A Mixed Methods Study of the Preparedness of University Graduates for the Labour Market: The Case of Saudi Arabia

This study aims to measure the effectiveness of integrating a set of employability competences and skills into higher education curriculum on the preparedness of students and graduates for the Saudi labour market. It investigates this contemporary phenomenon within a higher education institution in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. A mixed methods case study approach with a concurrent triangulation convergence design was used to investigate to what extent and in what ways – from the perspectives of key stakeholders (students, alumni, faculty, and employers) – a higher education institution, through the integration of a competence-based framework into the university curricula, prepares its graduates to meet the skill demands of the labour market. In this study, surveys were collected from four group participants to measure their perceptions on the extent to which students’ development of a set of competences and skills increases graduates’ employability. Concurrently, qualitative data were collected through interviews and open-ended questionnaires from the same participants to confirm or refute the information gathered from the surveys. For the sake of methodological triangulation and to increase the validity of the findings, document analysis of the course syllabi of the participant university was conducted to identify to what extent and in what way the curriculum of the participant university emphasizes the integration of employability competences and skills. The qualitative document analysis of the syllabi aims at identifying the activities, assignments, and modes of teaching, learning, and assessment that enable students to develop and demonstrate employability competences. The study draws some insights and conclusions, through participant authentic voice, regarding the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a competence-based employability blueprint that can assist in establishing similar competence-based programs. It provides insight into the impact of a competency-based teaching, learning and assessment model on enhancing the integration of employability skills in a higher education setting where preparing skilled and qualified graduates represents a significant consideration to educators, decision makers and other stakeholders. The results of the study would assist educators, policy and decision makers in profiling graduate employability based on authentic and valuable input from key stakeholders