Employability Skills

What are employability skills?

In a business context, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) defines employability skills as, “A set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace – to the benefit of themselves, their employer and the wider economy” (2009)

Examples of employability skills:

·         Self-management – readiness to accept responsibility, flexibility, resilience, self-starting, appropriate assertiveness, time management, readiness to improve own performance based on feedback/reflective learning.

e.g management work load within uni

·         Teamworking – respecting others, co-operating, negotiating/persuading, contributing to discussions, and awareness of interdependence with others.

e.g within group set modules also working collective as a team within your seminars

·         Business and customer awareness – basic understanding of the key drivers for business success – including the importance of innovation and taking calculated risks – and the need to provide customer satisfaction and build customer loyalty  e.g through further reading and general knowledge of the current economic climate also through any part time jobs and researching about future career paths

·         Problem solving – analysing facts and situations and applying creative thinking to develop appropriate solutions e.g. planning and constructing essays and group work also overcoming differences and obstacles within a team

·         Communication and literacy – application of literacy, ability to produce clear, structured written work and oral literacy – including listening and questioning e.g.  through general education and development of assignments throughout modules

·         Application of numeracy – manipulation of numbers, general mathematical awareness and its application in practical contexts (e.g. measuring, weighing, estimating and applying formulae) e.g. money management throughout student life, spreadsheets and accountancy units, dealing with bank statements.

·         Application of information technology – basic IT skills, including familiarity with word processing, spreadsheets, file management and use of internet search engines e.g. the use of internal university systems in order to find resources to fulfil assignment criteria, also utilising the best programmes and facilities in order to complete a task

·         entrepreneurship/enterprise: broadly, an ability to demonstrate an innovative approach, creativity, collaboration and risk taking. E.g using your own creative and initiative to craft assignments, utilising resources and using your own personal flair

·         planning and organising?

Possessing these skills alongside a positive attitude and willingness to learn, will greatly improve any individual’s prospects of employability.

How to improve/develop your employability skills

Identifying the gaps

Employability skills can be improved and developed in a number of ways, but firstly you should take time to identify the skills you possess versus the skills you will need in order to achieve your ideal job. Once these ‘gaps’ have been identified, steps can be taken in order to ‘bridge the gaps’ to make your skills more rounded and to make yourself more employable in your chosen area of work. See Appendix 1 for an example of identifying the gaps.

Bridging the gap

Bridging the skills gap can be achieved in many ways, dependant on the skill which needs improving or refining. Many students take on part time work whilst studying, and whether they realise it or not, they are improving their chances of employability after graduation by showing the ability to manage their time and workloads effectively, and learning fundamental skills such as teamwork and organisational skills. Being in employment also offers students the opportunity to further develop specific skills through on the job training and spearheading projects within work. Employers will more often than not respect and appreciate the initiative taken and the willingness to learn which will again benefit the individual when they request a reference in the future.

If you are not employed, you could consider improving your skills with additional courses, volunteering, extra-curricular activities, or using online resources.