Operationalisation and exploration of the Employability Capital Growth Model (ECGM): insights from University Students in Vietnam

Abstract

Purpose: underpinned by sustainable career ecosystem theory, our study aimed to operationalise and explore using the Employability Capital Growth Model (ECGM) to understand how various types of employability capital, contextual factors, and desirable personal outcomes contribute to the career readiness of second-year domestic university students in Vietnam.

Design/methodology/approach: seven students participated in an education and training series comprised of seven sessions, each lasting three hours, using the ECGM as a tool and involving academic and industry experts. Students provided written feedback after seminars two to seven via reflective exercises, and the Q&A sessions with the expert speakers were audio-recorded. All audio information was transcribed, and the full dataset was analysed via thematic analysis.

Findings: students valued social, cultural, psychological, health, scholastic, market-value, career identity, and economic capital as valuable contributors to their career readiness. They also recognised the interconnected nature of different forms of employability capital and the interplay between agency and contextual factors in determining personal outcomes.

Originality: the theoretical contribution comes from empirically validating the ECGM underpinned by sustainable career ecosystem theory. The seven-part education and training series also captures the benefits of such an approach in fostering interaction between students and other actors, including career development professionals, academics, and industry experts. Practically, our study offers valuable insights for educators and policymakers seeking to enhance the career readiness of university students in Vietnam.

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Identifiers

ORCID for William E. Donald: orcid.org/0000-0002-3670-5374

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