Competency certification and institutional signals in the higher education-to-work transition: psychological wellbeing and future-ready work-based learning

Purpose This study examines university-linked competency certification as a competence signal in the higher education-to-work transition. It asks how students' interpretations of institutional signals are associated with registration intention and whether psychological wellbeing is associated with a selective indirect pathway in that decision. Design/methodology/approach The study used a quantitative explanatory design with cross-sectional survey data from 337 undergraduate students in Indonesia. Partial least squares structural equation modelling tested the direct and indirect associations of brand awareness, perceived value, trust and perceived usefulness, with psychological wellbeing specified as mediator. Findings Trust and perceived value were positively associated with intention to register, and psychological wellbeing was also linked to intention. Brand awareness and perceived usefulness did not show significant direct associations with intention. Only the indirect association from trust through psychological wellbeing reached statistical significance, whereas perceived value was associated with intention mainly through the direct path. Originality/value The article identifies certification registration as a distinct pre-employment transition point, separates the institutional signal from students' receiver-side evaluations, and shows that wellbeing is associated with a selective rather than universal indirect pathway in certification decisions.