How could higher vocational colleges improve students' sustainable development employability? This paper takes 384 students (192 liberal arts students and 192 science students) from ten higher vocational colleges in Guangdong Province as the research subjects and explores how higher vocational colleges can improve students' sustainable development employment ability. The study designed questionnaires grounded in the Career EDGE model and specifically analyzed students' capabilities in 8 areas, which included career development learning, experience (work and life), degree subject knowledge understanding and skills, emotional intelligence, general skills, self-efficacy, self-confidence, and sustainable development. It also delved into the existing issues. The findings indicated that while students demonstrated strengths in degree subject knowledge and emotional intelligence, they encountered challenges in career development learning and sustainable development skills. To bridge these gaps, the study utilized a SWOT-PEST analysis and proposed a suite of targeted strategies. These strategies encompassed integrating practical training programs with academic curricula, nurturing self-efficacy through mentorship initiatives, bolstering school-industry collaboration, and crafting a personalized career planning framework. These strategies provided vocational colleges with actionable approaches to help prepare students for a changing labor market and sustainable career paths.