Are Post-secondary Students Prepared for Life after Graduation? Examining Characteristics and Correlates of Readiness Profiles

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  In Roundtable Session: Roundtable 4

Abstract

As young people transition toward higher education, they have to navigate complex career-related choices, while adapting to evolving expectations. Academic competence remains essential, but is insufficient amid rapid technological change and evolving workplace demands. Emerging scholarship has framed future-readiness as encompassing competencies such as self-directedness, adaptability, and character development, viewed as critical for successful transitions. Drawing on data from 4300 post-secondary students in Singapore, this study operationalized these core competencies through the lens of positive youth development. Findings revealed three distinct profiles. Students exhibiting higher levels of these competencies demonstrate enhanced psychosocial wellbeing and reduced psychological distress. Further analysis identified both facilitating and hindering personal and contextual factors associated with these profiles.

Author

• Melvin Chan, National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University