Student engagement as a mediating role linking digital competence, learning motivation, and self-regulated learning with employability skills among students in selected public TVET colleges in Sidama, Ethiopia

The rapid digital transformation of the labour market has increased the importance of employability skills among Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates. However, limited empirical evidence exists on the relationships among digital competence, learning motivation, self-regulated learning, student engagement, and employability skills in developing-country TVET contexts. This study examined the associations of digital competence, learning motivation, and self-regulated learning with employability skills and the mediating role of student engagement among graduating students in selected public TVET colleges in Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia. Data were collected from 312 graduating students and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings showed that learning motivation and self-regulated learning were positively associated with both student engagement and employability skills. Digital competence was positively associated with student engagement but had a significant negative direct association with employability skills (β = −0.175, t = 2.436, p = .015). At the same time, digital competence had a significant positive indirect association with employability skills through student engagement (β = 0.202, p < .001). Student engagement had the strongest direct association with employability skills (β = 0.464, p < .001) and mediated the associations of digital competence, learning motivation, and self-regulated learning with employability skills. Overall, the findings indicate that student engagement plays an important mediating role in the relationships between learner-related competencies and self-reported employability skills among TVET students. These findings provide empirical evidence on the interconnected relationships among learner competencies, student engagement, and employability skills in the Ethiopian TVET context.