Bridging Communication Studies and Employability: ESCO-Based Curriculum Mapping and Job-Vacancy Skill Signals

Universities are increasingly expected to bridge the gap between higher education, skills development, and graduate employability, yet evidence-based approaches to curriculum–labour market alignment remain limited in Communication Studies. This study examines which ESCO-mapped occupational profiles and transversal competencies are represented in official curricula of leading Spanish Communication programmes (RQ1), how demand for communication-related occupations evolved in Spain over 2018–2023 (RQ2), and where the most salient alignment gaps emerge to inform curriculum redesign (RQ3). We used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design combining documentary analysis of programme verification reports and national disciplinary documentation, an ESCO-based mapping of curricular profiles, and labour-market intelligence from 2,701,503 job postings (2018–2023) mapped to ESCO to analyse demand dynamics, volatility, and skill patterns. Results show strong curricular convergence around a shared core of ESCO profiles (71.8% of identified codes shared across institutions) alongside institution-specific specialisations (28.2%). Labour demand fluctuated markedly across the period and exhibited heterogeneous volatility by occupation, and transversal competency patterns differed significantly across professional groupings, supporting segment-specific interpretations of alignment and mismatch. Overall, ESCO combined with job-posting analytics provides a replicable framework for continuous curriculum calibration and employability-oriented programme redesign, particularly for hybrid profiles that integrate technical, analytical, relational, and ethically grounded capabilities.