Research on Employment Pressure and Countermeasures of College Graduates after the Epidemic

The employment of college graduates has always been the focus issue of the whole society. Affected by the COVID-19, college graduates are facing a severe employment situation. In the present study, we explore the impacts of the COVID-19 on the employment of college graduates. We explore the employment promotion measures introduced by Chinese government and colleges and universities through a quick review and illustrate the difficulties that college graduates face. Furthermore, the present study explores the impacts of the COVID-19 on five aspects of the employment of college graduates: recruitment demand reduce, employment competition rise, employment channels change, psychological anxiety increase and employment structural contradiction intensify. In addition, we conclude that the employment promotion measures introduced by Chinese government and colleges and universities in respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 on the employment of college graduates have significantly promoted the employment of college graduates to a large extent and we provide implications based on the application of the study. The findings of the present study are of great significance for all countries worldwide to better cope with various similar emergency events, to alleviate employment pressure and to promote better and fuller employment of college graduates.

As an important part of human resources, college graduates are the most vigorous, energetic, and creative group in society. The employment of college graduates is not only related to the vital interests of graduates themselves and the general public, but also related to the sustainable and healthy development of higher education and the country’s prosperity through science and education. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 at the end of 2019 has left China’s domestic labor and employment market in severe condition, which has a significant impact on the employment of college graduates. Based on the situation, the Chinese government has formulated a series of employment promotion policies for college graduates in accordance with local conditions to solve the current difficulties in employment of college graduates during the COVID-19Pandemic. Do these policies meet the expectations of the people? Is the policy implementation process reasonable? All these issues need to be tested and clarified urgently. This paper takes the employment promotion policy of college graduates under the COVID-19 as the research object, uses the PMC index model to screen the policy texts, obtains two perfect policy texts, and uses the Weibo comments to construct the evaluation model of policy measures support degree to analyze the social effects of employment promotion policies for college graduates. The results show that the public’s support degree with the employment promotion policies for college graduates under COVID-19 needs to be improved. Among them, the public has a neutral attitude towards position measures and transference measures but is obviously dissatisfied with subsidy measures and channel measures. Finally, suggestions for improving policy are given to make the employment policy in line with public opinion and effectively relieve the job hunting pressure of college graduates.

With the enlargement of graduate flexible employment, its category and characteristics have also diversified. Therefore, it is of great importance to optimize and improve relevant policies, social security and educational propaganda to promote the flexible employment of university graduates.

This research focuses on the employment choice issues of college graduates under the background of the rural revitalization strategy. With the in-depth implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, the rural demand for talents is growing, while college graduates are facing employment pressure in cities. The rural revitalization strategy has rich connotations, and talents play a key role in it. The employment of college graduates shows characteristics such as a cold supply and hot demand, and seeking stability in job hunting. Urban-rural differences have a significant impact on their employment. Personal, family, and social factors affect the rural employment choices of college graduates. Under rural revitalization, college graduates can return to their hometowns to serve as village cadres, rural teachers, or start businesses, but they also face challenges such as insufficient demand for jobs, constraints of public opinion, and backward infrastructure. To promote the rural employment of college graduates, the government should strengthen policy guidance and provide support for employment and entrepreneurship; improve the education and training system to enhance the employment ability of graduates; strengthen the construction of social service systems and improve the rural living environment. Future research can focus on the relationship between rural industrial development and the employment of college graduates, the psychology of graduates in rural employment, diversified rural employment models, and the interaction between rural cultural construction and employment.

This article draws on a ‘within-subject’ design of employment of university graduates in China over two different periods, namely 2008 and 2014. This research was conducted based on semi-structured interviews and secondary data analysis with four groups of key stakeholders including universities, government agencies, labor-market intermediaries and university graduates. The ‘within-subject’ design enabled an in-depth exploration of how changes at formal and informal institutions affect the employment of university graduates in a fast-changing labor market. The results show that lack of institutional interactions, socially constructed norms that influence graduates’ perceptions and ambiguous directions of educational policies significantly affect university graduates’ employment.

The employment of college graduates has been a problem for Chinese higher education system. According to the low employment rate of college graduates, we put forward some thinking and exploration, analyze principal contradiction and problem existing in the current employment of college graduates, it puts forward an idea about establishing a comprehensive employment system creatively. The composition and structure of the system will be analyzed from constructing social atmosphere, improving education system and culturing excellent talents. According to the factors to affect the employment of college graduates, we put forward some reform suggestions and comments. The analysis of the current employment situation of college graduates is detailed. The suggestions are practical. There is certain reference value to the reform of employment patterns and higher education which are and will be carried out.

En los últimos años, el fomento de la empleabilidad y la adquisición de competencias se ha convertido en una de las prioridades de las universidades en el marco del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior. Esto ha supuesto un nuevo impulso para afrontar las crecientes dificultades relacionadas con la inserción laboral de los titulados y los desajustes entre la formación recibida y los requisitos de los puestos de trabajo. En el nuevo paradigma educativo, las competencias se han convertido en la referencia a partir de la cual se organiza, planifica y evalúa el aprendizaje, y las agencias de calidad encargadas de evaluar los planes de estudio han introducido nuevos criterios ligados a la empleabilidad y la inserción laboral. Sin embargo, en España la información sobre muchos de estos temas es insuficiente, especialmente en cuanto a las competencias que se necesitan a lo largo de la vida laboral y la aportación de la universidad en su adquisición, los factores que determinan el acceso al empleo y la estabilidad laboral, la satisfacción con el trabajo y con la formación recibida, la idoneidad de las metodologías educativas utilizadas, o los desajustes entre la educación y el empleo. Con esta finalidad, en el año 2012 se creó el Observatorio de Empleabilidad y Empleo Universitarios. El objetivo de este artículo es la presentación de los resultados de esta iniciativa sistémica de política universitaria encaminada al seguimiento y a la medición de la empleabilidad y el empleo de los universitarios en España.

Introduction. In the context of socio-economic changes in the world, reflecting significant transformations in the field of labor and youth employment, the demand for optimal employment of university graduates as a significant indicator of the quality of professional training of young specialists and replenishment of the labor market with a qualified labor force that ensures the implementation of progressive development goals of the world community is actualized. At the same time, universities pay insufficient attention to socio-pedagogical assistance to the employment of graduates and its strategies that increase the effectiveness of the first entry of young people into labor activity, their adaptation opportunities and competitive advantages in the labor market. Purpose of the article: the purpose of the article: to develop and experimentally test strategies for socio-pedagogical assistance to the employment of university graduates. Research methods. The experiment was attended by 448 senior students of Russian universities. A set of valid diagnostic methods was used to determine the level of formation of a culture of employment of students as a result of the implementation of strategies: a test conversation to identify complex knowledge about productive employment; survey in the field of professional plans and readiness for upcoming employment; self-monitoring questionnaire; methodology for studying the motivation of a professional career; self-efficacy scale; methodology for assessing career orientations; methodology for studying the need for self-development; methodology for assessing self-presentation skills. The validity of the obtained data was tested using Pearson χ2 criteria. Results. As a result of the development and implementation of a set of strategies for socio-pedagogical assistance to the employment of university graduates in the experimental group, a significant increase in the level of formation of the culture of employment of students was recorded (χ2 emp = 17.584) compared to students of the control group who did not show positive dynamics in the level of measured professional and personal characteristics (χ2 emp = 0.238) during experimental work. The data suggest a positive increase in high and medium levels of student employment culture. Discussion and conclusion. It was revealed that the use of strategies of social and pedagogical assistance to the employment of university graduates (updating the professional and personal potential of young specialists; sociopedagogical orientation of students to successful self-presentation; activating professional self-determination and the right to choose; scaffolding) determines the effectiveness of the formation of a culture of employment for students and sets a benchmark for increasing their competitiveness in the labor market.

In recent years, two tasks remain unresolved in our country: the first is the employment of all university graduates to work in legal entities, and the second is the timely and proper execution of the established form of Employment Agreements with “working” university graduates, with their subsequent registration on the Enbek website. Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan. According to the information of the Office of the Committee of Legal Statistics under the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023, the level of employment of university graduates in legal entities, with the subsequent conclusion of employment contracts with them, with their subsequent registration on the Enbek website of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan was – 70 %.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology in multiple areas, including the labor market. Its incorporation into organizations redefines professional profiles, required skills, and employability conditions. In this context, it is essential to understand how university graduates are preparing to face these changes and what role their AI skills play in their integration into the workforce. The study aimed to analyze the level of AI skills and their impact on the employability of university graduates through a quantitative and descriptive design. A survey was conducted with a sample of 148 undergraduate and graduate graduates. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and visualized using graphs. The results indicated that graduates who report greater knowledge and more frequent use of AI tools, especially generative ones such as ChatGPT, are more likely to be employed in areas related to their majors and to perceive higher productivity and better professional alignment. However, a generational gap in digital skills was also identified, as well as a widespread feeling of insufficient preparation for the challenges of the current labor market. The conclusion is that AI skills are consolidating as a key differentiating factor in employability and that their formal incorporation into university curricula is urgently needed. The implications of the study point to the need for an educational transformation that integrates AI as a transversal skill, promotes ongoing teacher training, and fosters policies that guarantee inclusive education aligned with the challenges of the digital age.

University graduates are part of the country's intellectual potential and their employment contributes to the socio-economic development of the country. This study aims to analyze the possible economic effect of employment of university graduates in Kazakhstan and define opportunities for Triple Helix Model implementation. To achieve the research aim, an autoregressive distributed lag model of the effect of the number of graduates on GDP per capita was used. Information base of the study was a secondary data of Kazakhstan’s Bureau of national statistics from 2000 to 2021. According to the results of the study, an increase in the number of university graduates has influence on the economic progress of Kazakhstan. So, a 1,000-person increase in graduates improved GDP per capita by $55 in the current year, while a 1,000-person increase in graduates three years ago increased the GDP per capita by $58 in the current year. The practical value of the study is to justify the need to apply the Triple Helix approach in managing the employment of university graduates in Kazakhstan.

The employability of university graduates is a concern for higher education stakeholders globally and Uganda is also concerned due to high unemployment rates post-graduation. Not much has been written about the relationship between quality of students enrolled in the university and their employability of graduates from selected Universities in South Western Uganda. This study aims to establish this relationship in selected universities in south western Uganda. A correlational study collected data from 512 participants, including graduates, employers, university lecturers, administrators, and officers from quality assurance directorate of national council for Higher Education. Data on students discipline, grades, performance and employability were collected. SPSS and Structural equation modelling (SEM) version 21 was used to analyse associations between predictor and outcome variables. The findings derived from conducting this research clearly demonstrate the presence of a significant statistical association between the quality of students enrolled in the university and employability of graduates at R= 0.589, R squared change 0.347, P =0.000 This suggests that by ensuring the quality of students enrolled in the University through discipline, students’ grades and performance increases the likelihood of producing graduates who are employable. It is very important that stakeholders in higher education make it a priority to keep a high standard of students and their moral fibre and this may facilitate their integration into the workforce.

Employability refers to the process of gaining initial employment, maintaining employment, and successfully obtaining new employment if required. In simple terms, employability is about being capable of obtaining and keeping fulfilling work. Employability is having a set of skills, including knowledge, understanding, and personal attributes that make a person more likely to choose and secure occupations in which they can be satisfied and successful. Employability depends on knowledge (what you know), skills (what you do with what you know), and attitudes (how you approach things). In higher education, the employment of university graduates is influenced by many factors including institutional ranking, image, branding, and program structure. Therefore, university reputation in specific programs is important and affects the employability of graduates directly.
 In a recent paper by the corresponding author, we argued that university branding is critical for developing a favorable image and impacts one’s identity formation and promotion substantially, thus differentiating and placing one in a highly competitive context. In this paper, we will investigate the factors that influence employability among university graduates and determine which ones can affect the overall graduate employability of university graduates in Egypt. These factors include academic branding, academic performance, technical skills, communication skills, personality, leadership and motivational skills, and teamwork and problem-solving skills, taken as independent variables, while overall graduate employability was considered the dependent variable. In addition, we consider the impact of the university’s reputation on graduate employability.
 Survey methods were used on 500 graduates and undergraduates (fourth level) from different Egyptian universities who have not yet performed employability behavior, chosen at random, by using exploratory factor analysis to validate the items under those independent variables and structural equation modeling with AMOS to test the hypothesized relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable. The questionnaire had 20 questions, including demographic inquiries and questions about the abovementioned topics. The findings of this study can help scholars further investigate the employability aspects and guide fresh graduates in acquiring the required employability skills while assisting companies in recruiting suitable people with the required skills and performance.

The need for competent and qualified trainers is of paramount importance for an effective technical training system that, in turn, helps to produce competent and employable graduates for the country’s economy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of trainers' competence on the employability of polytechnic college graduates in Dire Dawa. The study employed a descriptive-correlational-explanatory research design with a quantitative research method. The sample for quantitative data consisted of 351 randomly selected graduates, trainees, trainers, and administrators. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that trainers’ competence was positively correlated with graduates' employability. Specifically, predictors such as knowledge-related competence, assessment-related competence, skill-related competence, and managerial competence were found to have significant and positive effects on the employability of polytechnic college graduates in Dire Dawa. Therefore, the study recommends that the Dire Dawa city Labour Skill and Technology Development Bureau and Polytechnic colleges should give greater emphasis on improving trainers’ competence, which in turn enhances the employability of graduates.

The study of the labor market in the Republic of Tyva is a planned work of the research laboratory “Research of the labor market” at the Faculty of Economics of the Tuva State University. The main objective of the laboratory is to analyze the demanded professions requiring higher education in the Republic of Tyva for the employment of university graduates, taking into account the scope of their activities. The purpose of this study is to analyze the professions in demand in Russia and the Republic of Tyva. The results of many years of work on the employment of graduate students of Tuva State University, observation and comparison of the needs of republican employers during meetings related to the employment of university graduates, analysis of statistical materials of the Ministry of Labor of Russia, All-Russian Research Institute of Labor of the Ministry of Labor of Russia, the All-Russian database of vacancies and resumes were used as research sources. “Employment in Russia”, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of the Republic of Tuva and other open sources providing a reliable assessment of the ongoing processes in the Russian and regional labor market. The novelty of the study lies in the definition of practical recommendations for the employment of graduates of secondary and higher educational institutions, when in modern conditions in the country the labor market is dynamically changing in accordance with external and internal factors. The results of the study represent an analysis of professions in demand that are of interest to specialists in the field of education, economics, sociology, and psychology.