ERASMUS+ Developing a Graduate Employability Skills App GES APP

Being able to demonstrate graduate employability skills (GESs) – practical, transferable, graduate level abilities over and above any specific discipline content – can lead to more positive career outcomes in graduates. To maximise their potential, students should start thinking about their skills, and their relevance for future career options, early in their degree journey so they can reflect on the importance of these, and identify areas for improvement (Bridgstock, 2009). However many students do not consider their GESs until after graduation, and lack aspirations, attitudes and confidence with respect to preparing themselves for future careers.

Over the last 20 years there has been an upsurge of interest in using technology to engage with students to facilitate their learning. With the advent of web 2.0 technology and the evolution of smartphone use one emerging area is downloadable educational apps, although these are not typically used to engage students with co-curricular, or transferable skills. Apps have the potential to offer methods of learning highly consistent with modern theories of effective learning, which propose that learning activities should be active, situated, problem based, and interactive.