Employability

Employability toolkit

Employability is an ongoing and current concern for Higher Education institutions, and the marketisation of Higher Education has meant that data about graduate destinations is increasingly a tool to market institutions and inform the choices of prospective students. In response, SCONUL has produced an Employability Toolkit, comprised of resources that will support libraries in providing a useful and comprehensive service to students.  

Literature review
Lens on the SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy
Case studies

Literature review

This report collates and reviews the literature on current practice with a view to demonstrating the contribution of libraries to employability and the development of graduate attributes, situating libraries’ traditional information literacy role in the new broader academic skills landscape. The report was prepared by Megan Wiley on behalf of SCONUL.

A review of the literature on current practice in the development of employability skills (July 2014) (pdf)

Megan revisits the literature review and expands her work in this area in her SCONUL Focus article, From the library to the workplace: How information professionals can support the development of employability skills (September 2015). (pdf)

Lens on the SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy

SCONUL undertook a mapping of information skills and competencies against the expectations of employers in 2015. This is a detailed report which includes interviews with subject-area experts and practical examples of good practice taking place at institutions. 

A graduate employability lens for the SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy -- incorporating a review of sources on how graduate employability relates to information know-how (December 2015). (pdf)

Graduate employability lens for the SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information Literacy -- Lens only (December 2015). (pdf)

Click here for more resources related to the SCONUL Seven Pillars of Information literacy

Case studies and other resources

A Jisc report, 'Technology for Employability: Study into the role of technology in developing student employability' explores the employability opportunities offered by institutions, and the role of technology in maximising the effectiveness of those opportunities. It showcases examples of effective practice, presents a ‘vision’ for technology supported practice, highlights the current issues and challenges faced in achieving that vision, and makes recommendations on how Jisc can better support institutions to meet that vision. it includes case studies from HE. Read more (November 2015)

In issue 64 of SCONUL Focus, Diane Bell and Alex Asman of City University London explore work they've done on how Library Services can assist students in developing skills relevant to employment and how the Library can add value to the work of other areas of the University, such as Careers, Student Development & Outreach. Read more (September 2015). (pdf)

University of East Anglia is engaged in a project to design an online course to help students develop and reflect on their digital literacies in three overlapping contexts: the personal, the academic, and the workplace.  Read more [accessed September 2015]. (blog)

University of Portsmouth Library developed a session for student employees to practice translating the experience gained in their library work into relevant transferrable skills. Read more (July 2015). The library is also improving library space and environmental hygiene by encouraging students to think of the library as a professional workplace and fellow students as colleagues. Read more (July 2015).

Learning Services at Edge Hill University have developed 'Digital Tattoo' sessions to help students think about how they can use the web to present themselves well to potential employers whilst protecting confidentiality amidst the growing use of social networking sites. Read more (February 2015). (pdf)

Library staff at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) worked with the Careers and Employability Service to create two workshops which fit in with the employability themes at the University and which contribute to the MMU Futures Award. Read more (January 2015). (pdf)

Library Services at University of West of England, Bristol (UWE) worked with the Careers and Employability Service for the inclusion of library-related content in the Futures Award. Read more (January 2015). (pdf)

At Leeds Beckett University, staff ran a number of sessions with students with the aim of raising awareness on how the skills developed as part of their work could be used in searching for employment and in their career. This paper outlines some of the areas of good practice developed. Read more (January 2015). (pdf)