Outcomes of the OECD’s Education committee’s 1996-2000 study, “From Initial Education to Working Life – Making Transitions Work”, highlighted the need for the inclusion of strategies for broadening learning experiences to develop both the technical and generic skills required by professionals. The study, conducted as a thematic review of the transition of a person’s initial education to their working life, within a lifelong learning framework, involved the participation of 14 OECD countries including, Australia and the UK, in order to include representation of a range of structures, traditions and circumstances. Other studies in Australia and the UK, emphasizing generic skill development, have influenced the development of nursing programs in these countries to enhance the “work-readiness” of their graduates. This paper undertakes a comparative study of the effectiveness of how these initiatives have influenced the development and conduct of nursing programs at two universities, one in Australia and one in the UK.