Carol-Joy Patrick

Developing generic skills at university, during work placement and in employment: graduates' perceptions

This paper presents findings from Stage 4 of the Griffith Graduate Project. Graduates from three Schools within Griffith University were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the contributions that the learning contexts of university, work placement and post‐graduation employment made to the development of their generic skills. All graduates involved in the project had experienced work placement as a formal part of their undergraduate studies. Supplementary data from focus group discussions held with employers and graduates are also included. Findings showed that while graduates recognized the contribution university had made to their generic skills development, they greatly valued the experience of learning in the workplace during placement and subsequently in employment. The importance of teamwork, being given responsibility, and collaborative learning emerged as the most important factors for effective learning in the three contexts under consideration.

Internationalising work‐integrated learning: creating global citizens to meet the economic crisis and the skills shortage

Research indicates that for many multinational companies, the global skills shortage has made it difficult to attract competent workers to some international locations. In developing economies, business leaders often cite poor business acumen and little real‐world experience as serious shortcomings in the domestic pool of applicants. In addition to the skills shortage, businesses are currently confronting a global economic crisis, which has seen many economies slump into recession. Despite this economic downturn, Australia has continued to thrive as a destination of choice for international students. As the reputation of Australia’s work‐integrated learning (WIL) expertise grows, so too does its international following. Offering some of the more robust project‐based learning experiences, Australian universities have become the first choice for many international students seeking to enhance their workplace readiness. Two Australian institutions attracting attention for their approaches to WIL are Griffith University, with its flagship Industrial Affiliates Program (IAP), and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), which has funded an in‐depth learning and teaching project designed to facilitate the embedding of authentic real‐world learning experiences across the entire curriculum. This paper uses a case study approach to highlight the experiences of Griffith University’s IAP students and considers QUT’s current research projects. It also explores the implications for Australian tertiary institutions seeking to work with organisations to produce graduates who can respond to the changing economic circumstances and who can add value to global organisations in periods of uncertainty.

Educating Australian leisure graduates: Contexts for developing generic skills

Abstract Leisure studies graduates seek employment in a highly competitive marketplace. In addition to their degree qualification, graduates need a core of generic skills and attributes that are sought by employers in particular industry sectors. As part of a larger study, graduates from Griffith University’s leisure management degree were surveyed to explore their perceptions of how their generic skills had been developed in three different learning contexts: at university, through work placements, and in immediate post-graduation employment. It is concluded that all three contexts play an important and often complementary role in providing leisure management graduates with a package of skills that enable them to contribute effectively to the workplace and develop their careers. The study findings suggest that particular skills may be best developed in particular contexts and give strong support for work placements in preparing graduates for employment.