Many employers hold the inability of the educational system to provide work-related skills responsible for this increasing ‘mismatch’. HE institutions and academics, asked to prove the relevance or utility of their teaching and research for societal and economic needs, have concerns about preserving academic freedom and autonomy.

http://epthinktank.eu/2014/03/26/are-universities-fostering-graduate-employability/

I think that the most important skills are errorless spelling style in mother language and English, flexibility for various working times and places, and willingness to study new literacy on one's own responsibility.

Sudev,

Martina and I are two Austrians with appropriate answers for central Europe. What I know from my recent trips to India is that Indian employees obviously underlie stronger competition. Hence, they have to provide even higher flexibility and abstain from topical employment rights.

Sudev:

You can form partnerships with their related industries for them to gain some on-the-job exposure, which could be directly doing research that would solve industry problems or actually doing a short-term placement in industry, perhaps during the holiday breaks to gain some practical experience. Research has shown that employers are more likely to hire those students that have already been exposed to their systems and operations. In this way, you can make them more employable. Here's what's available on ResearchGate regarding your topic:

https://www.researchgate.net/publicliterature.PublicLiterature.search.html?type=keyword&search-keyword=improving+the+employability+of+students&search-abstract=&search-journal=&search=Search

Hope this helps!

Many thanks,

Debra

I have recently taken a job as an Associate Dean and have responsibility for both the learning and career outcomes of students in my college. Based on my own observations and some (quick) review of the literature, I think the best thing we can to help students prepare for work is have them work. While this may sound circular (I suppose it is), it does suggest clear direction for me in my role. Students need classes that put them in real organizations, doing real work. They need opportunities for internships. So we are instituting activities like these as requirements for graduation and providing support and guidance to make them happen. For classes, we are encouraging faculty to build relationships with companies to develop project opportunities. For current students, we are helping them with resume, cover letter, and interview skills. Just as important, we are doing this on top of existing curricula, so the students are still learning key knowledge and skills in their majors.

My college is not alone in requiring work experiences, and in fact, it has been a secret ingredient to success of many of the best MBA programs (require as a condition of admission excellent prior work experience). Undergraduate programs can build on this logic to make sure that when students apply for a job, they have at least some direct, relevant, prior experience doing that type of work.

Interesting comments. My favorite points are.

- the graduates must have a certain enthusiasm for the job.

- they must adapt to the new situation applying a certain amount of social intelligence.

- they should be ready to work hard and accept subject specific critics.

- they must be prepared for practical work during their studies (the main responsability of their teachers)

For improving the employability of students:

1. Develop communication and soft skills

2. Improve subject contents

3. Develop personality

Many employers hold the inability of the educational system to provide work-related skills responsible for this increasing ‘mismatch’. HE institutions and academics, asked to prove the relevance or utility of their teaching and research for societal and economic needs, have concerns about preserving academic freedom and autonomy.

http://epthinktank.eu/2014/03/26/are-universities-fostering-graduate-employability/

Enhance the practical side of students. Connect the curriculum with the needs of markets.

In addition to the above, create connections with employers, organize group visits there or invite employers to the university to talk about their needs/expectations, develop joint projects with employers so that students can practice working in their company/institution, organize job fairs...

Dear all,

You have forwarded very insightful and helpful ideas as to how we increase the employability of our graduates. Indeed learning institutes are places who produce academically trained humans and therefore have at the same time a responsibility to think the employability of its graduates, otherwise producing a product with no market is a waste of time and resources of ours and our students.

Aside from offering the technical and subject knowledge building courses that are vital for critical thinking and problem solving strategies, other work related skills such as familiarizing themselves to work environments through internships, teaching practices, laboratory works and other venues and creating connections with potential employers of their graduates are very important.  

The employability of our students can be increased through Skill Building amongst the  students which further can be done through joint efforts by the teachers, students, institution, the industry, society and the state as a whole.

I completely agree with Honorable Professor B K Punia Sir.

In fact, students are required to improve their soft and technical/professional skills towards enhancing employability.

For an employer, good academic scores are one important part of requirements, but not the only ones.

Of course, depending on the specific vacancy to fill, the requirements will be different. But in general it can be said, that a number of key competences will contribute to turn a graduate in a candidate of choice:

• social competence, good team worker
• good communication and presentation skills
• problem solving capabilities, creativity
• integrity, authentic personality
• unstoppable desire to learn, try something new and to develop him/herself and others 

Through development of entrepreneurship in different branches of education coupled with skill

Many good ideas and answers have been given. In order to improve the employability of our students, we must have feedback from our former students. Their experience is so valuable and they give the suggestions for changes to be done, for new curricula,... Alumni association gatherings threat such issues. 

Is it difficult to find a job in Serbia? "For a while, employment fairs were very popular. However, the impressions of organizers and visitors are completely different. While the National Employment Service claims that many have found jobs at such fairs, a huge percentage of visitors say that such fairs represent a parade only. A recent survey showed that more than 80% of the pollees do not know anyone who found a job at an employment fair. Numerous companies use fairs for self-promotion, but they mostly seek volunteers. After each fair, there is an impression that employers are looking for university graduates under 30 years of age with rich professional experience, despite the fact that such an achievement is physically impossible taking into account the Serbian education system."

http://voiceofserbia.org/content/it-difficult-find-job-serbia

The most important skills the employers want:

--Leadership skills 62%

--Management skills 62%

--Interpersonal skills 53%

--Innovation and creativity 45%

--Resilience 43%

--Technical/specialist skills 40%

--IT skills 40%

--Sales/marketing skills 32%

--Client management skills 24%

--Other/none of the above 4%

http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/top-ten-skills.htm

What Do Employers Really Want? Top Skills and Values Employers Seek from Job-Seekers! "Personal Values Employers Seek in Employees are: 

• Honesty/Integrity/Morality
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Dedication/Hard-Working/Work Ethic/Tenacity
• Dependability/Reliability/Responsibility
• Loyalty
• Positive Attitude/Motivation/Energy/Passion
• Professionalism
• Self-Confidence
• Self-Motivated/Ability to Work With Little or No Supervision
• Willingness to Learn

Employability skills and personal values are the critical tools and traits you need to succeed in the workplace -- and they are all elements that you can learn, cultivate, develop, and maintain over your lifetime. Once you have identified the sought-after skills and values and assessed the degree to which you possess, them remember to document them and market them (in your resume, cover letter, and interview answers) for job-search success."

http://www.quintcareers.com/job_skills_values.html

The importance of various skills may vary for different sectors; however, it may be a relevant research problem.

Hi Sudev,

I find graduate students or newly in workplace graduates can improve their employability or perform well in their works when they can demonstrate the attributes as shared in the following RG post.  Albeit this post is meant for graduates just landed in workplace's IT project, but think it is applicable for graduates from other disciplines.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_are_the_Knowledge_that_helps_graduates_to_work_effectively_in_Information_Systems_DevelopmentISD_projects

Regards,

Fung

 Dear Dr Han Ping Fung,

All six points or traits (in mentioned RG post) are very useful and relevant for other fields with some modifications appropriately.

Best Regards.

Now in India, the problem is that of employability and not that of unemployment. In its India Skills Report for 2014, Wheebox, an online talent assessment company, has stated that only ten per cent of MBA graduates and 17 per cent of engineering graduates in the country are employable.

In its National Employability Report of Engineering Graduates for 2014, Aspiring Minds has stated that “less than one out of four engineering graduates is employable in the country.” The study further shows that “of the 1.2 lakh candidates surveyed across multiple states, 91.82% lack programming and algorithm skills, 71.23% lack soft and cognitive skills, 60% lack domain skills, 73.63% lack English speaking and comprehension skills and 57.96% have poor analytical and quantitative skills.”

It's high time now for us to reboot the India education system and joint initiatives by the industry and academia will play an important part in plugging the talent gap in the years to come.

Training individuals for the jobs of the future and allowing them to visualise what it possible today will not only make a difference in their lives but will enrich our communities now and for the future.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/yawning-skill-gap-cause-for-concern/article6806605.ece

http://www.cisco.com/web/IN/about/network/academia_partnerships.html

Dear Dr Subhash C. Kundu,

Very correct; but who all are responsible for the problem of not finding employable professionals need to be discussed.

Categories of skills which are important to employ-ability are;

• basic competency,
• communication, 
• adaptability,
• developmental activities,
• group effectiveness and
• influencing others.

http://www.v3solutions.in/v1i1/2.pdf

Both technical and behavioural (soft skills) skills are important at entry level.

"Employability skills are general skills that are necessary for success in the labour market at all employment levels and in all sectors. These skills have a number of names— soft skills, workforce readiness skills, career readiness skills— but they all speak to the same set of core skills that employers want.

The Employability Skills Framework is a one-stop resource for information and tools to inform the instruction and assessment of employability skills."

http://cte.ed.gov/employabilityskills/

I think that there is too little interaction between universities and business. Among listed skills by Ljubomir and Krishnan most of universities teach only basic competency and professionalism. But as we see from Indian report (mentioned by Subhash) even professional skills of graduates may be too low.

What is the reason for that? Probably we have to look at incentives of university professors. It is much easier to teach standard course for many years without changes than to adapt it every year to changing reality of business. While research work of professors is encouraged by promotion, consultancy activity is typically not encouraged. That is why many professors (apart from good business schools) do not know what business wants.

But if we look at the list of required skills, we can understand that universities also need to employ a lot of psychologists that can teach interpersonal skills, communication, etc.

Employability Gap: A challenge for India 2020

In India, opportunity is huge even going by moderate estimates for youth which open flood gates for youth to fulfil their dreams. India 2020 dream of becoming a super power and big stakeholder in international matters would need talented and employable workforce with India’s youth population becoming one of the major prime movers for our growth.

http://www.onefoundation.in/papers.php

I think we need to focus more on their shaping their attitudes so that they can fit in with the team work typical of today's workplace.

We, university profesors should not be stable in the carrying out of their sylabuss. It means thatbthey should focus to new changements in the reality a d they have to contribute in the improving skills of the students. Also the students have to improve their talents and skills.

‘We aim to produce graduates fully equipped to achieve the highest personal and professional standards’

--- Strategic Plan 2012-2016, University of Edinburgh

The work of the Employability Initiative focuses on:

---‘embed[ing] graduate attributes and employability in all our curricula, and equip our students to compete in the global marketplace’;

---‘producing graduates with socially and economically valuable attributes and expertise’;

---‘increase[ing] student satisfaction with the opportunities and support for developing their graduate attributes and employability’;

---‘equip[ing] our graduates with the expertise and graduate attributes they need to achieve their full potential within the global community’; and

---‘brokering strategic partnerships between academics, industry, specialists and other institutions to enhance the development of graduate attributes in all students’. 

http://www.employability.ed.ac.uk/Why/

Employability - originating in the 1980s and developed in the 1990s: the outcome-based ‘labour market performance employability’; ‘initiative employability’, with its focus on individual responsibility; and ‘interactive employability’, which “maintains the focus on individual adaptation

http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/50721/1/Concept_of_Employability_FINAL.pdf

We should help our students to teach for skills, for life,..., in order to be prepared for a job. We should strive for all-round development of our students. Developing a lifelong learning habits is a MUST!

Success in school and success in career are connected. The skills, competencies, and behaviors one learns and practices will guide their marketability and flexibility throughout their career, and will promote success in their personal life.

Continuous learning and up gradation improvement in skills and behaviour is very important.

Dear @Sudev, skills, skills and skills. Here is Europe experience.

A NEW SKILLS AGENDA FOR EUROPE!

The European Commission has adopted a new Skills Agenda for Europe, as a further policy support measure for boosting Europe’s employability, competitiveness and growth, in line with the Europe 2020 strategy... 

"The skills landscape in Europe continues to display mismatches between skills and labour market demands, high numbers of people with low literacy and numeracy skills, even more without adequate digital skills and a job market with seemingly ever increasing demands. To support the development of skills, especially transversal skills, and help address the skills mismatch as well as anticipate the needs of the labour market, the European Commission put forward the action plan consisting of 10 points which are to provide a framework for dealing with these issues at different levels and across education systems in the EU..."

There are 10 proposed action points!

https://danube-inco.net/object/news/17522

HOW SMALL-TOWN GRADS ARE GETTING TO IMPROVE EMPLOYABILITY QUOTIENT

http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-how-small-town-grads-are-getting-to-improve-employability-quotient-1497170

An excellent resource dear @Sudev. 

A Skilled Workforce for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth - A G20 Training Strategy!

"How many women and men are in employment and how productive they are at work has a lot do to with the available opportunities to acquire and maintain relevant skills. Countries, enterprises and persons all perceive skills development as strategic, and consequently seek to step up investments in skills. In aspiring to realize the potential of skills development, they face common challenges...

Leaders adopted a framework for strong, sustainable and balanced growth as the instrument for their cooperative action. They acknowledged the role of skills development in that framework, stating that “each of our countries will need, through its own national policies, to strengthen the ability of our workers to adapt to changing market demands and to benefit from innovation and investments in new technologies, clean energy, environment, health and infrastructure.”..."

We can improve the employability of our students by making teaching practically oreinted. We also need to teach them according to the demands of the labour markets in our different countries. Gone are the days when theoretical knowledge is appreciated. Education that is skill and practical oriented would definitely make our students employable and globally relevant.

As the previous answers indicate, this is a fairly difficult topic.  I think it is crucial to recognise that the employability agenda has problematic components.  While I focus on employability from a motivational perspective, and how individuals may navigate the labour market, it is important to recognise that - at least at present - the labour market is structured to be competitive.  Regardless of what we do to support students, if everyone enhances their students' employability, the competitiveness of an individual is reduced, even though their actual ability may be strong.  I really recommend the work of Brown and Hesketh (e.g. 'The mismanagement of talent').

Course activities should bring industry into the classroom (e.g., guest experts) or send students into industry for assignments so that they are aware of the changes and challenges in the real world of work.

Best regards,

Debra

Dear all 

We can improve our students abilities to suit the demands of employers . This happen by reinforcing their practical abilities, updating their digital and software knowledge, and pushing them  to actual work during their study in college. The last point is very important as I think. 

Liqaa 

There are courses which are for those who are for employed to hone there knowledge and skills........"Programme is primarily intended for those already employed and also in view of the fact that the Training imparted is for the Personnel Profession , preference in admission is given to applicants presently working in Personnel , HRD Administration , Industrial relations Training and Development and allied functions."..........

http://www.mssw.in/Pages/index/pg_diploma_in_hr_%26_ir_

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR MBA Pharmaceutical Management

..............."Candidates with relevant experience in pharmaceutical sector are encouraged to apply".......

 https://www.iihmr.org/admissions

In such courses there is a lot of opportunity to cross learn and support. Educational Institutions can leverage on such student network to expand their reach for placement purposes.

Hi

Technical standards must be developed to keep abreast of the movement of progress and development in the world, especially in the technical field. It is also important to follow up the graduates of technical education and provide them with employment opportunities. We also call for a technical program to benefit students who are withdrawn from secondary and secondary education, So that the community benefits from them.

8 ways to enhance your students’ graduate employability 

by Dr Shelley Kinash

Graduate Employability means that higher education alumni have developed the capacity to obtain and/or create work. Furthermore, employability means that institutions and employers have supported the student knowledge, skills, attributes, reflective disposition and identity that graduates need to succeed in the workforce

.....

https://bond.edu.au/files/627/8%20ways%20to%20enhance%20your%20students%20graduate%20employability.pdf

What are you doing to improve the employability of your graduates?

Rising fees will invariably make school leavers more selective about their choice of institution and, in a highly competitive job market, graduate employment indicators are likely to feature strongly in their decision-making.

But what can - and should - universities do to ensure their careers and employability programmes are as strong and effective as possible?

Fine blog!

https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2011/apr/04/management-admin-and-services-student-experience

Equip the necessary personal and professional skills that they need in the real world of work.

Equip them necessary personal and professional skills that they need in the real world of work.

Improving Student Employability

Higher tuition costs and high unemployment have combined to make

students, potential students, employers and society at large question

the value of further and higher education. Although academics should

never accept the idea that education is only worthwhile if it is of

commercial value, we do need to meet these expectations head on.

....

http://www.jobs.ac.uk/media/pdf/careers/resources/improving-student-employability.pdf

10 ways to improve your students' employability

By Bill Lucas

- Be much more precise about what the desired habits and skills are

- Recognize that employability is largely a state of mind

- Stress that employability habits of mind are learnable

- Create an ecology within colleges and providers which actively promotes employability

- Use those learning methods - signature pedagogues – known to be most effective

- Develop a rich array of co-curricular opportunities

- Focus especially on transition points

- Invest in professional development for staff

- Recognize the role of parents and families, and, of fundamental importance

- Keep an open dialogue with employers.

....

https://www.tes.com/news/further-education/breaking-views/10-ways-improve-your-students-employability