Producing New Workers: Quality, equality and employability in higher education

Abstract

This article addresses employability as a performance indicator in higher education. Questions are raised about the values behind seemingly neutral indicators of value, and whether the same employability attributes have similar economic and professional values for different social groups. A central argument is that employability is a socially decontextualised signifier in so far as it overlooks how social structures such as gender, race, social class and disability interact with labour market opportunities. The article also interrogates hegemonic assumptions behind the concept of key or core skills in higher education.