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Articles Tags Employability

Guide and digital interactive assessment tool on Making TVET and skills development inclusive for all

The guide aims to help skills decision-makers and practitioners assess to what extent their TVET system is currently excluding certain individuals or groups, identifies underlying reasons, and provides practical ideas on what could be done to redress inequalities.
https://www.ilo.org/skills/areas/skills-for-youth-employment/WCMS_755869/lang–en/index.htm
En français. Guide pour rendre l’EFTP et le développement des compétences inclusifs pour tous

Germany. How vocational and general education affect the labor-market life-cycle

Education programs that focus on job-specific skills facilitate the school-to-work transition, but in dynamically changing economies specific skills may rapidly become obsolete. Education programs focused on general skills and competences transcending specific occupations may prepare workers better to adapt to changing environments. This creates a basic trade-off over the life-cycle; vocationally educated individuals have early employment advantages over generally educated individuals, but this pattern reverses later in life.
http://www.eenee.de/dms/EENEE/Policy_Briefs/PolicyBrief1-2019.pdf

Canada. Education and Employability: Can We Close The Gap?

From a long term perspective, an economic growth policy is largely an education policy. With the running speed of the economy slowing down due to demographic realities, the margin for error on Canada’s education policy has never been narrower. Rethinking the relevance of today’s education system to the workplace of tomorrow is essential for Canada’s future economic growth.
https://economics.cibccm.com/economicsweb/cds?ID=3640&TYPE=EC_PDF

Canada/Ontario. Student Success ePortfolio: Student, Faculty and Employer Perspectives on the Value of ePortfolios in Assessing the Development of Essential Employability Skills

By assembling a digital record of a student’s skills and academic accomplishments, ePortfolios have the potential to improve educators’ assessments of students and the ability of students to clearly communicate and connect with employers. But are they effective?
http://www.heqco.ca/en-ca/Research/ResPub/Pages/Student-Success-ePortfolio-Student-Faculty-and-Employer-Perspectives-on-the-Value-of-ePortfolios-in-Assessing-the-Develop.aspx
En français. Canada/Ontario. Portfolio électronique de la réussite scolaire : points de vue des élèves, des enseignants et des employeurs sur l’intérêt que présentent les portfolios électroniques pour évaluer l’acquisition des résultats d’apprentissage relatifs à l’employabilité
http://www.heqco.ca/fr-ca/Research/ResPub/Pages/Portfolio-%C3%A9lectronique-de-la-r%C3%A9ussite-scolaire-points-de-vue-des-%C3%A9l%C3%A8ves-des-enseignants-et-des-employeurs-sur-l%E2%80%99int%C3%A9r%C3%AAt.aspx

International Conference on Employer Engagement in Education and Training 2016

What difference does it make when employers work with education and training providers?  How can employer engagement best be delivered?
Research for Practice: Papers
Presentations and Videos
http://www.educationandemployers.org/research/london-conference-on-employer-engagement-in-education-and-training-2016/presentations/

2017 June Newsletter Apprenticeship Australia Career - guidance Conference report 2016 Cooperation - international Development - skills Education - higher Education - medical Education - trend 2030 Employability Employment - youth England Germany Higher education In English International cooperation Iran Labour market Latin America and the Caribbean Malaysia Mauritania Medical - education Mentoring Military Mismatch skills/wages NEET - not in employment - education or training Open Badges Paper Providers- VET School-to-work transition Skills - development Source: Education and Employers Taskforce Spain STEM - Science_technology_engineering_and mathematics Sweden Teachers - VET Trend - education 2030 Turkey Unemployment - youth United Kingdom VET - providers VET - teachers Video Wages - mismatch skills/wages Women Work-based learning Youth Youth - employment Youth - unemployment

Indonesia. The role of work-based learning in building employability skills of vocational education students

The incompatibility between educational outcomes with the need of workforce is predicted due to the mismatch of workforce needs with the qualifications of produced graduates. Therefore, the learning in vocational programs must be able to give the solution. Work-Based Learning (WBL) is one of the learning in vocational education proved greatly effective to build the students’ employability skills.
http://www.atlantis-press.com/php/pub.php?publication=tvet-14&frame=http%3A//www.atlantis-press.com/php/paper-details.php%3Fid%3D16861

Canada. Do Postsecondary Graduates Land High-skilled Jobs?

This study examines the relationship between occupational skill requirements and educational attainment (the highest level completed and the field of study). The study uncovers many new findings on the skill requirements of jobs held by Canadians aged 25 to 34 with different educational qualifications.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2017388-eng.htm
En français. Canada.  http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2017388-fra.htm

 

 

Syria. Giving Fish or Teaching Fishing in Syria?

This article highlights the importance of vocational education and using the skills of the refugees themselves in promoting both formal and non-formal training programs which can equip people with skills, could improve their employability chances, and help them to earn an income to improve their quality of life.
http://www.norrag.org/en/publications/norrag-news/online-version/refugees-displaced-persons-and-education-new-challenges-for-development-and-policy/detail/giving-fish-or-teaching-fishing-in-syria.html

Uzbekistan. The Skills Road : Skills for Employability in Uzbekistan

This report addresses a fundamental question facing policymakers in Uzbekistan: are worker skills hindering employment outcomes? The main finding of the report is that, indeed, worker skills gaps are hindering employment outcomes in Uzbekistan. In fact, employers—particularly formal sector employers—seek workers who possess both cognitive and non-cognitive skills. The higher employability and higher wage rates among higher skilled workers is mostly explained by the use of those skills in workplaces. But, skills gaps persist, leading a large share of employers to report shortages of high-skilled workers.
The report outlines weaknesses in the way skills are formed in Uzbekistan. While skills are developed during different stages in the life cycle and a host of actors are involved—families, for example, play a central role—the education and training system has a mixed record in skill formation.
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/20389/910100WP0P14350d000Uzbekistan0Final.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

European Union. Structural Indicators for Monitoring Education and Training Systems in Europe 2016

This report contains more than 30 detailed structural indicators, up-to-date figures, definitions, country notes and a short analysis of recent key policy developments and reforms in five areas: early childhood education and care, achievement in basic skills, early leaving from education and training, higher education and graduate employability.
The report provides background and complementary information on a number of structural indicators examined in the Education and Training Monitor 2016 which describes the evolution of Europe’s education and training systems based on a wide range of evidence. It follows the progress made by the EU Members States towards achieving the targets set by the Europe 2020 and the Education and Training 2020 reform processes.
http://bookshop.europa.eu/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/EU-Bookshop-Site/en_GB/-/EUR/ViewPublication-Start?PublicationKey=EC0116905

G20. Enhancing employability

This paper aims to set out the challenges confronting G20 economies and to develop a proposal for a set of concrete actionable measures to improve the employability of each economy’s workforce, making skills more transferable and workplaces more adaptable.
https://www.oecd.org/g20/topics/employment-and-social-policy/Enhancing-Employability-G20-Report-2016.pdf

Australia. What role should universities play in today’s society?

Universities historically exist as institutions for the creation and dispersion of knowledge. But today, many young people enter university solely to prepare for careers. In an era of demand-driven funding – where universities have the option to recruit as many students as they wish – is it beneficial for most young people to hold a university degree? Or is the benefit of a university education overstated, setting some young people up to fail?
https://theconversation.com/what-role-should-universities-play-in-todays-society-63515

Canada. Reference Guide for Career Development Counsellors Working with Inuit Clients

This reference guide aims to equip counsellors working in Inuit communities or with Inuit clients so that they might better be able to identify cultural particularities in their interventions with this clientele while improving their understanding of the major issues encountered by Inuit seeking employment. For counsellors in the process of adapting their intervention techniques and tools, this guide offers strategies that highlight good practices and pitfalls which should be avoided.
http://rquode.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Pinasuutitsaq-Reference-Guide-June-20161.pdf
En français. Canada. Guide de référence pour les conseillers en développement de carrière intervenant auprès de la clientèle inuit
http://rquode.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Guide-de-r%C3%A9f%C3%A9rence-Pinasuutitsaq-Juin-2016.pdf

G20 countries. Enhancing Workforce Employability in G20 countries

The report sets out the challenges confronting G20 economies and proposes a set of concrete actionable policy principles that are needed to improve the employability of each economy’s workforce by making skills more transferable and workplaces more adaptable.
http://www.oecd.org/g20/topics/employment-and-social-policy/Enhancing-Employability-G20-Report-2016.pdf

It’s the Company’s Job to Help Employees Learn

Most jobs today demand from employees the capacity to keep learning and developing new skills and expertise, even if they are not obviously linked to one’s current job. As academic reviews have pointed out, people’s employability – their ability to gain and maintain a desired job – no longer depends on what they already know, but on what they are likely to learn.
https://hbr.org/2016/07/its-the-companys-job-to-help-employees-learn?utm_campaign=HBR&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Canada/Ontario. Ontario’s PhD Graduates from 2009: Where are they now?

According to the study, just under 30% are full-time tenure or tenure-track professors at a university, while another 21% have other jobs within academia – such as researchers, lecturers, college instructors and administrators.  Over a third are employed outside academia in a variety of sectors, key among them health care, government, professional and scientific services (engineering companies, scientific research and consulting) and manufacturing. The study was unable to find employment information for the remaining 15% of 2009 graduates.
http://www.heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/Ontario%27s-PhD-Graduates-from-2009-ENG.pdf
In French. Canada/Ontario. Titulaires ontariens de doctorat de la promotion de 2009 : où sont-ils maintenant? 
http://www.heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/Titulaires-ontariens-de-doctorat-de-la-promotion-de-2009-FR.pdf

Europe. Supporting the role of VET professionals to improve the trainee’s employability

Although VET systems and the impact of the VET system are very different through Europe, all involved (employers, former students, VET trainers and professionals) agree not only on the importance of transversal competences, but also on the absence of those. The different models (outcome based programs, competence based programs, national centralized curricula, individual school based curricula) seem to have no influence on this. Even when VET is based upon a set of generic competences like the SHL system1, transversal competences are not adequately presented by former students. This indicates once more that also transversal competences are context based and, being trained during VET, will not automatically have the desired effect in daily working live. This leads to the conclusion there most likely is an absence of working context during education and training of  transversal competences. Thus the need for a training model for VET trainers and professionals is coping with these notions is substantial and underlined.
http://www.trainvet.eu/pdf/report_on_vet_professionals.pdf

Canada. An Investment of a Lifetime? The Long-term Labour Market Premiums Associated with a Postsecondary Education

This paper examines the long-term labour market premiums associated with completing a college certificate and a bachelor’s degree, compared to completing a high school diploma. Several labour market outcomes of individuals are examined with longitudinal data over a 20-year period spanning their mid-30s to their mid-50s. The findings show that individuals who have a bachelor’s degree or a college certificate have more favourable labour market outcomes over their working lives than individuals who have only a high school diploma. More specifically, the earnings premium associated with a bachelor’s degree over the 20-year period ranges, on average, from $728,000 for men to $442,000 for women. For a college certificate, the premium is $248,000 for men and $180,000 for women, on average. The earnings premium associated with a bachelor’s degree is much larger at the top of the distribution for men than it is for women. The study also finds that, for both men and women, a bachelor’s degree and a college certificate are associated with more years of coverage in an employer-sponsored pension plan and fewer layoffs than a high school diploma.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2014359-eng.pdf

European Union. Green light for Erasmus+: More than 4 million to get EU grants for skills and employability

Aimed at boosting skills, employability and supporting the modernisation of education, training and youth systems, the seven-year programme will have a budget of €14.7 billion – 40% higher than current levels. More than 4 million people will receive support to study, train, work or volunteer abroad, including 2 million higher education students, 650 000 vocational training students and apprentices, as well as more than 500 000 going on youth exchanges or volunteering abroad.
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-1110_en.htm

European Union. Challenges Facing European Labour Markets: Is a Skill Upgrade the Appropriate Instrument?

The financial and economic crisis shattered the Lisbon Strategy’s attempt to increase the EU’s employment rate to 70% among 15-64 year old by 2010. The new Europe 2020 strategy envisages a 75% adult employment rate by 2020; however, this goal also seems unrealistic in light of the economic crisis which has caused the EU’s employment rate to drop significantly below 70%. A crucial question now is whether a skill upgrade of the European labour force would help to increase the employment rate, especially among youth. This Forum explores the relationship between education and employment throughout the EU.
http://www.intereconomics.eu/archive/year/2012/1/challenges-facing-european-labour-markets-is-a-skill-upgrade-the-appropriate-instrument/

Canada/Ontario. Employment Outcomes of 2009 Graduates of Ontario University Undergraduate Programs

Students who complete their undergraduate programs at Ontario universities consistently experience high employment and earnings rates. They also find that the skills they gained in their programs match the skills they need at work.
http://cou.on.ca/publications/reports/pdfs/2011-survey-highlights—ontario-graduate-employme

USA. Raising Job Quality and Worker Skills in the US: Creating More Effective Education and Workforce Development Systems in States

This paper proposes a new set of competitive grants from the federal government to states that would fund training partnerships between employers in key industries, education providers, workforce agencies and intermediaries at the state level, plus a range of other supports and services. The grants would especially reward the expansion of programs that appear successful when evaluated with randomized control trial techniques. The evidence suggests that these grants could generate benefits that are several times larger than their costs, and would therefore lead to higher earnings and lower unemployment rates among the disadvantaged.
http://ftp.iza.org/pp42.pdf

Education to Employment: Designing a System That Works

Around the world, governments and businesses face a conundrum: high levels of youth unemployment and a shortage of job seekers with critical skills. How can a country successfully move its young people from education to employment? What are the challenges? Which interventions work? How can these be scaled up? These are the crucial questions.
http://mckinseyonsociety.com/education-to-employment/report/

Education in a changing world : flexibility, skills, and employability

New technologies, globalization, the information revolution, and labor market changes have affected the world economy on an unprecedented scale. As a consequence, the demand for a skilled workforce has increased, world trade and migration have intensified, and the divide between the haves and have nots has vastly widened. This paper puts education under the lens of the changing demands of technology, the labor market, demography, and migration. It identifies the weaknesses in current education systems, such as restricted access, skills mismatches, and weak school-to-work linkages. It calls for making education systems more flexible and responsive to change so that they maximize human resources, equip people with updated skills, and prepare youth for the world of work.
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/517491469672142098/pdf/691040WP00PUBL0ability0WEB050110120.pdf

Effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving women’s employability and quality of work : a critical review

This paper examines the effectiveness of a variety of policy interventions that have been tried in developing and transition economies with the goal of improving women’s employability and quality of work. The programs include active labor market programs, education and training programs, programs that facilitate work (such as childcare subsidies, parental leave programs and land titling programs), microfinance programs, entrepreneurship and leadership programs, and conditional cash transfer programs. Some of these policy interventions were undertaken to increase employment, some to increase female employment, and some for other reasons.
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2012/09/05/000158349_20120905133912/Rendered/PDF/wps6189.pdf

UK. The economic value of intermediate vocational education and qualifications

This report reviews the available evidence on the economic value of intermediate vocational qualifications, looking at the private wage returns (and briefly the improved likelihood of being in employment) associated with such qualifications.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140108090250/http://www.ukces.org.uk/assets/ukces/docs/publications/evidence-report-11-the-economic-value-of-intermediate-vocational-education-and-qualifications.pdf

Finland. Employability of international graduates educated in Finnish higher education institutions

The report presents the employment situation of international graduates, post-graduation mobility trends, the challenges and experiences of transition from higher education to the world of work along with employers’ views on hiring and working with international graduates. It also discovers the factors affecting the employment of international graduates and explores the relevance of the skills gained in the course of studies for the world of work as perceived by international graduates and their employers. The findings of the study will be useful for university administrators involved in the international marketing process, current prospective international students and graduates, policy makers and other experts working with the issues of international education and employment.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233426293_Employability_of_International_Graduates_Educated_in_Finnish_Higher_Education_Institutions

Europe. School-to-work transitions in Europe: Paths towards a permanent contract

The transition from school to work represents a central stage in the lives of individuals and is a key policy topic in many European countries. This paper contributes to the debate on labour market transitions by proposing a dynamic mobility model depicting the sequential path trends towards permanent employment as a complement to the traditional survival model and by analysing a large number of countries.
http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/37167/1/MPRA_paper_37167.pdf

Towards a New Global World of Skills Development?

Articles on skills development.
http://www.norrag.org/en/publications/norrag-news/online-version/towards-a-new-global-world-of-skills-development-tvets-turn-to-make-its-mark.html

East Asia. Putting Higher Education to Work: Skills and Research for Growth in East Asia

East Asia’s higher-income countries have made spectacular gains in higher education delivery over the past few decades. But the low-and middle-income countries are struggling to replicate the standard bearers’ success. This is partly due to fewer resources in hand, but also to governments’ poor management and stewardship of the sector. It is time for higher education to fulfill its potential
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/2364

UK. Placements and degree performance: Do placements lead to better marks, or do better students choose placements?

This paper examines the relationship between undertaking a work placement and the class of degree achieved. It challenges earlier findings that undertaking a placement increases degree results. The paper concludes that the sample selection is much stronger, i.e. placement students do better because they are better students. The results highlight that it is not merely doing a placement that matters, but a successful placement adds significantly to subsequent performance.
http://publications.aston.ac.uk/18824/

UK. Preparing graduates for the world of work

Employers will train their employees to do their jobs but they expect graduates to have the broad range of abilities to make a smooth transition to the workplace. Graduates should be willing to learn and develop, bring new ideas and contribute to the business’ development and future growth. The majority of businesses say employability skills are an important factor they consider when recruiting graduates and ensuring universities provide their students with the opportunity to develop in this area should be a priority.
http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Pages/future-fit-preparing-graduates-for-the-world-of-work.aspx

Germany. Employment without a vocational qualification – what are the available routes?

The report provides information on the nature of the opportunities which exist on the labour market for unskilled workers and on the type of employment such persons pursue if they are in active employment. The Report also presents the possibilities which arise for unskilled workers if they wish to obtain a higher qualification or adapt their existing training to meet organisational and/or technical changes. It concludes by describing the training provision offered for the target group of “unskilled workers”.
https://www.bibb.de/en/14052.php

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