Relationship between Generic Skills and Employability Skills: An Exploratory Study in the Context of New Zealand Postgraduate Education

Zhao, Zhenfeng; Kularatne, Indrapriya

doi:10.26493/1854-4231.15.291-307

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…For this purpose, Yorke and Knight (2006) have pointed out a dire need for "need analysis" which must be conducted by Higher Education providers in order to find out the skills that make students employable and how these can be embedded in the curricula, to achieve desired employability. This has also been emphasized by several researchers such as De Jager (2004), Jonck (2014), Mikalef et al (2018), and Zhao and Kularatne (2020), who have asserted that without a clear understanding of the skill requirements of the industry, it would be nearly impossible to bridge the gap between the education delivered at universities and skills required by the market. In other words, bringing an industry-based perspective through proper need analysis will highlight the missing skillsets which might be overlooked by the supply side of employability i.e., Universities (De Jager, 2004;Jonck, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…It is worth mentioning here that generic skills further fall into two categories, soft skills, and hard skills. Zhao and Kularatne ( 2020 ) illustrated that Soft Skills are cognitive and interpersonal in nature which assures successful social integration in the workplace. Whereas, hard skills involve IQ and cognitive functioning in order to technically regulate various processes and tools.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the generic skills required for the employability and professional wellbeing of Pakistani Millennials: The employers' perspective

et al. 2023

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IntroductionThis study aims to elucidate the employers' perspectives on the key generic employability skills which would enable them to seek graduate jobs and will ensure their professional wellbeing once they enter the job market after acquiring a University degree.MethodsIn order to pursue this objective, an exploratory qualitative inquiry was deployed which involved two panel-based discussions. The respondents of each panel discussion were invited through the platforms of the Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), and the Chamber of Commerce Rahim Yar Khan. These respondents represented Pharmaceuticals, Agrichemical manufacturers (fertilizers, pesticides), Livestock, Cotton, textiles, and apparel industry which are the main industries in Southern Punjab, Pakistan.Results and discussionFor the purpose of analysis, a thematic analysis was done in the context of grounded theory. Resultantly, the findings of the study reveal an employers' perspective on 10 key generic employability skills as must-have for a Pakistani Millennial graduate including various soft and hard skills, such as-Emotional Intelligence, Flexibility and Adaptability, Multitasking, Computer Literacy and Digital Skills, Information Literacy and Data Analytics, Oral and Written Communication in English and Urdu, Critical Thinking, Positive Politics, Work Ethics and Professionalism, and Commercial awareness. Hence, the study produces implications for the employability stakeholders, including government and academia for a much needed shift from a mere subject-based curriculum to a skill-oriented curriculum and training in the Universities, particularly in the region of Southern Punjab, and all across Pakistan as well.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the generic skills required for the employability and professional wellbeing of Pakistani Millennials: The employers' perspective

et al. 2023

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“…Previous studies conducted in the UK and Australia demonstrated that employers appear to place a higher priority on generic skills than subject knowledge in their graduate recruits [52,53]. Zhao and Kularatne [54] found that most graduates begin their studies at New Zealand Tertiary education with some generic skills, but they all agree that study at New Zealand tertiary education improves these skills. In a similar vein, Sarkar et al [55] revealed that science graduates from a research-intensive Australian institution believe that generic abilities are more beneficial in the workplace.…”

Section: Generic Skills and Employabilitymentioning

confidence: 98%

The Role of Self-Efficacy as a Mediating Variable in CareerEDGE Employability Model: The Context of Undergraduate Employability in the North-East Region of Nigeria

et al. 2022

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(1) Background: Tertiary institutions are facing increasing pressure to produce employable undergraduates who can drive the sustainability of strong economic growth and development. As such, responsibility lies with the higher education sector in ensuring undergraduates’ readiness for entry to the labor market, thus joining the ranks of those already employable. Thus, this study applied the CareerEDGE model as a theoretical basis to investigate the factors associated with undergraduate employability. The mediating effect of self-efficacy on the predictive relationships was also examined. (2) Methods: Data were collected from a sample of 264 from six universities in the North-East region of Nigeria. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to perform the data analysis in this study. (3) Results: Results revealed that the five constructs of the CareerEDGE model (career development learning; work experience; degree subject knowledge, skills, and understanding; generic skills; and emotional intelligence) are positively associated with undergraduate employability. Self-efficacy was found to mediate this relationship. Altogether, these results signal that the CareerEDGE model contributes to undergraduate employability and that self-efficacy is instrumental in elucidating this relationship. The results add to the extant knowledge on the impact of the CareerEDGE constructs on students’ approaches to careers. (4) Conclusions: The findings have significant implications for higher education institutions and career practitioners in identifying ways of enhancing undergraduates’ career planning strategies within a more challenging labor market context.

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“…Academic knowledge and skills pertaining to discipline nonetheless, are not adequate for graduate employability (Little, 2001). Literature relating to graduate employability has highlighted 'generic skills' which are also commonly termed as skills that can be transferred or key skills (Zhao & Kularatne, 2020). Generic skills would comprise of skill such as communication, basic competence, problem-solving (adaptability), personal development, influencing, creativity and effectiveness (Joynes et al, 2019).…”

Section: Literature Review Higher Education and Labour Marketmentioning

confidence: 99%

Employability skills of business graduates in Saudi Arabia: Do academia and employers speak the same language?

Bindawas

2024

JMBE

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Graduate education plays a role in improving the scope for employability of graduates. It empowers them with specialized skills, advanced knowledge, and critical thinking, which increases the scope for their employability. However, in the case of Saudi Arabia, it has been reported that there is widespread unemployment in the country. Though the Saudi Arabian government has initiated measures to nurture development in education through their ‘Saudi Vision 2030’ program, a gap exists. There are strong indictors which point at a mismatch of knowledge and skills possessed by graduates in Saudi, and the requirements of the labour market. Therefore, this paper examines the apparent gap between academia and employers in terms of employability, while focusing on whether graduate students have the same set of skills that employers require. Using a review method, information was derived from secondary sources, mainly from papers having examined the same topic previously. From the findings, academia believed that the educational system needed an overhaul and economic diversification, with the creation of new employment opportunities. Though employers believed that Saudi graduates lacked soft skills impacting their employability. It was concluded that a collaboration between students and employers was required, where employers could offer inputs supporting graduate employability.

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Relationship between Generic Skills and Employability Skills: An Exploratory Study in the Context of New Zealand Postgraduate Education

Cited by 3 publications

References 3 publications

Exploring the generic skills required for the employability and professional wellbeing of Pakistani Millennials: The employers' perspective

Exploring the generic skills required for the employability and professional wellbeing of Pakistani Millennials: The employers' perspective

The Role of Self-Efficacy as a Mediating Variable in CareerEDGE Employability Model: The Context of Undergraduate Employability in the North-East Region of Nigeria

Employability skills of business graduates in Saudi Arabia: Do academia and employers speak the same language?

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