From Mobility to Employability: The Role of Transferable Skills, Intercultural Competence and Social Capital in Erasmus Experiences

This study examines how international academic mobility contributes to graduateemployability by focusing on the competence-based mechanisms through which mobilityexperiences translate into labour-market advantages. Drawing on data from 214 graduates,the study investigates whether Erasmus mobility participation influences perceivedemployability through the development of transferable skills, intercultural competence andsocial capital. A four-factor measurement model was validated using confirmatory factoranalysis, followed by mediation analysis using Hayes’ PROCESS Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrapresamples. The results indicate that Erasmus participation is positively associated withperceived employability, with a substantial portion of this relationship explained throughcompetence development pathways. Transferable skills and intercultural competenceemerge as the strongest mediating mechanisms, while social capital provides an additionalthough comparatively modest contribution. These findings support a competence-mediatedinterpretation of mobility returns and suggest that the employability benefits of internationalmobility depend on how effectively students translate their experiences into identifiableskills and capabilities. The study contributes to higher education research by clarifying themechanisms linking mobility experiences to employability outcomes and offers practicalimplications for universities seeking to design mobility programmes that enhance graduateemployability