Employment Skills Affecting Career Adaptabilities among Undergraduate Business Administration Students in Guizhou, People's Republic of China
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Abstract
This study aims to: 1) assess the employability skills of undergraduate business students in Guizhou Province, China; 2) evaluate their career adaptability; and 3) examine the relationship between employability skills and career adaptability. The research is set against the backdrop of economic transformation, highlighting the mismatch between higher education and labor market demands. A quantitative design was used, involving a structured questionnaire administered to 441 students, achieving a 77% response rate. The results indicated that employability skills had a mean score of 3.83, while career adaptability had an even higher mean score of 3.94. The analysis revealed that employability skills significantly predict career adaptability, accounting for 83.6% of the variance in career adaptability as shown in a multiple regression analysis. Specifically, problem-solving ability (β = 0.434), teamwork skills (β = 0.298), and communication skills (β = 0.149) exhibited a significant positive effect on career adaptability (P < 0.05). In contrast, numerical skills showed a negative correlation (β = -0.089). The findings underscore the critical roles of problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and ethical learning in enhancing students' career adaptability. They provide policy recommendations for integrating these core skills into university curricula and emphasize the need for collaboration among academia, industry, and policymakers to improve professional adaptability and workforce resilience.
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