Enhancing the employability of IT graduates in Vietnam

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the key determinants of employability of information technology (IT) graduates in Vietnam and examines their impact on self-perceived employability and the duration of the job search.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on data collected from the responses to an online survey from more than 500 IT graduates from different higher education institutions in Vietnam. Employability, its outcome and its key determinants were integrated into one model. Exploratory factor, confirmatory factor and path analyses were conducted to test the model by means of structural equation modeling.

Findings

The self-perceived employability of IT graduates in Vietnam was determined by graduates’ English language skills, soft skills, adaptability skills, the quality of the institution’s IT program and job seeking efforts. Results also indicated that work experience, professional competencies and employability made the job search duration shorter, but job seeking efforts made job search duration longer.

Research limitations/implications

Only determinants from individual and institutional aspects were considered, and the sample was also limited to one profession in one country.

Practical implications

Results can inform students and educators about the improvable areas of employability enhancement.

Originality/value

This study fills a gap in the employability research by providing a quantitative explanation about relationships among the employability, the job search duration and their key predictors from different aspects.

Citation

Thang, P.V.M. and Wongsurawat, W. (2016), "Enhancing the employability of IT graduates in Vietnam", Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 146-161. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-07-2015-0043