From Competencies to Employability: Digital Literacy as a Conversion Mechanism and Psychological Resilience as a Boundary Condition among Graduates in Zhejiang, China

Abstract

Digital transformation has changed how university graduates demonstrate employability. In digitally advanced regional economies, employability is no longer expressed only through disciplinary knowledge, general communication skills, or formal credentials. Graduates are increasingly expected to evaluate information, collaborate through digital platforms, present evidence of their capabilities, and adapt to changing tools and work processes. This study examines how cognitive, social, and behavioural competencies relate to graduate employability in Zhejiang Province, China, and tests whether digital literacy acts as a mediating mechanism and psychological resilience as a boundary condition. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 521 final-year students from higher education institutions in Zhejiang Province. The questionnaire measured cognitive competencies, social competencies, behavioural competencies, digital literacy, psychological resilience, and self-perceived employability. Reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, direct-effect regression, bootstrap mediation testing, and moderation analysis were used to evaluate the hypotheses. Cognitive, social, and behavioural competencies positively predicted employability, with behavioural competencies showing the strongest direct association. All three competency domains also positively predicted digital literacy. Digital literacy was positively associated with employability and partially mediated the relationships between each foundational competency domain and employability. Psychological resilience significantly moderated the digital literacy-employability relationship: the association was not significant at low resilience but became significant at medium and high resilience. These findings suggest that graduate employability in a digital economy depends not only on foundational competencies but also on the capacity to translate those competencies into digital practice and sustain their use under pressure.