Employabilities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The qualities or skills that make an individual suitable for employment in various fields
2. The range of attributes and competencies that enhance someone's chances of being hired or retained in a job
3. The characteristics and experiences that contribute to a person's ability to secure and maintain employment opportunities

Etymology: The plural here matters less than the chain behind it: "employability" is built by adding the suffix "-ity" to "employable," which itself comes from "employ" plus "-able." "Employ" arrived in English from Old French "employer," meaning to use or apply, and the "-able" ending traces back through Old French "-able" to Latin "-abilis," a suffix meaning "capable of being." So an employable person is, literally, one capable of being put to use. "-ity" follows the same route, passing from Latin "-itas" through Old French "-ite" and Middle English "-ite" before settling into the modern form. The result is a noun naming a quality: the state of being capable of being put to work. Its plural, "employabilities," simply counts distinct sets of such qualities, such as the skills, habits and experience that make someone attractive to employers.

Synonyms: job readiness, employability, marketability, work readiness, employable skills