Employability and Sustainability in The Graduate Job Market: A Case Study of Fresh Graduates in One of Private Institutions

  • Pauline Georgina Priya Hebert Sundram Akademi Pengajian Bahasa, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Pahang, Kampus Raub, 27600 Raub, Pahang, Malaysia.
  • Pradip Kumar Mishra Pusat Asasi UiTM DengkilCawangan Selangor, Kampus, 43800 Dengkil, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Siti Rohaidah Shamsudin Perdana University, School of Liberal Arts and Science and Technology, Suite 5.3, 5th Floor Wisma Chase Perdana Jalan Semantan Damansara Heights 50490 Kuala Lumpur, 50490 Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
  • Suchatra Singaran SMK Telok Gadong, Jalan Serampang 3, Off Jalan Teluk Pulai, 41100 Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
  • Isai Amutan Krishnan Perdana University, School of Liberal Arts and Science and Technology, Suite 5.3, 5th Floor Wisma Chase Perdana Jalan Semantan Damansara Heights 50490 Kuala Lumpur, 50490 Wilayah Persekutuan, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Keywords: Employability, Sustainability, Job market, Fresh graduates

Abstract

The research highlighted the utmost importance of employability and sustainability skills in today's fiercely competitive job market. The study examined the employability and sustainability skills of fresh graduates in a private institution and evaluated the challenges they encounter in securing suitable employment. Five fresh graduates participated in the study, and a qualitative method was employed to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the experiences of participants P1-P5 underscore the critical significance of these aspects in the job market. For recent graduates, taking proactive measures to enhance employability, such as embracing continuous learning and adaptability, becomes indispensable for securing meaningful and sustainable career paths. Introducing employability and sustainability components into the educational curriculum can better equip graduates for the ever-changing demands of the workforce, contributing to a more inclusive and environmentally responsible job market. The present provided valuable insights into the dynamics of the graduate job market, facilitating the development of strategies to empower students with the necessary skills and competencies for successful and sustainable careers. Furthermore, the study highlights the significance of integrating employability and sustainability components into the educational curriculum. By doing so, educational institutions can better prepare graduates for the dynamic demands of the workforce while also fostering a more inclusive and environmentally responsible job market.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abd Hair, A., Ishak, Y., Arawati, A., & Zafir, M. M. (2012). Kebolehpasaran graduan IPT tempatan: Penilaian dari perspektif majikan. Malaysian Journal of Youth Studies, 7(1), 77-92.

Abd Rahman, N. H., Ismail, S., Ridzuan, A. R., & Abd Samad, K. (2020). The issue of graduate unemployment in Malaysia: Post-COVID-19. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(5), 834-841. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v10-i5/7239

Becker, G. S. (1993). Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, with Special Reference to Education (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226041223.001.0001

Brown, S., Anderson, M., & Wilson, J. (2020). Employability and sustainability skills: perspectives from hr managers in the hospitality industry. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 12(2), 2-13.

Chen, T., Rong, J., Peng, L., Yang, J., Cong, G., & Fang, J. (2021). Analysis of social effects on employment promotion policies for college graduates based on data mining for online use review in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare, 9(7), 846. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9070846

Chohan, I. (2025, March 18). Enhancing employability super skills among university students: Educational design research about an employability course design solution (Doctoral dissertation, University of Lapland). University of Lapland.

Creswell, J. W. (2022). Educational research: Planning, conducting and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (6th Ed). SAGE Publication.

Garcia, M., Smith, K., & Chen, S. (2021). Integrating sustainability into graduate employability: perspectives from engineering programs. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2(3), 23-32,

Hafifi, H. H., & Musirin, M. (2021). Kaedah humor dalam pengajaran oleh guru Bahasa Melayu di sekolah rendah: Satu kajian fenomenologi. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 6(3), 63-70. https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v6i3.72

Hawley, S. R., Thrivikraman, J. K., Noveck, N., Romain, T. S., Ludy, M. J., Barnhart, L., & Tucker, R. M. (2021). Concerns of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Thematic perspectives from the United States, Asia, and Europe. Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 4(1), 11-20. https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2021.4.1.

Kamaruddin, M. I. H., Ahmad, A., Husain, M. A., & Abd Hamid, S. N. (2021). Graduate employability post-COVID-19: The case of a Malaysian public university. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 11(3), 710-724. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-04-2021-0072

Lee, C., Wang, C., & Zhang, Y. (2018). Assessing employability and sustainability skills of accounting graduates: a comparative study. Journal of Business Ethics, 2(1), 0-15.

Lim, C., Ibrahim, F., & Hamzah, R. (2020). Integrating sustainability into graduate employability: Perspectives from engineering programs. Malaysian Journal of Business Studies, 2(1), 12-26.

Low, C. W., & Mah, P. Y. (2024). Matching skills to careers: The impact of human capital on job alignment in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Business and Economics, 11(1), 21-34. https://doi.org/10.51200/mjbe.v11i1.5288

Ma’dan, M., Ismail, M. T., & Daud, S. (2020). Strategies to enhance graduate employability: Insight from Malaysian public university policy-makers. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 17(1), 137-165. https://doi.org/10.32890/mjli2020.17.1.6

Nair, P. R. (2020). Increasing employability of Indian engineering graduates through experiential learning programs and competitive programming: Case study. Procedia Computer Science, 172, 831-837.

Schultz, T. W. (1961). Investment in Human Capital. The American Economic Review, 51(1), 1-17.

Shintaro, S., Taehn, K., Ebe, D., & Hirotaka, M. (2021). Graduate employability and higher education’s contributions to human resources development in sport business before and after COVID-19. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 28, 100301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100301

Smith, J., Johnson, L., & Thompson, P. (2019). Developing employability skills for sustainability: A case study of business graduates. Journal of Sustainable Development, 1(2), 12-36.

Sullivan, D., & Tobin, K. (2023). Human capital effects in the job search process for new labor market entrants: A double-edged sword? Journal of Vocational Behavior, 144, 103894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2023.103894

Syaripuddin, B., & Rehat, C. A. (2022). Post COVID-19 outbreak, perception and employability rate: The case study of alumni of Politeknik METrO Betong Sarawak. Borneo Engineering & Advanced Multidisciplinary International Journal, 1(1), 1-12.

Tan, S., Abdullah, R., & Ibrahim, A. (2021). Developing employability skills for sustainability: A case study of business graduates. Journal of Sustainable Development Studies, 1(2), 2-25.

Teixeira, P. N. (2014). Gary Becker’s early work on human capital- Collaborations and distinctiveness. IZA Journal of Labor Economics, 3(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40172-014-0012-2

Wang, J., & Ze, Q. (2023). Human capital investment and employment quality: The mediating role of career development. Highlights in Business, Economics and Management, 11, 287-290. https://doi.org/10.54097/hbem.v11i.8145

Wong, L., Chong, S., & Lee, H. (2019). Employability and sustainability skills: Perspectives from hr managers in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Sustainability in Education, 1(2), 16-25.

Yang, S., Yu, J., Xu, J., Zhao, Y., Yue, L., Li, H., He, G., & Cheng, H. (2022). Impact of human capital and social capital on employability of Chinese college students under COVID-19 epidemic: Joint moderating effects of perception reduction of employment opportunities and future career clarity. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1046952. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1046952

Published
2025-10-29
Section
Articles