QAA Scotland’s Focus On project for 2018-19 is Graduate Skills. The project will consider the skills students develop in higher education, including digital skills, to ensure they are ready to contribute in a global society.

The topic will build on our previous work, including the Graduates for the 21st Century Enhancement Theme, and comes at a time of great interest in the areas of apprenticeships and skills.

We will be looking at the following in detail:

• readiness for employment and how graduates from all disciplines can embed skills
• equality and diversity - how students from all backgrounds and characteristics can be supported to develop skills
• the international angle – Scotland exports graduates around the globe and our graduates will live and work in a global society.

We will do this by:

• sharing key messages and analysis of existing information on graduate attributes, skills and employability
• exploring student views on what approaches to skills development work well and what can be improved
• holding a showcase event to share good practice and current approaches to skills development
• holding a policy and practice summit in June 2019 to consider the Scottish approach in an international context and future challenges.

Focus On projects aim to help higher education institutions and students’ associations with work in their key priority areas. View more information on this and previous Focus On projects, including Feedback from Assessment in 2017-18.