Universities are increasingly judged by how effectively they prepare graduates for volatile, technology-driven labor markets. Yet employability is often framed as skills or employment outcomes, overlooking the psychological processes through which students anticipate and prepare for future work (Donald et al., 2019; Fugate et al., 2004). This presentation positions perceived future employability (PFE) as a key future-oriented competence in higher education—an integrative evaluative capacity through which students assess the viability of their future employability based on their developing capabilities, experiences, networks, and perceived opportunity structures.


Conceptually grounded in social cognitive career theory, PFE captures forward-looking cognitive and motivational processes that shape students' confidence, agency, and adaptive career behavior during the university years (Lent et al., 1994). Empirical studies indicate that higher PFE is associated with stronger career decision confidence, greater career adaptability, and more proactive career behavior among university students and young adults (Gunawan et al., 2019, 2021, 2024). Drawing on large-scale studies in Australia and Indonesia, this presentation positions PFE as a psychological bridge linking higher education experiences with university-to-work transitions and expectations of sustainable careers in uncertain labor markets.


The presentation also highlights the growing international visibility of the construct. Beyond its original scale development and Indonesian validation, the Perceived Future Employability Scale (PFES) has been examined across diverse contexts including Türkiye, China, Poland, and the Middle East. These studies suggest that PFE is emerging as a globally relevant framework for understanding graduate employability across varied higher education systems and labor market conditions (Chen et al., 2023; Kaylan, 2022; Kertechian et al., 2023; Matius & Gunawan; Wójcik & Litwinek, 2026).