Linking development of skills and perceptions of employability: the case of Erasmus students

There is evidence that perceptions of employability lead to positive results for organizations and individuals alike. The relationship between perceptions of employability and development of skills is, although relevant, an understudied area of research. This study analyses this relationship in a sample of 196 students who participated in the Erasmus program between 2013 and 2017. Using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), we analyse how configurations of five types of skills (Career-orientation skills, Adaptability skills, Managerial skills, Personal skills and Teamwork skills) combine to produce perceptions of employability. Results show that, although Erasmus students perceive a positive development in all groups of skills, students perceive a higher development on Adaptability skills. Results also show that there is no single type of skills that can be developed to promote perceptions of employability but, instead, there are two distinct configurational groupings of skills that lead to perceptions of employability: one configuration has two core conditions—Adaptability skills and Teamwork skills—and the other configuration includes three core conditions—Career-orientation skills, Managerial skills and Personal skills. These configurations match the two main motivations for choosing an international exchange as a strategy to enhance employability: pursuing an international career and pursuing distinction from peers.