Abstract:

The digital economy is profoundly impacting the future of work for university graduates. Modeling on US data has shown that up to 47% of jobs in advanced economies may be replaced by technology in the next two decades (Frey & Osbourne, 2013). Other studies are more conservative in their estimations, showing that “9% of jobs are at high risk of being automated, while for another 25% more jobs, 50% of the tasks will change significantly because of automation” (Amtz, Gregory & Zierahn, 2016). Although governments, employers and educators are alerted and concerned about the number of people at risk, there is not much research on how to address the problem, or how to prepare for emerging and future jobs. The present study narrows the focus to better understand the future of work for university graduates. Literature on the future of work, disruptive technology innovation, and graduate employability is reviewed. The paper explores the central concept and seeks to answer the question, what are future employability scenarios for university graduates in the digital economy? In a qualitative case of an Australian university, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and a novel innovation sprint were used to show how and why a leading university is transforming the way they prepare graduates for the future of work. Major themes are summarised and presented as future employability scenarios focussing on the risks and opportunities for graduates in the digital economy. The paper has broad relevance and will be specifically useful to policy makers and practitioners, and to researchers seeking to open up new research areas.

Keywords:

Digital disruption, future of work, employability.