Doing Employability Differently by Ricky Gee

Doing Employability Differently by Ricky Gee

Higher education has experienced many changes since the late 20th century which has resulted in 'employability' becoming a major policy concern for the sector.

This book provides critical insights into the sociological, political and philosophical parameters of the employability agenda, to critically inform employability research, policy and practice. The book advocates for a critical approach to challenge the current employability offer to students which tends to focus on individual agency providing a deficit model, assuming they lack skills and experiences to be ‘employable’ and therefore require support to gain work experience and career planning skills. Evidence suggests that a student’s social position and identity characteristics are a greater predictor of where, or if, they end up in the labour market than their own aspirations and career management. Such parameters tend to be missing from employability input and therefore this book provides case studies from successful innovative employability endeavours that take a collective rather than individualised approach. Such case studies provide the perspectives of students, alumni, community partners and scholars engagement with such activity.

Showcasing the positive impact of critical employability approaches, the book is valuable reading for students considering the transition from full time learning to work, career practitioners, scholars involved with teaching or research, and university managers embroiled in curriculum design.

Ricky Gee masterfully deconstructs the employability narrative, tracing its roots from early career development theory to contemporary neoliberal higher educationWith tangible real-life examples, this book offers prominent ways to practice employability in more emancipatory ways. A must-read for all working or studying in higher education and career development.
Dr. Sanna Toiviainen, University of South-Eastern Norway, Norway.

Taking a critical look at the inclusion of employability skills in HE, this book argues both cogently and passionately for a shift away from a narrow focus on skills and graduate jobs, towards a critical, socially aware and justice-oriented reflection on both careers and education. I think it is of huge importance in reflecting on how to recast employability education in universities.
Dr. Phil Wood, Nottingham Trent University, UK.

The discourse of employability has increasingly come to dominate higher education in the UK, as well as in many other countries. In this book Ricky Gee provides much needed critical commentary on this concept and its consequences. I hope that the book will be used to provide a new basis for employability work, providing academics, careers professionals and their students with new ways of thinking about work and life under neoliberalism.
Dr. Tristram Hooley, University of Derby, UK

Ricky Gee is Associate Professor in Sociology at Nottingham Trent University, UK.