Being able to demonstrate graduate employability skills (GESs) – practical, transferable, graduate level abilities over and above any specific discipline content – can lead to more positive career outcomes in graduates. To maximise their potential, students should start thinking about their skills, and their relevance for future career options, early in their degree journey so they can reflect on the importance of these, and identify areas for improvement (Bridgstock, 2009). However many students do not consider their GESs until after graduation, and lack aspirations, attitudes and confidence with respect to preparing themselves for future careers.Over the last 20 years there has been an upsurge of interest in using technology to engage with students to facilitate their learning. With the advent of web 2.0 technology and the evolution of smartphone use one emerging area is downloadable educational apps, although these are not typically used to engage students with co-curricular, or transferable skills. Apps have the potential to offer methods of learning highly consistent with modern theories of effective learning, which propose that learning activities should be active, situated, problem based, and interactive.Aims and objectives of the project: The aim of the proposal is to develop an app to allow students to plan, record and evidence the acquisition and development of GESs throughout their university journey. A downloadable app could provide an active, agentic approach to supporting students in thinking about GESs and self-development by using motivational, interactive exercises, achievable goal-based tasks, and inducing in users a sense of fun and self-actualisation patterns that will help to raise awareness of issues. As “digital natives” who have been brought up with digital technology and embrace universal smartphone use, students would find an app-based approach to GESs development highly attractive. The GES App fits well with current thinking about employability and careers, putting the student at the centre of their development and career decisions. The app will principally allow students, via interactive exercises, to track and evidence GESs they develop throughout their university career. Building up evidence from university modules, as well as recording skills they develop via co- and extra-curricular activities, will compile an interactive record, supported by notes of the activities through which these were developed, and the outcomes which can be used to evidence them. A focus on students’ own interests, strengths and weaknesses, will engage students and encourage them to think about their GESs from their arrival at university. This awareness will increase student focus on such attributes, allow students to identify and fill gaps in their skill set, and provide a resource they can use when they leave university and enter the job market.During the design phase of the project, tasks will include a literature review of GESs development resources; a review of existing digital GSEs resources; a user requirements analysis and design specification. Key activities during the implementation stage will be the development of the GES App and additional support materials, such as a pedagogical guide and videos. Piloting early prototypes of the app will determine acceptability and usability with a small number of end users. In addition a larger scale evaluation will be carried out on the final version to establish the value and effectiveness of the app in interesting and supporting students in both their awareness and development of GESs.Best practice case studies will provide further guidance about how best to use the app with distinct groups of students (e.g., diverse disciplines and locations). Dissemination activities to increase awareness and interest in the app amongst key stakeholders and interested parties will be carried out during the project: a project Web site will be established; newsletters distributed, dissemination events held for HE careers guidance practitioners and refereed academic & professional papers will be written.App design, development and evaluation will be an iterative process. Results of piloting of early app prototypes with a small number of end users will feed into the refinement of the final app. A larger scale evaluation of the final version of the app will establish the value and effectiveness of the app in engaging students with tracking and evidencing the development of their GESs throughout their degree programme.It is hoped that the GES App will contribute to enhanced potential for the continuous development of GESs, with students gaining more awareness of their abilities and taking responsibility for planning their own professional development. This will help them achieve success and satisfaction in their careers. It could potentially increase their career mobility and resilience in the global employment market and contribute to the European economy.