Employability and employability skills- glimpses into global views and practices

This paper attempts to introduce employability skills framework developed by countries such as the U.S., Australia and the U.K., in response to the challenges of the 21st century. These countries have been taking concerted efforts to equip their students with the necessary skills and attributes to prepare them to succeed in the competition ahead and in positioning themselves in the most appropriate jobs as per their employability capabilities. Presenting an overview of employability skills and employability interventions adopted globally, the strategic interventions developed and implemented by the global players and a few others are highlighted. The methodology used is of secondary data and in-depth study of the information. Employability frameworks developed earlier as well as recently by a few developed countries are presented. A brief account of practices adopted in other countries is also given. The objective of the paper is to facilitate the student community, the Universities and academic institutions and other committed and interested groups with a ready reference material to understand the expectations and trends in the employability field so that they can initiate efforts to meet global standards. The paper concludes that it is a collective responsibility- not only of policy makers, but equally or more so of – parents, students, educational institutions, employer organisations, non-governmental organisations, social and religious leaders alike.