Employability Pathways in Tertiary Education: Insights from Cambodian Undergraduates
Western University, Cambodia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56943/jssh.v5i2.949This study investigates the institutional factors that influence students' perceptions of their employability in higher education institutions in Cambodia. A structured questionnaire disseminated over social media sites like Telegram and Messenger was used to gather data for a quantitative study design. A non-probability sampling strategy that included quota, convenience, and purposive sampling was used to guarantee representation among student cohorts and academic disciplines. Using a five-point Likert scale ranging from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree," respondents scored their perceptions. AMOS, SPSS, JASP, and structured excel based reliability and validity calculator were used to analyze 265 valid responses to check the reliability, vcalidity, relationship and significant impacts between each variable, including curriculum relevance, personal planning development, career development learning, work experience, extra-corricular activities, exposure to real world activites, and students’ employability. The findings show that local colleges have a significant impact on graduate workforce readiness by identifying critical pathways linking institutional practices to students' employability. The study offers practical recommendations for institutional leaders and policymakers to enhance curriculum design, strengthen student support mechanisms, and foster employability-focused strategies within Cambodian higher education. These insights contribute to ongoing efforts to improve educational outcomes and align institutional practices with the evolving demands of the national workforce.
Keywords: Career Development Learning Extra-curricular Activities Exposure to Real-World Activities Personal Development Planning Work Experience
Archer, M., Morley, D. A., & Souppez, J.-B. R. G. (2021). Real World Learning and Authentic Assessment. In Applied Pedagogies for Higher Education (pp. 323–341). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46951-1_14
Attah, E. Y., Onwe, C. C., & Obi-Anike, H. O. (2025). Bridging the skills gap: Enhancing employability through university-industry collaborations in Nigeria. Industry and Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222251397493
Bintani, K. (2020). Personal Development Plan as a Guidance and Counseling Strategy in Higher Education. Proceedings of the 2nd International Seminar on Guidance and Counseling 2019 (ISGC 2019). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200814.004
By, L. (2024). THE EFFECT OF TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS ON INDIVIDUAL WORK PERFORMANCE IN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS IN CAMBODIA. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 3(3), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.56943/jssh.v3i3.583
Creating Effective SMART Goals Examples for Students. (2025). Graduate Programs for Educators. https://www.graduateprogram.org/blog/creating-effective-smart-goals-examples-for-students/
Drosos, N., & Korfiatis, A. (2023). Career Adaptability and Resilience of Mental Health Service Users: The Role of Career Counseling. Behavioral Sciences, 13(11), 886. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13110886
Grant-Smith, D., & Weiler, T. (2024). Recognising the value of non-professional part-time work in assessing graduate employability: A challenge to employers. Industry and Higher Education, 38(4), 325–335. https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222231208435
Hair, J. F., & Brunsveld, N. (2019). Essentials of business research methods. Essentials of Business Research Methods, 1–507. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429203374/ESSENTIALS-BUSINESS-RESEARCH-METHODS-JOE-HAIR-JR-MICHAEL-PAGE-NIEK-BRUNSVELD/RIGHTS-AND-PERMISSIONS
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). An Introduction to Structural Equation Modeling. In Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using R. Classroom Companion: Business (pp. 1–29). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7_1
Ho, T. T. H., Le, V. H., Nguyen, D. T., Nguyen, C. T. P., & Nguyen, H. T. T. (2023). Effects of career development learning on students’ perceived employability: a longitudinal study. Higher Education, 86(2), 297–315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00933-6
Hour, V. (2025). PERSPECTIVES OF BELTEI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL STUDENTS TOWARD PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION AT BELTEI INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(3), 19–29. https://doi.org/10.56943/jssh.v4i3.776
Hui, Y. K., Kwok, L. F., & Ip, H. H. S. (2021). Employability: Smart learning in extracurricular activities for developing college graduates’ competencies. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 37(2), 171–188. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.6734
Isa, F. M., Noor, S., Ahmdon, M. A. S., Setiawati, C. I., & Tantasuntisakul, W. (2020). Comparison of students’ perception about curriculum design versus employability in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. International Journal of Management in Education, 14(4), 331. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMIE.2020.107997
Jackson, D., & Dean, B. A. (2023). Employability-related activities beyond the curriculum: how participation and impact vary across diverse student cohorts. Higher Education, 86(5), 1151–1172. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00966-x
Jackson, D., & Tomlinson, M. (2022). The relative importance of work experience, extra-curricular and university-based activities on student employability. Higher Education Research & Development, 41(4), 1119–1135. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1901663
Ly, B. (2025). Advancing Employability in Cambodia: The Synergistic Effects of Training, Adaptability, and Organizational Culture. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 26(1), 163–186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40171-024-00430-y
Mainga, W., Murphy-Braynen, M. B., Moxey, R., & Quddus, S. A. (2022). Graduate Employability of Business Students. Administrative Sciences, 12(3), 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12030072
Ng, P. M. L., Chan, J. K. Y., Wut, T. M., Lo, M. F., & Szeto, I. (2021). What makes better career opportunities for young graduates? Examining acquired employability skills in higher education institutions. Education + Training, 63(6), 852–871. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-08-2020-0231
Nursey-Bray, M., Masud-All-Kamal, M., Di Giacomo, M., & Millcock, S. (2022). Building community resilience through youth volunteering: towards a new model. Regional Studies, Regional Science, 9(1), 242–263. https://doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2022.2067004
Ooi, P. C. (2021). Students’ continuing personal development (S-CPD) - a scheme to promote student engagement in extra-curricular activities. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 11(3), 672–682. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-06-2019-0079
Pitan, O. S., & Muller, C. (2021). Student perspectives on employability development in higher education in South Africa. Education + Training, 63(3), 453–471. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-02-2018-0039
Purohit, D., Mehta Karani, A., & Jayswal, R. (2025). Understanding the factors that improve graduate employment – guidelines for students, academic institutes and employers. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-10-2024-0334
Ramaci, T., Faraci, P., Santisi, G., & Valenti, G. D. (2021). Employability and job insecurity: The role of personal resources on work-related stress. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 17(2), 28–42. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.1904
Richardt, S. A., Towner, S., Brent, G., & Castley, J. G. (2024). An industry review of recent graduate employees’ performance compared to workplace expectations: An environmental science case study. Industry and Higher Education, 38(6), 562–573. https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222241250163
Römgens, I., Scoupe, R., & Beausaert, S. (2020). Unraveling the concept of employability, bringing together research on employability in higher education and the workplace. Studies in Higher Education, 45(12), 2588–2603. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1623770
Sah, F., Naura Sasikirana, H., & Pujiani, T. (2024). The Implementation of Project-Based Learning in Developing 21st Century Skills in EFL Class. Jadila: Journal of Development and Innovation in Language and Literature Education, 4(4), 257–272. https://doi.org/10.52760/jadila.v4i4.797
Shaheen, F., Muzamil, M., & Shiraz, M. (2022). Impact of Perceived Value of Internship on the Employability Skills of Students at University Level. UMT Education Review, 5(2), 46–67. https://doi.org/10.32350/uer.52.03
Tesema, A. K., & Fathoni, T. (2023). Global Trends in Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of Enrollment and Quality Assurance Mechanisms. Assoeltan: Indonesian Journal of Community Research and Engagement, 1(1), 29–37. https://doi.org/10.70610/edujavare.v1i1.27
Tight, M. (2023). Employability: a core role of higher education? Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 28(4), 551–571. https://doi.org/10.1080/13596748.2023.2253649
Tran, T. T. (2023). Graduate Employability and University-Enterprise Collaboration in Vietnam. In International Handbook on Education Development in the Asia-Pacific (pp. 885–906). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6887-7_61
Tushar, H., & Sooraksa, N. (2023). Global employability skills in the 21st century workplace: A semi-systematic literature review. Heliyon, 9(11), e21023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21023
Weideman, M., & Hofmeyr, K. B. (2020). The influence of flexible work arrangements on employee engagement: An exploratory study. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 18. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v18i0.1209
Zewdie, E. (2024, March 11). Extracurricular Activities: Role In Impacting Graduate Employability. ELearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/exploring-role-of-extracurricular-support-systems-impacting-graduate-employability
