Career Service as a Measure to support Employability

Abstract

The paper examines models and activities of career services as a measure to support students’ employability in higher education. It presents a comparative study between the University of Florence (Italy) and the University of Lagos (Nigeria). It starts from a meso-level analysis of service models and data based on institutional university reports. In fact, the literature at international level illustrates the relevance of career service organisations in supporting the educational process. The analysis of the models and structures of career service in both institutions has proven that they will help to implement measures to support employability. The common trend, from a future perspective, can be traced in close cooperation with stakeholders. The integration of employers’ points of view as well as the co-planning of training and matching activities represent some of the key elements for creating connections at the higher education level. We can thus state that career services are expanding in scope and method in response to global employment trends and socio-economic, political and technological development.

Examining US business undergraduates’ use of career information sources during career exploration

“…For many college and university students, attending an institution of higher education offers opportunities to create new networks and experiences that allow them to explore different vocational trajectories. Within the higher education sector around the world, CSCs are increasingly viewed as a critical venue for assisting students with their career planning, especially via the dissemination of information related to job-seeking, labor market dynamics and placement opportunities (Terzaroli and Oyekunle, 2019; Usher and Kwong, 2014). At the same time, information and tacit norms gleaned from students’ early life experiences and socialization into different communities of practice (i.e.…”

“…However, while a growing body of research is examining different aspects of CSC operations including students’ satisfaction with CSC services (Usher and Kwong, 2014), and comparative analyses of CSC operations in countries such as China and the USA (Wei et al , 2016), and Italy and Nigeria (Terzaroli and Oyekunle, 2019), there exists little empirical research on the types of information that college students use and/or draw upon to make decisions about careers. In one of the few empirical studies on the topic, Pesch et al (2018) found that undergraduate students in a US university increased engagement in activities that promoted career exploration (e.g.…”

“…In addition, how (if at all) CSCs coordinate with other campus units (e.g. academic departments, student affairs) to provide students career-related information is a growing concern around the world (Dey and Cruzvergara, 2014; Terzaroli and Oyekunle, 2019; Wei et al , 2016), which suggests the need for data on how students also utilize career-related information from other campus resources.…”