With the rapid advancement of technology, the transformation of business models, and the increasing complexity of labor markets, the alignment of skill-based higher education policies with graduates’ employment needs has not been fully realized. This misalignment stems not only from swift external changes but also from structural, institutional, and cultural barriers that impede the translation of high-level strategic documents into operational, skill-based programs within universities. The present study adopts a qualitative meta-synthesis methodology. Accordingly, 151 peer-reviewed articles were selected from academic databases. By applying Sandelowski and Barroso’s seven-stage model, the findings of 44 prior studies relevant to the research objectives were examined, aggregated, synthesized, and interpreted. Through the coding process, 65 codes, 13 concepts, and six components—lack of strategic coherence, insufficient operational infrastructures, a disconnection of university–industry convergence, complexity and inefficiency in resource management, cultural and institutional conservatism, and the absence of a continuous monitoring and evaluation system—were identified, and the validity of each was confirmed via Cohen’s Kappa test. A policy deterrent model for employability in the skill-based higher education system was subsequently developed and delineated. The results indicate that these factors, in interaction, not only result in the dispersion of efforts and institutional parallelism but also hinder the institutionalization of skill standards and the creation of timely feedback loops. Consequently, policymakers should facilitate the realization of skill-based higher education to enhance graduate employability by formulating an integrated strategic document, developing technology-driven skill infrastructures, establishing formal intermediary mechanisms between universities and industry, s