The transition to the labour market is a critical developmental stage for Italian students and graduates, and it remains particularly complex. Structural factors (e.g., high youth unemployment, university curricula-industry mismatch, and shortages of employability capital) contribute to uncertain early-career pathways for many graduates. Within this context, understanding the factors that support university students' employability in the contemporary labour market and a sustainable transition stage has become a key issue for research and practice.


This contribution provides a general overview of the most pressing issues and challenges in the university-to-work transition in the Italian context. Specifically, building on empirical research conducted with Italian students and graduates, this presentation will highlight how personal resources (e.g., employability-related capitals) and contextual features (e.g., university support) influence employment potential and perceptions of employability. In light of disruptive technological changes affecting career development issues, the talk will discuss how AI-based technologies may influence job search processes and employability-related behaviours among students and graduates. Moreover, this contribution will address factors that affect expectations for a sustainable transition to work among Italian students with Specific Learning Disorders.


Overall, this contribution aims to provide an integrated perspective on employability in the Italian context and to highlight implications for research and practice in applied psychology. In particular, this presentation will provide recommendations for universities, career services, and policy initiatives to support students' career development in a rapidly evolving labour market.