What if the biggest challenge facing graduate employability is not a lack of ambition – but a lack of meaningful engagement?
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) and the University of the Free State (UFS) partnered to explore a pressing question:
How do students’ university experiences and career decision-making processes align with the skills and expectations required for successful employment?
The findings reveal a powerful insight: what students do matters – but how they engage matters even more.
About the Research
The collaboration between the University of the Free State (UFS) and SAGEA forms part of a 2025/26 pilot project designed to connect student engagement data with career readiness insights.
Drawing on findings from the South African Survey of Student Engagement (SASSE), which included the Career and Workforce Preparation (CWP) topical module, the research explores:
- How students experience their learning environment
- The skills they believe they are developing
- The career preparation practices they engage in during their studies
- The factors influencing their transition into the world of work
Administered across eight South African Higher Education Institutions*, the SASSE questionnaire reached 12 018 students across all faculties and years of study at the end of 2025. In early 2026, a short SASSE Pulse follow-up survey gathered additional data from 10 715 students on selected career readiness questions, including employer preference and factors that would encourage participation in career preparation activities.
*Participating institutions included North-West University, Stellenbosch University, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Cape Town, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Limpopo, the University of the Free State and University of the Western Cape.
Career Readiness: Intention vs Action
One of the most striking findings emerging from the research is the significant gap between students’ career intentions and their actual engagement.
Between 53% and 60% (depending on faculty) of students intend to participate in career preparation activities – yet only 17% to 31% actually do.
Students cited several barriers to participation, including:
- Lack of confidence when engaging at events
- Time pressures and competing priorities
- Poor timing of career-related activities
- Limited awareness of opportunities
The findings suggest that while many students recognise the importance of career preparation, voluntary engagement models and large scale events may not be enough to drive meaningful participation.
Skills Development: Confidence in Core Graduate Capabilities
Despite some variation across faculties, students generally believe their academic programmes are helping them develop core graduate attributes, including:
- Problem-solving
- Communication skills
- Analytical thinking
- Adaptability
The research highlights the important role universities already play in capability development -but also points to opportunities to strengthen the connection between academic learning and workplace readiness.
What Needs to Change?
The research points to the need for a more intentional and collaborative approach to career readiness – one that integrates the efforts of:
- Universities
- Careers services
- Lecturers and academics
- Employers
- Students themselves
The findings indicate that meaningful impact can be achieved when:
- Students have greater access to applied and practical learning opportunities – both in-person and virtual. While 73% of students plan to complete an internship, only 7% actually do, and 5% report that such opportunities are not available.
- Career conversations linked to specific disciplines are embedded into the curriculum, helping students better understand possible career pathways and workplace expectations.
- Greater lecturer-student interaction is encouraged and intentionally supported through curriculum design, performance measurement and recognition structures.
- Career readiness activities – including careers service engagement, mock interviews, employer events and networking opportunities – are treated as essential developmental experiences rather than optional extras.
More Than Employability
Career readiness is not shaped by a single intervention. It is the result of meaningful engagement, intentional capability development and consistent exposure to career-building practices throughout the student journey.
The research offers valuable insights for employers, universities and careers professionals seeking to better understand how students engage with career development – and where the biggest opportunities for impact still exist.
These early findings are only the beginning. The full research reveals deeper insights into student engagement, employability drivers and the future of graduate career preparation in South Africa – and includes comparisons across key faculties including Commerce, Mathematical Sciences, Engineering and Agriculture.