An Integrated Competency-Based Framework for Employability and the Sustainability of Higher Education

The rapid advancement of emerging technologies is reshaping industries, widening skills gaps, and increasing the demand for technology talent. Limited university–industry collaboration further constrains the alignment between educational outcomes and labor market needs. This study proposes an Integrated Competency-Based Framework for Employability and the Sustainability of Higher Education, focusing on institutional and knowledge sustainability. The Framework integrates a Competency Map that establishes a university–industry shared language and a Digital Platform that facilitates actor interactions, strengthening the characterization, visibility, and connection of student talent and industry opportunities through digital portfolios. The research followed a two-phase approach: design and pilot implementation. During the pilot, the core components of the Framework were developed, and its initial feasibility and potential relevance were assessed through a survey, a workshop, and semi-structured interviews with students, professors, and industry stakeholders. The findings suggest that the Framework may enhance student employability, access to industry opportunities and talent identification, and strengthen institutional processes that support teaching, curriculum development, academic quality enhancement, and accreditation, thus highlighting the potential contribution of the Framework to institutional, knowledge, and socio-economic sustainability. The study makes theoretical, empirical, and practical contributions by advancing competency-based education for employability and the sustainability of higher education.