Soft skill development for employability

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore graduate students’ perception of how soft skills are developed at a transnational university in Vietnam, and how these soft skills contribute to their perceived employability. Design/methodology/approach This study utilized a qualitative case study method. In depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 graduate students at Vietnamese–German University. Findings Findings suggest that faculty utilized classroom-based practices to provide students the opportunity to enhance soft skills that are perceived to contribute to employability, such as skills related to independent work, interpersonal relationships and the ability to work in global contexts. In addition, interacting with international faculty played a large part in providing students the opportunity to develop their independent skills, critical thinking, communication and cultural competence. Practical implications Implications include multiple approaches, including faculty training, curriculum development and learner preparation. Institutions must consider how their curriculum contributes to the development of soft skills and how international faculty are prepared to engage meaningfully with students, particularly within specific global and political contexts. In addition, graduate students must also be prepared to engage in a classroom that promotes group work, class presentations and independent work. Originality/value This study provides insight on how a transnational institution can foster soft skills for employability in graduate students in Vietnam. Considering the growth of collaborative transnational institutions in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, findings and implications from this study provide recommendations on how to better prepare graduates for employability within a global economy.

Complex thinking and social entrepreneurship. An approach from the methodology of compositional data analysis

“…Currently, in a globalized, fluid, and uncertain world, training to develop competencies becomes a primary issue for universities because, while the knowledge acquired may lag the exponential evolution of research and science, the skills developed in the implementation process advance with the development of the individual, both in their educational process and professional training [ 14 ]. The comprehensive nature of competencies allows future professionals to develop skills that mobilize various elements to deal with a challenge, decision, or problem, making them more flexible in addressing the needs of a changing world [ 15 ].…”

Employment of STEM graduates in Kazakhstan: current situation

“…The employment of STEM graduates has been an object for the research in recent years, mainly in the context of the US labor market [6,8,9,10,11]. However, studies of the STEM graduates' integration in the labor market also covered other countries such as the UK [2,12,13,14,15], Canada [16,17], as well as some Asian countries [18,19], including Kazakhstan [20,21].…”

Transnational education, labor market outcomes and graduate employability: a scoping review

“…Some researchers (Lee, 2016;Lim et al, Higher education institutions 2019) have suggested that the international branch campus experience is used to develop students' personal attributes since students in the TNE programs figured out how to conform to local employers and their expectations, which indicates a positional approach. The role of soft skills in employability preparation and development was also investigated in a study that took place at a German binational university in Vietnam; in this study, Yao and Tuliao (2019) argue that classroom-based learning, including interactions with foreign faculty members, contribute to students' senses of increasing employability-relevant skills. These factors were more related to transformational motivating factors.…”