A bibliometric review of research on employability: dataset from Scopus between 1972 and 2019

Abstract

PurposeEmployability has long been a concern of scholars because of its complicated nature and changes in the requirements in labor markets to meet the new requirements of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and globalization. However, there has not yet been much systematic investigation of the existing literature tracing the trends, changes and developments in employability research. This paper aims to fill this void by analyzing data obtained from the Scopus dataset from 1972 to 2019.Design/methodology/approachA total of 1,703 Scopus-indexed articles were filtered from 7,885 documents. The results reflect a rapidly emerging literature on employability, given the worldwide interest in this topic. Using descriptive statistics and bibliometric analyses, the review identified trends in employability research, whose impact has been sustained for several decades.FindingsWith science mapping, the conceptual structure of scientific disciplines was visualized, highlighting three main schools of thought including employers’ requirements and higher education institutions’ preparation; the antecedents of employability; and the role of work-integrated learning in enhancing employability.Originality/valueThe paper calls for more integrative research focusing on personal agency with the development of career paths inside organizations as well as for a more focus on a multilevel perspective exploring both individuals' and organizations’ perceptions.

Industrial needs v. Engineering education curricula related to maintenance, production and quality in industry 4.0: A gap analysis case study in Tunisia and Morocco

“…For this reason, the employability of graduates has become one of the major issues driving the mission of HEIs. The topic is investigated extensively in both research (Abelha et al, 2020; Pereira et al, 2020; Craps et al, 2021; Dinh et al, 2022) and practice (Lima et al, 2017; Beier et al, 2022; Galeotti et al, 2022) in sustained endeavors to bridge the gap between job market and professional practice requirements on the one hand, and academic training and graduate competencies on the other (Alpaydın and Kültür, 2022). Numerous definitions and classifications of the concept of employability have been suggested, thus highlighting its multidimensionality and complexity.…”

“…Literature reviews and surveys on how to determine competence profiles and skills in engineering education were also studied (Lima et al, 2017; Abelha et al, 2020; Chaka, 2020; Pereira et al, 2020; Craps et al, 2021; Beier et al, 2022; Dinh et al, 2022; Galeotti et al, 2022).…”

You have to pay to play: housing costs and barriers to participation for student interns

“…Employability research is a rapidly emerging field of study, with a recent paper reporting that 62.2% of the literature analyzed between 1972 and 2019 was published in the last five years (Dinh et al, 2022, p. 7). In their mapping of significant topics discussed within the 1,073 global articles, books, chapters and conference papers they analyzed, the authors found that personal factors leading to employment was not given sufficient attention and call for greater focus on personal agency within the study of employability (Dinh et al, 2022). No significant attention was paid to issues of diversity or equity, nor the barriers to participation, in the employability research (Dinh et al, 2022).…”

“…Employability research is a rapidly emerging field of study, with a recent paper reporting that 62.2% of the literature analyzed between 1972 and 2019 was published in the last five years (Dinh et al. , 2022, p. 7).…”

Career adaptability of interpreting students: A case study of its development and interactions with interpreter competences in three Chinese universities

“…Employability concerns an individual's ability to gain and maintain employment (Deng et al, 2021 ; Dinh et al, 2022 ). The issue of employability in Higher Education has become increasingly important in recent years, particularly at a time when the opportunities for employment growth are being jeopardized by the global COVID-19 outbreak (Boo et al, 2021 ).…”