On September 11th 2024, the article “Is employability still the holy grail for the new generation of international students?”, authored by Nannette Ripmeester, was published on the ICEF Monitor website.

“Whether it is from the perspective of the student, the higher education institution, or society at large, employability matters.”

The International Student Barometer (ISB) data for 2023/24 shows that for the past five years “Future career impact” has topped the list at 96% as the primary reason why international students choose a higher education institution. Additionally, study choice is not driven by country reputation (#7) or institution reputation (#3) but by the impact it will have on a graduate’s career.

Employability is not only a driving force behind study choice but also key for recommendation of the study experience (together with course organisation (!) and quality of lectures). Hence, it is evident that from the start of the student journey that higher education institutions need to work on graduate career outcomes, an area where institutions in Europe lag by 9% compared to the global benchmark.

What is the employer’ view on study abroad and the impact on employability? How can institutions provide the necessary support for this employability? Interested to read the article? Read the full article here.