Overview of Graduate Skills
The term graduate attributes used in this study refers to wide range of personal as well as professional qualities and skills for understanding and to implement discipline based awareness. In this aspect, graduate attributes also refer to a number of terms that are used in different countries and in different levels of education, most of them are major skills that are increasing in the business industries.
In this context, the Australian government took an effort to apply an external validation on the development of the graduate factors by introducing its own graduate skills evaluation test that is established by Australian Council for educational research. It has been seen that most of the Australian educational institutions are involved with the method of graduate factors establishment in identifying their duties to get involved with the attributes that are required for the sustainable learning in the drastically growing world.
Based on this factors of graduate attributes, the review of literature illustrated the study of the integration of graduate attributes in business education using the online process to foster the methods. By doing so, the study explains about the accomplishing the requirement of business by explaining the graduate attributes in Australia.
The evaluation of past literature on graduate capabilities reported that stakeholder collaboration is a necessary area that is needed to be managed in order to enhance the issue of graduate employability. Osmani et al., (2015) argued that outdated and improper curriculum in the system of higher education had resulted in the ill preparation of the university graduates. The recognition of the required action in business education has been reflected in a few sources released by the business council of Australia.
According to Velliaris & Breen (2016), the report suggested that universities need to teach the graduate students the ability of critical thinking, ethical practices together with practical skills that are required for business employment. Apart from these, the report also suggests that such development has increasingly become the core focus for both the university graduates as well as postgraduates curriculum study. In this context, an Australian Industry report found the result of a survey of more than 500 employers (Jackson, 2018).
All the employers in the study were demanding for increased levels of skills and regular update on skills along with technical skills. Ibo (2014) stated that more than 90% of the employers are seeking candidates that are flexible and adaptive to the working environment. In particular, employers are asking for students who have better attributes on communication and team work so that they are able to contribute towards productive and harmonious relation.
Attributes of the Graduate and Assessment Criteria in Universities
In the year 2011, Chan et al., (2017) reported a paper for specifying the role of universities and the perception of the government on the university functions. According to the perception of government, universities are major sources of innovation, skill and talent. Therefore, universities seek to manage the development of competencies that may help to influence the perception of students that are necessary to fulfil the necessities of the employers.
For instance, the study of manufacturing framework used in Australia outlines that capabilities are necessary for the Australian employees while working in the different international environment. Jackson (2014) stated that the first source of developing graduate attributes are offered by generic competencies. These are used to enhance the employment options for the Australian Graduated in the global market of Labour.
On the contrary, Sidiropoulos (2014) reported a second study highlighting the area of seven necessary elements if competencies that are necessary for the graduates for entering the labour market in case of any kind of occupations. These competencies are usually known as Mayer Competencies component. Again, Jackson (2015) reported a third study about capabilities that has been adopted in many areas in industries as well as in education sector. These areas of competencies are communication, teamwork, problem-solving, planning, self-management and competencies with technology contributing towards productive workplace relationship and moving towards innovative results.
Student’s motivation to get involved in extracurricular internship activity is most likely to influence their ability to work as per industry expectation. By doing so, students will be able to differentiate themselves in a competitive working market. Dunn et al., (2016) evidence in this context, shows that it is the student’s desires to take part in significant duration of unpaid work through extracurricular internship activities for emerging. This indicates a competitive desire to accomplish the individual goal.
These are all qualities that are required to be vital within the workplace. McMurray et al., (2016) states that many students think that extracurricular internships are necessary for employment. The founder of Australian management consultancy reported that internship is fast turning in to important steps for securing a full-time employment opportunity. Therefore, students can supplement the options available in the degree program and can actively choose to pursue an extracurricular internship course for improving their employment skill required for business.
Sources have identified three major issues in the generic development of competencies in higher education. These challenges include lack of institutional curriculum assistance, operational problem, problems in conceptualisation and problem in teaching strategy in between teachers and students. The issues are:
Graduate Students Engagement
Existing literature sources have recognised a dimension of institutional problems that add to the difficult force against the establishment and adoption of generic capabilities in higher education. Therefore, any objective policies and approaches for developing generic competencies are required to be approached and balanced from top to bottom. Lazarus & Ferris (2016) stated most of the international educational institutions have included their competence in defining the mission and graduate attributes needs. However, there is a major problem in identifying the importance of generic competencies.
The causal development of professional academic employees also represents a major challenge in teaching generic capabilities. As a result of which, there is a budget cut down, as universities are trying to ignore the responsibilities and the investment involved in appointing tenured employees. The ineffective strategy of teaching is another major issue that is seen in universities. In this context, Jackson (2015) stated that there is still a significant gap in resource that could assist the students in the establishment of generic strategies.
Academic supportive units and international institutions offer crucial services and support to the faculties and students in helping them in incorporating the medium of instructions given within the curriculum. On the contrary, university skilled in specific disciplines, do not have proper experience or knowledge to introduce the teaching of generic strategies that are required for encouraging students attributes of business requirement.
Conclusion
From the study, it has been seen that there is a strong evidence that facilitated the integration of graduate attributes in higher education. After evaluating development of student attributes it has been found that there are several attributes that are increasingly driving towards the transformation of the learning experience in corporate institutions. This means that today’s graduates are expected to position their places of academic study with an increasing awareness of business attributes, that they will be acquiring over their journey of higher education studies.
These attributes constitutes set of accumulated skills, knowledge, and capabilities of students that are known as Graduate attributes. However, having reviewed the relevant literary sources, the study has provided an instance of insights into the formulation and necessities of these attributes, there are specific in meeting the requirements of the business. However, while studying it has been found there are some challenges found in the university teaching related to generic competencies in graduate attributes that are needed to be addressed for providing the students with positive learning abilities.
References
Chan, C. K., Fong, E. T., Luk, L. Y., & Ho, R. (2017). A review of the literature on challenges in the development and implementation of generic competencies in the higher education curriculum. International Journal of Educational Development, 57, 1-10.
Dunn, L. A., Schier, M. A., Hiller, J. E., & Harding, I. H. (2016). Eligibility requirements for work-integrated learning programs: Exploring the implications of using grade point averages for student participation. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 17(3), 295-308.
Ibo, R. (2014). Investigating the relevance of the graduate attributes to Australian tertiary chemistry education: a staff, student and industry perspective. 8(3), 56-87
Jackson, D. (2014). Business graduate performance in oral communication skills and strategies for improvement. The International Journal of Management Education, 12(1), 22-34.
Jackson, D. (2015). Employability skill development in work-integrated learning: Barriers and best practice. Studies in Higher Education, 40(2), 350-367.
Jackson, D. (2018). Developing Graduate Career Readiness in Australia: Shifting from Extra-Curricular Internships to Work-Integrated Learning. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 19(1), 23-35.
Lazarus, D., & Ferris, T. L. (2016). Assessing self-responsibility in employability competencies development among Australian engineering students: an introductory report. 17(2), 28-44.
McMurray, S., Dutton, M., McQuaid, R., & Richard, A. (2016). Employer demands from business graduates. Education+ Training, 58(1), 112-132.
Osmani, M., Weerakkody, V., Hindi, N. M., Al?Esmail, R., Eldabi, T., Kapoor, K., & Irani, Z. (2015). Identifying the trends and impact of graduate attributes on employability: a literature review. Tertiary Education and Management, 21(4), 367-379.
Sidiropoulos, E. (2014). Education for sustainability in business education programs: a question of value. Journal of cleaner production, 85, 472-487.
Velliaris, D. M., & Breen, P. (2016). Tailoring graduate attributes to meet the needs of international students in a pathway program. Journal of International Students, 6(2), 565-587.
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