Is Employability a Real Driving Factor for International Students for Their Study Abroad Decision

While we look at the international study destination and the reputation of the university as a major factor for selecting a particular country and course in layman's discussions, it is far from the truth. As per the International Student Barometer's survey of about 120,000 students, it comes out that employability and graduate outcomes are far more important for international students when it comes to studying abroad, when compared to the reputation of study abroad destination and university. Graduate Outcomes is a far higher-ranked criterion when compared to other factors.

The impact a study will have on a graduate's career is more important than the reputation of the institution or the country, despite the latter being significant. It is reasonable to assume that employability is the primary factor influencing the decision of the great majority of students, as this most recent ISB is based on 192,581 responses submitted by learners, including 122,975 international students enrolled in 155 institutions across 24 countries. The fact that "Earning potential" ranks fifth out of 20 answer options emphasizes this.

Employability is not only a major factor in the decision to study abroad, but it is also crucial in recommending the study experience (along with the structure of the course and the caliber of the lectures). Therefore, it is clear that higher education institutions must focus on graduate career outcomes from the beginning of the student journey. In this regard, European institutions fall 9% short of the global standard.

However, life doesn't come that easily and studying abroad by itself does not make one employable. Support must be given to students so they can "unpack" the experiences they have had overseas. Understanding the skills acquired through mobility and how they affect adaptable students' career prospects is crucial for educational institutions to make study abroad effective in enhancing graduate employability.

The graduate outcomes criteria have become increasingly popular over the years, but it is not the only criteria that matter. Studying abroad is not enough, what the student makes of those studies, whether he can explain the concepts he has studied clearly and can apply those when execution is essential, is what convinces employers to hire a particular candidate, and not just the presence of a mere international degree, without the appreciation for its use in context.

Prominent Analysts of the field have advised universities on the matter; the universities should look to globalize their course structure and provide better practical skills training to improve their graduate outcomes. If graduate outcomes do not improve, students are free to choose another country for employment or return to their own country, and that in turn will affect international student numbers in the future. So, universities must be hands-on and up to date about graduate outcomes to produce career ready graduates.

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