'Involve employers in making graduates employable'

There are serious mismatches between the expectations of academics and employers about the skills undergraduates should learn, according to a pilot survey by the Council for Industry and Higher Education.

The CIHE looked at English, engineering and hospitality, tourism and sport to see how industry's view of employability tallied with statements academics made about the attributes of subject areas.

Twenty-six employers in the CIHE policy forum and the Association of Graduate Recruiters, which between them recruit about 6,000 graduates a year, were surveyed.

Eighty per cent identified the ability to be flexible and respond to change as a key success factor at work. This was one of the least identified competencies in the academics' benchmark statements for English and engineering.

Other skills employers saw as important but that were scarcely mentioned by the academics, were time management and integrity for English and engineering graduates, and learning and numeracy skills for hospitality, tourism and sport graduates.

Employers also sought more creativity and management skills in graduate engineers and relationship-building skills and pro-activity in English graduates.

Richard Brown, CIHE chief executive, said employers needed to be more involved in benchmarking, especially when universities were being measured on employability rates.

Details: www.cihe.ac.uk