Widening participation in higher education for under-represented groups is a priority internationally. In Australia, the most common entry pathway for domestic undergraduate students is by obtaining an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) in the final year of secondary school. The ATAR system, however, has been criticised as disadvantaging…

Educating reflexive, socially responsible and action-oriented future professionals who can contribute to a better future remains a core task of higher education. These graduate characteristics describe the deliberate professional. Within this article, we examine the value of a post-work-integrated learning peer reflection activity to foster…

The study examines the prevalence of emergent professional identity (PI) among different groups of higher education students as well as the determining factors in the formation of PI. Drawing on evidence from a survey among Australian and UK students (N = 433), from two institutions and across a range of disciplines, empirical and conceptual…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is widely recognised as significantly contributing to enhancing graduate employability. Empirical evaluation of its impact and value is often confined to work-based WIL (internships/placements/practicums), known to pose challenges with scalability and equitable access. Through the lens of experiential learning, this…

This study explored the extent to which undergraduates demonstrate capabilities associated with professional identity (PI), an individual's connection with the ideology of professional practice and a critical element of graduate employability. It gathered quantitative and qualitative data from 212 Australian business undergraduates and their…

To enhance employability and improve the career prospects of graduating students, this study explores the influence of practical experience on graduate employment outcomes in an Australian setting. To develop our understanding of the relative benefit of different forms of practical experience, the study evaluates the influence of both…

This study explores whether academic selection criterion should be imposed on students wishing to participate in work-integrated learning (WIL) during their degree studies. Its conceptual framework addresses the limitations of human capital theory and draws on theories about social and cultural capital to understand the role of WIL in developing…

I explored the perceived effectiveness of Australian undergraduate degree programs in preparing students for contemporary work. I examined student perceptions of program development of work-related knowledge and skills in Australia between 2013 and 2016 using national (N = 215,161) and institutional (N = 4,934) data. Variations in perceptions were…

Underemployment, continued growth in the supply of graduates and seemingly perpetual instability are dominant trends in graduate labour markets. In order to negotiate an increasingly complex career terrain, graduates require sharpened skills in effectively managing their own careers and a strong assurance of their own capabilities. This study…

This study examines the influence of career management competencies and perceived employability on career choice status (CCS) among undergraduates. Making informed and appropriate career choices is positively linked with well-being, work performance and academic and career success. Early career decision-making is now critical if students wish to…

This study explores the challenges of assessing student workplace performance during work-integrated learning. It highlights the need for, yet difficulties with, combining positivist and constructivist assessments where workplace supervisors make evaluative judgements on performance yet students are also agents in their own assessment. It examines…

Pre-professional identity is a complex phenomenon spanning awareness of and connection with the skills, qualities, behaviours, values and standards of a student's chosen profession, as well as one's understanding of professional self in relation to the broader general self. It is an important, yet under-explored, aspect of graduate employability…

This study examines how work-integrated learning (WIL) influences career choice status among undergraduates (N = 91). Career choice status has documented effects on well-being, career satisfaction, career success and, more broadly, organisational performance. Quantitative ratings gauge undergraduate satisfaction with their career choices and…

Globalisation, organisational restructuring and new technology have been connected with a shift to 'protean' and 'boundaryless' career attitudes with workers, including new graduates, increasingly required to be self-reliant in successfully navigating their careers. This study explores protean and boundaryless career attitudes among Business…

This study explores skill transfer in graduates as they transition from university to the workplace. Graduate employability continues to dominate higher education agendas yet the transfer of acquired skills is often assumed. The study is prompted by documented concern with graduate performance in certain employability skills, and prevalent skill…