The Influence of Skill-Based Education on Career Development among University Students

The present research looks at how skill-based education has an impact on the career development of university students. In the dynamic and fast-evolving job market, schools and colleges are focusing more on applied and industry-specific learning to enhance the employability, professional competence and career preparedness of students. The research examines the perceptions of the students about skill-based education and its effects on career development. The study uses the quantitative research design and a structured questionnaire on 150 undergraduate and postgraduate university students, which is used with a 5-point Likert scale. The data obtained undergo the analysis of per cent, mean and standard deviation, correlation analysis and regression. Results indicate that students have a very strong notion that skill-based education enhances employability, readiness to work, professional competence, and work confidence. The correlation analysis shows that there is a strong positive correlation between career development and skill-based education (r = 0.782, p< 0.05). Moreover, regression analysis proves that the impact of skill-based education on career development is quite important among university students, as the value of R-squared is 0.611, meaning that 61.1% of the change in career development is attributed to skill-based education. This paper finds that skill-based teaching is important in improving professional development and workplace readiness of students. As such, academic institutions must incorporate applied training, industry partnerships, and competency-based education in the academic programs to enable the students to succeed in their careers in the long term.