The Impact of Structural and Educational Challenges on Career Readiness and Employability of Female Business Administration Students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

The issue of graduate employability has gained importance among the higher education institutions, especially in the developing world that is characterized by fewer opportunities in the labor market. Women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan are experiencing multiple impediments which impact career preparedness and job marketability after graduating into Female Business Administration. These issues are high unemployment, absence of definite job ideas, insufficient hands-on activities, and absence of project-based training, unavailability of government employment and insufficient investment prospects and poor governance. The present study is based on the Human Capital Theory that defines employability as a consequence of education, skills, experience, and support of the institutions. The paper forms a conceptual framework to analyze the effect of the combination of these factors on the career readiness and employability of female Business Administration students in KPK. Available literature indicates that academic knowledge does not necessarily guarantee employment and that practical exposure, awareness of career and favorable conditions of the labor market are critical in equipping graduates with working. The female students tend to face problems in putting their education into productive work in the areas with limited job possibilities and poor institutional backing. The suggested research methodology is a quantitative one that will be used to empirically verify the correlations of the specified factors with career readiness and employability. This research study will be useful to universities, policy makers and curriculum developers as it will discuss the need to ensure that practical training, project based learning, good career guidance, and better governance are employed to ensure that the female graduates become more employable. Since this study is conceptual in nature, further studies ought to be centered on obtaining primary data and coming up with a measurement scale that is context-specific to look empirically into career readiness, and employability among female Business Administration students at KPK.