Global insights and enrolment solutions provider QS has announced a strategic partnership with Successful Graduate to offer employability micro-credentials to partner institutions at each stage of the applicant lifecycle.
Successful Graduate is a white-label training platform that offers customisable preparation courses on topics relating to employability skills.
The company describes itself as offering employability skills ‘at scale’ as a way of incentivising student engagement and enrolments.
It has been nominated as a global finalist at The PIEoneer Awards for four consecutive years running, as well as being recognised as two-time nominees for the QS Reimagine Education Awards.
The partnership highlights the increasing importance of employability preparation in meeting student expectations surrounding their university experience and outcomes.
Soft career search and support skills are expected, even within very early stage conversion activities like pre-departure orientation.
Gordon Scott, managing director of Successful Graduate, spoke of his excitement about the partnership with QS saying, “At the heart of our relationship [with QS] is an intense desire to develop the preparation and employability skills of students with client institutions around the world.
“Our two organisations have an enormous opportunity and responsibility to nurture and enrol well-prepared students into their chosen institution, support their commencement and orientation, and embed our materials across the student lifecycle to develop the employability skills that will complement their studies.”
Successful Graduate directly supports a wide range of universities and TAFE colleges in Australia, and this new partnership will allow it to expand that portfolio to include QS partner institutions around the world.
QS operates as a leading provider of outsourced services for HEIs including support with recruitment, admissions, conversion and retention of students.
It now joins the competitive field of outsourced employability services competing to support universities with growing numbers of graduates.
“This strategic collaboration enhances QS’s value proposition for universities”
Edward Harcourt, senior vice president and managing director of QS Enrolment Solutions, said, “We are thrilled about our partnership with Successful Graduate, an innovative skills builder that has received international recognition for its contributions to student success.
“This strategic collaboration enhances QS’s value proposition for universities by strengthening our enrolment conversion and student retention services.
“It introduces a portfolio of employability and soft skill micro-credentials for students, that aligns to our core mission – enabling motivated individuals anywhere in the world to fulfill their potential through educational achievement, international mobility and career development.”
The use of private provider microcredentials to deliver added value and industry-accredited training and placements is increasing at higher education institutions.
Universities are under pressure to deliver on their promise of employability, yet rapid growth in application and enrolment volumes has left many institutions under-resourced to deliver these services directly to meet demand.
