Abstract

Perceived Employability (PE) refers to students' confidence or lack thereof in their ability to obtain and keep formal employment corresponding to their qualification. It is global in scope, with adverse consequences when the perception is negative. In Nigeria, where graduates exceed formal job openings, persistent unemployment and underemployment have intensified negative employability perceptions among undergraduates, leading to academic apathy, vulnerability and helplessness. This study investigated the influence of mentoring and networking on PE among graduating students in South-West Nigeria, guided by the CareerEDGE model and social capital theory. A structured questionnaire was used, comprising Perceived Employability (α=0.96), Mentoring (α=0.91) and Networking (α=0.78) scales. Data were subjected to correlational statistics and multiple regression at p ≤ 0.05. Participants' age was 22.50±2.04 years, and 55.0% were male. All the variables were significantly positively correlated. Mentoring (β = 0.34, t = 10.34) and networking (β = 0.32, t = 9.74) significantly influenced PE independently and jointly (F [2, 813] = 191.54). It was recommended that students should actively engage in mentoring and networking for enhanced positive employability perceptions.

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