From Learning to Earning: How Entrepreneurial Inputs Foster Employability via Entrepreneurial Mindset Transformation

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial education, social ties, and family support on the employability of graduate students, with entrepreneurial mindset serving as a mediating variable. Employability is conceptualized as a graduate’s preparedness for and ability to secure meaningful work in today’s competitive job market. Drawing on a sample of 400 postgraduate students, data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed through structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that all three independent variables entrepreneurial education, social ties, and family support have significant positive effects on employability. Moreover, the entrepreneurial mindset (characterized by self-efficacy, adaptability, and proactiveness) significantly mediates the relationship between these predictors and employability. The results underscore the importance of fostering both personal and social capital to enhance job readiness among graduates.The novelty of this research lies in integrating psychological (entrepreneurial mindset), educational, and socio-relational factors into a single framework to explain employability. The study implies that higher education institutions and policymakers should not only focus on curriculum development but also encourage mindset formation and support networks to improve graduate outcomes in the labor market. These findings contribute valuable insights for developing holistic graduate employability strategies in dynamic and uncertain employment contexts.