Intern-vention: exploring commencing students’ expectations regarding employability related skills and experiences

Producing job-ready graduates is a pressing priority for higher education providers, complicated by the changing world of work and increasingly diverse student cohorts. Student expectations directly influence retention, engagement, and success at university, making it important to understand what students expect regarding job readiness. This study investigated students’ expectations of where and how they would engage with employability-related activities during their university experience. Data were collected from 1,584 Australian students after enrolment but before commencing their degrees. Students were surveyed about expectations for employability activities and skill development, including what they believed would be embedded in the curriculum and what they would pursue independently. Results indicated most participants expected employability activities (such as placements) to be partly their responsibility but also anticipated some opportunities embedded within the curriculum. In contrast, a majority expected employability skill development (such as communication and organisational skills) to be fully integrated into standard coursework. Further analyses revealed that expectations varied according to demographic and educational factors. These findings can assist universities to better align, support, or manage student expectations around employability-related learning. By doing so, institutions may enhance student experience and outcomes, while contributing to the development of more career-ready graduates.