Psychology and Employability: Past, Present and Future

An increased focus on student employability has been prompted through the publication of a number of key reports (Department for Employment and Learning Northern Ireland, 2011; DfES, 2003; Leitch, 2006). These reports have stressed that the UK’s future economic growth and its ability to remain competitive in a global economy is dependent upon increasing the numbers of highly skilled graduates. As part of these reviews, and also identified in research by Knight (2004), employers highlighted that they value the generic skills of team working, problem solving, oral and written communication, creative thinking, planning and organising, being able to work independently, managing projects, leadership, an appreciation of ethical practices and an awareness of the business context. However, they reported that many graduates lacked these generic competences. As a result, higher education institutions have sought to introduce employability into the curriculum and to provide opportunities for their students to gain work experience. This article discusses Queen's School of Psychology Employability programme.