From traditional employability skills to emerging AI competencies

The rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping graduate employability by changing how competencies are enacted, valued, and developed. While traditional employability frameworks identify competencies expected of graduates, limited research has examined how these competencies may be evolving within AI-enabled environments. This study examines established employability competency domains and explores faculty perceptions of emerging capability requirements in the age of generative AI. A sequential mixed-method design was adopted. Quantitative data from 177 graduating business students in Saudi Arabia were analysed using domain-level principal component analysis to assess the internal structure and reliability of seven established competency domains. Semi-structured interviews with twelve business faculty members were subsequently analysed thematically. The quantitative findings provide context-specific support for communication, leadership, critical thinking and problem-solving, teamwork, management capability, ICT capability, and professionalism. The qualitative findings identified three complementary patterns of perceived competency evolution: human-centric enduring competencies, AI-augmented competencies, and emerging AI-specific competencies. The findings suggest that AI-ready employability involves both the continuing relevance of established competencies and changes in how competencies are enacted alongside intelligent technologies. The study proposes an exploratory AI-ready employability framework integrating established competencies with perceived competency continuity, augmentation, and emergence, providing a foundation for further empirical investigation and curriculum development in AI-integrated higher education.