Barriers to embedding employability: are academics the problem?

Lamb, Rachel; Cooper, Sarah

Barriers to embedding employability: are academics the problem?

Lamb, Rachel and Cooper, Sarah (2025) Barriers to embedding employability: are academics the problem? International Journal of Human Resource Development: Practice, Policy and Research, 9 (2). pp. 125-135.

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.2478/ijhrd-2025-0013

Abstract

Employability has long been a central, albeit often contested, concept within the discourse of Higher Education (HE) in the United Kingdom. Traditionally, discussions surrounding graduate outcomes have focused on a quartet of primary stakeholders: students; prospective employers; university policy; and government policy. While these groups undeniably play pivotal roles in shaping the landscape of graduate employment, this paper confronts a critical, often implicit, question: could academics pose a key barrier to the embedding of employability? We argue that academics, frequently perceived as a barrier and/or omitted from strategic institution-specific as well as sector-wide-policy discussions, are in fact integral and interconnected stakeholders whose active engagement is essential for robust integration of employability within the fabric of HE. This paper will offer a conceptual viewpoint in the evolving understanding of employability, explore persistent barriers to its effective integration, specifically examining the academic perspective, and offer forward-thinking case studies that champion a more holistic, interconnected, and culturally embedded approach, particularly emphasizing the vital contributions of academic and professional services colleagues.