Share
Export Citation
Graduate employability in emerging economies: linking talent development, internships, and career readiness
Alrasyid H.
European Journal of Training and Development
Q1Abstract
Purpose This study aims to examine how university-based talent development programs influence graduates’ career readiness among public and private university alumni in South Sulawesi. Specifically, this study investigates whether internship experience mediates this relationship and whether field of study moderates the relationship between internship experience and career readiness. By doing so, this study addresses important empirical and contextual gaps in graduate employability research within emerging economy settings. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative explanatory research design was used using survey data collected from 613 university graduates. The proposed model positions talent development programs as an institutional predictor, internship experience as an experiential mediator, career readiness as the outcome variable and field of study as a moderating factor. Hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 3. The measurement model was reevaluated by reassessing reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity and common method bias to ensure construct distinctiveness and analytical robustness. Findings The results indicate that talent development programs significantly enhance both internship experience and career readiness. Internship experience positively influences career readiness and partially mediates the relationship between talent development programs and career readiness. Field of study also significantly moderates the relationship between internship experience and career readiness, highlighting the importance of disciplinary context in shaping employability outcomes. Research limitations/implications The use of a cross-sectional research design limits the ability to capture changes in career readiness over time, while the focus on graduates from a single regional context may constrain generalizability. Future research is encouraged to adopt longitudinal designs and cross-national comparisons to extend the external validity of the findings. Practical implications This study offers actionable insights for universities, policymakers and higher education leaders. The findings suggest that employability strategies should integrate structured development initiatives with high-quality internships while considering disciplinary differences in graduate preparation. Originality/value Rather than proposing an entirely new theory of employability, this study empirically tests an integrated framework that combines Human Capital Theory, Experiential Learning Theory, resource-based view and Career Construction Theory to explain career readiness in an emerging economy context.