Search

Few issues have attracted as much policy interest in the tertiary sector as graduate employability. Graduate employability positions universities and their students as key players in the national economy. At the same time, the standard conception of graduate employability, as it has evolved from human capital theory and modified by neoliberal ideology, has met with significant criticism. This paper reports on our analysis of the strategic plans of Australia's 42 operating universities current in 2018 to better understand (1) the extent to which employability was embedded in each university's strategic priorities and (2) the ways in which employability was characterised in those plans. Our paper provides empirical evidence of the way in which Australian universities universally and uniformly adopted a particular model of employability, simultaneously claiming its distinctiveness. Our analysis suggests the need for Australian universities to take a more thoughtful and nuanced approach to graduate employability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University student mental health and wellbeing is a concern, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Loneliness and social isolation are drivers of student mental health problems, amenable to intervention. Connecting People was developed and piloted in health and social care services to support people to enhance their social connections. This paper reports results of a pre-post, single-group evaluation of training provided to 105 people supporting students in a UK university, and the feasibility of using a Connecting People adaptation to reduce student social isolation. Trainee confidence in supporting socially isolated students increased after training and remained high six months post-training. Positive feedback included students making new friends, and helping trainees to break down tackling loneliness and social isolation into manageable steps. Further evaluation is required to test effectiveness, but the model appears feasible to use at minimal cost, and may offer a suitable model to alleviate student social isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study assesses how an Australian University used an online tool (WeChat) to support commencing online Chinese articulation students transition in their studies in response to COVID-19 border restrictions. It investigates how effectively the engagement initiatives met the students' needs and identify areas of improvement. The usage of an online tool allows staff and students to build a relationship and provided students with key information to manage their expectations. This case study demonstrates an opportunity for further research on the effect of online tools to help international students transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]