Graduate Employability Research Articles

Bayesian Correlation between Cumulative Grade Point Average and Employment

Many believe a high CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) correlates with better employment opportunities. This belief stems from the idea that a high CGPA reflects a student’s dedication, intelligence, and ability to perform well under academic pressure, qualities often valued by employers. However, it is also recognized that practical skills, experience, and personal attributes play crucial roles in securing a job. Is a high CGPA enough of a metric to open job opportunities? To address this question, the study analyzes the relationship between alumni's Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) and employment prospects. The research was conducted at the American University of Kurdistan (AUK), and the data was obtained from the Admissions and Registration and the Office of Advancement. The goal is to understand whether academic performance, as measured by CGPA, significantly influences the employability of graduates in the architectural engineering field. Thus, the study employs a robust methodology, using Bayesian Correlation to provide substantial evidence per the guidelines requested by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The data involves a review of academic records and survey responses to employment data from AUK's architectural engineering alumni. Findings suggest a negative anecdotal correlation between CGPA and employment, indicating that students with higher CGPAs do not necessarily secure employment in their field of study soon after graduation.

Nexus of employability, work climate, and service charter’s effectiveness: USEM model and self-determination theory perspective

Abstract This study aims to understand how ‘employability’ factors and ‘work climate’ affect the effective implementation of service charter protocols in the public sector context. The study employed a quantitative method anchored on the Understanding-Skillfulness-Efficacy belief-metacognition (USEM) model and self-determination theory, utilising the convenience sampling method in surveying 402 graduate employees of the civil service in Ghana. The findings confirm that skillfulness, efficacy belief, and metacognition employability elements derived from the USEM employability model significantly influence the service charter’s effectiveness. Meanwhile, ‘work climate’ significantly moderates the ‘efficacy-belief-service charters’ effectiveness (SCE)’ relationship. However, understanding the subject matter did not significantly impact SCE. This study makes a novel contribution to the services literature by addressing how ‘employability’ elements and ‘work climate’ interact to influence service charters’ effectiveness, an area of study needing more attention in services literature.

A critical examination of the use of ‘capitals approach’ in graduate employability research

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the increasing use of a ‘capitals approach’ in research into graduate employability in higher education. Bourdieu’s ‘social/cultural capital’ has become supplemented by the coining of a range of other forms of capital, the meanings of which are often inadequately defined. Informed by conceptualisations of ‘capital’ in the work of Bourdieu and Marx, a critical examination of the use of ‘capital’ approaches in graduate employability research is developed, especially with the most influential terms of social and cultural capitals. It is found that the term ‘capital’ is largely under-theorized in these extended forms and is frequently taken for granted as any property or resource that provides competitive advantage in accessing the labor market. Although intended to provide a more comprehensive understanding of graduate employability than the skills approach, the capitals approach remains fundamentally individualistic, providing some but limited understanding of the complex process of transition between higher education and the labour market in different contexts. Conceptual/theoretical frameworks that recognise key sociological approaches to ‘distribution’ – of wealth, jobs, power, etc. – and its complexity are needed in future research.

Enhancing graduate employability skills and self-reliance through problem-solving and creative thinking among undergraduate students of public universities in North-Central Nigeria

As Nigeria increasingly seeks to achieve sustainable development which is key in 21st century, there is now a pressing re-thinking of how its educational systems can better prepare graduates who are well-equipped to contribute meaningfully to national development and become employable, employers of labour and self-reliant. Hence, this study investigated and explored how problem-solving methodology affects creative thinking skills for employability and self-reliance among undergraduate students in public universities in North-central Nigeria. Three objectives and three null hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey and correlational research designs were employed for the study. The population of the study consisted of all (229, 365) undergraduate students in public universities in North-central Nigeria, while the sample size was made up of 364 respondents from the population of the study. A researcher structured questionnaire validated by experts in the university of Abuja was the main instrument employed for data collection. Pearson correlation and simple linear regression analysis were the inferential statistics employed for the hypotheses. The findings revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between problem-solving method and creative thinking skills (r = 0.280, p < .001), while other results further indicated positive significant effect of problem-solving method on employability among students with unstandardized coefficient (B = 0.214, p<.001), and positive significant effect of problem-solving method on self-reliance among undergraduate students in public universities in North-Central Nigeria with unstandardized coefficient (B = 0.285, p<.001). Although the modest R² values suggest that other additional factors could influence these outcomes. The study recommended amongst others, the need to incorporate problem-solving and creative programmes in the context of students’ learning to enhance their readiness to manage challenges in the existing and future labour market. Rethinking education to emphasize problem-solving and creative thinking skills and ability is essential for preparing students for the complexities of the rapidly changing world where adaptability, innovation, and independence are key. Keywords: Rethinking Education, Problem Solving, Creative Thinking, Employability, Self-Reliance.

Higher Education Curriculum Content and Graduate Employability in Cameroon: A Teacher- Student Perspective

Aim: The study aimed to examine the contribution of the higher education curriculum content on graduate employability especially from the teacher's and students' perspective. Methods: Two research questions and a null hypothesis were formulated to guide the study to achieve this objective. The study was carried out in the two-state universities of the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. The sample for the study was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table giving 300 students and 120 lecturers. This sample size was representative of the target population. Primary data was collected using close-ended questionnaires and was analyzed using regression techniques such as the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach with the maximum likelihood estimation technique. The critical ratio was used to test the significance of the hypothesis. Results: The overall results revealed that curriculum content has a significant positive effect on graduate employability from the student's perspective but an insignificant effect from the teacher's perspective. That is, an improvement in the curriculum content will likely improve the graduates' employability rate in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon according to the teachers but will likely have little or no change in graduate employability according to the students. Recommendation: Higher education institutions should revise their current curriculum content to inculcate key work-related skills like soft skills, critical thinking and technical skills because they are vital in enhancing graduate employability in Cameroon.

Employability within South African businesses in the 4IR era: The impacts of abilities, self-efficacy, and work-integrated learning effectiveness

The South African education sector and businesses are concerned about whether higher education institutions could meet the demands and expectations of the labor market in the context of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Hence, it becomes essential to examine the perceived employability of work-integrated learning graduates within businesses in the context of the 4IR. This study seeks to examine employees’ perceptions of the influence of graduates’ abilities, self-efficacy, and effectiveness of work-integrated learning on their employability in the context of 4IR. The sample was obtained from employees from four South African firms (Syntech Ltd, Centrevo Ltd, Outsurance Ltd, and First National Bank Plc) in the information technology, sales, insurance, and banking industries. This study used a cross-sectional questionnaire. Of the 200 surveys randomly floated, 196 were fitting for scrutiny, cleaning, and analysis. Consequently, this study found that South African employees perceive graduates’ employability as being significantly and positively influenced by their abilities (β = .802, p < .001), self-efficacy (β = .815, p < .001), and work-integrated learning (β = .864, p < .001). In the third-step model, these three factors substantially impacted graduates’ employability more than other likely combination matrices. Therefore, 97% of South African graduates are perceived employable in the fourth industrial revolution era due to their abilities, self-efficacy, and participation in work-integrated learning. This investigation concludes that in the 4IR, the employability of South African graduates is mainly impacted by their self-efficacy, abilities, and the effectiveness of work-integrated learning. AcknowledgmentsWe thank the Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management at the University of Johannesburg’s College of Business and Economics for funding this study and its publication.

Vertical and horizontal (mis)match of university degrees in the Hungarian labour market

In the fourth industrial revolution, higher education institutions (HEIs) face numerous new challenges. The changing circumstances impact the economy and the labour market, bringing new competencies to the forefront. The employability and labour market success of graduates from higher education institutions is crucial from the perspective of human capital investments, and it is prominently featured as a quality indicator of higher education institutions in global rankings. Employability of HEI graduates is increasingly being monitored. This study examines the horizontal and vertical (mis)match of young graduates in the labour market, focusing on the correspondence between the field and level of qualification, with a specific emphasis on exploring differences across academic disciplines. The analysis is based on data from the 2015 survey of the Graduate Tracking System (DPR) in Hungary. The purpose of the study is to map the vertical and horizontal labour market (mis)match of Hungarian graduates of various scientific fields and to compare them with the results of other countries in order to reveal country-specific characteristics. The novelty of the paper is the expanded interpretation of horizontal fit, which in a multidisciplinary-aspect measures horizontal fit along two indicators, which are convertibility and substitutability. Substitutability shows the relationship between the professional qualification required in the job and the subject of the diploma, convertibility shows the applicability of the knowledge acquired during the training at work. Based on the results, the scientific fields were grouped according to convertibility and substitutability. The results show that a degree in business, IT, technical, law enforcement, medical and health sciences, as well as educational sciences increases the likelihood of both vertical and horizontal matching. A degree in social sciences and natural sciences increases the probability of horizontal incongruence. According to substitutability and convertibility graduates in different academic fields are classified in four groups (2 × 2 matrix).

Workplace ideologies, employability and the ideal graduate identities

ABSTRACT Workplace ideologies play an important role in graduate employability and employers’ perceptions of the ideal employable graduate. However, insufficient attention has been paid to what employers take into consideration when making a recruitment decision and their perceptions of the ideal graduate. We deployed a qualitative methodology to collect data from 50 employers from diverse sectors in New Zealand. We found that employers highly appreciated socio-cultural fitness, constructing career-ready identities and displaying positive psychological qualities while being influenced by the normative ideology of ethnic habitus. Employers, often unconsciously, prioritised candidates who fit within the established cultural norms of the workplace, potentially overlooking qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. Although employers’ narratives demonstrated an awareness of resisting normative ideologies, their recruitment practices often contradicted these ideals. The findings suggest that tertiary institutions could develop policies and activities to enhance graduates’ socio-cultural fitness, enact career-ready identities and promote positive psychological qualities. They may also raise graduates’ awareness of workplace ideologies and realities, enabling them to enact the necessary professional identities in the workplace.

Factors Affecting Graduate Employability in Malaysian Public University

Factors Affecting Graduate Employability in Malaysian Public University

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY SKILLS WITH INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCIES TO ENHANCE GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY IN MALAYSIAN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY NETWORKS

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has heightened the demand for graduates equipped with a balanced integration of technological skills and interpersonal competencies to meet the evolving needs of the workforce. This concept paper explores the critical role of technology skills as a moderating factor in enhancing the impact of self-efficacy, soft skills, and personality traits on graduate employability within the Malaysian Technical University Network (MTUN). By examining these relationships, the study provides a framework to align graduate training with the demands of technology-driven industries. The findings emphasize the importance of embedding both technical and interpersonal skills into educational curricula to equip graduates for dynamic, technology-centric workplaces. This paper offers actionable insights to guide curriculum reforms, ensuring graduates are holistically prepared to thrive in the rapidly evolving global economy shaped by 4IR advancements.

Analysis of the level and dynamics of wages in agriculture

The article analyzes the dynamics of the ratio of the average monthly accrued wages of agricultural workers to wages in the economy as a whole over a long period of time, as a result of which four sub-periods were identified: the first — from 1959 to 1990, the second — from 1991 to 1999, the third — from 2000 to 2005, the fourth — from 2006 to the present, characterized by different trends. Despite the growth of nominal and real average monthly accrued wages of employees of organizations by the type of economic activity «Agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing and fish farming», its level remains one of the lowest among all types of economic activity, which negatively affects the attractiveness of the agricultural sector for the employment of young people, university graduates and older workers. In addition, the gap in the average monthly accrued wages in agriculture with the highest paid type of economic activity «Financial and insurance activities» reaches threefold differences. Whereas in one of the most developed countries in Norway, which ranks second in the world in the human development index, this gap is 1,7 times. It was determined that the variation in wages by subjects of the Russian Federation is quite low and amounts to 28 %. It was also revealed that even in the leading regions producing the largest volumes of agricultural products (Krasnodar Krai and Rostov Oblast) among all regions of the country, the level of wages in agriculture is low and is at an average level, but at the same time in the Belgorod Region, which is distinguished by a high level of intensification and efficiency of production, ranking third in terms of agricultural production, wages are paid 27 % higher than the average level in the industry as a whole in all subjects of the Russian Federation, which indicates the possibility of increasing the level of wages in agriculture to a comparable level in other types of economic activity.

The Social and Psychological Challenges Faced by The Graduate Group in Shenzhen

Shenzhen is one of the metropolises with highest economy growth and people are often attracted by such cities as there would be more opportunities. Also, in order to appeal and recruit talents, Shenzhen government has implemented several polices which favor them to migrate settle down. There are three major types of labors: undergraduate students, migrant workers and workers from talent programs. In this paper, undergraduate students will be the focus. Undergraduate students are facing with severe unemployment problem. The insufficient market demand and changing demand are the main reasons for difficulties of employment for undergraduate students. On top of that, there are many other factors, such as weak global economic growth, China’s low economic growth rate, slow adjustment and upgrading of China’s industrial structures, to name just a few, have challenged the employment of graduates. This paper will discuss about undergraduate students’ psychological and social dilemmas as well as analyze the general social problems.

Employability of Engineering Technology Graduates at a Vietnamese University: An Assessment from Employers’ Perspectives

Employer feedback plays a crucial role in setting developmental directions for higher education and keeping university courses and curricula adaptive to the growing needs of the industry. This paper aims to analyze employers’ perspectives on the employability of engineering technology graduates after six months of working at the enterprise. An online survey of 47 items and sample characteristics was sent to employers who worked with graduates of seven engineering technology majors from a public Hanoi-based university. After two months, 234 answers were accepted and analyzed with the SPSS 26.0 software. The results showed that four components of graduates’ employability were at a medium level. Additionally, the graduates’ attitudes and other attributes were evaluated the best, followed by technical skills. Technical knowledge and generic skills were found to be at the lower level of employability. There was no difference in employability assessments by employers’ different age groups, but a significant difference was discovered in employability assessment between foreign-owned and private-owned enterprises.

Company-university intersections through service-learning (SL): a systematic review

The most relevant intersections in society include the relationship between universities and companies for a projection toward the sustainable employability of future graduates. Among the possible intersections, Service-learning (SL) is an educational proposition that may help university students to develop their personal skills, offering them opportunities to learn and practice civic commitment, improving their sense of social and citizen responsibility, and combining academic and community-service learning in a constructed programme where participants train by working on real needs of the environment to optimize and transform the latter. The development of SL programmes in university departments related to technical areas is posing a challenge to faculty members and students, thus it is important to explore this lack of programmes. The main aim of the present study was to identify SL projects and their topics through a systematic review, following the guidelines of the «Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses» (PRISMA) declaration in the knowledge areas of Architecture, Computer Science, Environmental Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Languages and Systems, from the year 2008 to the year 2023. This review includes 128 articles, which were analyzed with ATLAS. Ti 22. The categorical system employed in this work emerged from the topics of the programmes identified in the selected articles, which were verified by experts in the mentioned fields of knowledge. The agreed categories were: accessibility, learning, social groups, courses, devices, infrastructure, games, environment, landscaping, heritage, software and web. The most relevant conclusions highlight that most of the articles refer to theoretical aspects of SL, showing a lack of data on the practical development of SL programmes and their impact on employability. The largest number of SL programmes are developed in the areas of Architecture, Computer Science and Software Engineering. Regarding the topics that are addressed in research, most of the articles refer to social groups, software, learning and accessibility.

Why knowledge is central to ‘graduateness’ – implications for research and policy

ABSTRACT Debates about the employability of graduates in policy and research have increasingly focused on graduates’ employment outcomes and the development of generic employability skills. This suggests that the knowledge that students engage with in their degrees is far less important than the generic attributes they develop, which promotes a knowledge-blind conception of ‘graduateness’. This article draws on data from a seven-year longitudinal study of students who studied chemistry and chemical engineering in England, South Africa and the USA, following them up to four years after graduation. Graduates’ reflections on the most important things they gained from their degree centred on the knowledge they engaged in as part of their undergraduate degree and how this shaped their way of engaging with the world. This has two important implications. First, it highlights the ways in which the focus on generic employability and employment outcomes obscures the way in which ‘graduateness’ depends on the relations to knowledge that graduates have developed through their studies. Second, this means that focusing on graduate outcomes without taking account of these relations to knowledge provides policymakers, institutional leaders and prospective students with a profoundly misleading account of the educational outcomes of undergraduate degrees.

Employability of the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Graduates of Negros Oriental State University-Guihulngan City Campus, Philippines

The purpose of this research is to identify the employability status of the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) Graduates of Negros Oriental State University-Guihulngan City Campus, Philippines from 2019 to 2021 with the entire population as respondents. It also sought to determine the respondents’ sex, nature of employment, and relatedness of their academic degree and job roles. The descriptive method was utilized. There were 111 respondents in this study. Findings show that the majority of the respondents are female, and a large majority of the respondents (78.38%) are employed. The results further disclose that most of the employed respondents work in private agencies as office staff and a small percentage (20%) in Business Process Outsourcing. However, most of the respondents’ job roles are not related to their college degrees. Hence, the findings suggest the high employability of BSCS graduates. However, there is still room for more enhancement by evaluating the current curriculum of the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science aimed to fulfill the current and future needs of societies undergoing social and economic change.

Analisis Faktor-faktor Penyebab Teknostres pada Karyawan Fresh Graduate Strata 1

The industrial revolution 4.0 has driven digital transformation in various sectors, changing the way companies operate and employees work. However, behind the advancements and efficiencies offered by technology comes a new phenomenon that deserves serious attention: technostress. Technostress, a term first introduced by Craig Brod in 1984, refers to the inability of individuals to adapt to or cope with new technologies in a healthy manner. This phenomenon is increasingly relevant in the context of the modern workplace, where employees are required to continuously adopt and adapt to new technologies. In this ever-changing work landscape, fresh graduate employees are an interesting group to study. They enter the workforce with assumed digital skills, but in reality, they are also vulnerable to technostress. Although this generation is often referred to as “digital natives”, they face unique challenges in dealing with the technological demands of the professional workplace. The participants in this study had the following criteria: male and female, 20-40 years old, recent graduates from a university, and have been working for at least one year or more. There were 72 participants collected in this study. Data collection for this study was carried out from September 2024 to mid-October 2024. The sampling technique used by researchers is purposive sampling. This type of research is qualitative which is analyzed using MAXQDA Analytics Pro 24 v24.4.1. This study aims to analyze the factors that cause the occurrence of technostress in employees of new undergraduate graduates. From the results of the research analysis, it can be said that the causes of technostress are quite complex, resulting in varied answers. However, the dominant answer said that technostress occurs due to unwise or excessive use of electronic devices that have a negative physical and emotional effect on users.

О кадровом обеспечении здравоохранения Хабаровского края

Relevance of the problem. The shortage of medical personnel is a pressing issue in the world, Russia and Khabarovsk Krai, negatively affecting the availability and quality of medical care for the population. The objective of this study was to analyze the current situation with the provision of personnel for healthcare in Khabarovsk Krai and to develop proposals for the selection, recruitment, training and retention of medical personnel in the healthcare of the region. Materials and methods. The research uses the methods of comparative analysis and content analysis. The source of information was statistical materials published by the Medical Information and Analytical Center of the Ministry of Health of the Khabarovsk Krai "Healthcare Institutions of the Khabarovsk Territory Staffing" for 2010–2023. Results and discussion. A comparative analysis has shown that the outflow of doctors and mid-level medical workers from state healthcare institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Health of the Khabarovsk Krai is long-term and has been increasing in recent years; the staffing of state healthcare institutions with medical specialists, even taking into account part-time work, does not cover healthcare needs. The age composition of doctors and mid-level medical workers is characterized by a sharp decrease in their number over 45 years of age compared to the previous age, a "gap" in the age category of 46–60 years and the retention in the industry of about 25 % of workers over 60 years of age from their total number, "committed" to state healthcare. It should be noted that a centripetal nature of the redistribution of specialists towards urban districts has developed in the region. This is confirmed by the data on the population decline in rural municipalities for the period from 2004 to January 1, 2024. The problem of recruitment, training and employment of graduates of medical educational institutions remains in the healthcare of the region. Among the targeted students of the medical university who have completed their studies, approximately 30 % have unilaterally refused their employment obligations in recent years. Among the graduates of the medical college, only 25 % are employed annually. This calls into question the organization of work on recruitment, training and retention of target personnel and, possibly, the practice of targeted recruitment in educational institutions in general. The decrease in the number of school graduates, the limited number of schoolchildren studying in medical schools do not allow for a competition to form a contingent of applicants aimed at entering medical educational institutions of the region. Conclusions. The conducted analysis has allowed the author to form his own point of view on the solution of the problem in the form of the need to develop interdepartmental measures for the selection, recruitment, training and retention of medical personnel in the healthcare of the Khabarovsk Territory. At the same time, the author believes that without a comprehensive socio-economic development of the Khabarovsk Krai and the Far Eastern Federal District as a whole, aimed at improving the quality of life of the region's residents, the problem of reproduction of personnel in healthcare cannot be solved.

Decent Work, Meaningful Education or Potential Exploitation? The Role of Universities in Ensuring the Quality of Academic Internships in Australia, Finland and France

Academic internships have become a well-entrenched feature of the tertiary education landscape and are perceived to facilitate the transition into graduate employment. However, such experiences straddle the worlds of work and education, which begs the questions: should they be regulated as work, or learning, or through specific regulation and what role should universities have? This paper examines the educational and labour regulation applicable to academic internships in Australia, Finland and France and presents qualitative empirical insights examining how university staff in each jurisdiction manage academic internships in the context of local labour laws and educational regulations. It is concluded that national regulations in France regulate academic internships so as to achieve ‘meaningful education’ for participants, while in Finland the regulatory approach appears to be tailored to ensuring academic interns are engaged in ‘decent work’. In contrast, Australia’s current regulatory context appears inadequate to consistently ensure either of these outcomes, leaving academic interns at increased risk of having neither a meaningful educational experience, nor decent work, and being exploited. Universities in Australia and Finland have an increased role in guaranteeing quality internships. However, the preliminary empirical data suggests that this role may not be consistently fulfilled.

The value of field studies in earth and environmental sciences: A review

AbstractField studies are defined here as any study of the natural world that occurs beyond classrooms. There is rising concern for the future of field studies in Earth and Environmental Sciences in Higher Education, despite being core to environmental inquiry, as cost‐cutting across the sector was intensified by the COVID‐19 pandemic. This paper reviews the value of fieldwork and provides an overview of its benefits. We show that field studies improve student academic performance, cognition, critical thinking, practical skills, inquiry, and writing skills. Fieldwork accelerates personal development, leads to greater student engagement, and develops confidence and resilience. Students prefer institutions that have more fieldwork opportunities, and this is reflected in higher enrollment and retention rates. Field trips at the undergraduate level transform students into scholars, and the practical skills and experience acquired on field trips are vocational competencies sought out by industry, thereby increasing graduate employability. Courses that incorporate field studies deliver a range of measurable outcomes that elevate student abilities proportionally to the level of immersion in the field. We demonstrate that courses that incorporate field studies are prized by industry, students, and educators alike, and should be recognized as an essential part of higher education courses.