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The term 'employability skills' describes a group of core transferable skills and personal characteristics employers look for in potential job candidates. Applicants with these skills are attractive to future employers because they are more likely to perform effectively and become valuable team members.

If you are teaching university students, you can help them develop important skills that will foster their ability to work with teammates, solve workplace problems, meet project timelines, and stay up to date with industry changes. Employability skills are sometimes also known as soft skills, foundational skills, basic skills, or job-readiness skills.

Are Employability Skills Different to Job Skills Specific for a Role?

Yes. Unlike the professional or technical job specific skills required for particular careers, employability skills are generic and necessary for almost every job. For example, communication and teamwork skills are vital in every industry, whether it's in construction, healthcare, engineering, information technology, or the arts.

10 Job Skills Students Need to Develop

For university students, there's more to tertiary education than gaining good marks and an academic qualification. While teaching classes, you can also be facilitating the development of key employability skills that will boost your students' chances of finding a great job. Here are 10 examples of employability skills you can foster in your students.

Communication

Good communication skills are vital in every job. Communication involves the ability to express yourself clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, and strong listening skills. Communication skills also encompass the ability to use and interpret non-verbal language, such as gestures.

You can support the development of communication skills in your students by encouraging them to:

blog and/or use social media to express their thoughts and ideas

give oral presentations as part of their studies

join a community group or club, or do paid work

practise active and empathetic listening

join a public speaking, peer support or networking group.

Teamwork is essential for workplaces to operate efficiently. It involves the ability to work cooperatively to pursue shared goals. You could help students achieve better teamwork skills by recommending they:

participate in group assignments and projects throughout their course

join a sports team, study skills group or community organisation

establish relationships with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds

recognise their own strengths and limitations and those of their team mates

coach or mentor others.

Problem solving

In an increasingly complex world, students need the skills to understand, work through and solve problems. Challenges and setbacks are a normal part of working life, so they need processes for dealing with them.

You can establish problem solving skills in your students by suggesting they:

seek opportunities to creatively solve their challenges, such as balancing study with work, family and social activities.

Initiative

Initiative is a valuable workplace skill because it involves seeking out work that needs to be done, rather than waiting to be told what to do. It also covers looking for better ways to do current work tasks.

Some ways to increase your students' initiative skills include advising them to:

take the lead on group projects or assignments

practice writing a cover letter and job applications

approach potential employers about internships or work placements

look for ways to increase efficiencies or take on new responsibilities in their current workplaces

organise a family or community event.

Planning and organising

This requires considering what needs to be done, how, when, where, and by whom. These skills are vital for completing work to a satisfactory standard and meeting deadlines. You can support development of your students' planning and organisational skills by recommending they:

Self-management

Self-management is the ability to control your time and physical and mental energy to accomplish what you need to. It's important in the workplace, where employers want staff to be able to do their jobs and meet deadlines without needing too much supervision.

Examples of ways to boost your student's self-management skills include encouraging them to:

complete an internship or project-based work placement

establish a plan to manage their project timelines and different responsibilities

participate in a community or volunteer organisation

keep their room and study space tidy and organised

take responsibility for their actions and the consequences.

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In a rapidly changing globalised world, the ability to learn new information and practical skills is vital. A lifelong love of learning will support students throughout their careers. Some ways to improve your students' learning skills include recommending they:

participate in an experiential learning program or study skills course

take up a new sport or new hobby, such as learning to play a musical instrument

research how to perform new skills, such as changing a tyre or baking a souffle

take advantage of different learning opportunities, such as peer mentoring or study groups

remain open to new information, new ideas and different practices.

Technology

Technology skills probably sound like a given these days, but employers rate them highly. In addition to being able to compose a social post or email, valuable skills include the ability to use software programs and hardware such as an EFTPOS machine or video camera.

Your students could improve their technology skills by:

completing an online course in a technology they're not familiar with

undertaking a work placement or internship that involves learning to use field-specific tech applications

researching innovative solutions that involved designing creative technology

asking their workplace or community group to train them to use their technologies

researching what technology is used in their field and what training is involved.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence (also sometimes known as emotional quotient or EQ) involves the ability to identify, understand and use emotions in healthy ways, in order to remain calm under pressure, communicate effectively, and develop good relationships.

Ways to help students develop better emotional intelligence skills include encouraging them to:

Conflict resolution

In a workplace where people have a range of different backgrounds, ideas and ways of working, some form of conflict is inevitable. Employers value team members who can resolve disagreements in a positive way - whether their own or between other people.

Your students could develop conflict resolution skills by:

Supporting University Students to Develop Employability Skills

As evident, there are numerous ways educators can cultivate employability skills in their students. This typically does not involve more hours of academic learning. Rather, employability skills are developed through tasks that put academic knowledge into practice. For example, students can build employability skills by participating in authentic work projects at a business, government, or community organisation.

Developing Employability Skills with Experiential Learning

Increasingly, students need to complete university as work-ready graduates. Educators must therefore equip students with not only job specific technical or professional knowledge, but the employability skills they need to get and maintain work.

Experiential learning projects facilitate this outcome and have many benefits for everyone involved . For universities and other educational institutions , the ability to offer high-quality experiential learning projects is a powerful point of difference that can help you attract and retain students and establish mutually beneficial partnerships with industry, government and community partners.

For your students, supports utilising experiential learning (also known as work-integrated learning ) to bolster employability skills.

How Practera Can Help Your University Foster Employability Skills in Students

Practera works with educational institutions to provide high-quality experiential learning programs , at scale and with reduced delivery costs.

and Our fully supported and quality assured programs project-based learning managed services easily connect university students with genuine workplace experiences across a range of categories , such as internships (including virtual internships ) , team projects, work simulations and more. These are gathered from thousands of employers globally, including corporations, community organisations and government departments.

Crucially, Practera can deliver all our experiential learning programs virtually. Our pioneering and user-friendly platform has been developed to maximise learning quality and the student experience for both onsite and online delivery.

For educators, Practera's research-backed feedback, assessment and performance tracking devices support top-quality remote program delivery, facilitating continued provision of experiential learning irrespective of COVID-19 restrictions.

Students, Gain Experience & Skills Employers Are Recruiting For Today!
Enrol for free in Practera's government-backed live programs to build your employability skills
Inbuilt tools to support a seamless experience and enhanced learning outcomes include:

Provision of timely, quality feedback

As one of Practera's top strengths, our platform facilitates provision of individualised feedback from industry and educators. This is delivered consistently and at key times to drive reflection, deep learning, and enhanced student performance. Our Team360 assessments also enable educators to embed a peer feedback loop into learning activities.

Intrinsic assessment tools

Practera offers multiple options for assessing and progressing student learning. You can easily set up various assessment types, including those which allow for a feedback loop and straightforward question-and-answer options. Grading student work is simplified with our user-friendly rubrics.

Innovative technology

Practera's real-time analytics and data dashboards enable you to rapidly identify any issues before they escalate, conduct detailed performance analyses, and capture end of program reports. Our world-first AI-assistant, known as ELSA, provides 24/7 monitoring to provide real-time recommendations based on research-backed learning science, saving you time and helping you deliver optimum learning outcomes.

Students who have participated in Practera's programs frequently report the experience they gained was invaluable, helping them develop the necessary skills to secure employment.

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10 Employability Skills Your Students Need I Practera

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Employability skills are general skills employers favour when hiring new staff. Here are 10 skills your students need to get hired.

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What did you learn at school and university?

When you leave education and apply for a job will you be able to demonstrate that you have the skills and abilities employers are looking for?

Having the right degree, in a relevant subject, with good grades, might help to get you shortlisted for a job - but getting the job will usually mean that you have demonstrated your abilities in other areas too.

Employers want graduates with a variety of well-honed life skills, just getting the job done is not enough. You'll need to be able to work unsupervised as well as be a team-player, demonstrate creativity and develop innovative ideas. You'll need to have a good attitude, be well motivated, manage your time well - work hard but not get burnt out - and stay positive and enthusiastic. You'll need to be assertive and be able to solve problems, make decisions and negotiate effectively.

You will need to be able to communicate effectively in face-to-face situations, over the phone, online, via email, in reports, using statistics and other numerical data, with a wide variety of different people and in different settings. You will need to be aware of your personal strengths and weaknesses and continually seek ways to improve and develop yourself - you'll be confident but not afraid to ask for help when you need it.

It doesn't matter if you studied ancient history or computer science. The skills employers are looking for are generic - above and beyond academic achievement - they are the skills you need to get and maintain a job.

The Skills Gap
There has been a lot of discussion over recent years about a perceived 'Skills Gap', a difference (or gap) between the skills employers want and the skills that young people develop whilst in education. The skills listed on this page are the type of skills that are usually identified as part of the 'Skills Gap'.
See our page: The Skills Gap for more discussion.

The lists of skills below may seem daunting - especially at first glance. You will, however, have already developed a lot of these skills from aspects of your life, at school and university, through work experience - either paid or voluntary - and through your social and family life. Remember, employers want 'well-rounded' people with a good mix of academic achievement, experience, common sense and life skills. The purpose of this page is to get you to think about the kinds of skills, above and beyond the qualifications that employers are looking for.

Further Reading from Skills You Need
The Skills You Need Guide to Getting a Job
Develop the skills you need to get that job.

This eBook is essential reading for potential job-seekers. Not only does it cover identifying your skills but also the mechanics of applying for a job, writing a CV or resume and attending interviews.

Communication Skills
Employers will want you to be able to demonstrate that you can communicate well in a variety of situations - depending on the job role these will include:
Interpersonal Skills
Interpersonal skills are the skills we use to interact and build relationships with other people. In the workplace it is likely that you will need to work well with a variety of different people, in different roles, at different levels of seniority and from different cultures.

The ability to network, build rapport and gain the understanding of different people, colleagues, managers and bosses, clients, customers and the general public. See: Building Rapport and What is Charisma?

Group and team working skills - including the ability to participate and work with others in a positive, organised and collaborative way. See: What are Groups and Teams?

The ability to work alone and proactively, demonstrating good personal motivation and time management. See: Time Management and Self Motivation.

Personal Skills
Personal skills are concerned with looking after your own well-being, both body and mind. These skills are the foundations for success in other areas and should not be overlooked, they include such things as:
Numeracy Skills
Employers will undoubtedly want you to be able to interpret, analyse and present numerical data effectively. You should be comfortable using a calculator and spreadsheet as well as understanding the most appropriate ways to manipulate and present numbers. Employers are likely to want you to be able to:

Show an understanding of basic numeracy and its application to practical situations.

Present numerical data effectively and the ability to explain numerical information clearly.

Show an understanding of basic statistical operations and appropriate application of such.

Model problems mathematically and solve problems quantitatively.

Demonstrate an awareness of commercial financial issues affecting organisations.

See our section: Numeracy Skills for more information.
General Awareness
Finally, it is also beneficial to stay up-to-date with current affairs and issues. You should have a basic understanding of the following areas.

Local and global politics and their effect on the organisation, industry or sector.

Ethical issues - knowing what's right and what's wrong and aiming always to act in an ethical and responsible way.

Environmental issues and how these affect you and your job role.

Health and safety issues, be aware of some basic health and safety guidelines and learn some basic first aid.

The impact of the organisation on society and in the community.

See our pages: Commercial Awareness and Critical Thinking for more information.

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Graduate Employability Skills | SkillsYouNeed

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Employers want graduates with more than just a qualification, they seek well-rounded people with a variety of skills. What skills do you need to get the job?

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employability skills for undergraduates

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This paper attempts to investigate if the undergraduates' core competencies are able to meet with the requirements set by the employers and to analyse the effectiveness of personal qualities and employability skills development in private university in Malaysia. Questionnaires survey, mean score comparison, and independent sample t-test are used to capture the perception differential between 30 employers and 600 undergraduates from a local private university on the importance of employability skills. Our results show that the undergraduates are all highly competent in possessing the said personal qualities and skills. However, such skills as critical analysis, planning, problem solving, oral communication, decision making, and negotiating report a slightly higher level of mismatch between employers' and undergraduates' perception on their importance and development in the University.

Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Employer Attitudes, Employers, Student Attitudes, Undergraduate Students, Employment Potential, Job Skills, Private Colleges, Questionnaires, Statistical Analysis, Comparative Analysis, Student Characteristics, Competence, Unemployment, Student Surveys, Surveys

Canadian Center of Science and Education. 1120 Finch Avenue West Suite 701-309, Toronto, ON M3J 3H7, Canada. Tel: 416-642-2606 Ext 206; Fax: 416-642-2608; e-mail: ies@ccsenet.org; Web site: http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/es

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ERIC - EJ1065483 - Perception Differential between Employers and Undergraduates on the Importance of Employability Skills, International Education Studies, 2009-Feb

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This paper attempts to investigate if the undergraduates' core competencies are able to meet with the requirements set by the employers and to analyse the effectiveness of personal qualities and employability skills development in private university in Malaysia.

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journal for employability skills

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journal for undergraduates

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employability skills

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A college degree is no longer enough to guarantee employment in today's competitive job market. Companies are looking for candidates with employability in a wide range of skills that will enable them to succeed in the workplace. Therefore, students must develop the right employability skills to make them more attractive to potential employers. To stand out in the job market, students must possess essential employability skills that go beyond academic knowledge. One should always remember that skills are always in demand and employers want candidates who can analyse information, make decisions and solve problems under pressure.

In this article, we will discuss the top 10 must-have employability skills for students.

1. Communication Skills

A critical employability skill for students is communication, which is vital for success in any career. Communicating effectively with colleagues, clients, and customers is a must-have skill. Today's work environment requires good verbal, written, and digital communication skills. Students with these skills can communicate effectively with their coworkers, understand their roles, and build positive client relationships.

2. Teamwork

Teamwork is an essential soft skill in most work environments. Today's businesses often are structured around teams. Therefore, individuals who can collaborate and contribute to projects are highly sought after. Students who can work effectively in a team environment will be able to contribute to the success of the company they work for.

3. Problem-Solving

Another essential employability skill for students is problem-solving. Employers are always looking for individuals who can solve problems quickly and creatively. When things go wrong, companies want to know that their employees can handle the situation and develop a solution. Students with good problem-solving skills can analyse problems, find solutions, and implement them under pressure.

4. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is analysing information and making decisions based on evidence. It is essential for success in many job roles, particularly those that require decision-making or problem-solving skills. Critical thinking enables individuals to evaluate ideas, concepts, and arguments, giving them the tools to make informed decisions.

5. Time Management

Time management is an essential skill for students to develop. It is the ability to plan and organise tasks to complete within deadlines. Poor time management can lead to missed deadlines and poor performance. Conversely, students who manage their time effectively will be more productive, meet deadlines, and achieve their goals.

6. Adaptability

The business environment is constantly changing. Organisations need employees who can adapt to new situations and tasks. The ability to be flexible, learn quickly, and adapt to new environments is essential for success in today's work environment. Students who can demonstrate adaptability as an employability skill will be able to adjust to new situations and thrive in ever-changing work environments.

7. Leadership

Leadership is a skill that employers highly value. Leadership is the ability to inspire and motivate others to achieve their goals. It requires excellent communication, organisational, and motivational skills. Students who demonstrate leadership will be able to take on managerial roles and succeed in their careers.

8. Technical Skills

Technology is an essential part of almost every job. Employees with strong technical skills can use technology efficiently and effectively, giving them an edge in the workplace. Students with specialised skills, particularly those in demand, will be more attractive to employers. Students can develop their skills through employability programs like professional internships, graduate development programs or reputable online courses.

9. Entrepreneurship

Another essential employability skill for students is Entrepreneurship. This is about more than just starting a new business. It is about being innovative and creative and taking initiative to make things happen. Employers highly value entrepreneurship skills, indicating that individuals are willing to take risks and work hard to achieve their goals.

10. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage one's emotions and those of others. It requires empathy, self-awareness, and social skills. Individuals with high emotional intelligence can communicate effectively, build relationships, and work well in teams. Students who can demonstrate emotional intelligence can interact with others positively and productively.

Benefits of Employability Skills for Students

1. Developing these skills can increase a student's chances of getting hired for a job and advancing in their career.
2. Employability skills can help students perform their job responsibilities more effectively, resulting in higher productivity and job satisfaction.
3. Strong communication skills can improve a student's ability to connect with colleagues, managers, and clients, leading to stronger professional relationships.
4. Critical thinking skills can help students identify problems and develop effective solutions, leading to increased efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace.
5. Individuals with strong employability skills are often sought after by employers and may be offered higher salaries or better job opportunities.
6. Employees with strong employability skills are typically more valuable to their organisations, making them less likely to be laid off or replaced.
7. Developing these skills can boost students' confidence and self-esteem, making them better equipped to handle challenges and succeed in their careers.

Students with these ten employability skills are more likely to succeed in the workplace. Employers highly value these skills, which are essential for success in many job roles. Students who invest time and effort in developing these skills will be well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the modern workplace.

Students must realise that more than a college degree is needed in the modern job market. Instead, they must develop employability skills to remain competitive and stand out. The good news is that these employability skills can be learnt with effort and dedication over time. Too often, graduates limit themselves by focusing only on what they learn in the classroom - but this is not enough to impress employers. Achieving success nowadays requires candidates to come prepared with specific skills that will show they have what it takes to be an asset in the workplace. Who knows? With a bit of luck and hard work, you may land your dream job!

If broadening your professional experience while travelling overseas sounds appealing, Readygrad, our trusted partner, provides the key to acquiring the necessary skills to achieve your career objectives and secure employment opportunities.

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Top 10 Must-Have Employability Skills For Students | Amber

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Get ahead in the job market with our guide to the top 10 must-have employability skills for students. From communication to technical expertise, we've got you covered.

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Taking information, summarising it, and passing it on is an example of what linguists call mediation, and it is a key skill for language learners at all levels. It's the subject of the latest Cambridge Paper in ELT which looks at some of the best strategies teachers can use to teach and assess mediation skills.

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Developing employability skills in Higher Education and at work

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Employability, the qualities and skills that make us suitable for paid work, often brings to mind a specific body of knowledge, technical skills or qualifications that are appropriate for a particular position. However, there is an increasing demand from global businesses for their employees to demonstrate effective core skills.

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The goal for most students seeking higher education is to boost their success in the future job market. Through university degrees, students can achieve both hard technical or professional skills and soft people-facing communication skills required to succeed in the workplace.

Higher education institutions that closely observe evolving trends in industry will have a better understanding of what current and future employers are looking for in graduates, benefiting current and future students. Based on this, here are some actions all institutions should take to prepare their students for life after the pandemic.

Pedagogies for 21st-century skills

Teaching the core principles and theories of a given specialism is not enough to prepare graduates for a changing global workplace that is digital and disruptive. This requires a university curriculum that focuses on outcomes such as transferable future skills and facilitating student choice. For this, universities need to use pedagogies such as:

experiential learning

work-related learning goals

good curriculum alignment.

Experiential learning

Students learn better by doing than by being told what to do. So give all students opportunities to tackle real-world problems and work through case studies, both individually and in groups.

Where possible and relevant, offer students real industry experience. This can be done through cooperative education programmes, in which students spend one semester working for a business under the supervision of academic advisers from their institution and job supervisors from the company. Institutions must prepare students with the basic skills they will need to execute these roles ahead of their placements - this will vary across different sectors and businesses, so universities should work closely with employers to understand their requirements.

For the first few weeks of Siam University's cooperative education course, students attend lectures by employers and senior managers from industry sharing their experiences and describing how they achieved the skills needed.

After completing the cooperative education element, students submit a report and do a presentation describing what they have learned and detailing their accomplishments and their personal growth. This is one of the best ways to prepare students to engage in the business world and to create a strong relationships between students and future employers.

Our cooperative education programme helps both Thai and international students gain insight into diverse work cultures and to see how employers are adapting to changing demands. During the pandemic, many of these placements were run virtually with the support of effective technologies such as Moodle and integrated with the web conferencing system BigBlueButton.

Work-related learning goals

During students' cooperative work placements, academic advisers must work closely with the job supervisors to agree work-related learning goals for the students such as building strong networks, finding ways to empower and mobilise younger populations and applying creative and critical thinking to reach solutions. Academic advisers can collect data about what job supervisors or employers expect from their students, which helps to inform their curricula and teaching. Job supervisors will examine if students achieve learning goals set and offer feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. Some students may be invited to take up full-time roles within the companies after graduation.

Good curriculum alignment

Curricula need to focus on 21st-century skills that will help graduates thrive in the future workplace, such as creative thinking, resilience and adaptability. In line with this, we are changing our curriculum to an outcome-based modular system in which students have freedom to choose what they want to learn regardless of their academic major.

By linking with massive open online course (Mooc) providers, universities can provide students with a wealth of additional learning resources and networking tools that sit outside their learning management system. These should be offered to students to supplement their learning. For instance, lecturers could ask students to complete a bite-sized course before their class so they can engage in a discussion of key topics during the live class itself.

Our university's open education platform gives all our students access to online classes and courses conducted by top professors around the world. Any course credits students obtain from these online courses can be transferred back to Siam University. Teaching and learning on campus is largely conducted in hybrid mode so students can study from anywhere.

Higher education institutions should look at where skills demand is growing to prepare themselves to train graduates in these fields, as well as engaging in relevant research for the benefit of all.
Yhing Sawheny is deputy director of international affairs, Siam University. If you found this interesting and want advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered directly to your inbox each week, sign up for the THE Campus newsletter.

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Yhing Sawheny shares effective strategies for higher education institutions to equip students with the skills they need for the workplace