Bridging the gap: The influence of employability skills on self-perceived employability and academic satisfaction

Background: In the ever-changing competitive labour market, finding and maintaining a job necessitates that graduates possess the right set of discipline-specific and generic skills. Aim: This study assessed the relationship between employability skills and self-perceived employability (SPE) among university students. The study further examined whether SPE influences academic satisfaction among university students. Setting: The study was conducted using students registered at a South African university. Method: The study adopted a quantitative research method with a causal research design to achieve the study’s objectives. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to university students. The participants were recruited using convenience and purposive sampling techniques. An actual sample size of 306 was considered in the study. The data were analysed using the SMART PLS 4 version software. Results: The findings of this study showed that all five employability skills, such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork and self-management skills, were positively related to SPE. This implies that employability skills are crucial determinants of SPE. The findings also showed that SPE positively influences academic satisfaction. Conclusion: This study highlights the critical role of employability skills such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork and self-management in shaping university students’ SPE, which enhances their commitment to their studies and overall academic success. Contribution: The findings of this study contribute to the limited literature on the relationship between employability skills and SPE and the subsequent effect of SPE on academic satisfaction from a developing country context such as South Africa.