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in the workplace to put into practise what they learned in business schools (Billet, 2011;
Mehrotra, 2015). This entails that graduates must set up a broad array of skills and ability, in readiness for employability.
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In their study, PWC (2017b) confirm that students noted a shortage of their employability skills especially skills in Information Technology. Jackson et al., (2017) notice that employability is reported as an essential item by graduates during their degree programme. However, graduates highlighted that, first, presentation skills, although strongly emphasised in classrooms, leave graduates without sufficient workplace presentation skills. Second, there is a transfer problem in which graduates reported that the workplace needed networking and liaising skills. These skills have been ignored in their curriculum (Ferns & Lilly, 2016). Economist Intelligence Unit (2014) agrees with the study of Mason et al., (2014). Future track discovered that 75% of graduates believed they had the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that employers needed. Future track (2012) further searched the viewpoints of graduates on the extent to which someone had trained them in their internships and the current needs for these skills by employers. The research shows that 62% of graduates were currently using; the skills developed in their training programme for purposes of employment. For most of these graduates, their employability strengthened when they designed the relevant skills during their degree and university. However, some 38% of graduates complain about mismatches in skills development. Graduates told that some skills, for example, teamwork, presentation skills, and communication (spoken), are in great demand by employers. However, even though these powerful skills are in their curriculum, they are growing at the university. Although “numeracy and entrepreneurial skills” are greatly in demand from employers (Nankervis et al., 2018), graduates believed that they do not obtain these skills during their degree programmes. They have a slight chance of developing these skills at a proper level, and graduates say that exploring abilities is neither a priority for employers nor taught in their university programme.
Research studies on employability have to lead the Department of Education and Training (2002) to devise with a list of the eight most common soft skills accepted by employers. They view these skills as having worth, merit or value in the workplace. The survey of Kinash et al., (2016), on the ownership of these skills by graduates, shows that 63.4% of graduates were competent and had a capacity in these eight skills. The other graduates believe themselves to be lacking in these employability skills. They sense that they have not trained for the skills viewed as essential to the companies. Since the employers in the sample consider these most common skills valuable, it can be assumed that one-third of these graduates has not deepened their employability skills. I base these statistics values on a few literature types that exist. The generalisability of much- published research on this issue is problematic. There is a scarcity of research on the internship and employability of graduates (Azevedo et al., 2012; Silva et al., 2016).
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Silva et al., (2016) discovered that some undergraduates thought themselves competent for the work they are engaged in. Most graduates sense that their skills and knowledge developed in the classroom are not utilised in their current employment. They report that for what they are doing they have higher skills level than the job needed. Some graduates mention that their university experience has to a degree exceeded ordinary skills. Such answers may come from graduates used in non-graduate level employment (Tran, 2015). Many studies claim that 80% of graduates believed they owned the skills that the employer needed (Salmi, 2017; Gupta et al., 2016).
Sivasomboon (2017) maintains that it is their classroom experience that has caused them to be employable. However, 10% of the graduates believed they are not employable on completion of their degree. Another 6% told that it deprives them of the essential skills expected by employers.
The literature showed that students expressed doubt that their employability skills have been increased by their degree. Divergences exist between the soft skills that employers need in companies and those developed in classrooms. However, studying for a degree and having classroom experiences did not lead to employability. To what extent graduation heightens employability will be considered next.
2.6.2 To what Extent does Graduation Enhance Employability?
The Quality Assurance Agency (2007) conceives that university is a location where academics prepare graduates for participation in the post-education universe. Ramsey (2016) observes that students must own the skills to distinguish themselves in today’s competitive labour market.
Also, students grow the ability to change, is easily persuaded to satisfy circumstances marked by continuous change and to adapt to preserve continuous learning (ILO, 2015). The onus lies on universities, who are expected to react to the challenging political and economic environment and employer’s demands (General Statistics Office, 2017). Universities have to prepare students for employment (OECD, 2017). Tsukamoto (2016) suggests that the significant purpose of HEIs is to make sure that learners are provided with whatever is necessary to be lifelong learners with knowledge, attitudes, and skills to make this inevitable. Tholen (2014) reports that universities are recognising how to train graduates for the labour market. Universities have increased significance on employability within the curricula (UTM, 2016). Graduates often cited that employment prospects are the primary motivation for continuing a university degree course (Wharton, Goodwin & Cameron, 2014). In a competitive environment, it is necessary for universities is to show what they offer for students’ investments. Policymakers continue to underline the prominent status of higher education credentials crucial to economic development,
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in satisfying the demands of the knowledge-driven economy marked by continuous change (Kalfa & Taksa, 2015). I also see these credentials to give graduates access to the labour market (Tsukamoto (2016)). Students undertake higher studies at a great cost and often question their return on investment. Policymakers justify the high costs borne by students because graduates go through substantial financial and personal cost engaging in further education. However, research points out that disseminating educational credentials is contributing little or no value to individuals’ human capital (Salmi, 2017). Researchers argue that the growth in credentials has generated pressures on middle-class populations who gain further academic success before taking employment rather than thinking of improving their skills, attitudes, and knowledge required to perform the work. In this vein, Clarke (2017) remarks that there is a rise in the number of graduates over-qualified for the employment they take.
Prikshat et al., (2018) claim the embedding of employability within the degree programmes should not conflict with either the academia or the needs of employers. It can be both susceptible to the attitudes or feelings towards academic prospects, while also developing graduates with job skills. The study of Dhakal et al., (2018) show that undergraduate degree programmes contribute to developing soft skills. Cavanagh et al., (2015) concede that HEIs cannot equip graduates with all employability skills because universities aim to give graduates a wide range of skills. Other studies recognise that regardless of the particular importance given to developing soft skills, research goes forward to declare that graduates having the skills and competences for the modern workplace (Business Magazine and Verde Frontier Employability Survey, 2016). World Bank (2017) proves that unemployment and underemployment of graduates are destructive phenomena in their lives. An increasing number of graduates have not found permanent positions in their chosen field of study since the beginning of the economic recession of the year 2007 in America. Nankervis et al., (2018) identify that employers are giving less importance to academic credentials while their values focused on personal attributes and skills of graduates. Employers explain that they define employability more on the graduates’ ability to show a broader range of interpersonal skills, communicative and organisational abilities, and team working. The workplace will be discussed in the next section.