The issue of employability of college students has become increasingly prominent with the popularisation of higher education in China. It is crucial to cultivate the employment competence of college students from the perspective of schools and students. The characteristics and current employment competence of college students in applied engineering universities were analysed and are presented in this article. Ways to improve the employment competence of applied engineering graduates were demonstrated. First, the model of cultivating innovative and applied talents was created to implement the plan of promoting employment competence of college students and build the scientific curriculum system. Thus, talent cultivation can better conform to society's needs, and students' professional and practical ability can be improved. Second, the college students' employment promotion centre was built to strengthen quality education. Also, the level of humanistic quality, emotional intelligence and innovation ability of applied engineering students have improved.