The current policy context - with higher fees in English higher education institutions and league tables which drive student choice making extensive use of destination data - has put a spotlight on career development services. These services seek evidence in relation to employability and employment to measure and demonstrate their impact.
The current graduate labour market is neither static nor stable and graduates are likely to experience a series of transitions as they move through shorter term posts during their working lives. Individuals will need to adapt to different circumstances and work contexts. Employability therefore requires individuals to adapt to change – to develop ‘career adapt-ability’. Savickas (1997) identified adapt-ability as the readiness and resources to cope with transitions and traumas and a recently developed inventory uses a four-factor structure to measure this concept:
Concern: developing a positive optimistic attitude to the future
Control: exerting a degree of intra-personal influence on their situations
Curiosity: broadening horizons by exploring social opportunities & possibilities
Confidence: believing in yourself & your ability to achieve your goal
This report details a recent project that aimed to integrate the concept and its accompanying measurement instrument (The Career Adapt-abilities Inventory) into the career development and employability activities of six HE institutions. The six pilot studies explored the use of the inventory in relation to work placements; mature learners; targeting interventions towards particular student groups; exploring its potential as a vehicle for institutional change; and as a ‘standalone’ online resource.
