Universities, Employability and Human Development

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

   PDF

2. Contextual and Policy Conditions

   • Melanie Walker, Samuel Fongwa

   Pages 1-28

3. Graduate Employability, Global Shifts and Local Realities

   • Melanie Walker, Samuel Fongwa

   Pages 29-51

4. A Human Capabilities Conceptualization of Graduate Employability

   • Melanie Walker, Samuel Fongwa

   Pages 53-78

5. Employability and Conversion Factors

   • Melanie Walker, Samuel Fongwa

   Pages 79-108

6. Access and Participation

   • Melanie Walker, Samuel Fongwa

   Pages 109-132

7. Democratic Citizenship and Employable Graduates

   • Melanie Walker, Samuel Fongwa

   Pages 133-157

8. Employers and Graduate Opportunities

   • Melanie Walker, Samuel Fongwa

   Pages 159-180

9. Aspirations, Capabilities and Navigating Future-Forward

   • Melanie Walker, Samuel Fongwa

   Pages 181-213

10. Human Development, Capabilities and Graduate Employability

    • Melanie Walker, Samuel Fongwa

    Pages 215-227

11. Back Matter

    Pages 229-248

    PDF

The book makes a significant contribution to critical higher education studies, specifically to graduate employability research and to capabilities and education research. The book moves beyond the simplistic conception of alleged 'gaps' in graduate skills and 'mismatches' between employers and universities, and instead provides an innovative multi-dimensional and intersectional human capabilities conceptualisation of graduate employability. The book challenges an individualised notion of employability, instead locating employability issues in social and economic conditions, and argues that employability choices cannot be divorced from inequality. Qualitative and quantitative data from multiple case-study universities in South Africa are used to explore the perceptions and experiences of diverse students, lecturers, support officers and employers, regarding what each university is doing, or should be doing, to enhance graduate economic opportunities and contribute to inclusive development. The book will be highly relevant to students, scholars and researchers in the fields of education and sociology, particularly those with an interest in graduate employability.

• south africa
• university
• employers
• employment
• education

• University of the Free State , Bloemfontein, South Africa

  Melanie Walker, Samuel Fongwa

Melanie Walker is South African research chair in higher education and human development at the University of the Free State, South Africa.


Samuel Fongwa is a post-doctoral fellow and researcher at the Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development at the University of the Free State, South Africa. 

Policies and ethics