GRADUATES EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS FOR TODAY S WORKPLACE: A GROUNDWORK FOR ASSESSMENT

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1 Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka-Nigeria From the SelectedWorks of Prof Ada Sam Omenyi August 18, 2008 GRADUATES EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS FOR TODAY S WORKPLACE: A GROUNDWORK FOR ASSESSMENT Prof Ada Sam Omenyi NGOZI AGU CHRISTY ODIMEGWU Available at:

2 GRADUATES EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS FOR TODAY S WORKPLACE: A GROUNDWORK FOR ASSESSMENT By PROF. OMENYI, ADA Department of Educational Management & Policy Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka omenyias@yahoo.com AGU, NGOZI, PhD Department of Educational Foundations Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka ngozi_uj@yahoo.com & ODIMEGWU, CHRISTY O. Educational Research Unit Crystal Research Consult, Awka Christiharris2001@yahoo.co.uk BEING A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH AND POLICY NETWORK [HERPNET] THIRD REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: OPPORTUNITIES, CAPABILITIES AND SECOND CHANCES HELD AT THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (IITA), IBADAN, NIGERIA, BETWEEN AUGUST,

3 GRADUATES EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS FOR TODAY S WORKPLACE: A GOUNDWORK FOR ASSESSMENT By PROF. OMENYI, ADA Department of Educational Management & Policy Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka omenyias@yahoo.com AGU, NGOZI, PhD Department of Educational Foundations Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka ngozi_uj@yahoo.com & ODIMEGWU, CHRISTY O. Crystal Research Consult, Awka Christiharris2001@yahoo.co.uk Abstract: Many scholars, economists, researchers and experts have admitted that global competition and rapid technological advances have changed intensely and will continue to drastically transform the nature and content of the world of work, along with the skills required to get the job done. To meet this challenge, it is necessary to determine the critical workplace competencies which have been variously defined as employability skills, and to ensure that they are integrated and infused in tertiary school curriculum. However a review of literature across scholars and nations who have been pursuing this topic shows different lists of these employability skills. The researchers through a synthesis of these lists of employability skills identified six employability skills and tried to gauge the extent employers of labour consider them to be relevant for the recruitment of graduates of higher education in Nigeria. Considering the problem of unemployment in the Nigeria, and the economic downturn being experienced in the country, it is surprising that scholars and researchers have not extensively turned attention to this critical issue of employability of graduates which appears to be the first step towards assessing undergraduate skills and entrenching these generic employability skills in higher education. It should be noted that study of this nature tasks much, as such an exploratory study was undertaken to have a preliminary view of the employability skills which are deemed very important and relevant for the employability of graduates of higher education in Nigeria. Participants comprised of 276 occupational sectors (banking, commercial, agricultural, health and education) employers selected from major urban centres of Anambra State Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha. Although the study was not a large scale as to warrant generalization, results thereof had shown that participants highly desire self- management skills above other skills embedded in the employability skills. Furthermore, the study found no significant difference among banking, health, commercial and education sectors 1

4 across all employability skills. However, employers of labour in agricultural sector differed significantly with rest of the sectors. This indicates relative consistence among all the sectors of the employers on what should be the employability skills required from the undergraduates for success and growth of today s workplace. Therefore, it will not be out of place to assess the level of employability of graduates of higher education on these six domains of employability skills. Introduction Globalization, technological change, increased competitiveness and the growing sophistication of customers and clients have prompted shifts in both national and global economy. The success of individuals and businesses in this knowledge driven economy will depend on the skills, creativity and imagination of our people. Higher education is consistently being faced with the challenge of responding to employment needs which includes the development of generic employability skills widely valued in employment. Most other countries of the world like United Kingdom, America, Australia, to mention but few, have been responding to this new paradigm in economy shifts by numerous researches and training programmes geared towards adequately preparing their youth not only to face these challenges in the labour market, but also create opportunities for others. Review of literature on current trends in developed world, shows that the level of the preparation of their youth in generic employability skills may account for a good percentage in gap between their youth employment and ours. For Example, Greatbatch and Lewis (2007) noted that generic employability skills have become part of a national agenda in education and training for primary, secondary, further and higher education, and their development is a priority for the UK government. These generic skills have been found to contribute positively in personal development, world of work and family life. Research has also shown that a good number of employers would prefer to employ graduates with these skills even if they have to give them industry based training skills (McLeish, 2002). 2

5 It has been variously acknowledged that higher education has the task of producing the necessary manpower needed for the growth and development of the economy. These youths can only make meaningful contributions if they are gainfully employed and they achieve gainful employment if they are adequately prepared in view of the demands of the labour market. Employability has gained many more names such as Core, key, transferable, general, nontechnical and soft (Robinson, 2006). Similarly, Saterfiel and McLarty (2004) saw employability as foundational skills upon which a person must build job-specific skills (i.e., those that are unique to specific jobs). They are also known by several other names, including key skills, core skills, life skills, essential skills, key competencies, necessary skills, and transferable skills (DEST 2002a in Precision Consultancy, 2007:10). The Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2002) in Smith & Comyn, (2003) defined employability as skills required not only to gain employment but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve ones potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions. They further identified these skills as communication, team work, problem-solving, initiative and enterprise, planning and organizing, self management, learning and technology skills. Overtoom (2000:2 in Ogbeide, 2006) defined employability skills as transferable core skill groups that represent essential functional and enabling knowledge, skills and attitudes required by the 21st century workplace necessary for career success at all levels of employment and for all levels of education. This definition appears to expose the relevance of employability skills both as an end and as a means to an end, hence it s capacity of enhancing one s potentials for learning. Defining employability from employers point of view, Mason,William and Cranmer (2006:4) says: employability often seems to refer to work-readiness, that is, possession of the skills, knowledge, 3

6 attitudes and commercial understanding that will enable new graduates to make productive contributions to organisational objectives soon after commencing employment. York (2004:3) sees it as a set of achievements skills, understandings and personal attributes that makes graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy. Although the possession of employability as not an automatic license for employment as suggested in York s definition, Greatbatch and Lewis (2007) keenly observed that employers seek to recruit and retain employees with these skills; thus, education programs that emphasise such skills offer learners a comparative advantage in the labour market. Writing on employability skills in Canada, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (1998) states that employability skills are the generic skills, attitudes and behaviours that employers look for in new recruits and which they develop through training programs for current employees. In the workplace, as in school, the skills are integrated and used in varying combinations, depending on the nature of the particular job activities. According to the Corporate Council of Education, employability skills are developed in school and through a variety of life experiences outside school. The existence of varying definitions of employability indicates that there is no singular generally accepted list of employability skills. For McLeish (2002) in Australia, it is a list of nine (9) domains/framework, consisting of personal values; communication, teamwork, problem solving, initiative and enterprise, planning and organizing, learning and technology. Ong & Sharma (2008) in Malaysia, derived 15 domains of 36 indications consisting of; learn new skills and procedures, work in a team, making decisions, solve problems, adapt knowledge to new situations, work with minimum supervision, understand ethics and social/cultural implications of decisions, question accepted wisdom, open to new ideas and possibilities, think and reason logically, think creatively, analyse and make mature judgement. 4

7 However, Greatbatch and Lewis (2007:7) tried to harmonize the various lists of employability skills drawn from United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and North America and came up with 7 domains consisting of: fundamental skills (literacy, using numbers, technology skills); people-related skills (communication, interpersonal, influencing, negotiation, team working, customer service and leadership skills); conceptualising/thinking skills (information management, problem solving, planning and organizing, learning, thinking innovation and creativity and reflective skills); personal skills and attributes (being enthusiastic, adaptable, motivated, reliable, responsible, honest, resourceful, committed, loyal, flexible, well presented, sensible, able to manage time and deal with pressure and skills); skills related to business world (innovative skills, enterprise skills, commercial awareness, business awareness skills) and finally skills related to the community such as citizenship skills. Evidently, these skills appear very fluid and so context based that there is need to identify the skills that are measurable and amenable to reliable assessment and reporting. It is in line with this that Hambur, Rowe and Luc (2002) Australian Council for Educational Research, developed Graduate Skills Assessment based on four domains of employability skills Written communication, problem-solving, critical thinking and interpersonal understanding deriving from extensive research of employers and other stakeholders rating of the relevance of these skills. This is consistent with Maher and Graves (2007:4) position that the first step to addressing employability is to establish what it is that makes students employable and how this can be developed and then audit their curriculum to evaluate how this can be achieved. This work is therefore a preliminary search into the employability skills which are of utmost relevance to the employers of labour in Nigeria and see how these skills are consistent among the different occupation sector employers of labour. 5

8 Statement of the problem Nigeria is a nation of unlimited potentials and untapped resources. These can be harnessed through her youth. It is however unfortunate that the youth appears not to be fully prepared to jumpstart the nation s economy as a result of unemployment. In spite of the problem of unemployment, enrolment into higher institutions has been on the increase and graduates are coming out of these institutions with more trepidation. Their parents and the community are anxious for a return for the huge investment in their children s education which most of the time is not in sight. This heightened anxiety has led to students being fixated on the acquisition of high grades on graduation believing it will increase their likelihood of gaining employment and so heaps of reports of all forms of examination malpractices are shown for it. However, Ogunleye, Oke, Adeyemo, and Adenle, (2007) observed that one of the causes of graduate unemployment in Nigeria is that universities and other tertiary institutions are not training people with appropriate skills required for a 21st century competitive global economy dominated by Information Technology (IT). Substantial number of studies done outside done by researchers across the globe, have shown that employers of labour would prefer to recruit graduates who posses these employability skills. There need to identify which of these employability skills are of high relevance to employers of labour when considering graduates for employment. Fully equipped with the information, providers of higher education and educators can proceed with the assessment of undergraduates relative standing on employability skills. Undoubtedly, results from such assessment would contribute to the preparation of the students in line with these skills before graduation. This study therefore addresses the following questions: 1) What are the employability skills most relevant to employers of labour across all occupational sectors? 2) Do these employability skills differ significantly among different occupational sectors employers? Methodology 6

9 Participants of the study include 276 personnel managers/managers distributed as follows; banking (51), commercial (59), agricultural (66), health (50) and education (50) occupational sectors. These were drawn through purposive sampling from the major urban centres in Anambra state Awka, Nnewi and Onitsha. A synthesis of employability skill domain and their indicators enabled the researchers select 6 domains and 40 indicators which were used to develop a 40-item questionnaire used for data collection. A 4-point likert type scale of very high relevance (4) to no relevance (1) was the response category. The reliability coefficient of internal consistency of the 6 domains ranged from.79 to.94. Mean standard deviation and analysis of variance were used for data analysis. Results Research Question 1 Table 1. Rank order of mean scores of employability skills by employers Employability Skills Mean SD Self-management Teamwork Critical thinking and problem solving personal skills and attributes Initiative and enterprise Communication skills The table above shows that the six employability skills mean scores exceeded the scale mean of 2.5. This an indication that they were rated by the all occupational sectors employers as being highly relevant when considering graduates for employment. However, self-management which had mean score of 3.65 was valued more than the all the others. This was followed by teamwork which had mean score of 3.54 while problem solving was ranked third. 7

10 Research Question 2 Table 2. Mean Scores of Occupational sectors employers on Employability Employability Skills Communication skills Critical thinking/problem solving personal skills and attributes Self-management Banking Commercial Agricultural Health Education Total Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Initiative/enterpri se Teamwork Table 2 indicates that across all the occupational sectors, all the employability skills were of highly relevant for consideration in the graduates employment. However employers from agricultural sectors had the lowest mean score in all the employability even though they perceived all these skills to be relevant for the selection of prospective graduates employees. Further study of the table showed that self-management, which consistently maintained relatively low standard deviation across all groups, is the most desired employability across all the occupational sectors. 8

11 Table 3. ANOVA of Mean Scores on Employability Among Occupational Sectors Employers Communication skills Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups Within Groups Total problem-solving Between Groups Within Groups Total Personal Skills and Attributes Between Groups Within Groups Total Self-Management Between Groups Within Groups Total Initiative & Enterprise Between Groups Within Groups Total teamwork Between Groups Within Groups Total Table 3 indicates that the mean scores of employability skills vary significantly as shown by the p<0.05. The multiple comparison test showed that mean scores in the six domains of employability, agricultural sector differ significantly from the rest of the others - banking, commercial, health and education (cf. Appendix II: Multiple comparison test). Discussion This study is aimed at finding out the employability skills most favoured by employers of labour and whether these skills are consistent among the different occupational sectors. An analysis of data in 9

12 this study revealed that all the six domains of employability skills were of high relevance to the employers. However, self-management is the most valued by the all the employers. Self-management skills outcome includes ability to set goals and priorities in work and personal life, the ability to manage time, money and other resources to achieve goals amongst others. Each of these was rated higher than all other items. (cf. Appendix I: Item by Item mean scores). This contrasts with the findings of McLeish (2002) who found that employers value more skills in communication and teamwork. This difference could be attributed to the socio-cultural difference in values. In view of present situation in Nigeria, it would appear that employers of labour would prefer, above all, graduates who would counter the problem of mismanagement of funds and resources which have been the major setback to the growth and development of enterprise and the overall development of the nation. It is also interesting to note that employers in banking, commercial, health and education sectors do not differ significantly in their mean opinion. This is an indication that there exists considerable consistency in agreement on self-management as most desirable skills, followed by teamwork, problem solving, initiative and enterprise and finally communication skills. Conclusion: Bello (2003) captures the true picture of Nigerian graduates situation when he describes how common it is to find unemployed graduates expressing futility in job seeking having remained in the job market for four, five or more years without exit point. Many eventually give up job finding and take to any means of livelihood without minding the legal implications or consequences. Many scholars attributed greater percentage of the problem to poor preparation of the graduate leading to a mismatch between what employers of labour expect and what the higher education produces. The challenge therefore is to make higher education produce graduates that are employable. A new set of generic employability skills have been seen as pre-requisite for self-employment and for success in other domains of life. Its acquisition 10

13 therefore makes the recipients have comparable advantage over others in this era of unprecedented high competition in labour market (Allen Consulting Group Report, 2006). This study which aimed at identifying the extent employers of labour rate these skills as being relevant in their consideration of graduates for employment, found that the employers rated self-management highest in the list of relevant skills, while also identifying teamwork and problem solving as second and third in order of relevance. While acknowledging the limitations of the study that has to do with the adequacy of sampling to warrant generalization, it is very important to note this study offers a preliminary step towards a solution to youth unemployment problem. This solution can be optimized through institution-wide employability skills assessment for undergraduates of higher education in Nigeria. Reference Association of Canadian Community Colleges (1998) The Relevance Of Education To The World Of Work, With A Focus On Youth Employment. Retrieved from on 10th June, 2008 Bello, T. (2003). Attacking unemployment hurdles in the fragile economies of the sub Saharan africa: the experience of nigeria. Being A Paper Presented At The - Economics For The Future Conference; On The Occasion Of The Celebration Of 100 Years Of Cambridge Economics; Cambridge, United Kingdom. Curtis, D & McKenzie, P (2001) Employability Skills for Australian Industry: Literature Review and Framework Development, Melbourne, Australian Council for Educational Research. Retrieved from on 10th June, 2008 Greatbatch, D. & Lewis, P. (2007) Generic Employability Skills II. Retrieved from on 25th June, Hambur, S; Rowe, K & Luc, L.T (2002) Graduate Skills Assessment. Stage One Validity Study. Retrieved from on 3rd March, 2008 Mason,G.; Williams, G. & Cranmer, S. (2006). Employability Skills Initiatives in Higher Education: What Effects Do They Have On Graduate Labour Market Outcomes? Retrieved on 22nd May, 2008 McLeish, A (2002). Employability Skills for Australian small and medium sized enterprises. Retrieved from on 22nd May, 2008 Ogbeide, G. (2006) employability skills and students self-perceived competence for careers in the hospitality industry. A Dissertation Presented to the faculty of the Graduate School University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, Missouri. Retrieved from edt.missouri.edu/fall2006/dissertation/ogbeideg d5956/ on 3 rd June,

14 Ogunleye, A. O., Oke, C. O., Adeyemo, S. A. & Adenle, S. O. (2007). A Survey of Factors Determining the Employability of Science and Technology Graduates of Polytechnics and Universities in the Nigerian Labour Market. Retrieved from on 3 rd May, 2008 Precision Consultancy, (2007) Graduate Employability Skills. A report for the Business, Industry and Higher Education Collaboration Council Australia. Retrieved from on 23rd June, 2008 Robinson, J.S. (2006) Graduates and employers perceptions of entry-level employability skills needed by agriculture, food and natural resources graduates. Retrieved from on 22nd May, 2008 Saterfiel, T.H.; & McLarty, J. R. (2008). Assessing Employability Skills. Eric Digest. Retrieved from on 10th June, Smith, E. & Comyn,P (2003)The development of employability skills in novice workers. Retrieved from 10th June, The Allen Consulting Group (2006) Assessment and reporting of employability skills in Training Packages. Retrieved from On 12 th April, 2008 Yorke, M. (2004) Employability in higher education: what it is what it is not..employability serie s one. Retrieved on 12th April, 2008 Yorke, M. and Peter Knight, P. (2004). Embedding Employability into the Curriculum. Retrieved from on 12th April,

15 APPENDIX I Item-by-tem Mean Rating of Employers on Employability Skills Occupational Sectors Employers Employability Skills Questionnaire Items Read & understand information presented in variety of forms Write & speak so others pay attention and understand Listen & ask questions to understand & appreciate points of views of others Share information using range of ICT like computer & Use scientific, technological & mathematical knowledge & skills to clarify ideas Locate, gather & organize information using appropriate tech. & information systems. Access, analyse and apply knowledge and skills from various disciplines Writing both external and internal business communication Responding to other s comments during a conversation Assess and identify problems Seek different points of view & evaluate them based on facts Recognize the different dimensions of problem Be creative and innovative in exploring possible solutions Readily use science, technology and mathematics as ways to think,and solve problems Evaluate solutions to make recommendations or decisions Effectively implement solutions Making decisions based on thorough analysis of situations Identify root cause of problem Check to see if solutions works and act on opportunities for improvement Feel good about self and be confident Banking Commercial Agricultural Health Education Total Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD

16 Deal with people, problems and situations with honesty, integrity and ethics Recognize self and other people s efforts Deal with pressure and stress Show commitment and reliability Employability Skills Questionnaire Items Banking Commercial Agricultural Health Education Total Set goals and priorities in work and personal life Plan and organize activities in personal life and office work Manage time, money and other resources to achieve goals Show accountability for actions taken. Carry out multiple tasks or projects Show creativity in assignments Develop strategic vision Ability to work without supervision and show good results Resourceful and forthcoming Identify and suggest alternative ways to achieve goals Working well with fellow workers Relating well with supervisor Recognize and respect people s diversity, individual difference and point of view Contribute to team work by information and expertise Understand and work within the culture of the group Manage and resolve conflict within group when appropriate Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD

17 APPENDIX II Multiple Comparisons Scheffe Dependent Variable (I) GROUP (J) GROUP Mean score Communication mean score problem-solving Mean Difference (I-J) Std. Error Sig. banking commercial Agricultural.3199(*) Health Education commercial banking Agricultural.2954(*) Health Education Agricultural banking (*) commercial (*) Health (*) Education (*) Health banking commercial Agricultural.3265(*) Education Education banking banking commercial Agricultural.2443(*) Health commercial Agricultural.4301(*) Health Education commercial banking Agricultural.3559(*) Health Education Agricultural banking (*) commercial (*) Health (*) Education (*) Health banking commercial Agricultural.3536(*) Education

18 Education banking commercial Agricultural.3476(*) Health Personal skills banking commercial mean score Self- Management mean score Initiative & Enterprise Agricultural.4075(*) Health Education commercial banking Agricultural Health Education Agricultural banking (*) commercial Health Education Health banking commercial Agricultural Education Education banking commercial banking Agricultural Health commercial Agricultural.4931(*) Health Education commercial banking Agricultural.3887(*) Health Education Agricultural banking (*) commercial (*) Health (*) Education (*) Health banking commercial Agricultural.5785(*) Education Education banking banking commercial Agricultural.5335(*) Health commercial Agricultural.5024(*) Health Education

19 mean score teamwork commercial banking Agricultural.3925(*) Health Education Agricultural banking (*) commercial (*) Health (*) Education (*) Health banking commercial Agricultural.5786(*) Education Education banking banking commercial Agricultural.4453(*) Health commercial Agricultural.5181(*) Health Education commercial banking Agricultural.4186(*) Health Education Agricultural banking (*) commercial (*) Health (*) Education (*) Health banking commercial Agricultural.5290(*) Education Education banking * The mean difference is significant at the.05 level. commercial Agricultural.5304(*) Health

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