Deakin Hallmarks

Principles for employability credentials

Abstract

Graduates need to be able to articulate and evidence their capabilities in order to secure or create opportunities for meaningful work (Oliver, 2013). Therefore, students should be made aware of the capabilities required in the workplace and encouraged to actively integrate learning experience from their coursework with learning and achievements from other aspects of their lives. However, getting students to engage with graduate capabilities and think ahead about employment is a challenge. Deakin Hallmarks are an extra-curricular work-integrated assessment strategy designed to give students the opportunity to differentiate themselves to employers by recognising outstanding achievement through digital credentials. Here we report on the design principles and processes developed to ensure that they warrant meaningful achievement in the workplace; and encourage students to become aware of the capabilities they will require specific to their intended career.