GiLE Journal of Skills Development
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Supporting Widening Participation Students Without Creating Dependency or Leaving Them Unprepared for Work in the Neoliberal Era: A Discussion Paper
Full text linkIn a rapidly changing employment context, research holds that the desirable attributes of grit, resilience and context adaptation will become fundamental to the ongoing employability of current students. The employment landscape has become atomised and volatile under neoliberalism, exemplified by the broken psychological contract between employer and employee. Graduates from widening participation backgrounds entering the labour market will see their existing barriers to career success exacerbated by these changes in the world of work. For students from widening participation backgrounds, the neoliberal policies that underpin these changes are congruent with other policies that exacerbate their socioeconomic and educational disadvantages. Consequently, universities must play an increasingly important role in supporting students within and outside of the taught curriculum. This paper explores ways universities can continue to provide students with the necessary support without building dependencies or expectations of support that would inhibit the development of grit, resilience, and context adaptation. As a starting point for further discussion, this paper proposes guiding principles for universities to inform institutional Teaching and Learning strategies
Generation Z: Increasing Self-Perceived Employability and Well-being through Serious Leisure
Full text linkGeneration Z (Gen Z) is the best-educated, technologically adept, and most racially and ethnically diverse generation entering the workforce today. Gen Z also has the highest rate of diagnosed depression and anxiety. They prefer to have a side hustle on top of their full-time jobs; however, the act of monetizing their leisure activity has been shown to add more stress. The benefits of serious and casual leisure are shared; with emphasis on the need for Gen Z to engage in more forms of serious leisure to enhance their well-being and self-perceived employability. Employers and schools should encourage, promote and invest in more serious leisure activities for Gen Z. Continuing the emerging focus on research in leisure studies and careers, specifically focusing on Gen Z is highly recommended
Differentiating Grapes from Wine: The Education-To-Work Transition
Full text linkThere is a growing interest in connecting the literature on graduate employability, career development, and worker employability. However, inconsistent terminology across these fields poses a challenge. This essay focuses on the term ‘school-to-work transition’. In career development and worker employability literature, it often refers to the movement from all stages of schooling into the labour market, while in graduate employability literature it is understood to only refer to the transition from secondary school into the labour market. To illustrate this issue, we use a metaphor comparing grapes to wine. Consequently, we propose ‘education-to-work transition’ as an overarching term, with various subcategories specific to secondary and tertiary education
Rewriting the Future: How Metamodern Education Can Redefine Society and Leadership
Full text linkThis food-for-thought paper challenges traditional paradigms and proposes a metamodern framework for redefining the optics on the role of education in society, advocating for a new social contract rooted in shared values, inclusivity, and interdisciplinary collaboration. How can we democratize higher education and empower individuals to navigate the uncertainties of the 21st century? Is moving beyond fragmented knowledge and fostering skills-based education truly beneficial? Moving beyond postmodern fragmentation, metamodernism emphasizes cooperation and holistic development, presenting a blueprint for transforming society by bridging individual agency and collective progress. The Inner Development Goals (IDG) promotes skills-based and humanity-focused leadership that addresses the inner and outer dimensions of sustainable development. This transformative skills-based approach to leadership encourages educators and institutions to embrace complexity and ambiguity, preparing future leaders to leverage inherited chaos for meaningful change. This approach challenges traditional paradigms and calls for a dynamic interplay that aligns with the metamodern ethos
Conceptualisation and Operationalisation of the Personal Brand V.A.L.U.E. Career Development Tool
Full text linkThe purpose of our manuscript is to conceptualise and operationalise the Personal Brand V.A.L.U.E. Career Development Tool. The V.A.L.U.E. acronym stands for Vision, Ability, Love, Understanding, and Ecosystem. The paper adopts a case study design based on qualitative insights via an in-depth and semi-structured interview with an individual who has used the Personal Brand V.A.L.U.E. Career Development Tool over five years, initially in their final year of university (2018-2019) and subsequently as a graduate in the labour market (2019-2023). The lived experience provided through the case study provides insights into the operationalisation of the Personal Brand V.A.L.U.E. Career Development Tool for (i) preparing and navigating the university-to-work transition, (ii) navigating an unplanned career transition, and (iii) navigating a planned career transition. The theoretical contribution comes from conceptualising the Personal Brand V.A.L.U.E. Career Development Tool. The practical contribution comes from offering implications for (a) students and universities and (b) workers and organisations to operationalise the tool. A future research agenda is also presented
Cultivating Resilience in Part-Time Doctoral Students
Full text linkIn an increasingly competitive world, master’s degrees are becoming the new common educational currency, leading to a markable increase in the number of students pursuing Professional Doctorates to stand out, boost their professional standing, and increase their income. The rise of Professional Doctorates is eclipsing the growth of traditional PhDs, and the academic intakes of the future look to be built of part-time professionals, who must also balance additional stressors such as family and personal life and their day-to-day careers. As such, this author recommends academic institutes promote the skills of resilience to help part-time students manage day-to-day stressors and embark on a more successful doctoral journey. This is an opinion-based paper that utilises lessons learned from the author’s own academic journey and the classic underpinning literature on resilience to recommend three sets of skills and mindsets that could help boost part-time doctoral students’ resilience
Richar Almonte A Practical Guide to Soft Skills: Communication, Psychology, and Ethics for your Professional Life
No full textAs it is a book review, there is no abstract
A Future in the Past: Career Opportunities for Australian History Graduates
Full text linkAustralia\u27s History educators frequently face challenges regarding the value of post-school qualifications in history. Comments from Australian Government ministers have intensified claims that history degrees lack broad skills valued by employers. This study addresses the dearth of research examining the alignment between learning outcomes from history degrees and occupational skills. A comprehensive analysis was conducted on learning outcomes from 27 history degrees offered by Australian universities. These outcomes were mapped against the Australian Government\u27s Skills Classification Core Competencies and Occupation Listings, employing a rigorous curriculum mapping methodology. The results identified 126 occupations that align with the skills and competencies developed through history degrees. This research not only challenges misconceptions about the employability of history graduates but also provides empirical evidence of the broad applicability of historical skills across various sectors. The findings reveal a significant concentration of history graduates in managerial and professional roles, indicating the high value placed on critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills developed by studying history. However, the study also highlights areas for improvement, particularly in digital engagement and numeracy skills. The research demonstrates that history degrees cultivate a range of transferable skills highly sought after in the modern job market, including advanced communication, critical analysis, research proficiency, and adaptability. These skills position history graduates to excel in diverse fields such as public policy, journalism, law, business, and education. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in curriculum design to enhance graduate employability. This research contributes valuable insights for curriculum development and career guidance in history education, demonstrating that history degrees lead to diverse and meaningful employment outcomes. It also provides a robust evidence base for advocating the value of historical studies in an increasingly skills-focused higher education landscape
Delving into Chit-Chat with GPT-3.5: Holy Grail or Pandora’s Box? : A Review of AI Opportunities and Challenges in Academia
Full text linkHistorically, technological advancements have continuously transformed our lives in diverse ways. Recently, a sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) based chatbot called ChatGPT has made similar breakthroughs, revolutionizing various industries and our everyday existence. Education is among the most significantly impacted areas, as ChatGPT opened new doors for both students and teachers. However, as a new phenomenon, it came with challenges within an unexplored grey area, introducing certain threats that persist even after more than a year into the ChatGPT journey. This systematic literature review seeks to analyse the available information concerning the opportunities and threats associated with the use of ChatGPT in academia, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the topic. The research suggests that the current version of ChatGPT can be beneficial for students, teachers, and researchers as a digital assistant capable of enhancing productivity through the automation of monotonous and repetitive tasks, provided that its limitations are effectively addressed. Ultimately, the paper provides valuable insights for future discussions, addressing important practical and theoretical considerations. As a conclusion, it is emphasized that while the current use of AI in academic domains presents both opportunities and challenges, the future inevitably involves this technology. Academic and business stakeholders must collaborate proactively worldwide to successfully break down the present myths surrounding ChatGPT, bidding farewell to outdated traditions and implementing essential new policies to guide proper human-AI collaboration