Impact of a Short Online Digital Skills Training Program on the Employability Readiness of Unemployed Graduates in Cebu City, Philippines

The increasing demand for digital competencies in the current labor market has intensified concerns regarding the employability of unemployed graduates, particularly in developing economies. This study examined the impact of a short online digital skills training program on the employability readiness of unemployed graduates in Cebu City, Philippines. A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was employed to assess changes in participants' employability readiness following a structured, self-paced online training intervention. The program focused on productivity software, digital communication platforms, and online job-search strategies. Employability readiness was measured using a validated, researcher-developed questionnaire assessing digital literacy, job-application preparedness, digital communication skills, and job-search confidence. The instrument demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency, with an overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.88. Results indicated a statistically significant improvement in participants' employability readiness after completing the intervention (t = 9.87, p < 0.001). Improvements were observed across all measured dimensions, with the greatest increase found in job-search confidence. While the findings suggest that participation in the online training program was associated with improved employability readiness, the absence of a control group limits causal interpretation. Nevertheless, the study highlights the potential of short-duration online digital skills training as a practical and scalable strategy for supporting workforce preparedness among unemployed graduates in developing-country contexts. Future studies employing more rigorous experimental designs are recommended to validate these findings further.