Interrogating theoretical and empirical approaches to employability in different global regions

Fakunle, Omolabake; Higson, Helen

doi:10.1111/hequ.12345

Cited by 21 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Employability is largely regarded as a measurable economic achievement of graduates and universities. This not only highlights the importance of graduates as key contributors to economic development, but also highlights the role of higher education in promoting the training of graduates for the labor market (Fakunle and Higson, 2021). It has become a common practice to embed employability at the core of the excellent teaching framework (Department for Business, 2016).…”

Section: Employabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Career Decision Status of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students Through Learning Engagement: Perspective of SOR Model

Peng

Yue²

2022

Front. Psychol.

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Higher education plays the role of cultivating talents in national development and meets the talent sources needed by the development of the state, industries and enterprises. Besides, for students, higher education can provide stimuli to improve the development of family and personal career. Especially for socioeconomically disadvantaged Students, higher education means the main factor for turning over the Socio- Economic Status. Universities endow students with abundant employment skills, so as to make them more confident in contending with the challenges in the job market. However, innate pessimism or negative attitudes and cognition may exist in socioeconomically disadvantaged Students, thereby providing effective learning context to improve their learning engagement. This study explores the influence on students’ career decision status from deep approach to learning, problem-based learning, self-efficacy and employability. A total of 627 valid questionnaires are collected in this study. PLS-SEM was adopted to verify the structural relationship in data analysis via SmartPLS. The results indicate that deep approach to learning and problem-based learning have significant impacts on students’ self-efficacy and employability; self-efficacy has significant impacts on employability and career decision status; employability has significant impact on career decision status; and that self-efficacy and employability play significant mediating roles in the research framework.

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Section: Employabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Career Decision Status of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students Through Learning Engagement: Perspective of SOR Model

Peng

Yue²

2022

Front. Psychol.

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“…This includes both skills and attitudes. Policymakers' responses to industry requirements and outside circumstances, such as labor market conditions, in relation to graduates' readiness (Fakunle & Higson, 2021). "Conflict theory of employability takes into consideration the fact that society is characterized by inequalities in wealth, power, as well as status, and that these inequalities create conflict between individuals and social groups" (Matsepe, 2002, as cited in Jonck & Walt, 2015).…”

Section: Related Theories On Employabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…"The process approach is considering the employability strategy at the institutional level. The employability initiatives that are available inside an institution are covered by the process approach and these programs include these objectives either expressively or implicitly through the careers service" (Fakunle & Higson, 2021). The human development theory considers employability from the aspect of supply side and focuses on a variety of skills including but not limited to knowledge generation, professional preparation, cultural knowledge, and the enlightenment of the public sphere (Jonck, 2014).…”

Section: Related Theories On Employabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Employability of Management Graduates of State Universities in Sri Lanka: Problems and Prospects

Fernando

Kularathna

Kumarasinghe

2023

IJGPPA

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Employability must have to be attained in the journey to success in one’s career life. Graduates must be equipped with employability skills, knowledge, and personal attributes as the government of Sri Lanka allocates substantial resources for higher education. However, after graduation, a considerable number of graduates in the field of social sciences including management fail to find suitable employment, hence, are forced to accept lower-paying jobs that are not commensurate with their qualifications and some graduates are unemployed or underemployed. In this context, this study examines the level of employment and employability of management graduates of state universities in Sri Lanka, identifies problems and difficulties faced by management graduates in finding suitable jobs in the industry, and proposes policy measures for improving the employability of management undergraduates of state universities in Sri Lanka. Quantitative research methods were used to achieve the objectives of the study. Among 10,033 Management Graduates from 09 state universities, a sample of 1333 students was selected based on a stratified random sample method. A postal survey with a structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Descriptive statics were used to analyze the data. The employability level of Management Graduates is higher than the average level. Nearly, 90% of them are employed or self-employed, but most of them are seeking a new job. The degree,personality, work experience, English proficiency and professional qualifications are the most important reasons for getting their current job. Age and lack of experience are the major constraints faced by graduates in finding a suitable job. The study proposes policy measures to enhance the level of employment and the employability of Management Graduates. Keywords: Employability, Employment Level, Management Graduates, State Universities, Sri Lanka

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“…Employability studies should, therefore, consider the contextual environment of the local labour market. Fakunle and Higson (2021) have highlighted the importance of studies on employability in "non-Western contexts, an area that remains under-researched" (p. 8). Lam and Tang (2021) observed that most of the published work on graduate employment outcomes "do not tell us much about the contextualised processes that 'match' or 'mismatch' graduates' qualifications with 'appropriate' graduate jobs" (p. 14).…”

Section: Significance Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Graduate Employability of Business Students

Mainga

Murphy-Braynen

Moxey

et al. 2022

Administrative Sciences

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The objective of the study was to examine the perceptions of business students on their employability skills at the point of graduation. The study was partially driven by past research which identified lack of soft skills as one of the main contributing factors in younger workers’ dismissal from work, and the need to understand the level of employability skills younger graduates have at graduation. An exploratory descriptive research methodology was used for the study. A survey was administered to 189 fourth-year business students. In total, 90 students filled-in the questionnaire, representing a 47.6% response rate. Based on a structured survey questionnaire administered to final-year undergraduate business students, the four most important employability skills for recruitment to entry-level positions are communication skills, learning skills, positive attitudes and behaviours, and problem-solving skills. The main prominent result was that ‘learning skills’ were ranked the second most important employability skills. In today’s fast-paced, rapidly changing work environments that are characterised by rapid knowledge obsolescence and an unknown future, willingness to learn and proactive lifelong learning are key to sustaining long-term graduate employability. Students seem to be satisfied with their perceived level of academic, personal management, and teamwork skills they possessed at the point of graduation. However, there are possible areas for further improvement regarding creativity and innovative skills, and ability to ‘resolve and management conflicts’ in teamwork. The study found that students used a combination of traditional and student-centred learning methods and pedagogies to acquire employability skills. As business students approach graduation, it is important to focus on areas they can improve and emphasise self-directed lifelong learning throughout their careers. The study confirms the role of external factors—labour market demand—in influencing perceived employability. The perceptions of students need to be systematically included in HEIs’ employability policy and discourse.

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Interrogating theoretical and empirical approaches to employability in different global regions

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri bution-NonCo mmercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

Cited by 21 publications

References 30 publications

Enhancing Career Decision Status of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students Through Learning Engagement: Perspective of SOR Model

Enhancing Career Decision Status of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students Through Learning Engagement: Perspective of SOR Model

Employability of Management Graduates of State Universities in Sri Lanka: Problems and Prospects

Graduate Employability of Business Students

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