Abstract:

Architecture graduates face many challenges when it comes to employability: desire to realize their own design views, market and clients’ demands, employers’ requirements, and so on. Architects do have several options regarding employment as the profession is shifting towards automation; however, this makes employability in architecture an ill-defined concept and creates uncertainties for undergrad students. Furthermore, employability is a concept that still needs research to identify the characteristics of being employable since this concept is usually connected to the long-term perspective of work. In general terms, employability is the set of skills that makes an individual apt to be employed. There is not much research focusing on architecture employability and employment, but some of these studies investigate these topics aiming at understanding factors that contribute to higher employability or how students and employers perceive their skills. Architecture employability depends on numerous factors such as market changes, investments, demand for construction and development, and most recently, Covid-19 restrictions in China. Students enrolled in a British University stablished in China see their studies as an opportunity to further study in UK, moreover the architecture course is recognized and accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as Part 1. When it comes to statistics, both Chinese and British governments idea of employability is a placement six months after graduation, however, in Architecture, short term employment or free-lance is a common practice. This complex global context is combined with the misunderstanding of Chinese students regarding their portfolio development and ethics, gap year purpose, and job/master applications. These misconceptions challenge the teaching staff to provide extra informative sessions to guide students. This research explores the factors that contribute to student’s employability in architecture in a British University in China, by conducting literature research on architecture employability and employment and documenting the actions taken to support students’ career in the academic year 2020-2021. The paper argues for a shift in students’ mind-set to a proactive mode and provides a set of actions that helped to attend to the university’s expectations, connect students to the job market, and create awareness of career planning. This exploration points towards the implementation of a Career Development Learning to replace the career extra-curricular activities.

Keywords:

Employability, Employment, Architecture, China.