Student parents and carers need graduate employability support: Recommendations for employability practitioners

Universities and their employability-related staff must address the inequities that claim diversity as a disadvantage and a barrier to securing work integrated learning and graduate employment. With increases in equity groups enrolling at university there is a need to ensure access to employability opportunities. Graduate employability should be an accolade for students however it is not accessible, and ubiquitous for all. Student parents and carers are an invisible cohort that needs to be identified, and supported with their employability as they are a significantly growing population in higher education. This provocation will present the current landscape at university and offer three recommendations: the integration of career development learning and work experiences; data-informed systems and procedures; and collaboration and research into ‘employability for inclusion.’ This is required to build staff capability and organisational capacity and prepare our future workforce that is representative of today’s society.