How can higher education grow student employability skills?

Ask any employer what makes a graduate stand out and the answer is rarely just technical knowledge. Just as important are transferable skills like communication, teamwork and adaptability, which make the difference in real-world working scenarios. Yet too many young people leave higher education without them. British Council research highlights the gap: only 2% of employers believe young people are very prepared for future jobs and half say they are not prepared at all.

So, what skills will matter most?

Employers are clear on this. Alongside subject knowledge, they need graduates who can adapt quickly, work well with others and communicate with confidence. The World Economic Forum predicts that 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025, which underlines just how important transferable skills have become. In fact, 87% of employers rate digital literacy and 85% communication as critical for success, compared with 74% for job-specific expertise.

This raises a clear question for higher education: how can institutions help students build these skills as part of their everyday learning? Based on insights from the British Council's Future of Work eBook, four priorities stand out:

• Strengthen links between academic teams and career services: build cross-functional projects, digital spaces for progress tracking and joint professional development sessions.
• Develop workplace-ready mindsets and behaviours: foster resilience, adaptability and autonomy through mentoring and challenge-based learning.
• Include employability skills into the curriculum: integrate communication, critical thinking and cultural intelligence into modules, supported by continuous assessment and feedback.
• Provide practical industry exposure: offer internships, international exchange, entrepreneurship opportunities and real-world problem-solving projects.

A case in practice: IIUM

One clear example of this approach in action is the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), which partnered with the British Council to strengthen students’ English and employability skills. The university identified a gap: many students were entering with intermediate English and needed to reach higher levels to boost their confidence and career prospects. They also needed solutions that could be delivered flexibly across different locations and at scale.

Working with the British Council, IIUM introduced an online programme that combined self-access activities with small-group tutorials and mentorship. This gave students the flexibility of modern learning alongside personal guidance to build confidence. Progress was tracked with mid- and end-of-course assessments, and students were prepared for the Aptis test to certify their achievements with an internationally recognised benchmark.

As Dr Siti Zubaidah Anuar, Special Officer to the Deputy Rector (Academic and Internationalisation), explains:

‘This programme has provided a transformative experience for students, equipping them with essential communication skills needed for both personal and professional development. The combination of online learning and mentorship seems to be particularly effective, giving students the flexibility of modern learning methods and the guidance of experienced tutors.’

For IIUM, the impact has been clear: students are leaving with stronger English, more confidence and a better sense of how to use their skills in real workplaces. It is a reminder that when universities invest in both academic knowledge and transferable skills, they set graduates up for success long after they leave campus.

To find out more about how higher education can equip students for the future of work, discover our English Online courses or book a demo with us.

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