Human Capital and Graduate Employability in Public Universities in South- Western Uganda
Keywords:
South-western Uganda, Human capital, Employability skills, Public universities, Graduate employability
Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between human capital and graduate employability in public universities in South-Western Uganda. It aims to provide empirical evidence on how university human capital influences graduates’ labor-market readiness. Guided by a positivist paradigm, a cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected from 377 graduates and 122 academic and administrative staff across three public universities. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationship between human capital and graduate employability. Results indicate a significant positive relationship between human capital and graduate employability. Universities with skilled, motivated, and professionally competent staff enhance graduates’ employability by developing relevant skills and supporting processes that ensure these skills are effectively acquired. Deficiencies in human capital constrain the development of employability outcomes. University leaders should strategically invest in human capital through targeted recruitment, continuous professional development, and performance management linked to employability outcomes. Curricula should embed employer-valued skills such as critical thinking, communication, adaptability, and problem-solving. Strengthening institutional employability support, including career services and industry engagement, is critical for translating staff capacity into labor-market-ready graduates. The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the central role of academic and administrative staff in shaping graduate employability in resource-constrained public universities. It provides context-specific evidence from Uganda, clarifying how staff competence, motivation, and leadership collectively influence labor-market outcomes.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Abelha, M., Fernandes, S., Mesquita, D., Seabra, F., & Ferreira-Oliveira, A. T. (2020). Graduate employability and competence development in higher education: A systematic literature review using PRISMA. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(15). https://doi.org/10.3390/SU12155900
Akkermans, J., Tomlinson, M., & Anderson, V. (2024). Initial employability development: introducing a conceptual model integrating signalling and social exchange mechanisms. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 33(1), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2023.2186783
Al Asefer, M. M. A., & Abidin, N. S. Z. (2021). University programs as tools for graduates' employability from employers' perspectives. South East Asia Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law, 25(2), 1–10.
Annala, J., Lindén, J., Mäkinen, M., & Henriksson, J. (2023). Understanding academic agency in curriculum change in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(6), 1310-1327. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.1881772
Arnhold, N., & Bassett, R. M. (2021). Steering Tertiary Education. Toward Resilient Systems that deliver for all. World Bank Group.
Asiedu, E., Boakye, A. N., Malcalm, E., & Amoah, C. K. (2023). Institutional Strategies and Graduate Employability Development Skills of Business Students: The Mediating Role of Graduate Capital Forms. ICRRD Quality Index Research Journal, 4(3), 157–181. https://doi.org/10.53272/icrrd.v4i3.7
Asumadu, G., Ofori, D., Adomako, S., & Sefa, E. O. (2022). The Two Sides of the Coin of Youth Unemployment: Government and the Unemployed Individual. Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting, 22(24), 133–140. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.9734/AJEBA/2022/v22i24901
Awan, A. G., & Saeed, K. (2015). Relationship between Intellectual Capital and Organizational Performance: A Case Study of Public Sector Universities in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of Resources Development and Management, 9(2), 35–46.
Ayala Calvo, J. C., & Manzano García, G. (2021). The influence of psychological capital on graduates’ perception of employability: the mediating role of employability skills. Higher Education Research and Development, 40(2), 293–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1738350
Becker, G. S. (1993). Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, with Special Reference to Education (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226041223.001.0001
Behle, H. (2020). Students’ and graduates’ employability. A framework to classify and measure employability gain. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 4(1), 105–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1712662
Berchin, I. I., de Aguiar Dutra, A. R., & Guerra, J. B. S. O. de A. (2021). How do higher education institutions promote sustainable development? A literature review. Sustainable Development, 29(6), 1204–1222. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2219
Byrne, C. (2022). What determines perceived graduate employability? Exploring the effects of personal characteristics, academic achievements and graduate skills in a survey experiment. Studies in Higher Education, 47(1), 159–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1735329
Caballero, G., Álvarez-González, P., & López-Miguens, M. J. (2020). How to promote the employability capital of university students? Developing and validating scales. Studies in Higher Education, 45(12), 2634–2652. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1807494
Cheng, M., Adekola, O., Albia, J., & Cai, S. (2022). Employability in higher education: a review of key stakeholders’ perspectives. Higher Education Evaluation and Development, 16(1), 16–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/heed-03-2021-0025
Chigbu, B. I., & Nekhwevha, F. H. (2022). Academic-faculty environment and graduate employability: variation of work-readiness perceptions. Heliyon, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09117
Clarke, M. (2018). Rethinking graduate employability: the role of capital, individual attributes and context. Studies in Higher Education, 43(11), 1923–1937. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1294152
Cricelli, L., Greco, M., Grimaldi, M., & Llanes Dueñas, L. P. (2018). Intellectual capital and university performance in emerging countries: Evidence from Colombian public universities. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 19(1), 71–95. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-02-2017-0037
Dhruba Borah, Khaleel Malik, S. M. (2021). Teaching-focused university–industry collaborations: Determinants and impact on graduates’ employability competencies. Research Policy, 50(3). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2020.104172
Donald, W. E., Baruch, Y., & Ashleigh, M. J. (2024). Construction and operationalisation of an Employability Capital Growth Model (ECGM) via a systematic literature review (2016–2022). Studies in Higher Education, 49(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2219270
El Baradei, L., & Kadry, M. (2022). Bridging the Employability Skills Gap in Higher Education. The American University in Cairo (AUC). International Labour Organization (ILO). https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---africa/---ro-abidjan/---sro-cairo/documents/publication/wcms_857260.pdf
Feraco, T., Resnati, D., Fregonese, D., Spoto, A., & Meneghetti, C. (2023). An integrated model of school students’ academic achievement and life satisfaction. Linking soft skills, extracurricular activities, self-regulated learning, motivation, and emotions. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 38(1), 109–130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00601-4
Fomba, B. K., Talla, D. N. D. F., & Ningaye, P. (2023). Institutional Quality and Education Quality in Developing Countries: Effects and Transmission Channels. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 14(1), 86–115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-021-00869-9
Hassock, L. & Hill, C. (2022). Employability and Employment: The Role of Higher Education in a Rapidly Changing World. In Higher Education and Job Employability (10th ed., pp. 155–178). Springer, Cham.
Healy, M., Brown, J. L., & Ho, C. (2022). Graduate employability as a professional proto-jurisdiction in higher education. Higher Education, 83(5), 1125–1142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00733-4
Heng, T. & Song, L. (2020). A proposed framework for understanding educational change and transfer: Insights from Singapore teachers’ perceptions of differentiated instruction. Journal of Educational Change, 21, 595–622. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-020-09377-0
Huntington-Klein, N. (2020). Human capital versus signaling is empirically unresolvable:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-020-01837-z. Empirical Economics, Volume 60, pages 2499–2531.
ILO. (2021). World employment social employment social: trends. https://doi.org/10.18356/cfa20042-en
James Robson. (2023). Assessing the Contributions of Higher Education Knowledge for a Disordered World. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035307173.00019
Kang, Y., & Mok, K. H. (2022). The Broken Promise of Human Capital Theory: Social Embeddedness, Graduate Entrepreneurs and Youth Employment in China. Critical Sociology, 48(7–8), 1205-1219. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/08969205221088894
Kibuuka, E. (2025). The Evolving Higher Education Landscape in Uganda – Issues, Challenges, and Propositions. International Journal of African Higher Education, 12(1), 1–27.
Kumaran Rajaram. (2023). Cultural Intelligence in Teaching and Learning. In Learning Intelligence: Innovative and Digital Transformative Learning Strategies (pp. 57–118). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9201-8_2
Le Huu Nghia, T. (2019). Building soft skills for employability: Challenges and practices in Vietnam. In Building Soft Skills for Employability: Challenges and Practices in Vietnam. Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429276491
Lundgren-Resenterra, P. K. & M. (2023). Grounding Employability in Both Agency and Collective Identity: An Emancipatory Agenda for Higher Education. In: Siivonen, P., Isopahkala-Bouret, U., Tomlinson, M., Korhonen, M., Haltia, N. (eds) Rethinking Graduate Employability in Context. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20653-5_6.
Mainga, W., Murphy-braynen, M. B., Moxey, R., & Quddus, S. A. (2022). Graduate Employability of Business Students. . . Administrative Sciences, 12(3), 72. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12030072
Mastercard Foundation. (2025). Young Africa Works - Uganda?:
Mbabazi, E., Bagonza, G., & Kaahwa, M. G. (2020). Rapid Transformation of the Higher Education Sector and Graduate Productivity in the Ugandan Labor Market. East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 1(3), 157–163.
Mgaiwa, S. J. (2021). Fostering Graduate Employability: Rethinking Tanzania’s University Practices. SAGE Open, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211006709
Mokhtar, S. A., Arifin, N. A. M., Rosman, M. R. M., Abdullah, N., Fadzil, F. H., & Isa, A. M. (2022). Graduates’ Competencies and Employability: A Conceptual Framework. In Proceedings of the 9th European Conference on Intellectual Capital, 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2022082054
Morsy, H. and Mukasa, A. N. (2019). Youth Jobs, Skill and Educational Mismatches in Africa, Working Paper Series N° 326, African Development Bank, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Ndibuuza, F., Langa, P.V., Bisaso, R. (2021). Higher Education and the Knowledge Society Agenda in Uganda. In Aarrevaara, T., Finkelstein, M., Jones, G.A., Jung, J. (eds) Universities in the Knowledge Society. The Changing Academy – The Changing Academic Profession in International Comparative Perspective. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76579-8_5
Ng, P. M. L., Wut, T. M., & Chan, J. K. Y. (2022). Enhancing perceived employability through work-integrated learning. Education and Training, 64(4), 559–576. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-12-2021-0476
Nwajiuba, C. A., Igwe, P. A., Akinsola-Obatolu, A. D., Ituma, A., & Binuomote, M. O. (2020). What can be done to improve higher education quality and graduate employability in Nigeria? A stakeholder approach. Industry and Higher Education, 34(5), 358–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422219901102
OECD. (2022). OECD Labour Force Statistics 2021,OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1787/177e93b9-en.
Ogunode, N. J. & Okechukwu Ezema, A. V. O. (2022). Problems Faced by Academic Leaders in Public Higher Institutions in Nigeria. … Innovations and Integrity, 2013, 214–224. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Victor-Ayoko/publication/360784437_Problems_Faced_by_Academic_Leaders_in_Public_Higher_Institutions_in_Nigeria/links/628b7b4539fa21703168249c/Problems-Faced-by-Academic-Leaders-in-Public-Higher-Institutions-in-Nigeria.
Okolie, U. C., Igwe, P. A., Nwosu, H. E., Eneje, B. C., & Mlanga, S. (2020). Enhancing graduate employability: Why do higher education institutions have problems with teaching generic skills? Policy Futures in Education, 18(2), 294–313. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210319864824
Pangidoan, O. T., & Nawangsari, L. C. (2022). effect of human capital, structural capital, relational capital and innovative behavior in organizational performance of PT. PLN (Persero) Company, Bekasi. Linguistics and Culture Review, 6, 773–796. https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v6ns1.2153
Paul Zeleza. (2021). Quality higher education ‘indispensable’ for Africa’s future: University World News, Africa Edition.
Phusavat, K., Ongkunaruk, P., & Anussornnitisarn, P. (2025). Studies in Higher Education Gaining insights into the employability of university graduates?: implications from the students ’ inputs. Studies in Higher Education, 5079, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2025.2531841
Pitan, O. S., & Muller, C. (2019). University reputation and undergraduates’ self-perceived employability: mediating influence of experiential learning activities. Higher Education Research and Development, 38(6), 1269–1284. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1634678
Quintero-Quintero, W., Blanco-Ariza, A. B., & Garzón-Castrillón, M. A. (2021). Intellectual capital: A review and bibliometric analysis. In Publications (Vol. 9, Issue 4). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9040046
Rodrigues, R., Butler, C. L., & Guest, D. (2020). Evaluating the employability paradox: When does organizational investment in human capital pay off? International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(9), 1134–1156. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2019.1704825
Römgens, I., Scoupe, R., & Beausaert, S. (2020). Unraveling the concept of employability, bringing together research on employability in higher education and the workplace. Studies in Higher Education, 45(12), 2588–2603. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1623770
Sahudin, S. (2022). Literature Review on the Factors Affecting the Employability of Engineering Graduates. Asean Journal of Engineering Education, 6(1), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.11113/ajee2022.6n1.75
Saini, G. K., & Jawahar, I. M. (2019). The influence of employer rankings, employment experience, and employee characteristics on employer branding as an employer of choice. Career Development International, 24(7), 636–657. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-11-2018-0290
Sharma, P., & Ahlawat, A. (2024). Human Resource Management & Development Unemployment After Education: Analyzing Causes, Consequences, And Solutions. May. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11675.27683
Schultz, W. T. (1972). The Increasing Economic Value of Human Time. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 54(5), 843–850. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2307/1239227
Siivonen, P., Isopahkala-Bouret, U. & Michael Tomlinson, M. K. (2023). Rethinking Graduate Employability in Context. In Rethinking Graduate Employability in Context. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20653-5
Small, L., Shacklock, K., & Marchant, T. (2018). Employability: a contemporary review for higher education stakeholders. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 70(1), 148–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2017.1394355
Spence, M. (1974). Market signaling: Informational transfer in hiring and related screening processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Strazzullo, S., Cricelli, L., & Grimaldi, M. (2022). Intellectual capital and R&D performance improvement: the case of Italian public universities. R and D Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/radm.12548
Succi, C., & Canovi, M. (2020). Soft skills to enhance graduate employability: comparing students' and employers’ perceptions. Studies in Higher Education, 45(9), 1834–1847. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1585420
Sultanova, G., Svyatov, S., & Ussenbayev, N. (2018). Transmitting competencies at universities in Kazakhstan: intellectual capital of teachers. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 19(1), 112–134. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-04-2017-0058
Tholen, U. I.-B. and G. (2023). Relative Employability: Applying the Insights of Positional Competition and Conflict Theories Within the Current Higher Education Landscape. In Rethinking Graduate Employability in Context, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20653-5_3 (pp. 51–72).
Tomlinson, M. (2017). Forms of graduate capital and their relationship to graduate employability. Education and Training, 59(4), 338–352. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-05-2016-0090
Tomlinson, M. (2021). Employers and Universities: Conceptual Dimensions, Research Evidence and Implications. Higher Education Policy, Volume 34, pages 132–154.
Tomlinson, M., & Jackson, D. (2021). Professional identity formation in contemporary higher education students. Studies in Higher Education, 46(4), 885–900. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1659763
Towers, N., Santoso, A. S., Sulkowski, N., & Jameson, J. (2020). Entrepreneurial capacity-building in HEIs for embedding entrepreneurship and enterprise creation – a tripartite approach. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 48(8), 881–899. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-06-2019-0185
UBOS. (2023). National Labour Force Survey (NLFS) 2021.
Uzorka, A., Namara, S., & Olaniyan, A. O. (2023). Modern technology adoption and professional development of lecturers. Education and Information Technologies, 28(11), 14693–14719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11790-w
Valero, M. D. R., Reid, T., Dell, G., Stacey, D., Hatt, J., Moore, Y., Clift, S., Rodanas, M. De, Reid, T., Dell, G., Stacey, D., & Hatt, J. (2020). Embedding employability and transferable skills in the curriculum?: a practical, multidisciplinary approach. Higher Education Pedagogies, 5(1), 247–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/23752696.2020.1816846
Winterton, J., & Turner, J. J. (2019). Preparing graduates for work readiness: an overview and agenda. Education and Training, 61(5), 536–551. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-03-2019-0044
Wondwosen, T. (2022). Graduate Employability and Responsiveness: The Need for Aligning Policy Directions and Institutional Readiness in Ethiopia. In Graduate Employability Across Contexts. (pp. 147–166). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3959-4_8
Yamen T. (1973). Statistics: An Introductory Analysis, 3rd Edition, Harper and Row, New York, NY.
Akkermans, J., Tomlinson, M., & Anderson, V. (2024). Initial employability development: introducing a conceptual model integrating signalling and social exchange mechanisms. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 33(1), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2023.2186783
Al Asefer, M. M. A., & Abidin, N. S. Z. (2021). University programs as tools for graduates' employability from employers' perspectives. South East Asia Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law, 25(2), 1–10.
Annala, J., Lindén, J., Mäkinen, M., & Henriksson, J. (2023). Understanding academic agency in curriculum change in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(6), 1310-1327. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.1881772
Arnhold, N., & Bassett, R. M. (2021). Steering Tertiary Education. Toward Resilient Systems that deliver for all. World Bank Group.
Asiedu, E., Boakye, A. N., Malcalm, E., & Amoah, C. K. (2023). Institutional Strategies and Graduate Employability Development Skills of Business Students: The Mediating Role of Graduate Capital Forms. ICRRD Quality Index Research Journal, 4(3), 157–181. https://doi.org/10.53272/icrrd.v4i3.7
Asumadu, G., Ofori, D., Adomako, S., & Sefa, E. O. (2022). The Two Sides of the Coin of Youth Unemployment: Government and the Unemployed Individual. Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting, 22(24), 133–140. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.9734/AJEBA/2022/v22i24901
Awan, A. G., & Saeed, K. (2015). Relationship between Intellectual Capital and Organizational Performance: A Case Study of Public Sector Universities in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of Resources Development and Management, 9(2), 35–46.
Ayala Calvo, J. C., & Manzano García, G. (2021). The influence of psychological capital on graduates’ perception of employability: the mediating role of employability skills. Higher Education Research and Development, 40(2), 293–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1738350
Becker, G. S. (1993). Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, with Special Reference to Education (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226041223.001.0001
Behle, H. (2020). Students’ and graduates’ employability. A framework to classify and measure employability gain. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 4(1), 105–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1712662
Berchin, I. I., de Aguiar Dutra, A. R., & Guerra, J. B. S. O. de A. (2021). How do higher education institutions promote sustainable development? A literature review. Sustainable Development, 29(6), 1204–1222. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2219
Byrne, C. (2022). What determines perceived graduate employability? Exploring the effects of personal characteristics, academic achievements and graduate skills in a survey experiment. Studies in Higher Education, 47(1), 159–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1735329
Caballero, G., Álvarez-González, P., & López-Miguens, M. J. (2020). How to promote the employability capital of university students? Developing and validating scales. Studies in Higher Education, 45(12), 2634–2652. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1807494
Cheng, M., Adekola, O., Albia, J., & Cai, S. (2022). Employability in higher education: a review of key stakeholders’ perspectives. Higher Education Evaluation and Development, 16(1), 16–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/heed-03-2021-0025
Chigbu, B. I., & Nekhwevha, F. H. (2022). Academic-faculty environment and graduate employability: variation of work-readiness perceptions. Heliyon, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09117
Clarke, M. (2018). Rethinking graduate employability: the role of capital, individual attributes and context. Studies in Higher Education, 43(11), 1923–1937. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1294152
Cricelli, L., Greco, M., Grimaldi, M., & Llanes Dueñas, L. P. (2018). Intellectual capital and university performance in emerging countries: Evidence from Colombian public universities. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 19(1), 71–95. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-02-2017-0037
Dhruba Borah, Khaleel Malik, S. M. (2021). Teaching-focused university–industry collaborations: Determinants and impact on graduates’ employability competencies. Research Policy, 50(3). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2020.104172
Donald, W. E., Baruch, Y., & Ashleigh, M. J. (2024). Construction and operationalisation of an Employability Capital Growth Model (ECGM) via a systematic literature review (2016–2022). Studies in Higher Education, 49(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2219270
El Baradei, L., & Kadry, M. (2022). Bridging the Employability Skills Gap in Higher Education. The American University in Cairo (AUC). International Labour Organization (ILO). https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---africa/---ro-abidjan/---sro-cairo/documents/publication/wcms_857260.pdf
Feraco, T., Resnati, D., Fregonese, D., Spoto, A., & Meneghetti, C. (2023). An integrated model of school students’ academic achievement and life satisfaction. Linking soft skills, extracurricular activities, self-regulated learning, motivation, and emotions. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 38(1), 109–130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00601-4
Fomba, B. K., Talla, D. N. D. F., & Ningaye, P. (2023). Institutional Quality and Education Quality in Developing Countries: Effects and Transmission Channels. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 14(1), 86–115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-021-00869-9
Hassock, L. & Hill, C. (2022). Employability and Employment: The Role of Higher Education in a Rapidly Changing World. In Higher Education and Job Employability (10th ed., pp. 155–178). Springer, Cham.
Healy, M., Brown, J. L., & Ho, C. (2022). Graduate employability as a professional proto-jurisdiction in higher education. Higher Education, 83(5), 1125–1142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00733-4
Heng, T. & Song, L. (2020). A proposed framework for understanding educational change and transfer: Insights from Singapore teachers’ perceptions of differentiated instruction. Journal of Educational Change, 21, 595–622. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-020-09377-0
Huntington-Klein, N. (2020). Human capital versus signaling is empirically unresolvable:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00181-020-01837-z. Empirical Economics, Volume 60, pages 2499–2531.
ILO. (2021). World employment social employment social: trends. https://doi.org/10.18356/cfa20042-en
James Robson. (2023). Assessing the Contributions of Higher Education Knowledge for a Disordered World. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035307173.00019
Kang, Y., & Mok, K. H. (2022). The Broken Promise of Human Capital Theory: Social Embeddedness, Graduate Entrepreneurs and Youth Employment in China. Critical Sociology, 48(7–8), 1205-1219. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/08969205221088894
Kibuuka, E. (2025). The Evolving Higher Education Landscape in Uganda – Issues, Challenges, and Propositions. International Journal of African Higher Education, 12(1), 1–27.
Kumaran Rajaram. (2023). Cultural Intelligence in Teaching and Learning. In Learning Intelligence: Innovative and Digital Transformative Learning Strategies (pp. 57–118). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9201-8_2
Le Huu Nghia, T. (2019). Building soft skills for employability: Challenges and practices in Vietnam. In Building Soft Skills for Employability: Challenges and Practices in Vietnam. Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429276491
Lundgren-Resenterra, P. K. & M. (2023). Grounding Employability in Both Agency and Collective Identity: An Emancipatory Agenda for Higher Education. In: Siivonen, P., Isopahkala-Bouret, U., Tomlinson, M., Korhonen, M., Haltia, N. (eds) Rethinking Graduate Employability in Context. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20653-5_6.
Mainga, W., Murphy-braynen, M. B., Moxey, R., & Quddus, S. A. (2022). Graduate Employability of Business Students. . . Administrative Sciences, 12(3), 72. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12030072
Mastercard Foundation. (2025). Young Africa Works - Uganda?:
Mbabazi, E., Bagonza, G., & Kaahwa, M. G. (2020). Rapid Transformation of the Higher Education Sector and Graduate Productivity in the Ugandan Labor Market. East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 1(3), 157–163.
Mgaiwa, S. J. (2021). Fostering Graduate Employability: Rethinking Tanzania’s University Practices. SAGE Open, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211006709
Mokhtar, S. A., Arifin, N. A. M., Rosman, M. R. M., Abdullah, N., Fadzil, F. H., & Isa, A. M. (2022). Graduates’ Competencies and Employability: A Conceptual Framework. In Proceedings of the 9th European Conference on Intellectual Capital, 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2022082054
Morsy, H. and Mukasa, A. N. (2019). Youth Jobs, Skill and Educational Mismatches in Africa, Working Paper Series N° 326, African Development Bank, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Ndibuuza, F., Langa, P.V., Bisaso, R. (2021). Higher Education and the Knowledge Society Agenda in Uganda. In Aarrevaara, T., Finkelstein, M., Jones, G.A., Jung, J. (eds) Universities in the Knowledge Society. The Changing Academy – The Changing Academic Profession in International Comparative Perspective. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76579-8_5
Ng, P. M. L., Wut, T. M., & Chan, J. K. Y. (2022). Enhancing perceived employability through work-integrated learning. Education and Training, 64(4), 559–576. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-12-2021-0476
Nwajiuba, C. A., Igwe, P. A., Akinsola-Obatolu, A. D., Ituma, A., & Binuomote, M. O. (2020). What can be done to improve higher education quality and graduate employability in Nigeria? A stakeholder approach. Industry and Higher Education, 34(5), 358–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422219901102
OECD. (2022). OECD Labour Force Statistics 2021,OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1787/177e93b9-en.
Ogunode, N. J. & Okechukwu Ezema, A. V. O. (2022). Problems Faced by Academic Leaders in Public Higher Institutions in Nigeria. … Innovations and Integrity, 2013, 214–224. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Victor-Ayoko/publication/360784437_Problems_Faced_by_Academic_Leaders_in_Public_Higher_Institutions_in_Nigeria/links/628b7b4539fa21703168249c/Problems-Faced-by-Academic-Leaders-in-Public-Higher-Institutions-in-Nigeria.
Okolie, U. C., Igwe, P. A., Nwosu, H. E., Eneje, B. C., & Mlanga, S. (2020). Enhancing graduate employability: Why do higher education institutions have problems with teaching generic skills? Policy Futures in Education, 18(2), 294–313. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210319864824
Pangidoan, O. T., & Nawangsari, L. C. (2022). effect of human capital, structural capital, relational capital and innovative behavior in organizational performance of PT. PLN (Persero) Company, Bekasi. Linguistics and Culture Review, 6, 773–796. https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v6ns1.2153
Paul Zeleza. (2021). Quality higher education ‘indispensable’ for Africa’s future: University World News, Africa Edition.
Phusavat, K., Ongkunaruk, P., & Anussornnitisarn, P. (2025). Studies in Higher Education Gaining insights into the employability of university graduates?: implications from the students ’ inputs. Studies in Higher Education, 5079, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2025.2531841
Pitan, O. S., & Muller, C. (2019). University reputation and undergraduates’ self-perceived employability: mediating influence of experiential learning activities. Higher Education Research and Development, 38(6), 1269–1284. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1634678
Quintero-Quintero, W., Blanco-Ariza, A. B., & Garzón-Castrillón, M. A. (2021). Intellectual capital: A review and bibliometric analysis. In Publications (Vol. 9, Issue 4). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9040046
Rodrigues, R., Butler, C. L., & Guest, D. (2020). Evaluating the employability paradox: When does organizational investment in human capital pay off? International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(9), 1134–1156. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2019.1704825
Römgens, I., Scoupe, R., & Beausaert, S. (2020). Unraveling the concept of employability, bringing together research on employability in higher education and the workplace. Studies in Higher Education, 45(12), 2588–2603. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1623770
Sahudin, S. (2022). Literature Review on the Factors Affecting the Employability of Engineering Graduates. Asean Journal of Engineering Education, 6(1), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.11113/ajee2022.6n1.75
Saini, G. K., & Jawahar, I. M. (2019). The influence of employer rankings, employment experience, and employee characteristics on employer branding as an employer of choice. Career Development International, 24(7), 636–657. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-11-2018-0290
Sharma, P., & Ahlawat, A. (2024). Human Resource Management & Development Unemployment After Education: Analyzing Causes, Consequences, And Solutions. May. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11675.27683
Schultz, W. T. (1972). The Increasing Economic Value of Human Time. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 54(5), 843–850. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2307/1239227
Siivonen, P., Isopahkala-Bouret, U. & Michael Tomlinson, M. K. (2023). Rethinking Graduate Employability in Context. In Rethinking Graduate Employability in Context. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20653-5
Small, L., Shacklock, K., & Marchant, T. (2018). Employability: a contemporary review for higher education stakeholders. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 70(1), 148–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820.2017.1394355
Spence, M. (1974). Market signaling: Informational transfer in hiring and related screening processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Strazzullo, S., Cricelli, L., & Grimaldi, M. (2022). Intellectual capital and R&D performance improvement: the case of Italian public universities. R and D Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/radm.12548
Succi, C., & Canovi, M. (2020). Soft skills to enhance graduate employability: comparing students' and employers’ perceptions. Studies in Higher Education, 45(9), 1834–1847. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1585420
Sultanova, G., Svyatov, S., & Ussenbayev, N. (2018). Transmitting competencies at universities in Kazakhstan: intellectual capital of teachers. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 19(1), 112–134. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-04-2017-0058
Tholen, U. I.-B. and G. (2023). Relative Employability: Applying the Insights of Positional Competition and Conflict Theories Within the Current Higher Education Landscape. In Rethinking Graduate Employability in Context, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20653-5_3 (pp. 51–72).
Tomlinson, M. (2017). Forms of graduate capital and their relationship to graduate employability. Education and Training, 59(4), 338–352. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-05-2016-0090
Tomlinson, M. (2021). Employers and Universities: Conceptual Dimensions, Research Evidence and Implications. Higher Education Policy, Volume 34, pages 132–154.
Tomlinson, M., & Jackson, D. (2021). Professional identity formation in contemporary higher education students. Studies in Higher Education, 46(4), 885–900. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1659763
Towers, N., Santoso, A. S., Sulkowski, N., & Jameson, J. (2020). Entrepreneurial capacity-building in HEIs for embedding entrepreneurship and enterprise creation – a tripartite approach. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 48(8), 881–899. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-06-2019-0185
UBOS. (2023). National Labour Force Survey (NLFS) 2021.
Uzorka, A., Namara, S., & Olaniyan, A. O. (2023). Modern technology adoption and professional development of lecturers. Education and Information Technologies, 28(11), 14693–14719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11790-w
Valero, M. D. R., Reid, T., Dell, G., Stacey, D., Hatt, J., Moore, Y., Clift, S., Rodanas, M. De, Reid, T., Dell, G., Stacey, D., & Hatt, J. (2020). Embedding employability and transferable skills in the curriculum?: a practical, multidisciplinary approach. Higher Education Pedagogies, 5(1), 247–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/23752696.2020.1816846
Winterton, J., & Turner, J. J. (2019). Preparing graduates for work readiness: an overview and agenda. Education and Training, 61(5), 536–551. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-03-2019-0044
Wondwosen, T. (2022). Graduate Employability and Responsiveness: The Need for Aligning Policy Directions and Institutional Readiness in Ethiopia. In Graduate Employability Across Contexts. (pp. 147–166). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3959-4_8
Yamen T. (1973). Statistics: An Introductory Analysis, 3rd Edition, Harper and Row, New York, NY.
Published
2026-02-27
How to Cite
Twinomuhwezi, A., Kamukama, N., & Tushabomwe-Kazooba, C. (2026). Human Capital and Graduate Employability in Public Universities in South- Western Uganda. Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, 17(4(J), 49-58. https://doi.org/10.22610/jebs.v17i4(J).4809
Issue
Section
Research Paper
Copyright (c) 2026 Alex Twinomuhwezi, Nixon Kamukama, Charles Tushabomwe-Kazooba
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Author (s) should affirm that the material has not been published previously. It has not been submitted and it is not under consideration by any other journal. At the same time author (s) need to execute a publication permission agreement to assume the responsibility of the submitted content and any omissions and errors therein. After submission of a revised paper in the light of suggestions of the reviewers, editorial team edits and formats manuscripts to bring uniformity and standardization in published material.
This work will be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) and under condition of the license, users are free to read, copy, remix, transform, redistribute, download, print, search or link to the full texts of articles and even build upon their work as long as they credit the author for the original work. Moreover, as per journal policy author (s) hold and retain copyrights without any restrictions.
