Bridging University Learning and Career Readiness: The Impact of Graduate Attribute Training on Employability-related Competencies among Undergraduate Business Students

Universities are increasingly expected to help students develop employability skills alongside gaining academic knowledge. Such expectations are commonly framed through Graduate Attributes: the qualities, skills and understandings a university intends its students to acquire during their studies (Wong et al., 2022). The skills typically include self-awareness, communication and collaboration; all highly valued by employers (Baird, 2019; Little, 2014).

However, universities often promote these attributes inconsistently, leaving students unaware of their role in employability (Rook, 2021). Perhaps unsurprisingly, employers commonly reject graduate applicants for lacking soft skills (Mello, 2021), which may help explain why strengthening Graduate Attributes has become a pressing concern.
Why this matters. Brief classroom-based interventions may offer a scalable and low-cost route to developing Graduate Attributes, although evidence from live teaching cohorts remains limited. If short structured sessions improve career clarity, resilience and social capital, among others; the University of Northampton could adopt this approach to strengthen employability without redesigning existing curricula.