Youth readiness for work and life: profiling core competencies of positive youth development and their correlates among post-secondary students in Singapore

The rapid evolution of emerging technologies has intensified calls for a renewed set of future-ready competencies that extend beyond academic knowledge to include technical capabilities, efficacy, and sociomoral strengths. These integrated competencies empower youth to navigate complex social environments, pursue meaningful career pathways, and develop as confident, ethical and responsible citizens. Within Positive Youth Development (PYD) research, such capacities are often conceptualized as interrelated developmental assets that support thriving and positive life outcomes. Despite growing scholarly attention, questions remain regarding how these multidimensional competencies are operationalized and empirically characterized among youth populations. Using data from a large sample of post-secondary students in Singapore ( N = 4,006; M age = 18.6), this study examines the range of competency configurations that may support youth preparedness for post-school pursuits. Results revealed four distinct competency profiles characterized by varying levels of efficacy and sociomoral strengths. Students belonging to more adaptive profiles reported more favorable psychosocial, school, and career-related outcomes. Multinomial analyses further identified significant individual and contextual predictors of profile membership, with two motivational factors emerging as particularly salient: perceived school preparedness and subjective task values. These findings extend our understanding of the competence-oriented perspective within PYD and offer insights for supporting successful post-secondary transitions.