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This paper sets out to examine the potential and limitations of computer mediated communication (CMC) in an educational context, and to relate this to an early pilot project run in the 1996/97 academic year at Bournemouth University on two courses to serve the needs of students out on their work placement year. The purpose and use of CMC in this context is evaluated and the findings present an opportunity to discuss the benefits and limitations of the use of this technology in this context with a view to suggesting how the use of CMC could be extended in the future.

Aims to identify the need for graduate skills in the UK retail sector, and to assess the role that higher education currently plays and can potentially play in meeting these. Uses semi‐structured interviews with managers and graduates of six of the major companies, which demonstrate transferable skills dominate their skill needs. Finds that their need for demonstrated intellect and technical skills is small, and that vocational courses/course content play a definite role, but attributes required are not directly related to specific subject knowledge. Discovers that owing to competitive market place pressures, industry increasingly expects HE to play an active role in providing required skills. Claims that a lack of consensus on the extent to which HE can be held accountable for providing these skills is apparent, and that a clearer strategy for the use of graduate skills is needed, in view of the fact that HE serves a variety of different stakeholders in society with different value systems and objectives.

Identifies the degree of satisfaction in the early employment experience of general commercial graduates in UK retailing, and examines the level and causes of dissatisfaction from both sides in the employment relationship using a gap analysis model. Concludes that there is a difference between short‐ and long‐term needs. Short‐term needs are more easily satisfied than longer‐term needs. Employers are able to select graduates with high levels of transferable skills; the graduates in turn benefit from early job responsibility and well‐developed training and development programmes. The business need for accelerated performance levels induces a responding desire for rapid career progression and job fulfilment in graduates. A changing environment with resultant organizational restructuring means graduates now find career paths blocked as the needs of the business take precedence in the longer term. This can result in high levels of graduate turnover.