Graduate employability is often examined from the angle of the quality of graduates that universities produce. That universities play an important role cannot be denied as employment begins on leaving their doors. This article looks at other areas that can be improved to increase employment opportunities for fresh graduates.
The European Community in 2010 commissioned a survey of employment placement agencies in 24 EU members plus Norway, Iceland, Turkey and Croatia on what employers look for in new recruits for filling positions.
In the order of importance, these companies looked for (i) basic skills such as good at numbers, reading and writing and computer skills; (ii) sector specific skills; (iii) communications skills; (iv) team-working skills); (v) analytical and problem-solving skills and (vi) planning and organisational skills.
Examining the list backwards, it may appear unreasonable to ask for planning and organisational skills of fresh graduates. Taking another look at the availability of foundation literature on organisational behaviour, universities could develop customised study materials to fill the gap for undergraduate level knowledge in organisational behaviour.
With my background of insistence on contextualisation of study materials, I feel that Malaysian institutions of higher learning have spent enough time chasing the rabbit without knowing where the adventure is leading to. A more down-to-earth approach in chasing the rabbit in the Malaysian context should be presented to our students.
The European Community in 2010 commissioned a survey of employment placement agencies in 24 EU members plus Norway, Iceland, Turkey and Croatia on what employers look for in new recruits for filling positions.
In the order of importance, these companies looked for (i) basic skills such as good at numbers, reading and writing and computer skills; (ii) sector specific skills; (iii) communications skills; (iv) team-working skills); (v) analytical and problem-solving skills and (vi) planning and organisational skills.
Examining the list backwards, it may appear unreasonable to ask for planning and organisational skills of fresh graduates. Taking another look at the availability of foundation literature on organisational behaviour, universities could develop customised study materials to fill the gap for undergraduate level knowledge in organisational behaviour.
With my background of insistence on contextualisation of study materials, I feel that Malaysian institutions of higher learning have spent enough time chasing the rabbit without knowing where the adventure is leading to. A more down-to-earth approach in chasing the rabbit in the Malaysian context should be presented to our students.
Foreign degrees over-emphasised
With over 90 percent of business establishments in the SME category, the popularity of quality certification of overseas universities have become over-emphasised. Reading foreign tax regimes inapplicable in Malaysia will not generate added value when the student goes for internship in local companies.
Foreign qualifications that have been around for half-a-century should be replaced by appropriate ones from the thousands of MQA-approved courses run by over 50 universities and some 500 colleges in the country - to give these transfers of knowledge more local context and content. Matters involving local intricacies of culture and regulatory provisions would better prepare graduates to meet job expectations in the real world of work.
Whereas team-building qualities are usually groomed after joining a company, appropriate sector-specific skills should be learnt at pre-entry point. Several technical institutions have taken the onus to train graduates before they join the work force.
In the financial sector, Bank Negara, through the Financial Sector Talent Enrichment Programme (FSTEP), which was started in 2007, provides a feeder service of trained graduates in financial management for banks and financial houses in this sector.
Communications skills should be grouped under basic skills of employers' expectations. Fresh graduates need to cross the first barrier at job interviews before showing their ability in the preparation of reports and presentation skills.
Preparation in basics for threshold professional and management positions can be conducted by taking the training one or two rungs up the work ladder. Graduates beware: candidates for these positions are normally identified at pre-graduation stage. In the IT circle, final year students undergoing practical attachments are usually evaluated for recruitment. There may be perhaps only one position for, say, a management trainee. Thus, interns with self confidence need to sell themselves during the practical attachment. rather than wait to be noticed.
With over 90 percent of business establishments in the SME category, the popularity of quality certification of overseas universities have become over-emphasised. Reading foreign tax regimes inapplicable in Malaysia will not generate added value when the student goes for internship in local companies.
Foreign qualifications that have been around for half-a-century should be replaced by appropriate ones from the thousands of MQA-approved courses run by over 50 universities and some 500 colleges in the country - to give these transfers of knowledge more local context and content. Matters involving local intricacies of culture and regulatory provisions would better prepare graduates to meet job expectations in the real world of work.
Whereas team-building qualities are usually groomed after joining a company, appropriate sector-specific skills should be learnt at pre-entry point. Several technical institutions have taken the onus to train graduates before they join the work force.
In the financial sector, Bank Negara, through the Financial Sector Talent Enrichment Programme (FSTEP), which was started in 2007, provides a feeder service of trained graduates in financial management for banks and financial houses in this sector.
Communications skills should be grouped under basic skills of employers' expectations. Fresh graduates need to cross the first barrier at job interviews before showing their ability in the preparation of reports and presentation skills.
Preparation in basics for threshold professional and management positions can be conducted by taking the training one or two rungs up the work ladder. Graduates beware: candidates for these positions are normally identified at pre-graduation stage. In the IT circle, final year students undergoing practical attachments are usually evaluated for recruitment. There may be perhaps only one position for, say, a management trainee. Thus, interns with self confidence need to sell themselves during the practical attachment. rather than wait to be noticed.
Rising phenomenon of a 'lost generation'
The International Labour Organisation in its recent 2012 report on challenges of jobs availability for youths warned of the rising phenomenon of a "lost generation": meaning young people aged between 15 and 24 who were neither in employment, education or training. In my 2009 study presented at the Asian Forum on Business Education, I raised the logistic whereabouts of 2.5 million youths aged between 17and 23, who I termed the "missing youths".
Looking at the situation from another angle, these youths could be working in the informal sector, which would cover private unincorporated businesses in non-agricultural activities. A 2011 survey by the Department of Statistics on informal employment in Malaysia showed 29.8 percent in paid jobs, 7.2 percent working for family businesses, 3.9 percent were employers and 59.1% were own account workers.
The segment involved in craft and related trade made up 41.7 percent of the entire informal sector. Although the survey covered workers of all ages, it could serve as an indication that exposing opportunities of self-employment to graduates could be a strategic precursor to the entrepreneurial path.
If a threshold time-frame of six months had been set for netting a job after graduation, the government can look into waiving all forms of registration requirements and fees for goods and/or services transactions conducted by graduates within this period.
With government subsidies for e-communications, this would be a booster to graduates to look beyond formal employment. On a positive note, entrepreneur development agencies may want to extend the transition period to 12 months to provide longer exposure for funding business set-ups for graduates who wish to set up firms.
Acceptance of this new form of employment needs to be introduced and promoted for creating buy-in by the public who would be the consumers of informal sector services. From an analytical viewpoint, engaging graduates during this transition period will serve as an exposure to look at common problems faced by society and perhaps find solutions too.
This will meet the fifth expectation of employers mentioned earlier. With optimism, such self-directed learning activities during the transition period may prepare graduates to be better employees when they eventually join the formal sector.
The International Labour Organisation in its recent 2012 report on challenges of jobs availability for youths warned of the rising phenomenon of a "lost generation": meaning young people aged between 15 and 24 who were neither in employment, education or training. In my 2009 study presented at the Asian Forum on Business Education, I raised the logistic whereabouts of 2.5 million youths aged between 17and 23, who I termed the "missing youths".
Looking at the situation from another angle, these youths could be working in the informal sector, which would cover private unincorporated businesses in non-agricultural activities. A 2011 survey by the Department of Statistics on informal employment in Malaysia showed 29.8 percent in paid jobs, 7.2 percent working for family businesses, 3.9 percent were employers and 59.1% were own account workers.
The segment involved in craft and related trade made up 41.7 percent of the entire informal sector. Although the survey covered workers of all ages, it could serve as an indication that exposing opportunities of self-employment to graduates could be a strategic precursor to the entrepreneurial path.
If a threshold time-frame of six months had been set for netting a job after graduation, the government can look into waiving all forms of registration requirements and fees for goods and/or services transactions conducted by graduates within this period.
With government subsidies for e-communications, this would be a booster to graduates to look beyond formal employment. On a positive note, entrepreneur development agencies may want to extend the transition period to 12 months to provide longer exposure for funding business set-ups for graduates who wish to set up firms.
Acceptance of this new form of employment needs to be introduced and promoted for creating buy-in by the public who would be the consumers of informal sector services. From an analytical viewpoint, engaging graduates during this transition period will serve as an exposure to look at common problems faced by society and perhaps find solutions too.
This will meet the fifth expectation of employers mentioned earlier. With optimism, such self-directed learning activities during the transition period may prepare graduates to be better employees when they eventually join the formal sector.
DR DAPHNE LOKE was a former director of the Graduate Business School, SEGi University.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.