The Influence of Employability in Higher Education Institutions

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and can be considered generic skills; skills that are difficult to teach in a classroom, but can be acquired during practical training. These kinds of skills are mentioned several times in the definitions of employability in this thesis, but again there is a lack of links when looking at the research conducted. Here, it showed that higher education institutions and industry do not agree on the importance of practical training. Even though higher education institutions agree on the importance of acquiring generic skills in relation to employability, this cannot be seen in the teaching taking place. They still argue that traditional methods of teaching and learning are the most adequate for development of competencies. In relation to this, industries are sure that the best way of acquiring competencies are introductory programs and mentorship. As can be seen in the above, the fact is that only half of the employers in the survey take responsibility for the development of graduates’ key competencies – and even less are interested in cooperating with universities for it. That is an obvious (strong) missing link according to the notions of employability. The research also questions whether higher education has any effect at all on graduates’ ability to perform, and actually claim that higher education does not lead to superior competences. Instead, it is used by ‘gatekeepers’ to legitimize the rationing of access to high-status, highly paid jobs. Along this, a research is very directly and calls it moderate meritocracy. Moreover, there is the impression of little academic freedom to compose programs, as a certain field of study seems required for a specific job and that upgrading therefore seems difficult.

Given the above evolution, definitions, view on quality, stakeholders, surrounding discourse in time and research, I find it all the while important in the following to look into the dilemmas and consequences for employability. In this sub-section, I will use varying issues around employability mentioned by different writers. More specifically, I will look into the arguments described by Laura Louise Sarauw in her PhD thesis on the development of human science within universities in Denmark since the University Law of 2003 and use these to show dilemmas and consequences findings that in this section will relate to a case-study of the new Accreditation Law in Denmark. This will be followed up by statements from writers, likewise used to describe the history of employability, as well as ideas from the British economist, Alison Wolf. The very same section will

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