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Warwick International Higher Education Academy

Investigating the Perceived Skills Gap Between University and the Workplace

About the Project

Recent GO data highlighted that Warwick Graduates are notably less likely to agree they are utilising what they learnt during their studies in their work compared to other HE graduates. GO data inform the University’s TEF ranking and impacts Warwick’s league table positioning. This problem affects how we compare to other institutions. This has already been picked up by WONKHE. Moreover, this perceived mismatch between our students degree skills and those required in the workplace could limit the range of positions our students feel they can apply for and harm their chances of securing positive graduate outcomes.

In 2023, the National Foundation for Educational Research found that “whilst specialist skills and knowledge are vital in most occupations, it is transferable ‘essential employment skills’ that will be in greatest demand across the labour market in 2035.” Placement students undertake extended graduate level work experience during their degree. Those engaged in placements have expressed that they struggled to adjust to the skills required in their placements. Therefore, placement cohorts make an excellent group to investigate the perceived skills gap.

Project Aims

The project team investigated the perception of a skills disparity for graduates entering the labour market. This included investigating how degree skills are applied to workplaces, and to what extent the perceived disparity is impacted by students' ability to link and articulate the skills gained in their degree to those required to their employment context. It then made recommendations for departments to help students critically understand, articulate and further develop their skills to prepare them for the transition into the workplace.

This project generated resources to inform departmental practices, and the School of Life Sciences has committed to implement initial project recommendations. Academic and service departments, including Student Opportunity (SO) teams involved in skills, employability and placements will be informed of the recommendations to implement in their own contexts. Warwick students are highly sought-after by graduate recruiters. Helping students to develop their skills, better articulate and link them to their careers, increases their potential job market success.

Project Outcomes

The team have recruited student project officers, who have completed an initial literature review. They are working on survey questions (having assembled the material for their focus groups), and will shortly initiate the next stages of the project via conducting these surveys and analysing the data collected.

Specific outcomes for the project currently include:

  • The written report detailing our findings produced between June – August 2024
  • Paper for SLS TSC detailing recommendations for curricular and cocurricular activities linked to skills development – produced September 2024
  • Warwick Education Group Presentation – Project context, methodology and expected outcomes – Delivered May 2024
  • AGCAS conference presentation – project context, methodology and expected outcomes. Delivered June 2024
  • Placement Practice Group Meeting presentation – delivered July 2024
  • ASET conference presentation – project context, methodology, skills gap outcomes and recommendations to address these – Delivered September 2024
  • Project results and recommendations presentation to Student Opportunity Department – Delivered September 2024
  • Request for project outcome presentation for WBS placement staff - TBC

Legacy

Wider placement cohorts in other departments may benefit from the learning for placement student skills gaps and navigation of transitions via dissemination via PPG. Student opportunity will take learning and use it within the context of the skills award. This project has provided a large evidence base of the need for skills development to ensure students can adapt to the workplace. This evidence will be useful in informing future curriculum development.

The legacy in SLS should be greater culture and awareness of the need for skills articulation explicit skills development and authentic skills-based assessment within the wider curriculum, as well as increased resources for SLS placement students navigating transitions to placement settings. The project team are continuing to implement the recommendations of this project into curriculum design in the university.

Project Team

david molyneux

Lead: David Molyneux (Student Opportunity)

marion patel

Lead: Marion Patel (Life Sciences)