Analysis of Three Cbi/Nus Employability Attributes, Why They’re Relevant to the Tourism Sector, Opportunities for Developing Them at University and How They Will Maximise Potential for Future Employment

Employability is best understood as ““having a set of skills, knowledge, understanding and personal attributes that make a person more likely to choose and secure occupations in which they can be satisfied and successful”. (Sewell, 2007, pp. 277-289)   There are many attributes which underpin employability as a whole, however three key attributes are team working, business and customer awareness and communication, which are all just as important as one another and are being analysed in this essay. Employability skills are important because they could be make or break when it comes to a job, and employers look for these skills during selection processes for employment. They also help somebody to stand out from the crowd when built upon to a high level. (CBI, 2011) The main foundation for employability is a positive attitude, as stated by (Great Graduate, 2014) 96% of employers asked in a report would employ somebody with a positive attitude and limited knowledge than somebody with accurate knowledge and qualifications and a negative attitude, showing just how important it is to remain positive.
The first key attribute up for analysis is team working. Team working refers to "a distinguishable set of two or more people who interact, dynamically, interdependently, and adaptively toward a common and valued goal/objective/mission, who have each been assigned specific roles or functions to perform" (Salas, 1992). Team working is recognised also as respecting others in the workplace and being able to co-operate with other members of the same institute or organisation (CBI, 2011). In terms of the tourism sector, team working is deemed as an essential skill for any employee for example, “imagine how a hotel could ever run smoothly without good teamwork.   With so many different departments and different employees working in a hotel, teamwork is essential for providing a quality service to hotel guests.” (Trained for Tourism, 2014). Whilst in higher education and for the...