This study set out to corroborate or disprove an unambiguous phenomenon found in scholarly literature, which is synthesized as follows: "Contemporary undergraduate STEM curriculum content is inadequate to fully prepare graduates for STEM industry's real-world technical performance expectations." However, this stylized fact appears…

We aim to develop and test tasks designed to assess professional competence at the university's formation stage. The system of internal competency assessment utilizing the requirements of professional standards in the IT industry enables bachelor's degree graduates to assess their level of preparation for professional activities. Our study…

The work-ready capabilities of graduates are a critical quality concern for universities: some emerging professional disciplines continue to face claims of theory-practice gaps. The diversity of perspectives on the quality of graduate work-readiness suggests that this is a wicked problem that cannot be absolutely solved but that can be resolved by…

An accepted role of universities is to prepare students for their careers and lives. However, what should or could be taught and how, in order to better prepare students for their futures, is contested. In this study, we interviewed 18 New Zealand university teachers about their experiences of developing students' employability capabilities within…

This study was conducted to determine if there is a difference in learning between a required career preparation course without a client-based project (Class A) and one with a client-based project (Class B). Members of each course took a pre and post survey where they answered 59 items from Caballero et al.'s (2011) Workplace Readiness Scale…

Little is known about work readiness skills among autistic adults. This study sought to address this by examining work readiness skills and their relation to vocational outcomes among 281 autistic young adults. It also examined perceived barriers and facilitators to employment as articulated by a subset of autistic adults. Results revealed a…

College student employees are not only serving the overall mission of their institutions, but also developing career readiness skills through daily interactions while at work. In this study, I explore the perceptions of the supervisors of student employees as both managers and student affairs professionals. Through one-on-one interviews with…

This study examines the role of science education in fostering self-reliance and driving economic development in Nigeria. Using a systematic literature review (SLR) method, we analysed 16 empirical studies and reports to evaluate the impact of science education on key economic indicators such as employment generation, GDP growth, and industrial…

Science mapping was utilized in this systematic review of research to analyze the body of knowledge on soft skills for employability. The research review selected high impact articles, charted the "intellectual structure", and recorded the volume, development rate, and geographical spread of this literature. Forty-five English-language,…

Established and well-known employers in Bangladesh often complain that suitable candidates are not available for employment in their organizations, despite the millions of unemployed graduates in the country. This bears clear witness that graduates in Bangladesh are mostly unable to fulfill the needs and expectations of established and well-known…

The "2025 Academic Supply for Occupational Demand Report" is a joint report between the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), and Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE). The Department of Finance…

Exams have traditionally dominated assessment in higher education. Yet, we still do not know if they are authentic assessment, especially in an environment of rapid demographic changes within higher education and evolving perceptions of authenticity. This work offers a method to measure exam authenticity, defined as the overlap between exams and…

There is growing evidence about the importance of establishing clarity around the 'work readiness' concept. A conceptual understanding of its meaning, structure, and components, as well as the essential characteristics for developing and assessing work readiness (WR), is not well established. This conceptual paper examines how WR can be…

Not in education, employment and not in training (NEET) youth as vulnerable groups need to learn and relearn new set of skills needed for the digital age since traditional jobs will be replaced with new jobs that will demand a new set of skills. The study aims to explore the perspectives of NEET youth on the skills they had learnt in youth work…

This research seeks to define and understand the experience of adult learners in the Experiential Learning (EXL) Program at MTSU. It looks at how this EXL program prepares these students for the workforce. This has made the role of EXL programs imperative to help deal with the issue of graduates having the proper competency levels for employment.…