Self-Perceived Employability and Subjective Career Success: Graduates of a Workforce Education and Development Program

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the perception of employability and success among workforce education and development (WED) graduates. A quantitative study was conducted through the administration of an online survey to graduates (N = 85) of a WED program located within a midwestern, state university. The survey included demographic questions and a Likert-scale questionnaire consisting of 14 items from Rothwell and Arnold’s self-perceived individual employability scales (2007). A principal components analysis was conducted to explore and confirm the related measures. Ordinary least squares regression was used to evaluate the relationship between the graduates’ perceptions of their employability and career success and other demographic variables. The results of this study may be useful to public administrators, higher education institutions, WED faculty, human resource development professionals, students, and researchers.