The Land of Make Believe: Creating the Enterprising Graduate with Distinctive skills and attributes

No UK University can ignore the QAA benchmarks which note the necessity for an association between the development of skills and employability of graduates. The credibility of UK Universities is at a significant juncture with a reconfiguration of student fees being undertaken. Future student cohorts will demand a credible undergraduate experience which will enhance their immediate career prospects post graduation. Moreover, the British Prime Minister David claims that enterprise represents the panacea to enable economic recovery in the UK. Thus, it is essential that UK Universities prepare graduates for both employability and self employability career options. This study profiles an undergraduate Business scheme which has been developed on the underpinning themes of enterprise, social innovation and self employability and identifies its challenges, drivers and key focuses. This study adopts a case study profile of an undergraduate business programme developed and delivered within the University of Glamorgan. Key actors within the development of the underpinning strategy were interviewed along with students studying upon the programme to understand the drivers and impact of the course. The results identify the need to identify a clear top down strategy from within a Business School to identify clear underpinning themes which underpin all programme activities. Within a programme, the curriculum must be focused around the key themes and utilise innovative assessment and teaching and learning strategies plus additional added value activities which enhance the curriculum. Examples of best practice are explained in depth. UK Universities have an obligation to provide a career enhancing undergraduate experience which offers the potential of a self employability or employability career post graduation. This study makes several recommendations for best practice including specific modules of study, guest speakers, added value activities to develop student skills and innovative assessment strategies This study will aid University policy makers to construct valid programmes that embed enterprising and self employability constructs as underpinning themes to enhance the experience and added value of study.