Linking extracurricular engagement to employability: The mediating role of career self-efficacy among minority undergraduates

Minority university students play an important role in advancing educational equity, making the enhancement of their employability particularly significant. This study empirically investigates how extracurricular activity participation (EAP) and career self-efficacy (CSE) influence the employability of minority undergraduates. This study is grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory and employs a questionnaire survey method. Convenience sampling was adopted, and data were collected from three universities in Yunnan Province, China, one of the regions with the largest populations of ethnic minority students in the country. A total of 552 student responses were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. The results demonstrate that EAP has a significant positive effect on both CSE and employability. CSE also positively predicts employability and partially mediates the relationship between EAP and employability. These findings underscore the critical role of extracurricular learning experiences and psychological resources in strengthening minority students’ employability and offer practical implications for higher education interventions.