Workplace skills

Advice on how to help students develop employability skills for the 21st century workplace, covering real-world experience and authentic learning that aids graduates in the transition to professional careers

Skills to build an AI learning assistant

What does ‘age appropriate’ AI literacy look like in higher education?

As AI literary becomes an essential work skill, universities need to move beyond developing these competencies at ‘primary school’ level in their students. Here, Fun Siong Lim reflects on frameworks to support higher-order AI literacies

Fun Siong Lim

Nanyang Technological University

Using AI in careers services

How to make the most of AI in careers advice – and avoid the grifts

Careers services are perfectly placed to use artificial intelligence to help students transition into the workplace, both by developing expertise themselves and by training students to use AI tools in their recruitment journeys

Séan Richardson, Keiran Whitwell

London South Bank University

A group of people listen to a lanyard-wearing speaker

A comprehensive model for interdisciplinary teaching

Interdisciplinarity is crucial for preparing students for a complicated world. Adopting a dual focus on both faculty development and student engagement could be the way forward

Ana Corbacho

Universidad de la República

Knowledge exchange professional services career framework

How a career framework for knowledge exchange can foster a culture of professional growth

A career framework can provide pathways for personal and professional development. Here, Jane Shepard explains how one arts-based institution identified the skills required by professional services staff who help facilitate knowledge exchange

Jane Shepard

University of the Arts London

Measurement concept illustration

Assessment or measurement?

Authentic assessments and measurements serve distinct purposes in understanding student success in higher education. Here’s why equating the two can undermine the depth and quality of student learning

Heather Strine-Patterson

Virginia Tech

A computer programming student working on her laptop

Authentic assessment design for computer programming master’s courses

A four-step plan for more meaningful assessment that incorporates AI-assisted evaluation, group discussions and presentations

Thomas Selig, Ling Wang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

AI proficiency

Are you a jack of all GenAI?

Effective use of generative AI draws on a suite of skills that go beyond well-crafted prompts. Getting the best out of tech’s ubiquitous tool requires informed choices, field expertise, flexibility, diligence and a willingness to play

Einat Grimberg, Claire Mason, Andrew Reeson, Cécile Paris

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Multiracial group of young people

Unlocking minority students’ potential with an asset model approach

How can we tackle the gaps in attainment and outcomes between racialised ethnic minority and white students? This resource shares best practice based on running positive interventions for black and South Asian students

Hemisha Harji, Gemma Francis

Loughborough University

Vibe Lounge event at Turner Sims at the University of Southampton

How civic arts programmes can make students feel welcome

Empowering students to co-create music events with peers can foster a sense of belonging in their university and city. Here’s how a student-community collective breathed new life into a 50-year-old venue

Jessica Santer, Carley Divish

University of Southampton

Students working on a project

Improving assessments through industry collaboration

How to build and maintain industry relationships and coordinate effective project-based assessments for MBA students

Maninder Singh

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Young Asian woman in a job interview

Providing the right resources for students who work alongside study

Student services and scholarships are among the support systems that can help students manage a job in tandem with their university education

Cheong Fan

Macau University of Science and Technology

A student delivering a presentation

Three alternative assessments that build managerial skills

Personal development discussions, presentations and peer coaching help build essential communication skills and emotional intelligence. These tips will make them effective

Michelle Trottier, Alison Sydenham, Julie Pepper

The University of Exeter

Young businesspeople in suits

Should universities meet all industry demands?

With higher education institutions adapting their programmes to prepare students for future jobs, they risk producing corporatised graduates to a detriment of innovation or even business’ best interests, writes Stéphane Bouchonnet

Stéphane Bouchonnet

École Polytechnique

Students in a university lecture hall

Tackling declining attendance with the ‘show up’ mindset

A model that instils in students a commitment to ‘showing up’ from day one includes practical strategies for improving attendance and fostering long-term engagement

Maya Cara, Nina Seppala

University College London

Young woman in front of brain illustration, arts and sciences

What a transdisciplinary lens brings to university teaching

Why is it important to integrate knowledge and methodologies across disciplines? Catherine Amelink has recommendations to encourage the student engagement needed to address complex, weighty problems

Catherine Amelink

Virginia Tech

Hands pointing to pie chart

Authentic assessment in postgraduate statistics courses

Using anonymous student data for assessment tasks enhances engagement with learning, fosters practical skill development and makes business and economics concepts more memorable

Temesgen Kifle

The University of Queensland

An illustration of a pile of books linking to a crowd of businesspeople

Career-connected learning is an investment in the future

A strong reputation for career-connected learning can create a seamless circle for universities, with graduates happy to pave the way for others via the alumni network. But how to get started?

Audra Spicer

Colorado State University Global

Two software engineers gesture at multiple screens

Future-proof software engineering students for an AI-dominated world

Software engineering is increasingly being shaped by generative AI. Here’s how to prepare your students for their future workplace

Houda Chakiri

Al Akhawayn University

Students work together using a laptop and calculator

Three ways professional certifications can boost student outcomes

Professional certifications not only align students’ skills with real-world industry demands but can also lead to unexpected improvements in academic outcomes. Ekaterina Ipatova shares how her students responded to this innovative mode of assessment

Ekaterina Ipatova

University of Roehampton

A student giving a presentation in class

Engaging students through poster presentations: a case study

Read about how a poster presentation task can promote students’ engagement with course content and each other

Qingyang Sun

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Medical professional talking to a female patient

Yes, empathy can be taught – here’s how

Find out how evidence-based methods can be used to provide empathy training, bringing huge potential benefits for healthcare outcomes and busting the myth that it can’t be taught

Jeremy Howick

University of Leicester

Middle Eastern male millennial online student

How to demonstrate the value of online education to paying students

Scalability and flexibility are just two benefits that online learning offers students in the MENA region. Here’s how to let potential students know why they should enrol

Mohamed Abuelseoud Abdelzaher

Al-Mustaqbal University

Image representing an understanding of multiple viewpoints and perspectives

Encourage intellectual development in students to improve work readiness

By supporting students to become independent thinkers who can evaluate different viewpoints within specific contexts, educators better prepare them for employment, argue Jennifer Rose and Bill Moore

Jennifer Rose, Bill Moore

The University of Manchester, The Perry Institute

A student painting on a canvas

Preparing students for careers in the creative industries

How interdisciplinary and experiential learning that is integrated into inclusive curricula can equip students for their future creative careers

Miaomiao Jia

The University of Bristol

Programmer writing code on large screens

These AI tools can help prepare future programmers for the workplace

How educators can teach programming students to use AI tools to enhance productivity

Rohini Rao

Manipal Academy of Higher Education

change concept

Struggle, strength and growth: a holistic approach to embracing change

In preparing for their careers, students need skills to manage the demands that a changing world will place on their internal and external lives. These five stages aim to help them develop adaptability, resilience and psychological growth

Kathleen Chim, Lai Tsz Chui, Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan

Hong Kong Metropolitan University

An explorer observes a flag flying atop a mountain made of books

Lessons from evolutionary biology to prepare students in an uncertain world

Universities are charged with developing the next generation for a future we can’t predict. Here are three lessons from evolutionary biology to make sense of a changing world – and three skills the workforce of tomorrow will need

Lakshmi Goel

Al Akhawayn University

Business students chatting in a classroom

Cultivating emotional intelligence in business education

Four strategies for fostering emotional intelligence in business students and preparing them for the workplace

Cecilia Primogerio , Camila del Carril

Universidad Austral

Architects work on a computer programme

How I pioneered a graduate apprenticeship programme in architectural technology

Launching a graduate apprenticeship programme has provided an alternative route to graduate-level education for mature, female and employed students. Here’s how to do it

Suha Jaradat

Edinburgh Napier University

Board game figures and dice

Let’s seriously game higher education to tackle the challenges ahead

The ‘tomorrow problems’ can be difficult for students for grasp. Vikki McCall advises harnessing the power of serious gaming to help them join the dots

Vikki McCall

University of Stirling

A university lecturer responds to a student's question.

Build a practitioner community to embed industry experience into your courses

Bringing industry professionals into your teaching roster brings a multitude of benefits. Lesley Pender shares insights on building a community of teacher-practitioners

Lesley Pender

University of Strathclyde

Illustration of female graduate in palm of robot

Is AI literacy an information skill?

To capitalise on GenAI’s strengths, and understand its limitations, students need to develop their research and critical thinking skills in practical, embedded and subject-specific ways

Emily Dott, Terry Charlton

Newcastle University

A group of business students brainstorming on bean bags

Empower the next generation with an inclusive approach to enterprise education

How to enable all our students, especially those from under-represented communities, to become entrepreneurs

Paul Dwyer

The University of Westminster

A group of business students working together on a project

Best practice in building business clinics

Collective advice on setting up and running a successful business clinic from experts in entrepreneurship education around the world

Track Dinning

Liverpool John Moores University

A group of people work around a computer

How to prepare students for a global working world

As universities, we need to teach our students how to operate in a global online workplace – and facilitate their opportunities to do so

Richard Sant

University of the Arts London

Healthcare workers looking at a tablet

Partnership work as a catalyst for upskilling in key employment sectors

An example of how a business school can partner with public sector and industry bodies to develop products and services that help upskill and support practice-based education

Mike Brownsell , Kirstie Simpson

University of Chester

person using laptop in front of blackboard

AI as a catalyst for assessment innovation

University educators have an opportunity to rethink their approach to assessment, so that artificial intelligence tools support student learning without compromising academic integrity

Zheng Feei Ma, Antony Hill

University of the West of England Bristol

Business woman on her laptop in her living room

Ways to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset in students

Some practical tips to help nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs

Isabelle Ford, Hannah Willis

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Students working on a project together in class

Essential GenAI skills for marketing students

How students can use AI to generate promotional copy, conduct market research and identify biases, among other applications

Rushana Khusainova, Eleonora Pantano, Esther Kang

The University of Bristol

Students sitting in a business placement meeting

A good practice guide for student business placements

Advice for university educators on setting up projects in which students work directly with external partners such as local businesses, based on a pilot initiative

Marek Hornak

University of Staffordshire

Middle-aged man smiling at laptop

What are students paying for when they learn online?

Understanding the time investment, industry input and subject matter expertise that go into creating quality online content should give learners a sense of confidence, write Mick Grimley and Lisa Burdes

Mick Grimley, Lisa Burdes

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

A health professional checks a patient's lymph glands

Taking trust to the next level in healthcare assessment

When educating health professionals, the role of trust is paramount. Here’s how we can link entrustment with student consensus grading and programmatic assessment

James Thompson, Amanda Maddern

The University of Adelaide

Young female engineer with wind turbines

Equipping university students to be leaders in addressing climate change

The world is hotter today than at any time in the past 100,000 years. Tripp Shealy offers educational strategies for universities to develop the leaders needed in the critical fight for a liveable future

Tripp Shealy

Virginia Tech

Book with symbols

Philosophy graduates are extremely employable – but they need degree programmes that show them why

Many students interested in studying philosophy at university will be concerned about its job prospects, so they require courses that demonstrate how to translate its skills into a career, writes Jonathan Webber

Jonathan Webber

Cardiff University

Student on a healthcare placement looking at x-ray

Where there’s WIL, there’s risk

As demand for universities to support work-integrated learning rises, so does exposure to potential pitfalls such as personal injury and reputational harm. What can higher education institutions do to mitigate the risks?

Clare Murray

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Apprentice working on a building site

How Indian universities can address the country’s talent crisis

Higher education’s role in preparing students for real-world jobs includes forging strong industry partnerships, establishing pathways into apprenticeships and fostering creativity

Raul Villamarin Rodriguez, Hemachandran K

Woxsen University

A group of people work round a table

A guide to cultivating a start-up culture in academia

To foster a start-up culture in higher education, we need to encourage risk-taking, reward innovation and get ahead of the trends. Here’s how to get started

Sadaf Majeed

Dubai Medical College for Girls

Group of four racially diverse women

Students as co-creators in online learning

Offering students paid opportunities to be involved in generating and modifying online learning content could deliver novel experiences for learners, reduce academic workload and help close the awarding gap

Dean Fido, Gary F. Fisher

University of Derby

Female director supervising a film shoot

How can we support aspiring mature student creatives?

Helping mature students pursuing creative subjects to make the most of their university experiences shouldn’t be difficult. Here are some suggestions

Emma Lennox

Queen’s University Belfast

An illustration of business people sat on a growing plant

Three ways to embed career development learning more deeply in your curriculum

Embedding career development learning into curricular learning can be invaluable for students. Here’s how to integrate it more meaningfully

Anna Branford , Julian Lee

RMIT University