ABSTRACT
As higher education (HE) has expanded, there has been increased emphasis on the skills students learn during their time in HE. ese skills are not conned to subject-specic knowledge and expertise (Mason, Williams and Cranmer 2006), but incorporate soer, more generic, ‘employability’ skills, such as the ability to communicate well, manage time and work in a team. In this chapter, the case study of the UK highlights the intricacies of the supply and demand relationship that exists between higher education institutions (HEIs), students and employers in relation to employability skills, and the further complexities faced by international students studying in the UK. e UK has one of the most international student populations within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In 2009, 15.3 per cent of all students in tertiary education in the UK were international students, which is about twice as much as the OECD average (6.37 per cent) (OECD 2011). As the cost of HE participation continues to increase in the UK, questions about the role of HEIs in providing students with the kind of skills that are valuable in the competitive graduate labour market have become ever more prevalent.
