That is among the recommendations from , which follows a study of reviews carried out by the body into 200 universities and colleges since 2010.
Students studying in institutions with strong employer engagement leave higher education with the skills necessary for the workplace, according to the analysis.
The report recommends that students should be given the opportunity to take up more work placements, and employers should be given the chance to monitor courses and even the create study programmes.
It also calls for academic staff to be given greater opportunities to keep on top of developments within their industry.
The QAA’s head of engagement, Chris Taylor, said employability was “a massive driver for higher education students at this time”.
“So it’s really important that we support both students and providers in trying to understand what is successful in this area, and how collectively we can build upon it,” he said.
The QAA’s report will be followed up in April by a primary research project conducted by the University of Warwick and market research firm IFF on the impact of employability initiatives offered by universities and colleges to their students.
