The Conceptualisation of Employability among Higher Education Administrators in Sri Lanka’s Turbulent Labour Market

Purpose
Employability is an established research theme in Western literature, however, in developing economies the concept remains unclear and under researched. This study addresses this lacuna by exploring how Sri Lankan higher education administrators conceptualise employability and which capitals they perceive as needing development to achieve employability.

Design/methodology/approach
The research utilised semi-structured interviews with an expert panel, responsible for leading the development of the employment agenda within Sri Lankan higher education. The purposive sample included four Sri Lankan Vice Chancellors, representing leadership at 27% of the country’s publicly funded universities and the higher education funding commission. The qualitative data collected was thematically analysed to identify how employability was conceptualised and the perceived employability skills and capitals required.

Findings
The findings demonstrated that employability was conceptualised as requiring transferable skills and job specific occupational skills. This view of employability represents a narrow definition with an emphasis on skill development rather than longer term capability building. The results show the applicability of Bourdieu’s (1977) capitals in the Sri Lankan higher education context, with cultural and social capital and proficiency in the English language critical to meeting employability objectives.

Originality
This research addresses the shortage of research about the concept and requirements of employability in developing countries. Most employability studies have drawn on samples from students, lecturers, and employers, whilst this study considers the phenomenon from the perspectives of strategic administrators in higher education who guide the employability agenda in practice. These insights are important in informing policy makers to calibrate a more balanced approach by incorporating employability into the Sri Lankan higher education curriculum and sector strategy.