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The Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability
ISSN: 1838-3815 (online) Journal Homepage: https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/jtlge/
Employability initiatives in undergraduate education and

application to human nutrition: A scoping review
Emily Murray1, Susan McLeod1, Jessica Biesiekierski1, Ashley Ng1, Sharon Croxford1,2, Emma
Stirling1, Andrea Bramley1,3, Adrienne Forsyth1
Corresponding author: Adrienne Forsyth ([email protected])

1
Department of Dietetics, Human Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
2
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
3
Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
Abstract
Human nutrition is a growing field with an increasing job market and high demand for Keywords:
university study, yet graduates report feeling underprepared for and unaware of potential job employability,
opportunities. This scoping review aimed to identify employment initiatives used in work readiness,
undergraduate programs to support an evidence-based approach to the development of undergraduate,
future initiatives for human nutrition courses. The scoping review following PRISMA-ScR nutrition
criteria was initially conducted in October 2018 and updated in April 2020. Search terms were
selected to identify studies that reported on employability or work-readiness embedded
within the course curriculum for undergraduate students. Fourteen papers met the eligibility
criteria. Papers included were from Australia (9), United Kingdom (2), United States (1), New
Zealand (1) and Germany (1). Papers described initiatives fitting broad categories of
placements, project-based industry collaboration, practice-based eLearning, mentoring and
building graduate attributes. Placements were the most common type of initiative and project-
based industry collaboration demonstrated the highest levels of student and employer
satisfaction. The success of initiatives was often attributed to incorporating diverse
approaches to real-world, problem-solving skills. Mentoring and eLearning were used to
promote employability soft skills, while industry-based placements provided students with
practical experience. Placement in specific workplace settings should be representative of the
diverse job options for nutrition graduates. Human nutrition degrees should consider
incorporating strategies that develop soft skills and project-based skills while exposing
students to diverse workplace settings within industry.
Introduction
In recent years there has been an increased interest and enrolment in human nutrition courses
offered in higher education. For example, a new online human nutrition degree program was offered
beginning in 2016 at our institution and saw overall degree enrolments in human nutrition jump
from 157 to more than 10,000 in 2020 (L. Ayers, personal communication, May 27, 2020). In
Murray, E., McLeod, S., Biesiekierski, J., Ng, A., Croxford, S., Stirling, E., Bramley, A., & Forsyth, A. (2020). Employability initiatives in
undergraduate education and application to human nutrition: A scoping review. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate
Employability, 11(1), 63–80. 63
addition, there are more opportunities to work in nutrition-related roles than ever before
(Australian Government, 2019). However, graduates without paid or volunteer work experience may
have a poor understanding of the type of work available including non-traditional roles that utilise
skills and knowledge developed through their studies (Hughes & Desbrow, 2005). Students may be
unaware of their scope of practice and expectations of these roles and may lack skillsets desired by
employers. Faced with uncertainty about their career prospects, we have observed students
reporting high levels of anxiety and frequently requesting work experience as part of their degree.
As lecturers in a human nutrition program, seven of the authors have observed the impact this
anxiety has on students’ perceived self-employability.
There are different models for work experience; embedded into the curriculum of an undergraduate
degree program, optional or competitive extracurricular programs, and private arrangements
between students and industry. Work-integrated learning (WIL) is an increasingly common
component of undergraduate health programs (Abery, Drummond, & Bevan, 2015). Work-integrated
learning integrates theory and practice knowledge through a practice-based approach such as
placements in the industry (Orrell, 2011). Often, WIL entails a single subject or a semester of work
placement where students participate in work-related activities in an industry setting while
completing tasks and assessments required for credit within their undergraduate program. These
arrangements enable universities to provide a consistent approach to developing intended learning
outcomes and diverse real-world experiences with participating industry partners.
In many health programs, placements are undertaken where students engage in professional
activities in relevant settings, are supervised by senior practitioners, and are required to
demonstrate competency against entry-level professional standards. With no practice-based
competency standards for human nutrition graduates, professional placements are unsuitable for
generalist nutrition programs in Australia. Instead, private arrangements between students and
industry are common for short-term work experience. However, without consistent structure or
guidance, variability in the outcomes of these arrangements can occur. Initiatives to foster student
employability embedded into undergraduate programs are attractive to students (Tymon, 2013) and
are likely to support student satisfaction and retention.
While there is no consensus on the definition of employability, there are recognised common factors
in the form of skills and/or practices. These include lifelong learning, professional practices and
standards, informed decision making, commencement readiness, collaboration, and integration of
theory and practice (Sumanasiri, Yajid, & Khatibi, 2015; Smith, Ferns, & Russell, 2014). These factors
may be developed through gaining knowledge, skills and experiences in a range of settings and
programs. Many universities now embed employability skills development into curriculum for all
programs.
There is a dearth of literature on employability initiatives specifically for undergraduate programs in
nutrition. This scoping review aims to identify what employability initiatives have been adopted in
undergraduate degree programs, and to ascertain the feasibility and effectiveness of these initiatives
in the nutrition discipline. Results from this review will inform the development of future
employability initiatives for undergraduate nutrition programs.
Methods
Protocol
The protocol for this scoping review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews
and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) (Tricco, 2018). The scoping review
methodology followed the validated Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) screening tool (JBI, 2015) and
synthesis of seminal frameworks (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005; Levac, Colquhoun, & O’Brien, 2010). The
definition and method for conducting scoping reviews were standardised through the development
of the PRISMA-ScR guidelines (Tricco, 2018). Although optional in the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a
quality assessment was included in this review.
Eligibility criteria
Due to the broad nature of scoping reviews, all study designs were included. Eligibility criteria were
developed using the JBI (JBI, 2015) guidelines using the Participants, Concept and Context acronym
by three team members (EM, AF and AB).
 Participants: Undergraduate university students studying in any discipline. This target
population was widened after prospective searching for university students studying
nutrition did not yield sufficient citations.
 Concept: How universities promote the employability or work-readiness of their students.
The terms employability and work-readiness were used interchangeably.
 Context: Employability or work-readiness initiatives needed to be described and embedded
within the university course curriculum. Extracurricular initiatives were not included in this
review.
Information sources and search strategy
A comprehensive literature search was conducted in October 2018 and updated in April 2020 with
assistance from a university librarian. Five electronic databases were searched (ProQuest Central,
Web of Science, ERIC, CINAHL, SCOPUS). The search strategy combined the keywords ‘curricul*’ AND
‘work-ready’ AND ‘higher education’ AND ‘design*’. All study designs were included; no date filter
was applied; only English language papers were included. Informit and TRIP databases were
searched for grey literature.
Study selection process
Initial screening of titles and abstracts was conducted by one researcher (EM) to maintain
consistency. Each full-text article was independently reviewed by two researchers (a combination of
EM, AF, AN and JB), discrepancies were sent to a third researcher (AB) for resolution. Excluded
articles were either irrelevant or did not meet the eligibility criteria (Figure 1, below).
Data extraction and charting
Data extraction focused on study characteristics, research objectives and outcomes related to
graduate employability initiatives (Table 1, p. 75). Two researchers (EM and SM) independently
extracted data addressing criteria of; location, target population, sample size, duration, design type,
curriculum initiative description, research objectives, main outcome measures and results. Both
researchers added their comments to the table, any discrepancies were resolved via email.
Assessment of quality
Study quality was assessed independently by two researchers (EM and SM) using the Critical
Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) qualitative checklist (CASP, 2009). Three overarching sections
considered the validity of results, what the results were and whether the results would help locally.
Results were collated (Table 2, p. 78), discrepancies discussed and resolved.
Records identified through
database searching
(n=1,377)
Records without full-text and duplicates

excluded (n=122)
Duplicates removed (n=12)
Title and abstracts screened
(n=1,255)
Irrelevant records excluded (n=1,208)
Full-text articles assessed

for eligibility (n=47) Full-text articles excluded:
Lack of initiative (n=23)
Not targeted at University students (n=4)
Not employability related (n=2)
Full-text articles selected for Not embedded in curriculum (n=2)

quality analysis (n=16)
Post-graduate dissertation (n=12)
Conference
Low qualityproceedings only (n(n=2)
articles excluded = 2)
Newspaper article (n=3)
Full-text articles selected for
data extraction (n=14)
Figure 1: Flow Chart of the Article Search and Selection Stages
Synthesis
Reviewers completed data extraction from the selected articles and data was transferred to a table
(Table 1, p. 75). As the primary goal was to identify the type, feasibility and applicability of initiatives,
studies were described and analysed by the initiative type, objective of the initiative or research
objective and outcomes measured.
Results
The search yielded 1,377 results. Of these, 64 citations met the eligibility criteria based on title and
abstract. Conference proceedings, post-graduate dissertations and newspaper articles were
excluded. From the 64 full-text articles reviewed, 16 articles met the eligibility criteria and
subsequently underwent quality assessment. After quality assessment was completed, two articles
were excluded from the final review: one (Collis, Foth, & Schroeter, 2009) did not evaluate views of
stakeholders or report results from the initiative; and the other (Richards & Marshall, 2019) did not
have a clear objective for their research and the reported results lacked relevance to employability.
The remaining 14 studies included in the final analysis scored highly on the CASP Qualitative
Checklist (Table 2, p. 78). Two of the 10 questions included in the checklist showed ambiguity. The
questions, ‘Has the relationship between researcher and participants been adequately considered?’
and ‘Have ethical issues been taken into consideration?’ were difficult to ascertain as the possibility
of coercion was not directly addressed in many articles where teaching staff investigated student
outcomes. Not all studies included ethics approval information. However, given the journals they
were published in required ethics approval for submission, it was assumed that ethics had been
adequately considered.
General characteristics of included initiatives
General employability initiative characteristics adopted in undergraduate programs are detailed in

Table 1 (see p.75). Studies included in this review were conducted in Australia (n=9), United Kingdom
(n=2), United States (n=1), New Zealand (n=1) and Germany (n=1). Employability initiatives included
a range of approaches of institutional-arranged and self-sourced placements (Aprile & Knight, 2019;
Cord & Clements, 2010; Elijido-Ten & Kloot, 2015; Fleming & Haigh, 2017; Fletcher-Brown, Knibbs &
Middleton, 2015; Jackson & Collings, 2018; Rawlinson & Dewhurst, 2013), project-based industry
collaborations as part of WIL programs (Brimble et al., 2012; Gilbert, 2012; Keogh, Sterling, &
Venables, 2007; Martinez Leon, 2019), practice-based eLearning (Blackburn, 2017), mentoring
programs (Jenkinson & Benson, 2016), and the development of a framework for students to master
graduate attributes over time (Windsor, Rutter, McKay, & Meyers, 2014). Most studies presented
the views of students, institutions and industry and included evaluations of student and institutional
outcomes. Initiatives varied in the number of students included in the evaluation [n=28 (Cord &
Clements, 2010) to n=865 (Jackson & Collings, 2018)], and duration of the initiative [16 days (Cord &
Clements, 2010) to three-year degrees (Brimble et al., 2012)]. Overall, there were a diverse range in
both type of workplace used and types of initiatives; the findings of these are summarised and
evaluated in the following sections.
Placements
The most common initiatives described were work-based placements, where senior undergraduate
students worked for varying periods in the industry or profession to gain work experience prior to
graduation. Placements varied in models and collaborative processes yet showed similarity in
reported outcomes. A case study reported in the accounting discipline explored a non-compulsory
six or 12 month paid WIL structure, delivered in combination with pre-placement processes and
training, supervision and performance reviews (Elijido-Ten & Kloot, 2015). The pre-placement
process included information sessions and seminars on the WIL process, resume and application
writing, training on generic work skills and workforce expectations. Workplace training included
company-specific inductions and courses. Students were also paired with an academic mentor for
additional support. Placement supervision, training and performance evaluations were conducted by
the employer. Employers reported improved soft skills such as teamwork, ability to work to
deadlines, managing the supervisor relationship and contribution to a reinvigorated workplace
atmosphere from students. Students indicated that the experience gave them an employment
advantage of having knowledge and skills that others would need additional time to develop. Larger
employers contributed more to employment outcomes by hiring 80-90% of WIL graduates.
Stakeholder views of WIL were examined in a sport education placement that involved 350 hours of
unpaid self-sourced work experience during the final year of an undergraduate degree (Fleming &
Haigh, 2017). Results from questionnaires and surveys indicated that skills obtained from a
workplace setting such as effective communication and teamwork were complementary to the
theoretical knowledge obtained in the university setting.
Student perspectives of compulsory teacher education placements as well as their perceived
readiness for a career in the teaching profession were analysed by Aprile and Knight (2019).
Identified benefits included not just the development of skills for practical competence, but also
greater awareness of their future roles and a sense of responsibility to the profession. Professional
preparedness was negatively influenced by relationships with workplace supervisors and
performance pressure associated with assessment during placements.
Fletcher-Brown et al. (2015) reported increased confidence, problem-solving and teamwork skills
from students through live-client learning activities. Live-client activities included existing or
potential business problems or projects directed by industry organisations. The quality and value of
work performed by students exceeded expectations from industry partners.
Jackson and Collings (2018) reported graduate employment outcomes at four and 16 months from
two undergraduate cohorts in 2013 and 2015. Although approximately one third of each cohort
completed WIL during their studies, no differences were found in the rates of full-time employment
between students who had completed WIL and those who had not. However, students who
completed WIL perceived their roles to reflect their qualifications, while their counterparts were
more likely to report feeling over-qualified.
Finally, Rawlinson and Dewhurst (2013) used learning laboratories to simulate the placement
experience for tourism and hospitality vocational degrees. The learning labs were a collaboration
between university and industry to provide students with an opportunity to deliver a commercial
service under supervision. Although employment was not directly assessed via job status, the
success of the initial trial lab resulted in students and industry partners reporting increased student
employment skills such as communication and teamwork and an increase in graduate employment
support and opportunities from industry partners. Ongoing success of these labs were attributed to
using local employers who offered support and resources in the form of internship concepts,
information on internal operation processes, management and training programs and
representation on the university advisory board. Additionally, the use of operating manuals provided
clarity in the roles and responsibilities of the employer, the university and the students, and the use
of one tutor as a single point of contact aided communication between all parties.
Project-based industry collaboration
Four studies (Brimble et al., 2012; Gilbert, 2012; Jenkinson & Benson, 2016; Martinez Leon, 2019)
explored collaborations between institutions, students and industry in the development of new
undergraduate programs or projects to ensure employability skills were captured and addressed
throughout the course. These collaborations aim to increase students’ understanding of workplace
expectations and to create a link between the learning and working environments. A case study
presentation of a collaborative approach between industry and an advisory board was the
development of a new accounting undergraduate program (Brimble et al., 2012). Over time, the
program evolved to include 64 industry partners who offered two-year internships and active
engagement within an integrated continuous professional development program. Data collected
across a four-year period (n=76) reported high industry partner satisfaction with average scores of
4.59/5 on a Likert scale. The success of this program was credited to the collaborative approach
taken with industry during the design, which allowed students to develop industry knowledge,
professional skills and exposure to industry partners.
Gilbert (2012) developed the Innovation Fastrack Programme (IFP), which was embedded in an
undergraduate entrepreneurship program and relied on a high level of engagement from industry
partners for its success. Stakeholders reported high satisfaction from students (n=132) with average
scores of 4.88/5 across their entrepreneurship and innovation four-year degree. Additionally, 77% of
students attributed employment success to the skills and capabilities derived from the program.
More than 96% of students surveyed indicated that employers specifically asked about the IFP
during job interviews and almost 77% of students reported that employers hired them due to the
skills and capabilities obtained from the programme. While student satisfaction rates were high
across the two studies, they did not assess student employment post-graduation (Brimble, 2012;
Gilbert, 2012).
Martinez Leon (2019) proposed a framework to make a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) engineering capstone
project that replicates professional work conditions, appropriately balances theoretical knowledge
and practical experience, provides students with an industry-recognised certification and that
promotes synergistic collaborations between academia and industry. The EAG2ER framework
(Explore, Agree, recognise Gaps, Get Started, Execute, and Realise and Reward) was implemented
over a calendar year with project execution occurring in the academic semester. Students who
completed the LSS capstone project had much higher satisfaction rates when compared with
students of other capstone projects. 72% of students who completed the LSS capstone strongly
agreed that their capstone project helped them better understand how to apply theoretical models
or concepts to real-world situations, compared to 32% of students in other capstones (Martinez
Leon, 2019).
The fourth initiative implemented a year-long project in collaboration with industry stakeholders
across three Australian tertiary institutions (Keogh, Sterling, & Venables, 2007). Success of the
initiative was attributed to careful project selection, identifying supportive clients, clear project
aims, ‘signposts’ to identify possible problems that may arise in the workplace and guides to address
problems when they occur. ‘Signposts’ consisted of a support system that provided students with
guidance, security, and confidence during their project. Reported outcomes and student feedback
demonstrated that students were able to develop knowledge and skills that led to employment
readiness. Furthermore, an industry partner acted as professional referees for students while
another project resulted in graduate employment for some students. Ongoing industry projects with
new student cohorts have yielded similar student feedback to indicate that the experience enhanced
project management skills and knowledge (Keogh, Sterling & Venables, 2007).
Practice-based eLearning
A university-wide eLearning tool was introduced to undergraduate programs across a range of

disciplines that mimicked realistic industry-based scenarios (Blackburn, 2017). Designed using
eSimulation software, this eLearning tool aimed to develop higher-order thinking, critical thinking
and problem-solving skills. One example included a series of clinical cases within a virtual veterinary
hospital where students were assessed on their chosen diagnostic pathway during final
examinations. Aside from developing key graduate attributes, the tool encouraged domain-specific
knowledge development. While employment status was not measured as an outcome of this
initiative, feedback from teaching staff and students was presented. Of 240 undergraduate students
surveyed across 12 different programs, 72% found that the eLearning tool scenario presented was
realistic and reflected cases they would encounter in future employment. However, some students
reported eLearning experiences were still not as realistic as being in the workplace. Overall, 77% of
students strongly agreed or agreed that the tool helped them to develop a greater understanding of
key concepts that promoted problem-solving strategies. Qualitative feedback also suggested that
most students were enthusiastic about the task and found it to be beneficial and engaging.
Challenges identified by students included the added complexity from the computer-based tool on
learning and course materials, and a lack of adequate instruction and feedback.
Mentoring programs
The efficacy of an 18-week mentorship program, where fourth year physical education students
mentored second year students from the same degree to develop graduate attributes such as
problem-solving skills, feedback and reporting skills was reported (Jenkinson & Benson, 2016).
Employment post-graduation was not directly assessed, however, qualitative feedback found that
mentors valued the opportunity to work with others as it offered greater benefits in understanding
and adapting communication styles to different people.
Building graduate attributes
Another approach to WIL focused on building employment-orientated graduate attributes across a

three-year chemistry degree (Windsor et al., 2014). Key attributes deemed important for graduate
employability were communication skills and creative and critical thinking. Graduate attributes were
embedded into course curriculum with the aim to master these by the end of the degree. All
comparative measures showed an increase in student perceptions of knowledge and skills from first
to third year. However, the measure was based on a single oral assessment in each year with a small
sample of 55 students. Such skills are also expected to naturally evolve over a three-year course and
results prior to the implemented changes were not recorded. Furthermore, employment status was
also not assessed as an outcome of employability in this study.
Discussion
The aim of this scoping review was to identify trialled and evaluated employability initiatives in
undergraduate programs, to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of such initiatives and their
potential application to undergraduate nutrition programs. Although the goals of all included studies
in this review were of graduate employability, the aims of individual initiatives varied with some
targeting the upskilling of personal attributes applicable to the workforce, while others built upon
discipline-specific knowledge and skills required for a particular industry or developing a link
between learning and workplace environments (Gilbert, 2012).
Findings from this review highlight that the most common employability initiatives were placements,
with seven out of 14 studies describing these strategies. These studies also had the longest date
range of publications (2010-2019) and included student cohorts ranging from 15 to 865. The
employability initiative with the strongest evidence of satisfaction, either as a positive rating or scale
by staff, students and/or industry, was project-based industry collaborations. Brimble et al. reported
an employer satisfaction score of 4.59/5 from their initiative (Brimble et al., 2012) and Gilbert
reported student satisfaction scores of 4.88/5 in their ‘Innovation Fastrack Programme’ (Gilbert,
2012).
Project-based industry collaborations and placements provide immense value for students through
exposure to real-world scenarios, experiential learning and opportunity for professional network
development. Students build confidence to navigate the workplace environment and develop skills
such as managing their own time and a supervisor relationship. However, industry collaborations
and placements are labour intensive from an administrative perspective. They rely on ongoing
relationship development, management and effective communication to manage stakeholder
expectations to ensure the continuity and success of the partnership (Whatley, 2012). Additionally,
managing workplace relationships and feeling performance pressure from the assessable
component of a placement can be limiting factors to a student’s feelings of preparedness to enter
their profession (Aprile & Knight, 2019).
When viewed in the context of nutrition undergraduate programs, it is important to find industry
placements that are appropriate for graduate level nutrition students that address both professional
competencies as well as graduate and employability attributes. Given the diversity of jobs within the
nutrition field, this may be challenging and limit the impact of a placement program on achieving an
employability outcome. This diversity is recognised through the newly defined five core
competencies for undergraduate nutrition degrees along with a further three specialist
competencies in food science, public health and animal nutrition (Lawlis et al., 2019). Furthermore,
with the popularity of nutrition-related courses, it may not be feasible to ensure that all graduates
will be exposed to programs that include an industry collaboration or placement. The administrative
burden of cultivating industry relationships that adequately represent student interest, is a potential
barrier to offering thoroughly diverse placements to all graduate level nutrition students.
The respective categories of practice-based eLearning, mentoring programs and building graduate
attributes were represented in individual studies and produced valuable insights with the potential
for scalability. It was demonstrated that a practice-based eLearning tool can be designed to provide
a realistic scenario, as rated by 72% of students (Blackburn, 2017). An effective peer-to-peer,
student-run, mentoring elective was shown to assist students to develop graduate attributes
(Jenkinson & Benson, 2016). Building graduate attributes through an integrated curriculum in a
three-year degree was also demonstrated to be an effective model (Windsor et al., 2014). These
findings are important when considering feasibility in large cohorts, in courses with fluctuating
student numbers, or in regional or online courses and may have advantages when considering
inclusiveness and equal opportunity. Such theoretical approaches allow for the incorporation of
domain-specific training, which would meet the evolving needs of the nutrition industry as a
multitude of scenarios could be developed to reflect the variety of nutrition-related jobs that
currently exist. Furthermore, having the flexibility to build different industry-based scenarios
provides opportunity to adapt to an ever-changing industry landscape. However, a limitation in
these theoretical frameworks is the lack of opportunity for practical application and authentic
learning within real-world settings that a project-based industry collaboration or placement offers.
Overall, most initiatives attributed the success of their approaches to (a) incorporating the
development of diverse real-world, problem-solving skills, (b) delivering programs with realistic
experiences or settings and, (c) characterising and balancing the most appropriate support with
independent self-directed learning. Other methodological considerations reported when developing
an initiative include a) the use of a published framework b) consulting stakeholders c) conducting a
quality assessment and d) the development of cooperative models between universities, students
and industry.
Strengths and limitations
A strength of this scoping review is the methodological approach and inclusion of a quality
assessment. However, as only initiatives that have been published were included, there may be
other innovative models that have not been captured. A further limitation lies in including programs
from different curriculums (Brimble et al., 2012) or that were implemented university-wide
(Blackburn, 2017). These programs may lack transferability to undergraduate human nutrition
courses, given the differences between and within undergraduate disciplines.
Measurements of employment outcomes varied widely in the studies analysed and depended on the
goals of each initiative. Most explored student satisfaction, confidence and transferable graduate
attributes such as communication and problem-solving skills and workplace professionalism and
preparedness. Graduate employment as an outcome was only measured in three studies that
incorporated practical workplace experience through industry collaboration or placement (Jackson &
Collings, 2018; Gilbert, 2012; Keogh, Sterling, & Venables, 2007). From these, only one compared
graduate employment outcomes in student cohorts who have completed WIL activities against those
who have not (Jackson & Collings, 2018). Therefore, while project-based industry collaboration and
placements were the most commonly reported initiatives, the overall evidence of success, measured
by graduate employment, was limited. Collecting data on employment outcomes of student cohorts
is challenging and requires faculty investment, which may contribute to the low numbers of studies
that report such outcomes. As such, there is a bias toward publication of other outcomes that are
easily collected such as overall satisfaction.
Implications for research and practice
With undergraduate nutrition programs being widely available in Australia with at least 52 programs
available (International Education Specialists, 2020), education designers must become more
creative to ensure high student satisfaction as well as graduate capability achievements. Tangible
and authentic work scenarios embedded into programs appear to provide the best opportunities for
increasing graduate employment. From the sparse yet varied literature in this review, it is evident
that further sharing of such practice is important.
Based on the current review, it can be recommended for undergraduate nutrition programs to
collaborate with industry partners to provide student placements. Placement offerings should be
representative of the diversity of pathways in nutrition and may be developed as a component of a
broader agreement between tertiary institutions and industry where the needs of both parties are
met. Value can be added to the partnership through building a foundational framework for student
contribution to larger industry projects and goals.
While industry placements will vary, preparation for employment can be developed universally
through development of transferable graduate attributes. Students are now expected to graduate
with a range of transferable skills to be successful in the workforce. A range of identified graduate
skills and attributes have been deemed necessary by employers (Selvadurai, Er, & Maros, 2012):
planning and problem-solving skills; research skills including locating and manipulating information;
public speaking and communication skills; social interaction skills across all levels of an organisation;
self-confidence; commitment and passion; and entrepreneurial skills (Kucel, Robert, Buil, &
Masferrer, 2016).
Several models identified from this review may be useful for development of graduate skills. The use
of eLearning simulations for industry-specific preparation, provides opportunity for a broad and
objective reach across the student cohort. It is important that skill development is embedded at
critical points within the curriculum and not as isolated additional learning. Greater success is seen
when students value and engage in skill-development rather than as a burden (Jackson & Collings,
2018). While peer mentoring holds advantages for senior and junior students, formal mentoring and
situational mentoring could be explored.
In summary, future undergraduate nutrition programs with a focus on graduate employment could
consider the following:
1. University-based curriculum with embedded transferable skills development that uses

eLearning or mentoring for delivery of key ‘soft’ skills learning in addition to or in place of
more conventional methods.
2. Industry-based placements where both industry and transferable skills are further
developed through project-based placements or student projects that sit within a broader
industry project.
As more literature becomes available, these considerations should be adapted to reflect new
understandings towards successful nutrition graduate employment.
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Appendix
Table 1: Characteristics of Employability Initiatives
Student
population Study
and Duration design
Author Location discipline Sample Size of study type Curriculum Initiative Research Objectives Main Outcome Measures
Aprile & Australia 3rd & 4th year 15 One time Case Study Well-established initial teacher education The study investigated the students’ Thematic analysis is the method used to identify two key themes in the data
Knight, teacher point placements placement experiences and the impact of collected
2019 education these experiences on their perceptions of through semi-structured interviews.
students readiness for a career in the teaching
from one professions.
regional
Australian
University
Blackbur Germany Undergradua 12 teaching One time Explorator Practice based E-Learning :an interactive 1. How to create or utilise existing Number of students who thought that scenarios (cases) used in the PBL tool
n, 2017 te; University staff and 240 point y case eLearning tool based on Problem Based Learning materials that are aligned with the goals to a certain degree represented real-life issues that graduates were likely to
wide students study (PBL) and acquisition of domain-specific of PBL to establish significant differences encounter.
knowledge in terms of student learning in an Number of students who thought PBL was easy to comprehend
eLearning environment? Number of students who agreed it was beneficial to incorporate graphics
2. What issues are experienced by components into the learning materials
educators when adopting technology- Number of students that believed using the PBL software had helped their
based PBL resources in their teaching? understanding of key concepts and scenarios promoted a logical though
3. What are students' perceptions of such process rather than straight forward factual recall
eLearning courseware? Student perspectives on use of PBL tool
4. How can technology be used to Faculty staff perspectives on use of PBL tool
stimulate higher level thinking skills?
Brimble Australia Undergradua 190 students 3 years Case study Project based industry collaboration: Design of a Work closely with industry to deliver a Determine the impact of the Degree and the PD Program in terms of:
et al. te; 76 industry via new Professional Degree that includes a 2-year program that addressed their concerns - Industry engagement
2012 Accounting participants evaluation internship and a continuous professional about the work readiness and generic - Overall satisfaction of industry
and financial 68 end of year and development program, created in collaboration skills of graduates, and engaged students - Integrating the University with the profession
planning surveys surveys with industry to enable them to make informed - Development of Students' professional skills and impressions
choices about their vocation.
Cord & Australia Undergradua 28 students One time Case study Placement: The Commerce Internship Program Explore students' self-reported learning N/A
Clement te; point via (CIP) is a 16-day placement conducted during outcomes and development through
s, 2010 Commerce reflections session. The placement description is based on reflection at the completion of the CIP.
and semi- the needs of the host organisation, as is the
structured selection of the student. One semester before the
interviews placement, host organisations submit a
description of the role while students apply for
the program through an online application system
directly to the faculty. The faculty shortlists
applications and the host organisation is invited to
interview three students. The placement can take
place anytime over the following semester.
Murray, E., McLeod, S., Biesiekierski, J., Ng, A., Croxford, S., Stirling, E., Bramley, A., & Forsyth, A. (2020). Employability initiatives in undergraduate education and application to human nutrition: A scoping review.
Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 11(1), 63–80. 75
Student
population Study
and Duration design
Elijido- Australia Undergradua 12 employer One time Explorator Placement: Evaluation of Work-Integrated 1. How are accounting WIL programs Employers' perception of WIL and their role in learning
Ten & (Melbourne) te; representatives point y case Learning perceived by both SME and non-SME WIL Advantages and Disadvantages to Employers and Students
Kloot, Accounting 35 students study via employers? Students' perception of experiential learning from WIL placement
2014 (30% response interview 2. How do WIL programs enhance Students' experiential learning through WIL
rate) and survey students' experiential learning and are Suggestions for WIL improvement
there difference in the role played by Students overall WIL experience and suggestions for improvement
SMEs and non-SMEs in providing WIL
experience as perceived by accounting
students?
3. How can university WIL programs be
enhanced to achieve better outcomes for
both students and employers alike?
Fleming New Zealand Undergradua Questionnaires: One time Explorator Placement: A Sport Cooperative Education Examine the degree of alignment of Students', industry supervisors' and academic supervisors' views on "the
& Haigh, (Auckland) te; 91 students point y case Program that involves students completing 350 stakeholder views on the defining purpose of cooperative education".
2017 Sport 18 academic study via hours of workplace experience in a sport or features of cooperative education as a Students', industry supervisors' and academic supervisors' perspectives on
education supervisors questionn recreation organization during the final year of model of Work Integrated Learning "what cooperative education means".
28 workplace aires and their undergraduate degree. The experience was
supervisors interviews generally unpaid and part-time (normally two days
Interviews: per week), allowing for academic studies to be
6 students completed on campus during the rest of the week.
5 academic In most cases, students secured their own
supervisors placements in response to advertisements and
5 workplace contacts provided by the university, or through
supervisors their own personal contacts. Students negotiate
appropriate work activities with a workplace
supervisor and developed a learning agreement
that included the responsibilities of students, host
organizations, supervisors and the university as
well as the students' individual learning outcomes.
The student learning experience was supported
through regular fortnightly meetings with an
academic supervisor during their on-campus time.
Fletcher- United Undergradua 85 students/ One time Case study Placement: Live-client learning activities are Review live-client learning activities in Explore the value of live-client projects as both an alternative to traditional
Brown, Kingdom te; Marketing "engagers" point activities where students are directed by an higher education placements and an opportunity for students to provide higher level, strategic
Knibbs & (Portsmouth) 5 employers organisation to work on a current or potential input to SMEs in particular
Middlet 5 educators business problem or project either as individuals
on or groups. The responsibility associated with
meeting the needs of an existing organisation and
the potential of contributing value often increases
student motivation, enjoyment and engagement.
Student
population Study
and Duration design
Gilbert, Australia Undergradua 132 students Four years Longitudin Project- based Industry Collaboration: The 1. How can higher education Did the IFP meet participate expectations?
2012 (Melbourne) te; al Innovative Fast Track Program - program design entrepreneurship programmes foster The Good Teaching Scale
Entrepreneur quantitativ was not included. It was designed specifically to opportunity recognition and realisation Employability
ship e and overcome: differing stakeholder perspectives and capabilities in largely inexperienced Create-Substantiate-Activate (CSA) Scale
qualitative evolving expectations, variability in student undergraduates?
experience, and level of industry partner 2. What are the key determinants that
engagement. may contribute to developing
entrepreneurial and innovative work-
ready skills in undergraduate
entrepreneurship students?
Jackson Australia Bachelor 865 total Sample 1 = Double Placement: Work-Integrated Learning defined as a 1. Examine the influence of WIL on Full-time Employment
& graduates; students 16 months cohort work placement whereby students are physically graduate employment and Underemployment
Collings, A range of Sample 1 n=628 Sample 2 = study based in the workplace for a given period, underemployment Inhibitors and enablers of employability and employment
2018 disciplines Sample 2 n=237 4 months combined with reflective activities which integrate 2. Examine the influence of paid
their learning in the professional and classroom employment during studies on graduate
settings employment and underemployment
3. Explore graduate perspectives of
inhibitors and enablers to employability
and employment
Jenkinso Australia Final year; 25 pre-service 2 years Focus Mentoring: The Assessment and Mentoring Describe an attempt to design higher What skills did AMP mentors perceive they would develop through
n& (Melbourne) Physical teacher (2014- groups Program (AMP) is a four-way collaborative education curriculum using mentoring to participation in the program to assist with their future teaching career?
Benson, education mentors 2016) mentoring learning community underpinned by further improve graduate outcomes and Do the skills they perceive they will develop align with the AITSL Graduate
2016 social constructivism. It promotes the work readiness. Standards?
development of assessment and mentoring skills
which are readily transferable to future teaching
environments. The mentors are Year 4 pre-service
physical education students mentoring and
assessing Year 2 pre-service physical education
students. The purpose of the program is to
provide additional authentic opportunities within
the degree to learn how to design and then
actually implement assessment tasks, and
complete assessment as a formative process. The
AMP runs for 18 weeks including training (3 days),
preparation, and assessment and mentoring
within the semester (12 weeks) and concluding
focus groups for reflection.
Keogh, Australia Undergradua Case Study Project Based-Industry Collaboration: Year-long Propose a structure for year-long N/A
Sterling te; (of 3 sites) team projects with external clients provide a well- projects that is scalable to any class size
& Computing recognized opportunity for students to gain and portable across institutions and
Venable industry experience, whilst being supported and potentially across technical disciplines.
s, 2007 guided by staff to minimize risks.
Student
population Study
and Duration design
Rawlinso United University N/A N/A Qualitative Placement: The University Learning Laboratory is Describe the University Learning N/A
n& Kingdom students in Case Study founded on the concept of Real World Learning Laboratory model used at the University
Dewhurs (Buxton) vocational (RWL) and is an example of work-integrated of Derby
t, 2013 courses learning. A university learning laboratory allows
local organisations to become a "real world
learning" venue for applied vocational learning
supported by staff from the organisation in on-
the-job training. A learning laboratory also
presents the opportunity for students to engage in
live project work that can support an organisation
in delivery its strategic and operational goals.
Martine United States Engineering Not identified One time Case Study The core of this approach is the problem-based The case study presented offers a Results from pilot implementation & student survey results
z Leon, and point learning through the execution of Lean Six Sigma detailed analysis of the design and
2019 management (LSS) projects implemented via university-industry implementation of the proposed
design partnerships. framework. The authors also present the
course results of a survey conducted to assess
students the extent to which the proposed
approach contributes to bridging the gap
between theory and practice.
Windsor Australia Undergradua 1st yr students One year Interventi Graduate Attribute Framework: The 12 graduate Ascertain students' perceptions of their First year students' perceived theoretical chemistry knowledge
et al., te; Chemistry - 65 pre - 73 on Study attributes that the University expects students to acquisition of graduate attributes First year students' perceived practical chemistry knowledge
2014 Major in a post Design attain, are incorporated into a new Chemistry through surveys and compare with Second year students' conceptions of their skill sets before and after studying
Bachelor of 2nd yr students major using three methods; they are taught in student performance on assessment the course
Science - 12 pre - 10 lectures; practiced in tutorials; and assessed in tasks. Staff assessment of second year student performance at the oral debate
post examinations, practical reports and oral Changes between the initial and final oral presentation percentage score in
3rd yr students presentations and feedback provided after each the third year course
-8 assessment piece. Third year students' perceptions on their ability to solve physical chemistry
presentations - problems
11
Table 2: Critical Appraisal of Study Quality using the CASP Qualitative Appraisal Tool
Fletcher-
Aprile & Elijido- Jackson Keogh, Rawlinson
Brimble Cord & Fleming Brown, Jenkinson Richardson Windsor
Knight Blackburn Ten & Gilbert & Sterling & Martinez &
et al Clements & Haigh Knibbs & & Benson & Marshall et al.
(2017) Kloot (2012) Collings Venables (2019) Dewhurst
(2012) (2010) (2017) Middleton (2016) (2019) (2014)
(2019) (2014) (2018) (2007) (2013)
(2015)
Q1. Was there a clear

statement of the aims of
the research?
             X 
Q2. Is a qualitative
methodology
appropriate?
             ? 
Q.3 Was the research
design appropriate to
address the aims of the              ? 
research?
Q4. Was the recruitment

strategy appropriate to
the aims of the              ? 
research?
Q5. Was the data

collected in a way that
addressed the research              X 
issue?
Q6. Has the relationship

between the researcher
and participants been  ? ? ? ? ? ? ?    ?  ? 
adequately considered?
Q7. Have ethical issues

been taken into
consideration?
  ? ?   ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 
Q8. Was the data
analysis sufficiently
rigorous?
             ? 
Q9. Is there a clear
statement of findings?              X 
Q10. How Valuable is the
research?              X 
 = yes; ? = can’t tell; X = no

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The Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability

ISSN: 1838-3815 (online) Journal Homepage: https://ojs.deakin.edu.au/index.php/jtlge/

Employability initiatives in undergraduate education and

Corresponding author: Adrienne Forsyth ([email protected])

Information sources and search strategy

Study selection process

Data extraction and charting

Records without full-text and duplicates

Irrelevant records excluded (n=1,208)

Full-text articles assessed

Full-text articles selected for Not embedded in curriculum (n=2)

Figure 1: Flow Chart of the Article Search and Selection Stages

General characteristics of included initiatives

General employability initiative characteristics adopted in undergraduate programs are detailed in

Project-based industry collaboration

A university-wide eLearning tool was introduced to undergraduate programs across a range of

Building graduate attributes

Another approach to WIL focused on building employment-orientated graduate attributes across a

Strengths and limitations

Implications for research and practice

1. University-based curriculum with embedded transferable skills development that uses

Q1. Was there a clear

Q4. Was the recruitment

Q5. Was the data

Q6. Has the relationship

Q7. Have ethical issues

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