Workshop 3 :
Futureproofing Graduates: Skills, Employability, and Industry Collaboration
Facilitator Madelein Meiring, Higher Education Academic Excellence Advisor, McGraw Hill
Co-organized with: 
As the job market evolves, universities face growing pressure to ensure graduates leave with skills that match real-world needs. This interactive session explores how institutions can align academic programs with labor market demands, embed employability into curricula, and build meaningful partnerships with industry.
Workshop Objectives:
- Identify key skills and competencies sought by employers in today’s job market
- Explore strategies for integrating employability skills into academic curricula
- Develop approaches for building sustainable industry partnerships
- Examine ways to leverage data and technology in supporting career readiness
Join us to explore practical strategies that help graduates succeed — not just academically, but in the workforce.
Outline:
1. Introduction and Current Landscape
– Overview of changing job market demands
– Skills gap analysis: academic vs. industry perspectives
2.Embedding Employability in Curricula
– Mapping employability skills to course outcomes
– Integrating real-world projects and case studies
– Designing career-focused assessments
3.Building Industry Partnerships
– Identifying potential partners and collaboration opportunities
– Developing mutually beneficial engagement models
– Case studies of successful university-industry collaborations
4.Leveraging Data and Technology
– Using data to inform program design
– Implementing career readiness platforms and tools
– Tracking and measuring student career outcomes
5.Action Planning and Conclusion
– Developing institutional action plans
– Q&A and resource sharing
