Understanding employability experiences of international students in UK universities

Nygren, Lindsay (2025) Understanding employability experiences of international students in UK universities. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The increasing number of international students in the UK raises the question about the universities’ responsibility to support those lacking the cultural and social knowledge needed to navigate employability development. The aim of this study is to investigate the international student and staff perspectives on their employability experience and the role university services play in supporting their development. This aim will be achieved by addressing four research questions: (1) what does employability mean for international students, (2) what are the facilitators and inhibitors in their employability experience, (3) to what extent can the application of an employability model enhance our understanding of the international student transition to the UK labour market, and (4) what is the responsibility of the university in international student employability from the staff perspective.

Grounded in Tomlinson’s (2017) Graduate Capital Model and Prell’s (2012) Social Network Analysis, this research perceives international students’ employability experience as a social process, which is impacted by the relations, interactions, and intercultural competencies of students and university services. As an extension of graduate capital during their studies at a UK university from the perspectives of both stakeholders, a mixed methods approach is applied to investigate the responsibility of international student’s employability development. The use of multiple data collection methods captures the ways the individuals within the university approach and develop employability. This included semi-structured staff and student interviews, and a student survey. The research findings suggest there are differing views on employability development between university staff and international students, with cultural differences causing tension. Recognising the influence of cultural diversity and social networks, this study suggests the importance of intercultural competencies between university services and international students to empower students to be independently responsible in developing their employability. An analysis of the interviews and survey provided conceptual and practical implications for university service staff and international students to continue fostering a collaborative and culturally inclusive approach to employability development. Such an approach can ensure that international students are supported in the UK labour market while maintaining their unique cultural identities.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: L Education > LC Special aspects of education
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Supervisor's Name: Moskal, Professor Marta and Okay-Somerville, Dr. Belgin
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85171
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 10 Jun 2025 15:03
• Last Modified: 10 Jun 2025 15:06
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85171
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85171