business teaching, guest speakers and work placements are part of many science and engineering degrees and this research indicates that entrepreneurship and related issues are also being addressed in a variety of ways and having a positive impact on student employability. It also benefits several other stakeholders, including the higher education institution, potential employers and government. This study aims to provide guidance on ways to improve entrepreneurship teaching for scientists and engineers in higher education, so that their employability is enhanced through the ‘3Cs’ – content, capability and character.

This paper reports on an assessment of how enterprise initiatives develop graduate employability attributes, exploring the use of client consultancy projects as a platform for such enterprise provision in higher education. The study was based on reviews of recent literature and an appraisal of an institutional initiative using live projects as an alternative to the more traditional final dissertation. Enterprise initiatives exist in many forms and the final semester postgraduate students in this research are shown to enhance their understanding of client needs, their individual confidence and their team-working abilities. After five years of the programme, and with 60% of students choosing the consultancy project option, the study is offered as a platform for other higher education institutions to use as a basis for enhancing graduate employability and the student experience. It is argued that enterprise activities, in addition to enhancing the student experience, are also of substantial value to higher education institutions themselves and their associated funding bodies.