Shaping tomorrow: How future‑oriented capabilities enable graduates to create impact

Universities are increasingly called upon to prepare graduates to address complex societal challenges such as climate change, societal polarisation, and global inequalities. While numerous capability frameworks outline what is needed to navigate uncertainty and foster positive societal futures, the practical value of these capabilities remains largely untested, and there is limited evidence linking them to graduates’ ability to create real-world change. This paper introduces the Future-Oriented Capabilities Framework, comprising seven interconnected capabilities, and reports findings from an empirical study involving graduates of transdisciplinary degrees, sustainability-focused research training and impact-oriented business programs at a large metropolitan university in Australia. Using an alumni survey informed by a complexity-based theory of change, the study explores whether graduates believe they developed future-oriented capabilities through their education programs, the types of impact they report achieving post-graduation, and how they perceive the relationship between these capabilities and their capacity to influence change in professional settings. Analysis of alumni responses indicates strong alignment between capabilities developed during study and those valued in workplaces. It also reveals complex ways in which graduates combine future-oriented capabilities to influence organisational practices, foster innovation, and advance ethical and sustainability agendas, while navigating enabling and constraining conditions. The paper makes two key contributions to education research and practice. First, it presents a future-oriented capabilities framework that can be applied in diverse contexts. Second, it provides empirical evidence supporting the claim that these types of future-oriented capabilities are valuable in contemporary workplaces and that they enable graduates to create meaningful impact. The study also highlights the need for universities to move beyond a narrow focus on employability outcomes and to explore the ways graduates can be supported in applying their capabilities effectively in real-world settings.