Employability of German Geography Graduates: The Mismatch between Knowledge Acquired and Competences Required
- 7 April 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Journal of Geography in Higher Education
- Vol. 34 (2), 215-230
- https://doi.org/10.1080/03098260903227400
Abstract
The employability of university graduates is a concern in higher education as labour markets change more and more rapidly. This is of particular relevance for multi-faceted subjects such as geography. Studies on employability have to consider to what degree a university education helps graduates start a career. The results of a survey of 257 geography graduates of JLU (Justus Liebig University) Giessen, Germany, indicate that the traditional curricula did not necessarily prepare German geographers adequately for their jobs. The graduates possess more knowledge than required but lack important competences and transferable skills that the job market demands. This may be partly remedied by the introduction of project-oriented classes.Keywords
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