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Graduate employability and competence development in higher education - a systematic literature review using PRISMA

  • Marta Abelha*
  • , Sandra Fernandes
  • , Diana Mesquita
  • , Filipa Seabra
  • , Ana Teresa Ferreira-Oliveira
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

297 Citations (Scopus)
51 Downloads

Abstract

This paper aims to develop a systematic review on graduate employability and competence development, intending to present an international perspective on the matter. It analyses the role of higher education institutions in promoting the development of competences for employability. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) statement was used as a formal systematic review guideline for data collection. Data was obtained from research studies over the period 2009-2019. The analysis included a total of 69 papers from Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. Results show that Europe leads the number of publications on these topics during the past decade. One of the main issues associated with competence development and graduate employability found in the review is related to the (mis)match between university graduates' competences and employers' needs. Findings indicate that higher education institutions are concerned with using strategies to enhance the development of competences for graduate employability. Graduate employability and competence development around the world depend on a strong sense of innovation and collaboration practices implemented in higher education.
Original languageEnglish
Article number5900
Pages (from-to)1-27
Number of pages27
JournalSustainability
Volume12
Issue number15
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2020
Externally publishedYes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 4 - Quality Education
    SDG 4 Quality Education

Keywords

  • Competences
  • Employability
  • Graduates
  • Higher education
  • PRISMA
  • Systematic review

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