Employers' and senior psychologists' expectations of the educational coverage and skills of four-year educated psychologists

Abstract

Recent political and labour market changes have focused attention on the need to specify the competencies of four-year educated psychologists. This study surveyed 53 employers and 71 senior practising psychologists in the state of New South Wales concerning the educational content, skills and work experience they expected of new four-year educated psychology graduates in order that they be effective, competitive and employable. The results revealed substantially similar expectations by both employers and the profession, and suggest the need to include more employment-relevant skills in the first four years of education. The implications are discussed in terms of the apparent discrepancy between these expectations and the graduating skills of current four-year graduates, and the need to review the content of the first four years of psychology education.

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