Teaching and Learning > DISCOURSE
Employability in Philosophical and Religious Studies
Author: Clare Saunders
Journal Title: Discourse
ISSN:
ISSN-L: 1741-4164
Volume: 4
Number: 2
Start page: 4
End page: 4
Return to vol. 4 no. 2 index page
Welcome to the latest issue of Discourse. As ever, the editorial team hope you find something of interest to you; and welcome your feedback and comments.
This eighth edition of Discourse features a ‘focus on employability’. The relevance and place of employability in higher education generally, and our disciplines in particular, has been the subject of critical analysis and debate since the very inception of this journal;1 and throughout recent years there has been growing interest and engagement with this topic—hence we have drawn together here some of the key contributions to the field.
A key concern is to respond to the ‘employability agenda’ in ways which are appropriate to our disciplines. Thus Hinchliffe’s article provides an insightful philosophical critique of weak conceptions of ‘employability’; and outlines a more discipline-sensitive approach. Another common theme (e.g. Allen and Burke; Gilliat-Ray; Pattison) is that our graduates typically develop a range of capabilities and attitudes which are of great value to society as a whole; but that these are not always explicitly recognised as such, by students or by employers. These articles present a range of innovative approaches to enhancing students’ awareness of their abilities, and their confidence in applying these both to their studies and in the wider social environment.
The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies has also pioneered a range of projects and activities to support our disciplines in maximising our graduates’ potential:
- Detailed subject-specific information about the success of our graduates; by means of graduate case studies, and a national survey of graduate destinations (2005/6)
- Discipline-specific ‘profiles’ of the skills and attributes developed by our graduates—based on the capabilities identified by academics as key to the study of their disciplines; and compared with the ‘competencies’ sought by employers—to facilitate the recognition and articulation of our students’ distinctive strengths and abilities; and thus raise awareness of the contribution made by graduates from our disciplines (see pp. 16-18)
- Pioneering new developments, such as a pilot project to demonstrate ‘entrepreneurial’ approaches in our disciplines (see Allen and Burke); and a research project to analyse society’s increasing need for graduates who are ‘literate’ in issues of value (e.g. ethics, belief)—and the ability of our disciplines to play a key role in meeting such needs (see King and Smith)
To find out more:
- Visit the Subject Centre website: http://prs.heacademy.ac.uk/employ/index.html
- Contact the Subject Centre—for further details of any of these projects; or for individual guidance on the issues of concern to you and your department.
Endnote
- Cowley, C., “Cultivating Transferable Skills in Philosophy Undergraduates”, The PRS-LTSN Journal, 1/1, 2001, 39-51.
Return to vol. 4 no. 2 index page
This page was originally on the website of The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies. It was transfered here following the closure of the Subject Centre at the end of 2011.
