Workplace skills

Advice on how to help students develop employability skills for the 21st century workplace, covering classroom activities, real-world experience, career advice and authentic learning models that aid graduates in the transition to professional careers. These resources look at what are the most sought-after graduate attributes and future skills today and how best to teach them within a university. 

Outreach programmes that lay STEM pathways and strengthen research skills

Help local schools build the foundations for future STEM students, address regional issues and hone your students’ research management skills – all with outreach activities. Here’s how

Cristina Mihaela Nicolescu, Marius Bumbac

Valahia University of Târgoviște

A woman works at a laptop in a library setting

Five steps to embed GenAI literacy for university librarians

The library can be the perfect place to promote GenAI literacy, not only for students but for academics too. These five steps can help

Liliana González

Universidad del Caribe (UNICARIBE)

Why business schools need to rethink how they teach law

In an age of lawfare and regulatory complexity, legal literacy has become a core managerial skill. Yet most law professors teaching in business schools receive no preparation for the job. It is time to change that, writes Maximiliano Marzetti

Maximiliano Marzetti

IÉSEG School of Management

Help students make the leap from classroom to clinic

How to bridge the gap between classroom-based practical learning and the realities of clinical practice for physiotherapy students? Here’s how to prepare students for unpredictability

Shirley Ngai, David Yu, Raymond Tsang, Nerita Chan

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The questions publishing students need to be asking about GenAI

As creative industries grapple with the prospect of AI-generated content, how can educators hone critical thinking skills in the book publishers of the future? Find advice here

Miriam Johnson

Oxford Brookes University

Assessment isn’t a finish line, it’s a learning process

Many assessments only measure what students already know. Here’s how to structure feedback-rich, iterative tasks to help students develop the skills to improve

Philip Y. Lam

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

An assessment tool to move HR students from theory to practice

HR students need the skills to deal with people. A simulated assessment tool could be the way forward – here’s how

Silvio Hofmann

University of the West of Scotland

Help your students develop their own career compass

In an age when the job market is rapidly changing, equip students with the skill to understand how their personality can shape their career

Natalie Feng, Randford Joseph Tay

Singapore Institute of Technology

Male forestry officer in high-visibility gear looking at a tree

Show graduate students how to identify careers beyond academia

Graduate students often feel unprepared for roles outside research or teaching. Ashley Dayer offers advice for equipping them with practical skills, professional networks and the confidence to pursue diverse paths

Ashley Dayer

Virginia Tech

How to build a social transcript that helps students stand out to employers

A verified ‘social transcript’ can turn co-curricular activity into a credible record that boosts employability. Here’s how one university designed a points-based, evidence-driven system to capture students’ real-world skills

İhlas Sovbetov

Istanbul Aydin University

A student and an old man chat in a virtual surrounding

Using GenAI avatars to assess empathy: how it works in practice

Could GenAI offer a new way to assess communication skills? Here’s what happened when a university team built an avatar

May Lim, Caleb Or

Singapore Institute of Technology

Students in a boardroom working on a company project

Every AI learning persona needs an origin story

Anna, a fictional social responsibility consultant, mentors students analysing a company in crisis. Her story shows how thoughtfully designed AI personas can turn simple chat interactions into immersive learning experiences

Lorena Quilantán García

Tecnológico de Monterrey

How employability teams can strengthen academic programmes

Working like recruitment partners, rather than just career advisers, can help align teaching with industry needs, writes Hanene Duprat

Hanene Duprat

Al Akhawayn University

An iceburg seen from below the water line

Under the waterline: making skills visible to students

Students often develop valuable transferable skills during their studies but struggle to recognise and articulate them to employers. Here’s how academics can work with careers professionals to support

Lorna Devlin

The University of Edinburgh

Older engineer working with an engineering apprentice

How to run effective industry-enriched project-based learning in STEM

The foundation of widening participation lies in a curriculum that is flexible enough to accommodate increasing student diversity while aligning with industry needs, writes James Williams

James Williams

University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Teach students to think like researchers

Expanding undergraduate research benefits not only the institution, but the students too. Here’s how to embed a research mindset in your undergraduate cohort

Salah Al-Majeed

Al Akhawayn University

The five emotional types of learners on online courses

Online learning is still growing. But to offer personalised support, educators need to understand their students’ emotional type. Find out more here

Panu Erästö

Aalto University School of Business

A physiotherapist inspects a patient's back

‘It depends’: navigating the uncertainty of reasoning in clinical practice

How can we teach our physiotherapy students to think like professionals when the honest answer is “it depends”? Using case studies could help

Aileen Scully

Singapore Institute of Technology

How universities can support employability for international students

If you work in higher education, you are part of the employability journey, writes Gemma Kenyon. And career readiness is a key driver for international enrolments

Gemma Kenyon

City St George’s, University of London

A scrunched-up piece of paper is fashioned into a lightbulb

Small shifts to nurture a design thinking mindset in university teaching

Design thinking, with its focus on problem-solving in a structured way, can help ready students for the workplace – and doesn’t require a curriculum overhaul, writes Asrif Yusoff

Asrif Yusoff

University of Greenwich

Five steps to successful company-led projects in higher education

Company-led projects can boost graduate earnings and strengthen institutional partnerships. Here’s how to get them off the ground

Wahiba Chair

University Canada West

Three steps to sustainable university-industry-government alliances

A framework for building robust partnerships that embed real-world experience into the curriculum, moving from single-course innovation to full programme transformation

Qiong Ji, Junsong Chen

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Two physiotheraphy students work with a patient

Entrustment-based supervision and assessment: a how-to guide

Implementing entrustable professional activities into assessment can help transit students to entry-level practice. Here’s how it was done in a physiotherapy course

Rahizan Zainuldin

Singapore Institute of Technology

Two designers making a model of a building

Tips for introducing complex design software in the classroom

As design education becomes increasingly digital, educators face the challenge of integrating powerful simulation and modelling software without overwhelming students. Adalberto Tamez Alanis offers guidance

Adalberto Tamez Alanis

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Campus Talks: The value of arts and humanities in higher education

A vice-chancellor-artist and a historian discuss the merits of the arts and humanities and what valuable life lessons and skills can be gained from the study of these disciplines

Michael Scott, Mark Power, Miranda Prynne

The University of Warwick, Liverpool John Moores University

How universities can cultivate arts and humanities in practical, affordable ways

Are the arts and humanities still needed as universities retrench staff and cut costs? Patty Raun explains why curtailing or eliminating these disciplines is an egregious mistake

Patricia Raun

Virginia Tech

Business students discussing a case study in class

How to cultivate confident, creative graduates

How a careers festival centred on industry insight, alumni connections and tailored support is helping creative students navigate more sustainable career paths

Ailsa Wright

The University of Edinburgh

A group of students celebrating around an unlocked chest full of sweets

Unlock learning and build community with escape rooms

Games-based activities foster active, relaxed learning and collaborative problem-solving. Rebecca Andrew and Sam Chadwick offer guidance on how to design and tailor them to suit a range of needs

Rebecca Andrew, Sam Chadwick

University of Chester

Three female students in library around laptop

Teaching students to assess their work and why it matters beyond university

Peer feedback and self-assessment build habits that extend into professional life. They teach students to ask questions such as: ‘What do others see in my work?’ and ‘What did I miss?’ to improve performance, Elissar Gerges explains

Elissar Gerges

Zayed University

Medical students learn in a small session

Support medical students to form their identity as doctors

Develop well-rounded, people-focused medical professionals by focusing on soft skills, alongside clinical knowledge. Here’s how case-based learning can help

Anne Hickey

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Two healthcare professionals consulting a document

Practice makes professional

Well-designed simulations can give future public service practitioners safe opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and build skills vital for supporting vulnerable people

Mark Gregory

The University of East Anglia

The case for arts and humanities spotlight guide

Making the case for arts and humanities

The arts and humanities are often dismissed as an unaffordable luxury, when these disciplines underpin vital human skills. This collection explores how arts and humanities can be harnessed for the benefit of all – students, universities and wider society

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Students work together around a desktop computer

Two ways to embed transferable skills in university teaching

Students need the skills to thrive in an uncertain job market. Positioning GenAI as a study buddy and student-led business clinics can help develop them

Mark Elliot, James Moran, Venetia Tzanni

University of Westminster

How business education can preserve cultural heritage

Strengthen communities and protect cultural traditions by using business education to support artisanal practices. Here are four ways to do so

Ahlam Fakhar

Al Akhawayn University

AI tools that strengthen students’ communication skills

AI can help students reflect, practise and improve the skills employers really value, from writing clearly to speaking confidently and working effectively in teams

Nelly Ramirez Vásquez , Gabriela Espínola Carballo, Carla Camacho

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Teacher guiding a student through an exercies on their laptop

Exercises to strengthen students’ socio-emotional skills

Simple, structured activities can strengthen students’ socio-emotional skills, from active listening to emotional regulation, helping them navigate academic and interpersonal challenges

Tatiana del Pilar Amado Castellanos

The University of Applied and Environmental Sciences (UDCA)

Embracing co-creation through experiential learning

Co-creation cultivates skills and mindsets that traditional classrooms may not be able to provide. For instructors, sharing control with students can result in a richer, more dynamic educational experience for all, writes Ed Berger

Ed Berger

Virginia Tech

Campus Talks: The real-world power of soft skills

How do universities ensure their curricula meet the demands from industry, government and students for career-ready graduates equipped with vital transferable skills? Three experts explain how institutions are working to align higher education and skills development

David Bell, Dawn Bennett, Derek Harding

University of Sunderland, Independent consultant, Swinburne University of Technology

The case for degrees that teach us how to think

As debate about the cost and purpose of higher education intensifies, the humanities are often the first target. Yet evidence shows that far from being outdated or indulgent, humanities degrees cultivate critical skills, resilience and, yes, viable career paths

Michelle Moseley-Christian

Virginia Tech

A student taking a moment to reflect on a concept

Reflective skills are key in an unpredictable labour market

Students need to be agile to succeed in the workplaces of the future. Rather than rely on static career planning tools, teach students to pause and evaluate

Michelle Civile

The University of Exeter

Teaching core skills for today’s and tomorrow’s jobs

Students need skills that go beyond subject knowledge to be ready for as-yet-unknown jobs. For institutions, that means preparing them with cognitive abilities – and awareness of how to apply them – for careers now and in future

Aulay Mackenzie

Walbrook Institute London

Two engineering students work together on a project

Ask students to create assessments for industry insight

Engineering education requires up-to-date industry knowledge. Why not deploy your senior students to craft authentic assessments?

Jamil Jasin, Alfred Cheng Hock Tan , Idris Li Hong Lim, Christian Della

Singapore Institute of Technology

An illustration of a flower amid bare tree branches

Soft skills for hard times

Find out how to educate students with the skills needed to succeed in a world beset with uncertainty and instability

Kiera O’Brien, Campus contributors

Campus

Illustration of man pushing cogs linked to books representing work-integrated learning

Real-world projects offer ideal conditions for teaching soft skills

With tomorrow’s graduates requiring agility, empathy and leadership capabilities on top of subject knowledge, the path forward is through connection with industry and community partners, as Kevin Koh explains

Kevin Koh

Singapore Management University

Give students the tools to negotiate in the classroom

Teach students to listen, interpret non-verbal cues and understand their peers’ needs through simple classroom strategies

Elisa González

CETYS Universidad

Give students autonomy over their learning

Here are simple ways to nurture self-direction in students – from consulting them on assessments to offering choice on learning objectives – shared by Natalie K Seedan

Natalie K. D. Seedan

The University of the West Indies

Interdisciplinary teaching spotlight graphic

A focus on interdisciplinarity in university teaching

Learn how to break higher education out of its disciplinary silos through course design, assessment and lessons adapted to the real world

Campus contributors

Campus

Students working together on a group project

Teaching future-proof skills: lessons from degree apprenticeships

How degree apprenticeship-style teaching can develop the creative and social intelligence students need to succeed in a changing workplace

Yuxi Heluo

The University of Exeter

Use experiential learning to embed transferable skills in the university classroom

Find out how one educator integrated the transferable skills students need for employability into a content-heavy course

Philip Y. Lam

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Teaching responsible use of GenAI in graduate studies

When graduate students learn to use AI transparently, to seek approvals, respect Indigenous consent and critically assess outputs, they develop skills essential for both academic success and professional practice

Katerina Standish

University of Northern British Columbia

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