In the current economic climate, it is essential that graduates are prepared to enter the workplace, possessing key employability skills which will enable them to compete in today's job market. Universities and employers both have an important role to play in providing work placements, internships and opportunities which can assist in the development of these skills such as campus talks from employers and specific employability modules.

Future fit , produced and published by the Confederation of Brirish Industry, highlights some of the positive work being done by universities and employers to provide these opportunities but as the report suggests there is still scope for universities, employers and indeed students to do more to address employability. Where business-university links are not yet established, engagement must be encouraged – particularly for SMEs who may be less confident in establishing these links having fewer resources with which to provide work placements. Businesses of all sizes and sectors must get involved with the employability agenda not least because doing so will provide them with a better pool of graduates from which to recruit.

A survey of undergraduates conducted for the report, found that 35% of students would have liked to have taken part in a special programme to develop their employability skills but this was not offered.  This suggests that there is unmet demand among students in the provision of these opportunities. One of the key messages to come out of the report was the need for universities and businesses to 'up their game' in the development of employability skills in students – both in terms of the number of placements on offer and in terms of course content. Both universities and students need to recognise that employability skills should not be treated as an 'add on' but as an essential part of the university curriculum.

This report features 13 case studies from both employers and universities which highlight the constructive work already being done on employability. With findings from surveys of employers, universities and students – the report goes on to present some 'key lessons' for all three groups as to how they can better address this area and ensure our graduates are equipped with the skills they need in the workplace. 

Given the increasing policy importance being paid to the development of the skills to manage one's career, learning and work pathways in a lifelong learning context(Council of European Ministers of Education, 2008), this Australian publication is very timely to provide guidance on what exactly these skills look like. A joint initiative of the federal, state and territorial governments, and published by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, and Training and Youth Affairs, this recently released document provides a framework for the design, implementation and evaluation of career development rogrammes for young people and adults. It identifies the skills, attitudes, and knowledge that individuals need to make sound choices and to effectively manage careers.

It is divided into three sections:

• What are career management competency skills?
• Who uses the Blueprint?
• What is the Blueprint used for?

There is a very useful Blueprint toolkit included - a series of resources to be downloaded to inform and enhance career development programmes and activities.

This is a joint strategy and implementation plan for career guidance services in Northern Ireland of two government ministries/ the Department of Education and the Department for Employment and Learning. Based on extensive consultation exercises on its proposals of 2007, the document outlines a new comprehensive strategy for the delivery of career guidance services and the challenges involved. It articulates a vision for the future and maps the actions required to deliver it.

The vision is subdivided into five themes:

1. Careers education
2. Access to careers information
3. Improving careers advice and guidance
4. Improving quality
5. Improving professional development.

This is the Danish translation of the European Council of Education Ministers' Resolution (2008) on better integrating lifelong guidance in strategies for lifelong learning. The Resolution defined four key areas/axes to guide national reforms of policies and systems:

This is the German translation of the Council of Education Ministers' Resolution (2008) on better integrating lifelong guidance into lifelong learning strategies.

It defines 4 key axes of action for the reform of guidance services in Member States:

This Report was presented by Deputy Guégot to the French National Assembly in December 2008. It examined:

• problems in initial and continuing training supply: quality, transparency, funding, governance
• inequalities for young people and adults in accessing training
• difficulties in career guidance provision to support youth and adult participation in training.

It presents 16 propositions to address these issues.

O Conselho da Uniao Europeia de Novembro de 2008 convidam os estados-membros a:

• favorecer a aquisicao da capacidade de orientacao ao longo da vida
• facilitar o acesso de todos os cidados aos servicos de orientacao
• desenvolve a garantia de qualidade dos sericos de orientacao
• incentivar a coordenacao e cooperacao dos diversos intervenientes a nivel nacional, regional e local.

El Consejo de la Union Europea de noviembre de 2008 invita los estados miembros a aplicar los siguientes principes rectores:

• favorecer la adquisicion permanente de capacidades de orientacion
• facilitar el acceso de todos los ciudadanos a los servicios de orientacion
• desarrolar la garantia de calidad de los servicios de orientacion
• fomentar la coordinacion y la cooperacion de los distintos protagonistas a niveles nacional, regional y local.

Le Conseil des ministres d'éducation de l'Union européenne ont adoptés cette Résolution en novembre 2008 afin de aider les états membres a réformer leur politiques, systémés et pratiques de l'orientation tout au long de la vie et de donner un soutien communtaire au travail de la European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN).

La Résolution invite les états membres a appliquer les principes directeurs ci-aprés dans leurs efforts de réforme:

• favoriser l'acquisition de la capacité à s'orienter tout au long de la vie
• faciliter l'accés de tous les citoyens aux services d'orientation
• dévelloper l'assurance qualité des services d'orientation
• encourager la coordination et la cooperation des différents acteurs aux niveaux national, régional et local.