Engaging employers to develop quality in higher education: the case of communication studies in Italy

Abstract

This paper explores how employer engagement can enhance potential employability of graduates, which represents a fundamental institutional achievement to ameliorate quality of higher education. While the role of student and staff engagement in quality improvement has received in-depth research attention, the need for listening to expectations of potential employers and professionals is still under-explored. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of employer engagement in higher education quality, since employers have a stake in developing the potential employability of graduates. The paper analyses a case study of professional engagement in the development of a standard to evaluate the potential of communication degree courses to enhance the employability of graduates in Italy. It offers insights for the implementation of employer engagement programmes in higher education institutions and highlights the importance of the relationship between employability and quality improvement.

Keywords:

• employability
• communication studies
• stakeholder engagement
• employers
• higher education
• quality