Pursuing employability: A journey more than a destination

Research output: Book chapter/Published conference paperChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

Abstract

Employability has been broadly and variably conceptualised, but for the purpose of this chapter I’ll use as an indicative definition that employability is the preparation, capabilities and agency of a person to act positively in the creation, maintenance and pursuit of her/his ongoing employment options, situation and future directions (Higgs, 2016). Bennett (2018) frames employability developmentally as “the ability to find, create and sustain meaningful work across the career lifespan”, noting that it’s a way of thinking and doing, not just doing. Bridgstock (2019) conceptualises “Employability 2.0” as the “social network applications of particular relevance to university graduates … [including]: (i) innovation and enterprise; (ii) career development and employment generation; and (iii) lifelong professional learning”(p. 98). Higgs and Cloutman (2019) point out that employability is both a conceptual and an experiential construct that involves not just the student/learner/jobseeker, but also a constellation of educators, employers, practitioners and fellow students/learners/jobseekers.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEducation for employability
Subtitle of host publicationLearning for future possibilities
EditorsJoy Higgs, Will Letts, Geoffrey Crisp
Place of PublicationRotterdam, The Netherlands
PublisherBrill | Sense
Chapter7
Pages82-88
Number of pages7
Volume2
ISBN (Electronic)9789004418707
ISBN (Print)9789004418684, 9789004418691
Publication statusPublished - 12 Aug 2019

Publication series

NamePractice Futures
PublisherBrill Sense

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