Beyond Credentials: Digital Skill, Gender, and Graduate Employability

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Research in Education

Year: 2026

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Beyond Credentials: Digital Skill, Gender, and Graduate Employability

Dr. Aimzhan Iztayeva, Dr. Dana Burkhanova, Aigul Zhanadilova, Anel Nurkanat

ABSTRACT:

Graduate employability in Kazakhstan is shaped by digital transformation and persistent gender inequality, yet it remains unclear which competencies translate into hiring advantages and how these returns differ by gender. This study aims to a) identify and categorize the key skills influencing employer callback decisions, b) assess the relative weight of digital, soft skills and formal educational credentials in shaping employability outcomes, and c) examine whether these effects vary by gender and sector. This study investigates (a) which skill signals drive employer callback decisions, (b) the relative weight of digital, soft, and formal educational credentials, and (c) whether their effects vary across gender and sector. An experimental audit design varied digital skills, soft skills, and applicant gender across resumes submitted to real vacancies. The findings identify digital skills as the strongest predictor of employer callbacks, outperforming generalized soft skill claims. However, these returns are not gender-neutral. While technical proficiency enhances employability overall, women benefit most when signaling strong digital specialization, whereas combining digital and soft skills produces comparatively weaker returns. This pattern suggests that digital skills function as compensatory capital for women in a gender-stratified labor market, where evaluative standards differ across applicant profiles. Soft skills generate returns primarily when anchored in credible technical competence rather than as standalone attributes. The findings show that digital skill signaling operates through gendered evaluation mechanisms and underscore the need to integrate applied digital competencies into higher education while addressing gendered segmentation in skill recognition.

Keywords: Graduate employability, Digital skills, Gender, Labor market inequality, Kazakhstan