Focusing on the golden skills of effective communication and collaboration to further enhance graduate employability attributes

Based on a trilogy of related studies over the last decade, this longitudinal appraisal of graduate employability provides empirical evidence for higher education (HE) to focus on developing graduates with particular strengths in communications and collaborations to enhance graduate employability attributes. For the last decade, a dozen individual employability skills have been promoted by AdvanceHE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) and many HE Institutions (HEI) have since made significant progress in adapting their provisions and opportunities accordingly. This empirical study identifies common ground across that dozen and highlights communications and collaborations to be the next priority for graduate attribute focus. This research is part of a longer-term study of the evolution of graduate attributes to help finesse such provision so that it reflects the changing world that HEI students enter at the time that they graduate. The first study of the trilogy identified primary baseline empirical data to confirm a series of disciplinary variations in employability-related support across HE. The second complementary study highlighted that gendered inconsistencies in such provision were of an indirect nature and reflected variable provision across disciplinary subject areas. This third study establishes future priorities for HE based on four key findings. First, that gaps previously exposed, particularly for females have closed significantly. Second, that there are now clear preferences for employability-related activities to be further integrated into the curriculum. Third, that opportunities continue to exist in raising the visibility and awareness of employability-related support. Fourth, that the focus for future course developments should be on developing graduates with clear skills in communication and collaboration, the golden skills that help make the most of strengths in subject capability, community values and career aspirations.