Philippine E-Journals

Interplay of School Engagement And Perceived Employability Attributes Among College Graduating Students of a Private University

Amor Q. De Torres | Salvador C. De la Peña III

 

Abstract:

Graduate employability is something that every university should focus on. All higher education institutions (HEI) strive to prepare their students for employment by equipping them with skills, knowledge, and attitudes that employers of today require for their workforce. Certainly, producing graduates who are highly employable is the main order of business of all HEIs. The employment of the graduates is indicative of their school’s success of shaping them into becoming productive individuals in the society they live. Graduate employability has seen greater emphasis in recent years as universities cater to the growing importance students place on graduate outcomes. The ability for graduates to find or create work after college is a critical component of the HEI’s reputation and a key deciding factor in a prospective students’ decision-making process. The message is clear to all HEIs: students care about graduate employability, and so should all HEIs. Given this importance, it’s now more imperative than ever that universities take an active role in developing their graduates’ employability. As Pukelis et al. (2017) opined, “There is no debating that a major responsibility for the smooth integration of graduates into professional life, and hence into society, lies with higher education institutions.”