Skills, competencies and credentials

The current university system of credentials, accreditation and transcripts does not serve most undergraduate students well, according to this report. While the current system does an excellent job documenting students’ knowledge of content, it provides neither students nor potential employers with an overview of the skills they have developed while studying – leaving employers to infer that skills from content knowledge can lead to a ‘skills gap’ and an inability to find graduates with the necessary skills to fill advertised positions. If universities are to use content as the vehicle for skill development, they need to ensure there is good evidence to support the claim that this development has occurred. The report raises the possibility of universities working together with employer groups to collaboratively discuss the desired skills and how they can be best reflected in the curriculum and in student records.