The Relationship between Career Social Support and Employability among University Students in Shandong Province, China

The study examines the relationships between career social support and employability perceived by final-year undergraduate students. In line with Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, career social support predicted employability during the transition from higher education to employment. This study employed a quantitative cross-sectional correlational research design. A total of 734 final-year undergraduate students from Shandong Province in China, attending both public and private higher education institutions, completed a structured online questionnaire via Wen Juan Xing. The two variables of career social support and employability were measured by means of a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation as well as linear regression. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between Career Social Support and Employability (r = .631, p < .001). Regression analysis confirmed that Career Social Support significantly predicted Employability (? = .631, t = 22.006, p < .001), explaining 39.8% of the variance in perceived Employability. This study provided evidence for the empirical application of Social Cognitive Theory within China higher education regarding the influence of the learning environment upon students’ career-related self-perceptions. Practical implications for higher education and the findings of the current study were discussed. Furthermore, future directions of research on graduate employability were suggested, including the exploration of other psychological and educational factors that impact upon graduate employability in different regions of the world.