Abstract
Business schools are under increasing pressure to enhance the learning capability and employability of graduates. Business professional institutes and employer organizations are demanding more than the technical knowledge and skills required to perform discipline/professional specific tasks. They want graduates who can demonstrate capabilities in communication, teamwork, risk taking, decision making, problem solving, critical thinking, analytical reasoning, visioning and innovation, leadership, ethical practices, appreciation of diversity, and a commitment to social justice. Evidence in literature and reports (Karpin, 1995; Kirby, 2000; Commonwealth of Australia, 2002; Nelson, 2002) and in test data (McCowan & Richardson, 1998; Employer Survey, 1998; DETYA, 2000) shows that the employability gap7 is closed when graduates possess these generic capabilities. What is important, however, is the increasing research showing that the strategies used to develop generic capabilities lead to improved learning, both in university courses and in the workplace.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Business Higher Education Round Table. (1991). Identifying Key Attributes that Business Sought from University Graduates. Melbourne.
Commonwealth of Australia. (2002). Employability Skills of the Future. Canberra: Department of Education, Science and Training.
Candy, P. C., Crebert, G., & O’Leary, J. (1994). Developing Lifelong Learners Through Undergraduate Education, Commissioned Report No. 28. Canberra: National Board of Employment, Education and Training.
Corporate Council on Education. (1994). Employability Skills Profile. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada.
De Corte, E. (1996). New perspectives of learning and teaching in higher education. In A. Burgen (Ed.), Goals and Purposes of Higher Education in the 21st Century (pp. 112–113). London: Jessica Kingsley.
Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs DETYA. (2000). Employer Satisfaction with Graduate Skills: Research Report 99/7, February 2000. Canberra: Evaluations and Investigations Program, Higher Education Division, DETYA.
Employer Survey. (1998). South Australia: Flinders University.
Evers, F. T., Rush J. C., & Berdrow, I. (1998). The Bases of Competence—Skills for Lifelong Learning and Employability. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Faculty of Business. (2000). Large Teaching and Learning Grant Application. Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Hager, P., Holland, S., & Beckett, D. (2002). Enhancing the Learning and Employability of Graduates: The Role of Generic Skills. B-HERT Position Paper No. 9. Melbourne: Business Higher Education Round Table.
Hearn, G., Close, A., Smith, B., & Southey, G. (1992). Developing Generic Professional Competencies in Australia: Towards a Framework for Professional Development. Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Karpin, D. (1995). Enterprising Nation: Renewing Australia’s Managers to Meet the Challenges of the Asia-Pacific Century: Report of the Industry Taskforce on Leadership and Management Skills. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
Kirby, P. (2000). Ministerial Review of Post Compulsory Education and Training Pathways in Victoria: Final Report. Melbourne: Department of Education, Employment and Training.
Mayer Committee. (1992). Key Competencies (p. 8–9). Canberra: Australian Education Council.
McCowan, C., & Richardson, A. (1998). Employer/Graduate Perceptions of the Skills and Abilities of Recent Business Graduates. Brisbane: QUT Careers and Employment, Queensland University of Technology.
Mentkowski, M., & Associates. (2000). Learning that Lasts — Integrated Learning, Development, and Performance in College and Beyond. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Oregon University C&E Services. (1990). Making the Match, Third Student Survey, and Manager Survey. Eugene, OR: Oregon University.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Radbourne, J. (2007). TEACHING FOR LIFE GENERIC CAPABILITIES THAT LINK UNIVERSITY LEARNING WITH WORKPLACE LEARNING. In: McCuddy, M.K., van den Bosch, H., Martz, W.B., Matveev, A.V., Morse, K.O. (eds) The Challenges of Educating People to Lead in a Challenging World. Educational Innovation in Economics and Business, vol 10. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5612-3_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5612-3_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5611-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5612-3
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsBusiness and Management (R0)