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Helping college students to establish the concept of employment in line with the socialist core values is of great significance for cultivating high-quality employment talents and conveying excellent main force for the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This paper puts forward the integration path of college students’ employment education and ideological education based on the idea of “goal-system-variable”. It also designs a questionnaire based on the influence mechanism of integrated education on college students’ employability to investigate the implementation effect of the integrated education path. The reliability test of the questionnaire is completed by Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) and retest reliability method, and the validity test of the questionnaire is realized by using KMO test and Bartlett’s globular test method. It was found that 194 students strongly agreed with the question “The implementation of the integrated education pathway in schools is very effective”, which indicates that the implementation of the pathway in this paper has achieved good results. Most of the students think that after integrated education, they have improved their self-management ability and are able to make reasonable employment plans, which greatly helps to improve their employability. At the same time, the analysis found that the students’ view of big employment has changed significantly, and the score of the students’ view of employment goal planning after the implementation of the path reaches 4.51 points. The integration education path designed in this paper provides an effective reference for colleges and universities to improve the employment ability of college students.
mployment constitutes the cornerstone of livelihood and is a salient issue of high societal concern. It serves as a prerequisite and foundation for fostering socio-economic development and ensuring social stability and harmony [1-3]. This topic has garnered significant attention among college students, prompting the establishment of a relatively mature model for employment guidance education in universities and colleges. Nevertheless, amidst the ever-evolving employment landscape and shifting job market dynamics, college students confront novel challenges and dilemmas in their pursuit of employment. Consequently, the question of how to effectively enhance the quality of employment education has emerged as a pressing issue that necessitates timely resolution.
Employment represents one of the most pressing issues in the developmental trajectory of college students. Addressing this issue necessitates the enhancement of students’ ideological, moral, and psychological qualities through effective ideological and political education. This, in turn, aims to elevate their overall employability and prepare them to tackle the practical challenges they encounter [4-7]. Integrating ideological and political education with employment guidance in a profound manner, thereby identifying viable pathways and countermeasures to address the shortcomings in the process, has emerged as a crucial concern within the realm of ideological and political education. By incorporating ideological and political education into employment guidance, we can educate students on career choices, labor values, and vocational ethics. This endeavor not only enriches the theoretical framework of employment guidance but also offers vital theoretical guidance for resolving the genuine challenges related to college students’ employment, career decisions, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Ideological and political education in colleges and universities emphasizes addressing the employment and entrepreneurship challenges faced by students. It fosters qualities such as diligence, perseverance, social responsibility, service-oriented mindset, innovative consciousness, and teamwork spirit. By guiding students to embrace concepts of duty, love for work, honesty, and integrity within the realm of vocational ethics, this education effectively enhances the ’soft power’ of college graduates in the job market, thereby strengthening their employment competitiveness [8-10].
Ideological and political education, with a renewed focus on addressing the employment difficulties of college students, closely aligns with the authentic life experiences and growth needs of students [11-13]. By promptly conveying the latest national employment policies to students and analyzing the current employment landscape, this education effectively mitigates employment anxiety among college students, guides them in establishing a correct employment outlook, and tackles the genuine issue of employment confusion faced by students.
Addressing the challenge of difficult employment faced by college students is not merely pertinent to the growth and development of individual students and the well-being of their families; it also has implications for societal stability. The state has consistently prioritized the issue of employment, particularly among college student populations, and has continually implemented effective measures to foster employment opportunities. These efforts aim to establish long-term mechanisms and advance the development of comprehensive employment programs for college students. Notably, ideological and political education plays a pivotal role in guiding college students towards successful employment, and enhancing the quality of their job prospects holds significant national and societal importance [14-17].
This paper integrates the fundamental goals of ideological and political education with those of employment education, and formulates an integration path for both based on the conceptual framework of “goal-system-variable.” Utilizing the mechanism underlying the influence of this integrated education path on the employment capabilities of college students, a questionnaire was devised to evaluate the implementation effects, examining both students’ attitudes towards the path and their resultant employment abilities. Following the application of Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) to assess the reliability of the questionnaire items, a re-test reliability analysis was performed using the Spearman correlation coefficient to verify the questionnaire’s consistency. Subsequently, the KMO test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were employed to examine the validity and factorability of the questionnaire items, respectively. After implementing the integrated education pathway across seven colleges and universities, the attitudes and feedback of college students towards the pathway were collected and analyzed, alongside an assessment of their employment readiness. Furthermore, we compared the changes in college students’ perceptions and attitudes towards employment before and after the implementation of the pathway, aiming to delve deeper into the impact of our proposed integrated education approach.
Centered on the training objective of “fostering high-quality employment talents,” this paper adheres to the holistic design principles of systematization, personalization, institutionalization, and long-term sustainability. Guided by the educational philosophy embedded in ideological and political education, it implements a comprehensive, multifaceted, and life-cycle action strategy. By integrating the practical endeavors of college students and drawing inspiration from the “goal-system-variable” framework, this paper outlines the fundamental pathway for integrating college students’ employment education with ideological and political education. The specific integrated education approach is illustrated in Figure 1. By constructing an index system for enhancing college students’ employability, we establish a coursework and practical platform tailored to this end. Furthermore, we develop and refine a scientific evaluation system for fostering employability, optimize the support system for its cultivation, and continually explore innovative educational vehicles for ideological and political education in higher education institutions.
During the after-class extension activities, the testing is conducted based on the theoretical framework, and the scheduling of the warehouse operations is arranged in accordance with the specific task scenarios. This allows students to integrate the classroom content with practical applications encountered in the course.
In this paper, we have constructed the mechanism of influence exerted by the fusion of college students’ employment education and ideological and political education on their employability, drawing upon the teaching approach of this integration and the theoretical underpinnings of college students’ employability. The specific deconstruction of this influence mechanism is presented in Figure 2. The integration of employment education with ideological and political education represents an optimal strategy for fostering college students’ employment competencies, constituting the essential pathway towards nurturing high-quality professional talents who possess both an entrepreneurial spirit and robust employability. Both employment education and ideological and political education are integral components of the higher education system. Neglecting ideological and political education hinders the holistic cultivation of “T-shaped talents,” while ideological and political education devoid of employment education fails to garner broad recognition and support from various sectors of society, ultimately impeding the achievement of the overarching goal of cultivating employable individuals. Consequently, the ultimate objective of employment education remains elusive without this integration.
The questionnaire employed in this study was devised upon an existing scale while incorporating our specific research requirements. Prior to its formal dissemination, a preliminary test was conducted using a smaller-scale version to ensure the seamless progression of the research. A total of 60 questionnaires were administered to recent graduates of Xiangtan University as the preliminary test subjects, and adjustments were made accordingly to finalize the questionnaire for formal use. Table 1 outlines the detailed specifications of the questionnaire, which comprises four distinct sections. The initial section primarily elucidates the objective of this research. The subsequent section compiles personal information of the participants, including gender, educational attainment, academic discipline, and family residence. The third segment assesses the implementation of the integrated instructional pathway encompassing career education and ideological-political education, encompassing a total of 8 questions aimed at elucidating the perspectives and feedback of university students subsequent to the implementation of the integrated approach devised in this study. Drawing from the influence paradigm of this integrated educational pathway on college students’ employability, the latter is conceptualized within the questionnaire as six principal dimensions: professional application ability, professional innovation capacity, teamwork proficiency, communication and coordination skills, learning aptitude, and self-management ability, totaling 14 questions. The questionnaire adopts a five-point Likert scale, where 1 signifies “strongly disagree,” 2 denotes “disagree,” 3 implies “uncertain,” while 4 and 5 respectively represent “agree” and “strongly agree.
| Variable | Numbering | Item |
| Integrate the education path attitude | A1 | The school set up enough jobs courses and projects |
| A2 | Schools often invite good entrepreneurs to carry out jobs | |
| A3 | Schools will often hold jobs and other training activities | |
| A4 | The school will have regular histology for employment training | |
| A5 | The school has a perfect job base | |
| A6 | The ideological and political theory course is fully adapted to the employment requirements of college students | |
| A7 | Ideological and political education makes the behavior of employment thought positive | |
| A8 | The school integrated education is very good | |
| Team ability | B1 | In teamwork, i know my role and my role |
| B2 | I can understand the team’s goals and be willing to make my own contribution | |
| B3 | Be able to get along with the team | |
| B4 | Willing to share my information and experience with other members of the team | |
| Communication and coordination | B5 | I am good at listening and i can understand others’ opinions very well |
| B6 | Can express your thoughts and opinions clearly | |
| B7 | Be able to read and understand different forms of information | |
| B8 | Be good at negotiating with others and reaching a consensus | |
| Self-management | B9 | Ability to evaluate and supervise oneself |
| B10 | Be good at balancing life and work | |
| B11 | Make clear and feasible plans before solving the problem | |
| Professional ability | B12 | I can effectively apply the chosen solution to practice |
| Professional innovation ability | B13 | Think that you will innovate in the future work life based on your major |
| Learning ability | B14 | It has continuous learning and learning heat, which can be learned consciously |
Reliability pertains to the extent of consistency, stability, and dependability exhibited by a scale. The prevalent methods for assessing reliability include retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, split-half reliability, and Cronbach’s \(\alpha\). In this study, we employ Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) and retest reliability to conduct the reliability analysis. Cronbach’s \(\alpha\), being the most frequently utilized approach, primarily serves to evaluate the internal consistency among the items within the scale. The value of Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) spans from 0 to 1, with higher values indicating stronger consistency among the items, thus, higher reliability of the scale. Researchers typically recommend a Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) threshold of 0.80 or above for basic research, 0.70 for exploratory studies, and 0.60 for substantive research. A Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) ranging from 0.70 to 0.98 signifies high reliability, whereas a value below 0.35 implies low reliability, necessitating rejection. Table 2 presents the reliability test results of the questionnaire designed in this paper. The total questionnaire yielded a Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) of 0.894, and each dimension item also demonstrated Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) values exceeding 0.850, indicating robust internal consistency across all items in this study.
| Variable | Problem number | Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) |
| Integrate the education path attitude | 8 | 0.934 |
| Team ability | 4 | 0.857 |
| Communication and coordination | 4 | 0.850 |
| Self-management | 3 | 0.890 |
| Professional ability | 1 | 0.909 |
| Professional innovation ability | 1 | 0.896 |
| Learning ability | 1 | 0.885 |
| Inventory of total | 21 | 0.894 |
Retest reliability primarily assesses the temporal stability of a scale by administering the same scale to the same subjects on two separate occasions and calculating the correlation coefficient between the results of these two tests. The strength of this correlation coefficient reflects the stability of the scale; a higher correlation coefficient indicates better stability and, consequently, more reliable results. In this study, the same cohort of subjects was tested twice, with a two-week interval between the tests. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was employed to quantify the correlation between the results of these two tests, and the findings pertaining to retest reliability are presented in Table 3. The results reveal a correlation coefficient of 0.908 (P\(\mathrm{<}\)0.01), indicating a strong correlation between the outcomes of the two tests. This signifies that the questionnaire employed in this study exhibits robust inter-temporal consistency. Coupled with the favorable outcomes of the Cronbach’s \(\alpha\) analysis, these results confirm the high reliability of the questionnaire designed to evaluate the implementation effect of the integrated education pathway.
| Variable | Rereliability | P |
| Integrate the education path attitude | 0.858 | 0.000 |
| Team ability | 0.941 | 0.000 |
| Communication and coordination | 0.866 | 0.000 |
| Self-management | 0.815 | 0.000 |
| Professional ability | 0.875 | 0.000 |
| Professional innovation ability | 0.904 | 0.000 |
| Learning ability | 0.845 | 0.000 |
| Inventory of total | 0.908 | 0.000 |
In this study, the KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were performed to assess the suitability of the questionnaire items for factor analysis, thereby verifying the reliability of the questionnaire design. The KMO value ranges from 0 to 1, where values closer to 1 suggest greater adequacy of the sampling and more suitable data for factor analysis. Specifically, KMO values below 0.6 indicate inadequate sampling, values between 0.6 and 0.7 suggest mediocre suitability, values between 0.7 and 0.8 indicate that the data are moderately suitable, and values above 0.8 indicate excellent suitability for factor analysis. The KMO value and results of the sphericity test obtained from this study’s analysis are presented in Table 4. Notably, the KMO value of 0.957 indicates that the questionnaire items are highly suitable for factor analysis, confirming that the questions in the questionnaire can effectively elicit and analyze college students’ attitudes towards the implementation of the integrated pathway of employment education and ideological education, as well as their employability.
| Index | Value | |
| KMO sampling availability number | 0.957 | |
| Bartlett’s spherical test | Approximate cabal distribution | 9985.365 |
| Freedom | 648 | |
| Significance | 0.000 | |
This paper employs a random sampling approach to select seven institutions of higher learning as the research subjects: Guangxi University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Nanchang University, Guilin University of Electronic Science and Technology, Fujian Normal University, Xiamen Institute of Technology, and Yongzhou Vocational and Technical College. A total of 750 questionnaires were administered, with 714 deemed valid, resulting in a validity rate of 95.2%. The fundamental demographic information of the surveyed students is presented in Table 5, showcasing a generally comprehensive coverage of the survey sample data and a relatively even distribution across various categories. Specifically, 359 (50.28%) participants were male, and 355 (49.72%) were female. The number of respondents ranged from freshmen to seniors and graduate students, with each category falling within the bracket of 120 to 170 individuals. In terms of academic disciplines, 148 students (18.91%) were enrolled in humanities and social sciences, 230 (32.21%) in science and technology, 127 (17.79%) in economics and management, and 119 (16.67%) in arts, with the latter being slightly underrepresented compared to other majors. The surveyed college students’ household registrations were evenly distributed, with 337 students hailing from rural areas and 377 from urban areas.
| Variable name | Variable description | Quantity | Frequency |
| Gender | Man | 359 | 50.28% |
| Female | 355 | 49.72% | |
| Grade | Freshman year | 152 | 21.29% |
| Sophomore | 164 | 22.97% | |
| Junior | 134 | 18.77% | |
| Senior year | 139 | 19.47% | |
| Graduate student | 125 | 17.51% | |
| Majors | Literary history | 148 | 20.73% |
| Technologists | 135 | 18.91% | |
| Tube class | 127 | 17.79% | |
| Art class | 119 | 16.67% | |
| Other | 185 | 25.91% | |
| Household registration | Countryside | 337 | 47.20% |
| Town | 377 | 52.80% |
This section delves into the attitudes of college students towards the integration of employment education and ideological and political education as proposed in this study. The specific survey findings pertaining to these attitudes are presented in Figure 3. Regarding question A8, which inquired about the “effectiveness of the school’s integrated education path,” 194 students expressed strong agreement, whereas 71 students opined that the implementation was highly unsatisfactory. This suggests that the integration path of employment education and ideological and political education designed in this study has garnered favorable outcomes in universities and colleges. Additionally, 39.50% of the respondents affirmed that the school offers an adequate array of employment courses and programs within the context of the integrated education pathway.In the analysis of item A2, which assessed the frequency of “outstanding entrepreneurs being invited to deliver employment lectures,” 180 students indicated that the school should enhance innovative approaches to ideological and political education, including the organization of such lectures. Furthermore, when queried about whether the ideological and political theory courses adequately cater to the employment needs of college students, 59.5% of the respondents stated that post-implementation of the integrated education path, these courses fully met their employment requirements. However, 9.10% of students remained unconvinced, believing that the current courses fail to comprehensively address actual employment needs and, therefore, warrant attention and further refinement.It may be that the student thinks that now the political theory course of thinking can not help students improve their employment ability. Simultaneously, it was revealed that 108 college students strongly concurred that the ideological and political education within the integrated education path outlined in this paper can elicit positive shifts in employment mindset and conduct. However, a notable 14.43% of respondents remained skeptical, maintaining that the ideological and political education had not significantly contributed. This underscores that while the implemented integrated education path has garnered tangible progress in universities and colleges, there persist deficiencies in the development of employment education and ideological and political education curricula, the fostering of a conducive cultural ambiance, the strengthening of teaching staff, the establishment of recruitment platforms, the advocacy of employment policies, and the augmentation of entrepreneurial funding, all of which necessitate refinement.
The employment abilities of college students subsequent to the implementation of the integration path were meticulously investigated and analyzed. The specific findings pertaining to employment abilities are presented in Figure 4. In assessing teamwork abilities (B1-B4), the survey results for questions B1, “I am clear about my own role and the roles of other members in teamwork,” and B2, “I am able to understand the team’s goals and am willing to make my own contribution to the team,” revealed that 175 and 202 students, respectively, strongly agreed with these statements. However, in response to question B4, “I am willing to share the information and experience I have with other team members,” a notable proportion of students (18.91% strongly disagreed, and 17.23% disagreed) indicated a lack of understanding and awareness of the importance of teamwork in employment contexts, suggesting that they may not have had ample opportunities or abilities to practice and enhance their integration within teams.Regarding communication and coordination skills in employment, the survey outcomes demonstrated that, following the implementation of the integrated education pathway, students’ communication abilities in employment settings had improved. They were better equipped to listen to and comprehend the perspectives of others in the workplace, with 17.93% of students strongly agreeing that they could articulate their views clearly in employment situations. Nevertheless, 113 and 161 students, respectively, expressed difficulty in translating their thoughts into action, particularly in written form, indicating a lack of confidence in their ability to express themselves effectively. This underscores the need for future endeavors in integrating employment education with ideological and political education to address these identified areas of improvement.
College students, having been accustomed to “standardized answers” in their previous educational endeavors, often seek definitive and universally applicable methods for problem-solving, reluctant to engage in proactive thinking and exploration of alternative avenues. Following the implementation of the integrated educational approach, 290 college students concurred or strongly concurred with question B13 of the survey on professional innovation capability, posing, “Do you believe you will engage in innovative activities based on your specialty in your future professional life?” This outcome suggests that the integration of Civic Education and Career Education has mitigated students’ reliance on teachers. Furthermore, it underscores that this integration has fostered a heightened sense of innovation among students and nurtured an innovative mindset in anticipation of their future employment endeavors. Civic and Political Education, in particular, empowers college students to enhance their self-regulatory capabilities and develop positive, healthful life plans. Survey responses to questions B9, B10, and B11 reveal that between 200 and 400 students strongly agree, indicating that the fusion of employment education with civic and political education has bolstered students’ self-management skills, thereby significantly contributing to the enhancement of their employability.
The level of ideological and political education directly influences an individual’s employment outlook, with a higher degree of ideological and political integration in employment education correlating positively with a more optimistic and rational employment outlook among college students. Additionally, their capacity to analyze and address employment-related challenges is enhanced. Consequently, this section aims to delve deeper into the impact of implementing the integrated approach of employment education and civic and political education, specifically examining whether such integration fosters a correct and constructive employment outlook among students. To this end, we conduct a comparative analysis of college students’ employment outlook before and after the implementation of the integrated educational path. This analysis encompasses eight dimensions: perceptions of the employment landscape and policies, the purpose and significance of employment, employment value orientations, employment ethics, career goal planning, employment attitudes and concepts, awareness of the challenges associated with entrepreneurship, and recognition of employment-related societal issues. The findings of this comparative analysis, pre- and post-implementation of the integrated education path, are presented in Table 6.From a comprehensive perspective, the implementation of the integrated education path in this study led to significantly different outcomes in eight dimensions of college students’ employment outlook. Specifically, regarding employment goal planning, prior to the integration of Civic and Political Education with Employment Education, students’ average score was merely 2.65 points. However, subsequent to this fusion, the score for students’ employment goal planning soared to 4.51 points, showcasing a substantial difference (P=0.001\(\mathrm{<}\)0.05). This marked improvement underscores the clarity and definitiveness that college students now possess in planning their future careers, a direct consequence of the integrated educational approach.In terms of the perception of the meaning of employment, post-implementation of the integrated education path, students’ mean score reached 3.94, indicating a heightened understanding that employment serves as a means to better realize personal values. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of students’ attitudes and concepts towards employment revealed a notable increase of 0.88 points in the average score within this dimension, with a significance value of 0.047, underscoring a statistically significant difference. This finding underscores the positive influence of integrating Civic Education on fostering positive employment concepts among college students.
| Dimension | Path implementation | Mean | SD | T | P |
| The concept of employment form policy | Front | 2.46 | 0.37 | 20.51 | 0.014 |
| After | 4.75 | 0.36 | |||
| The meaning of the purpose of employment | Front | 3.91 | 0.27 | 18.73 | 0.002 |
| After | 3.94 | 0.36 | |||
| The concept of employment value orientation | Front | 3.77 | 0.45 | 21.17 | 0.029 |
| After | 4.75 | 0.32 | |||
| The concept of employment ethics | Front | 3.78 | 0.5 | 12.26 | 0.037 |
| After | 4.82 | 0.33 | |||
| The concept of employment goals | Front | 2.65 | 0.31 | 10.41 | 0.001 |
| After | 4.51 | 0.49 | |||
| Attitudes and ideas | Front | 2.97 | 0.41 | 13.41 | 0.047 |
| After | 3.85 | 0.29 | |||
| Autonomous entrepreneurship is difficult to recognize | Front | 1.59 | 0.12 | 25.65 | 0.000 |
| After | 4.14 | 0.22 | |||
| Knowledge of autonomous entrepreneurship | Front | 2.22 | 0.29 | 27.64 | 0.035 |
| After | 4.11 | 0.11 | |||
| Awareness of employment related social issues | Front | 3.51 | 0.14 | 15.82 | 0.049 |
| After | 4.02 | 0.21 |
Upon proposing the integration pathway of employment education and ideological education in this study, we devised a questionnaire aimed at investigating the efficacy of this integrated educational approach in relation to college students’ attitudes and employability, as well as analyzing the shifts in their employment outlooks. The findings indicate that:
In response to Question A8, which states, “The results of the implementation of the integrated education path in schools are very good,” 194 students expressed strong agreement, whereas only 71 students expressed dissatisfaction with the implementation results, suggesting that the designed integration pathway of employment education and political education in higher education institutions has achieved favorable outcomes.
Students’ communication skills pertaining to employment have significantly improved, as evidenced by their ability to actively listen to and comprehend diverse viewpoints within the workplace. Furthermore, 17.93% of the students strongly concurred that they are proficient in articulating their perspectives clearly in employment settings. Analysis of Question B13, which inquires, “I believe I will engage in innovative activities based on my specialized field in my future professional life,” reveals that 290 college students either agreed or strongly agreed, indicating a notable decrease in their reliance on teachers and a corresponding increase in their intrinsic motivation to innovate within the realm of employment.
Prior to and subsequent to the implementation of the integrated education pathway, notable differences were observed in the eight dimensions pertaining to college students’ perspectives on employment. Following the integration of teaching, the score for students’ perception of employment goal planning attained 4.51 points, which was statistically significant (P=0.001, p\(\mathrm{<}\)0.05). This finding underscores the fact that the integration of employment education and ideological education has contributed to college students developing a clear and well-defined plan for their future employment endeavors.
A comprehensive analysis of the results underscores that the integration pathway of employment education and ideological education, as proposed in this study, has yielded favorable implementation outcomes. This integration has the potential to foster a positive employment outlook among students and facilitate the enhancement of their employability.
Chongqing University of Technology’s “DieShan in Cloud” Network Culture Studio.
