Mapping the Scientific Landscape of Employability and Work Experience in TVET and Higher Education: A Bibliometric Analysis (2010–2025)

Rapid shifts in labour market demands have intensified the need for graduates who combine technical competence with adaptability, confidence, and practical skills. In Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and higher education, embedding work experience is increasingly viewed as essential to producing work-ready graduates. Mapping the evolution and theoretical foundations of this scholarship is vital to guiding policy, curriculum reform, and research collaboration. This study maps the scientific landscape of employability and work experience in TVET and higher education through a bibliometric analysis (2010–2025), identifying publication trends, leading contributors, thematic clusters, and theoretical pillars, while highlighting gaps for future inquiry. Data from Scopus were retrieved via a structured Boolean search, cleaned, and analysed using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix. Analyses covered trends, collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrence, and citation/co-citation patterns. Scholarly output has expanded significantly, with a sharp rise post-2019 driven by global skills and policy agendas. Seven thematic clusters emerged, focusing on skill development, work-integrated learning, curriculum reform, and labour market readiness. Co-citation analysis identified Human Capital Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and Experiential Learning Theory as dominant yet rarely integrated frameworks. The study advances the field by introducing the Integrated Employability–Work Experience Development (IEWED) Model, which unifies the three theoretical pillars in a framework linking skills acquisition, learner agency, and experiential learning within a structural and policy environment. Incorporating measurable indicators, the model provides a practical roadmap for aligning educational provision with evolving labour market needs.