This book examines the tide of change facing higher education as it grapples with providing a more relevant and demonstrated value for its graduates entering the workplace. Based on their experience with the Business in Practice program they created, the authors share the rationale and practical approaches colleges and universities need to implement if they are to foster the development of a work-ready graduate. What sets the program apart are the two-credit courses crafted to take advantage of the unique knowledge and work experiences of industry professionals that complements our core curriculum. Utilizing experiential learning, the program is designed so that students can apply soft/smart skills in a progression that helps develop those capabilities that are beneficial for them and desired by employers. It is structured to bring internship-like experiences to campus, giving the vast majority of students a quality work-related experience that is impactful and relevant for today’s economy.

This book reports on the findings from a research study of vocational and higher education graduates’ employability challenges. The nature and extent of these challenges, their underlying causes, and effective strategies to address the problems in this area are all analysed from a multiple-stakeholder paradigm. The primary focus of the book is on governments; secondary, vocational, and higher education systems; and industry employers - rather than graduates themselves - in order to highlight the policy and strategy implications for governments, industry and educational systems. Readers will acquire comprehensive information on the nature and extent of graduate employability in terms of country-specific challenges, together with a deeper understanding of their complex causes, and the inter-relatedness between governments, educational systems, industry sectors, and potential employers. They will also be provided with a broad range of stakeholder strategies designed to effectively address these challenges within integrated national and regional approaches.

In these complex and challenging times, students, teachers and employers are all interested in the development of generic abilities as these typically make the difference between good and indifferent employees, successful and unsuccessful learners. This book explains why generic capacities have become so important and argues that the process of acquiring them is both lifelong and developmental.

Universities are expected to produce employable graduates. In Education for Employability, experts explore critical questions in the employability agenda: Who sets the standards and expectations of employability? How do students monitor their own employability? How can universities design whole curricula and university environments that promote employability? What teaching and learning strategies facilitate the development of employability? Responsibility for developing and sustaining employability lies with a broad coalition of the individual students, the university, alumni, the professions and industry and is accomplished through the intended curriculum as well as co-curricular, extra-curricular and supra-curricular activities, events and learning opportunities.

This book brings together the papers presented at the Smart and Sustainable Built Environments Conference, 2018 (SASBE).This latest research falls into two tracks: smart and sustainable design and planning cities; and the technicalities of smart and sustainable buildings. The growth of smart cities is evident, but not always linked to sustainability. This book gives an overview of the latest academic developments in increasing the smartness and sustainability of our cities and buildings. Aspects such as inclusivity, smart cities, place and space, the resilient city, urbanity and urban ecology are prominently featured in the design and planning part of the book; while energy, educational buildings, comfort, building design, construction and performance form the sub-themes of the technical part of the book. This book will appeal to urban designers, architects, urban planners, smart city designers and sustainable building experts.

This book explores the highly significant and contested area of graduate employability and employment which is paid so much attention by those in the media and policy-makers. This is driven largely by concerns over the wider economic impact and value of graduates as increasing numbers complete their studies in higher education. At a time when graduates are seen as key to economic success, the critical question remains as to how their employability plays out in a changing labour market. This book brings together innovative approaches and research to present an extensive survey of the field. It provides insight on what is a complex and often elusive social and economic problem, ranging from how graduate employability is constructed as an economic and policy agenda to explorations of how graduates manage the transition from higher education to paid employment and finally to suggest future directions for curricula, policy and research.

Labour markets are becoming more dynamic in response to pressures from globalisation, new technologies and trade agreements, as well as cross-border migration, inter-generation differences, changing education imperatives and employer expectations. By focusing on several Asia Pacific countries, this book explores the differences in their workforces: ageing, or abundant in labour but lacking in skilled employees. One similarity these countries share is the difficulty in attracting and retaining employees with the required skillset and capabilities, and these constraints can stymie national economic growth and long term development. This book brings together national and international perspectives on employability challenges faced by selected countries in the Asia Pacific region. While the region is forecast to enjoy high growth in the coming decade, a recurring challenge is addressing skill shortages and ensuring effective transition from training colleges and universities into employment. Consequently, the book focuses on the roles of multiple stakeholders, primarily: governments, education providers and employers – in more effectively addressing these key socio-economic challenges.