Employer Skills Needs

As higher education systems have expanded over recent decades, the subsequent entry of graduates into the labour market has changed substantially. Whilst higher education and employment have both changed, the relationship between the two has not always been well-linked, and there have been differences reflecting national traditions and cultures. Is ‘what’ one has studied more important in getting a job than ‘where’ one has studied? This question reflects the distinctions made by Burton Clark between horizontal and vertical forms of higher education system differentiation.

With the expansion of higher education has come greater diversity in the field—in the students who are recruited; their experiences whilst in higher education; and their knowledge, skills, and aspirations when they graduate. Different graduates need and want different things when they ...