The Swedish integration policy has for a considerable time focused on the labour market integration in which different actors such as the Swedish Public Employment Service, Migration Agency, Municipalities, counties as well as non-governmental organisations and the churches come to play different roles in refugee integration. Refugees are introduced to the Swedish labour market and have their skills and educational qualifications validated by the Swedish Public Employment Service in preparation for the labour market. However, amidst this welcoming gesture towards refugees by the Swedish government, there is a growth in the anti-immigrant movements in Sweden posing a threat to refugee employability. The aim of this thesis, therefore, was to examine the major successes and challenges of the refugee integration policy in the Swedish labour market in relation to refugee employability. This was a qualitative study in which both primary and secondary data sources were used. A snowball strategy was used in identifying 8 respondents. The data was collected using an open ended survey and thematic analysis was eventually conducted. The study has revealed that the Swedish Integration Policy to a lesser extent helps refugees in finding employment in the Swedish labour market despite addressing language challenges and validation of skills and educational qualifications of the refugees. Based on secondary and primary data, many respondents found their employment through their social networks. It can therefore be concluded that social networks play the main role in refugee employability in the Swedish labour market which is often against policy and formal expectations. Refugees’ labour market integration opportunities are also determined by non -policy factors including stereotypes and prejudice.

This thesis explores variations in employment outcomes among youth living under similar structural conditions of poverty and unemployment in ghetto neighbourhoods. It challenges structuralist accounts that ignore the role of personal agency and hold that structures alone determine action. The critical realist framework offers a helpful understanding of social structures as both material and cultural since human agency, or action, is influenced by circumstances that are both materially objective and culturally subjective. By probing the interaction of agency and structure this research shows that individual agency is a response to cultural beliefs and competing cultural norms. The ensuing worldview informs decisions and actions of youth which, under different cultures and material family structures, either reproduce or transform their educational and employment prospects in ghetto neighbourhoods. Ten case studies are analysed from youth in Manenberg, Cape Town, a neighbourhood that was historically segregated through the apartheid system of forced removals and resettlement. In-depth interviews provide evidence from life histories, experiences of education institutions and of looking for work. Further information is gathered from interviews with secondary participants, apart from participant observation in family and community activities through an ethnographic approach. Findings reveal that the culture of disengaged parenting leaves youth exposed only to the influence of low education and employment expectations such that they despondently relinquish career aspirations by dropping out of school, remaining unemployed and underemployed as a result. By contrast, consistent mentoring from parents entails a culture that competes with the negative influence of gangs and enables resilience among youth to pursue tertiary education. Youth thereby transform, rather than reproduce, their position in the labour market as unemployed or underemployed unskilled manual workers. Similarly, social networks beyond the neighbourhood provide youth with job information, supportive resources, and cultural capital, which enable them to conceptualise ideas of professional careers. This transforms the historical and contemporary material structure of ghetto neighbourhoods with socially isolated networks that limit youth to low-skilled employment opportunities. Such networks do not support personal agency towards alternative employment and youth resort to cultural practices of gangsterism, irregular and informal work.

Research studies show that there is a skills gap in American society today. This research study examined employability perceptions of community college students at a rural community college in Mississippi. Students were asked to complete an online survey that questioned the degree of importance placed on several employability skills, as well as their self-perceived competence levels at performing those skills. Likert-scale response set type questions were used to provide responses on importance and competence levels. After sending the survey invitation, 100 usable surveys were returned and analyzed for this research study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney procedures, and Spearman Rho correlations. As an overall group students rated each of the employability skills as being important. Likewise, as a group, students indicated that they at least possessed all of the skills listed in the survey. The study found that no statistically significant difference existed between the two groups (academic and career technical) on skills perceived to be of greatest importance in today’s workplace. As it relates to competence levels, the study found that career technical students reported a higher competence level with two of the skills: problem solving and project management. Finally the study found that significant positive relationships existed between academic and career technical students regarding their competence at performing the skills and those employability skills perceived to be of greatest importance.

no / Graduate employability has become an issue since there are broad mismatches between the acquired graduate skills from university and the required skills by employers. While previous researches have outlined the salient skills that need to be embedded in graduate education, to date no studies have attempted to methodically identify and synthesize the literature on graduate attributes. In this paper a total of 39 relevant studies on graduate skills and attributes in the subject areas of business and management, accounting, and computer science were extracted from Scopus® (database). This revealed a total of 53 graduate attributes, with some being highly used, such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, technological skills, creativity, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, self-management and flexibility/adaptability. The majority of studies used a quantitative survey method to collect and rank graduate attributes, and Australia emerged as the most active country in researching the domain. / Qatar National Research Fund

The purpose of this descriptive study was to analyze the LifeKnowledge® skills development within North Carolina agriscience education programs as viewed by veteran agriscience teachers, agriscience education students, and students' employers. The survey population consisted of 54 veteran agriscience education teachers, of whom 49 (91%) responded. One hundred sixty-two agriscience education students, of whom 115 (71%) responded and 162 employers, of whom 95 (59%) responded. Seventy-four LifeKnowledge® skills items and the 16 LifeKnowledge® precepts were evaluated by teachers to determine how often they provided instruction and experiences related to the development of employability skills development for students. The same 74 items and 16 precepts were evaluated by students to determine the extent to which they thought participating in their agriscience education programs and FFA increased their employability and personal skills development. Employers were asked to evaluate how often they witnessed agriscience education students exhibit the LifeKnowledge® 74 items and 16 precepts within the workplace. The major findings for this study included that teachers, students, and employers were generally consistent, with a few exceptions, in their perceptions of the development and demonstration of the LifeKnowledge® skills and abilities. Statistically significant differences were found among the three groups on select LifeKnowledge® skills items and precepts. A majority of teachers reported that they regularly or often provided students instruction and experiences related to the LifeKnowledge® skills. Students reported that regularly or often their participation in their local agriscience education programs and FFA had increased their employability and personal skills development. The employers reported that often, with a few regular observations, they witnessed students exhibiting the LifeKnowledge® skills within the workplace. One of the major recommendations for this study is that LifeKnowledge® lessons be implemented for pre-service and in-service teachers and findings shared with the National FFA Organization. Another suggestion is that an employability skills curriculum should be developed for use across all career and technical education programs and core courses to develop students' employability skills in response to business and industry demands. Finally, research should be conducted to determine how 4-H, career and technical student organizations, and other youth groups develop LifeKnowledge® skills. / Ph. D.

This study examines how institutional actors interpret, influence and respond to skills availability in the labour market for graduates. It researches and draws lessons from the Maltese experience of managing graduate employability over three decades, focusing on the three fastest-growing economic sectors, namely, Accountancy, Pharmachem and ICT, each of which is the subject of a case study. The study investigates the interaction of governments, firms, higher education institutions and professional associations in identifying skills shortages and gaps, as well as in devising policy frameworks and skills regimes at national, sectoral and corporate levels. Drawing upon theories of employability and employee skills, first, there is development of an analytical framework to examine how these institutional actors affect the labour market, which informs the analysis of the three case studies. The qualitative research involved an interpretative analysis of key policy documents related to graduate employability and seventy in-depth interviews with interlocutors positioned in strategic policy making, senior management, academic, expert and professional leadership roles within government, regulators, major corporations, higher education institutions, training providers and professional associations. The data was thematically analysed. Twelve key themes emerged from the in-depth interviews, which included the following: use of different language; the meaning of employability; the value of credentials; the role of the University; perceptions; expectations; competitiveness; modes of training provision; labour mobility; placements and incentives; collaboration and skills gap. The institutional actors across the three focal sectors, namely, accountancy, pharmachem and ICT tended to emphasise some themes more than others, these having previously been identified in scholarly literature (Appendix 1). Both patterns and inconsistencies emerged from a comparison of the accountancy, pharmachem and ICT sectors. In so far as the labour market is concerned, the study revealed a lack of technical skills and major non-technical graduate skills gaps, specifically, in the aspects of communication, teamwork and problem-solving. A number of professional characteristics or behaviours were also identified as lacking with Accountancy, Pharmachem and ICT graduates, namely, attitude, confidence, drive, professional outlook, independent working, personality fit and a ‘can do’ approach. The study revealed the absence of permanent systemic connections between the formulation of national and sectoral economic strategies on the one hand, and higher education and training policies on the other. Consequently, state higher education institutions have been responding reactively to labour market needs, which could explain the endemic skills gap which the study found. The study concludes by discussing limitations and limits to this research as well as recommending policy initiatives and further research that could contribute to the science and practice of public policy in this field.

The English Higher Education system continues to face many political and organisational changes with respect to funding, fees, student numbers and quality controls. Within this changing landscape, the introduction of up to £9,000 annual tuition fees for Home/EU undergraduates probably has the highest impact on students’ perceptions, their decision-making and, most of all, expectations in relation to their university experience. To investigate the implications of recent changes, an exploratory research approach is applied, using mixed methods across three distinct research phases. An initial study aims to measure the expectations of commencing students in light of the fee changes and to explore how demographic and other personal characteristics influence student expectations in relation to their overall university experience and specifically to the ancillary services offered by Higher Education Institutions. Through this, services related to student employability are identified as an area of increasing concern for students. The second study aims to further investigate this area from a student perspective through the exploration of students’ motivations to participate in an extra-curricular employability programme. The expectations regarding such a programme are also investigated prior to the programme and the satisfaction levels of students after the completion of the programme are evaluated. The analysis of the second study suggests that confidence is a key factor within the context of student employability. Consequently, the final study aims to explore the role and importance of confidence within employability from a student point-of-view and to evaluate how confidence and employability may be developed throughout the university experience. From this study, it is argued that Higher Education Institutions should focus on the development of confidence within students in order to improve their employability. As an outcome, recommendations are formed on how to support such development through general and course-specific activities within and outside the curriculum. Overall, the research addresses various gaps within the fields of interest, particularly through the focus on a student perspective, and provides methodological, theoretical and practical contributions. The different stages of the research suggest that it is important to the competitiveness and strength of universities to understand student expectations and to design and develop high-quality university experiences which meet the needs and demands of students. Based on the data collected, recommendations are given on how Higher Education Institutions can manage and meet student expectations and develop activities to enhance student employability and increase confidence.

El contexto político de la Segunda Guerra Mundial (1939-1945), especialmente durante la recta final, se caracterizó por la necesidad de relaciones diplomáticas entre los países involucrados. Fue así que a partir de los juicios de Núremberg, la interpretación como actividad profesional empezó a emerger con fuerza. Desde entonces, el desarrollo de esta industria ha florecido de manera diferente alrededor del mundo. En el Perú, aún no se tiene información suficiente sobre esta actividad profesional per se. Por ello, el presente artículo tiene como objetivo explorar el proceso de inserción laboral de los intérpretes con formación universitaria en el mercado peruano. Los investigadores realizaron dieciocho entrevistas en donde se exploran los testimonios del ingreso al mundo laboral de intérpretes egresados de dos universidades: la Universidad Ricardo Palma (URP) y la Universidad Femenina del Sagrado Corazón (UNIFE). El estudio demostró que una inserción laboral exitosa en el mercado de la interpretación se consigue a través de la buena gestión de las habilidades blandas, como el uso efectivo de las redes de contactos, las habilidades técnicas y de gestión empresarial. / By the late 40's, the political scenario of the Second World War was mainly characterized by the high necessity to establish diplomatic relationships between the Axis and Allies powers. Within this framework, the Nuremberg trials were the scenario where simultaneous interpreting emerged. Since then, this industry has flourished differently around the world. In Peru, not many studies have been carried out on this professional activity. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the employability process of interpreters in the Peruvian market. The researchers carried out eighteen interviews that explore the testimonies of interpreting graduates from two Peruvian universities: Universidad Ricardo Palma (URP) and Universidad Femenina del Sagrado Corazón (UNIFE). This paper was able to demonstrate that a successful job placement in the interpretation market depends on the appropriate management of soft skills, i.e. the effective use of contact networks, as well as technical and management skills.

Innebörden av anställningsbarhet har kommit att förändras i takt med att samhället och arbetsmarknaden utvecklats, och numera anses det i större utsträckning är tidigare vara individens egna ansvar att vara anställningsbar. Syftet med studien var därför att undersöka hur unga personalvetare upplever sin egen anställningsbarhet samt ta reda på hur individens självförmåga spelar in i hur denne ser på sin anställningsbarhet. Resultatet baserades på tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med unga personalvetare som analyserades genom en kombination mellan induktiv och deduktiv tematisk analys. Det som främst verkade öka upplevd anställningsbarhet var arbetslivserfarenhet, socialt kapital, expertis inom ett visst HR-område, till viss del utbildning samt en god självförmåga. Det som verkade minska den upplevda anställningsbarheten var brist på erfarenhet, konkurrens om jobb, samt yttre faktorer som brist på respons eller avslag på jobbansökningar. Till sist verkade även jämförelser med sin omgivning påverka anställningsbarheten negativt. Studien har visat att det finns goda förutsättningar för unga personalvetare att utveckla och stärka sin upplevda anställningsbarhet på flera sätt men att detta förutsätter att de relativt snabbt får jobb inom HR efter examen. / As the job market has developed over time, the meaning of employability has changed toward the individual being responsible for their own employability. The purpose of the present study was to examine how young HR professionalsperceive their employability and how the individual’s self-efficacy impacts the perceived employability. Ten semi-structured interviews with young HR professionals were analyzed using a combination of inductive and deductive thematic analysis. The main factors that increased the perception of employability were work life experience, social capital, expertise within a specific HR-topic, and, to a limited extent, education. Aspects that decrease perceived employability are lack of relevant experience, job competition, and external factors such as lack of response from job applications. Also, upward comparisons with others had a negative impact on perceived employability. The study has shown that there are good conditions for young HR professionals to develop and strengthen their perceived employability in several ways, but that this presupposes that they have been employed within HR near in time after graduation.

Dispositional Employability and Career Success are constructs that when brought together leads to a multitude of questions regarding their meaning. This study attempted to determine whether there is a significant relationship between the two constructs of dispositional employability and career success. The study furthermore focused on expanding on the literature by elaborating on the sample group. This was done by determining whether or not there is a difference between the groups with regards to their Dispositional Employability and Career Success based on their individual characteristics. A quantitative research approach was followed to obtain the research objectives of this study. The Dispositional Employability Measure and Career Success Orientation Measure were administered among a purposive convenience sample of HRM Practitioners in South Africa (N=155). The results of the research showed that there is a significant relationship between Dispositional Employability and Career Success with a low effect. Furthermore significant differences exist between groups with regards to both Dispositional Employability on the ground of number of years in their current organisation and Career Success on level of education, age, race and job level. The study thus contributes to the limited literature on both constructs. In addition, the results of the study make important theoretical, methodological and practical contributions. Recommendations for future research are made. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted