What is employability and why is it important?

Employability is a real issue in today's society. In the past, finding a job was a guarantee of employability, but today this is no longer enough. Even with a job, an employee must maintain his or her employability.

What does the concept of employability mean?

The concept of employability emerged in the 1970s in the context of the employment crisis.

It applies to anyone looking for a job, or even someone who is already working. Employability refers to a person's ability to find a job, to hold a job, to advance in their career and, if necessary, to find a new job. In general, it refers to a person's ability to develop independently in the sphere of labor.

The concept of employability takes into account a number of parameters, including :

•  adaptability ;
•  ability to fit into a team;
•  willingness and ability to develop;
•  skill acquisition;
•  personal development ;
•  ability to take initiative;
•  openness to career opportunities and mobility.

Thus, the criteria used to assess a person's employability can be grouped into three areas: personality, attitudes and skills.

There are 2 types of employability. First, relative work capacity. Here, only the individual's labor productivity is considered. Second, absolute labor capacity. Here, an individual's employability is assessed by taking into account labor market conditions and, more broadly, economic conditions.

Why is this important to the company?

From an employer's point of view, employability is a means of improving a company's performance, ensuring its competitiveness and sustainability. Therefore, employability is directly linked to the concept of skills and talent management in the company. It allows optimizing the productivity of employees, relying on technological and organizational advances. The right placement of staff and the availability of skills required for each employee to perform their tasks are key factors that ensure organizational performance.

Therefore, the concept of employability is central to any employer's quest to retain the best talent. On the other hand, employability development is also a matter of survival and adaptation to the employment crisis. Companies can no longer guarantee their employees a lifelong career (as was the case 20-30 years ago). Therefore, they have to adapt and find new ways to attract and retain talent.

On the other hand, changes in organizational methods have led to the disappearance of some hierarchical levels. Promotion opportunities are now cross-functional or horizontal. Hence the need to open up new opportunities for internal mobility of employees. Finally, employability is an argument in favor of attracting talent. Companies can no longer promise a job for life. However, employees are promised training and development so that they are better prepared to find a new job.

Employability Issues

The concept of employability is so important that lack of employability can be used as a personal reason for dismissal. Thus, employability is not only important for the company but also for the employee. All employees should be interested in developing their employability. They should undergo regular training to keep their skills up to date and adapt to new ways of working and technology.

This way, they will be able to maintain their skills to stay in their jobs or even move on to another position. It is also a way to anticipate possible downsizing so that they can easily find a new job. The employee gains skills and abilities and develops professionally. Employers, in turn, ensure the long-term future of their business and its efficiency by optimizing the productivity of their employees.

In a broader sense, it also represents a major challenge in terms of national employment policy and the fight against unemployment. That is why the obligation to ensure the employment of its employees is enshrined in the Labor Code. There are even penalties for failure to fulfill this obligation.

How can it be developed?

To develop employability in a company, the employer must first assess the level of technical, managerial and functional skills of each employee. This will identify the gaps and needs of the company. The employer can then suggest the training measures needed to develop the employee's employability. Indeed, the main way for a company to develop employability is through employee training.

There are other ways to develop employee employability, such as creating a motivating and caring work environment in the company or encouraging opportunities for career development, mobility and personal development.

How can youth employability be improved?

Youth employability has been a concern of successive governments for decades. None of them have been able to find the right answers and achieve the desired results.

Here are just a few of the measures that have already been taken:

•  Professionalization programs. Aim to emphasize access to qualifications or skills that enable people to directly acquire productive skills.
•  Post-school training. These are vocational training courses for young people that were introduced in the 1970s.
•  Apprenticeships. This is an ideal opportunity for young people to immerse themselves in the world of work.
•  Work-related apprenticeships. This is an apprenticeship scheme that combines professional immersion in a company with theoretical courses.
•  Youth jobs. These are jobs that are not covered by traditional labor laws.

In conclusion, employability is an important concept. It is important for workers who want to find and keep a job. It is also a guarantee of efficiency for companies that can base their human resource management policies on it. Employability also has a national dimension because it influences employment policy and the fight against unemployment at the national level.