Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an examination of a variety of issues surrounding the graduate labour market and its relationship to higher education and public policy. It includes debates about how theory can stimulate new ways of thinking about careers and employability. The book explores graduate transitions into the job market and how these are changing. It focuses on careers services which illuminate professional and organisational responses to demands for universities to support the employability of their students. The book describes a large-scale research project called Careers Registration that has been conducted across sixteen universities, led by careers services and explores the changing role of the careers adviser which has historically been the dominant role in careers services. It traces some responses to questions about career clarity from respondents before, during and after university.