TODAY’SSTUDENTS
A number of common themes emerged across all sectors regarding participants’ experiences with students and
recent graduates. Thereweremany examples of positive experienceswith students and projects, and a number of
people noted the value of student perspectives and voices in shaping projects and ideas. Many perceived that this
generation operate with a different sense of work-life balance. Work experience in their chosen fields during
university seemed in part to be of benefit in helping students to better understand the expectations of the
workplace and to establish realistic expectations for entry-level positions. Graduates are nowmore willing to be
mobile, and tomove among firms or companies for advancement.
In general terms, participants commonly identified “soft skills” as key areas where students would benefit from
further development, in particular:
For many participants, opportunities for students to work in their fields during
their education was key: it was not somuch a question of the honing of specific
content knowledge or skills, as it was the opportunity to identify andwork on the
skills described above, and also to create the mindsets and networks critical to
gaining access to employment opportunities. Work-integrated learning was also
seen as a prime opportunity for students to learn how to overcome obstacles
independently, and to build a balance of competence and confidence that would
support students’ pathways to employment.
Many participants commented on the challenge of ensuring students acquire
current knowledge of core competencies in their fields, but also a breadth of
experience across a range of fields that might lead to a broader perspective and
greater interactionwith people from a range of fields.
A listing of specificUniversity programdevelopment recommendations is included as Appendix A.
•
Critical thinking
•
Problem solving skills
•
Argument construction and use of evidence
•
Interpersonal skills
•
Timemanagement andorganizational skills
•
Innovation capacity
•
Communication andpresentation skills, in
particular oral communications
•
Resilience
•
Writing skills
•
Social skills
•
Adaptability and flexibility
•
Tolerance for uncertainty
•
Consulting skills
•
Leadership skills
•
Sales, customer service, and self-promotion skills
Report onCommunityConsultations:Winter 2017
University is an
experience—
not just an
education.
-Participant
