Employability Programmes in Higher Education: Supporting students through tangible, transitional, and transformational approaches

As the UK higher education sector becomes increasingly market-driven and focused on preparing students for the graduate labour market, universities must define and contextualise employability and their role in supporting students beyond academia (Kornelakis and Petrakaki, 2020). Social Cognitive Theory highlights the critical importance of self-efficacy in enhancing employability and educational attainment (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002), and links it to graduate success (Hazenberg, Seddon and Denny, 2014). This research introduces a new employability typology, grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, structured around three key areas: ‘Tangible, Transitional, and Transformational’. This typology emerged from discussions with students, staff, and employers at an English university. The ‘Tangible’ aspect focuses on student and institutional exchange to support labour market integration, delivered through courses, qualifications and other resources. The ‘Transitional’ element addresses the support students need as they move into post-graduate life and can be upwardly mobile in an organisation. Finally, the ‘Transformational’ aspect encourages institutions to view employability beyond a transactional lens, considering the students personal growth, ability to make meaningful choices, and other intangible benefits, reflecting universities role as civil actors. In addition to Social Cognitive Theory, this research uses Bourdieu’s concept of cultural and social capital to examine students’ employability and transition into the labour market. This framework provides a deeper exploration of the hidden barriers impacting student success, allowing stakeholders to design effective employability interventions that strengthen students’ paths to becoming successful graduates. The research highlights key employability characteristics, stakeholder perspectives, and hidden barriers, contributing to the employability paradigm.