Analysis of perception gap between employers and fresh engineering graduates about employability skills: a case study of Pakistan

• Autores: Umair Manzoor, Ali Rizwan, Ayhan Demirbas, Nader Al Sayed Hafiz
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 34, no. 1, 2018, págs. 248-255
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The present study aims to investigate possible perception gap between fresh engineering graduates and their employersabout essential skills required for getting a job. Data were collected from 129 industrial employers and 812 final yearengineering students from all over Pakistan with the help of a questionnaire adapted from Secretary’s Commission onAchieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) comprising 36 questions categorized into eight broader areas. Data analysis revealsthat wide gap exists between the perceptions of both, as employers give more importance to skills like creativity,communication, interpersonal, decision making and problem solving, while engineering graduates perceive that theirtechnical skills would play a major role in getting them jobs. Strong correlation is observed between students’ ranking ofskills and their competence level in respective skills. Consequently, students’ un-employment time increases causingconcern among students, parents and the students’ academic institutions. This situation becomes more alarming in adeveloping country like Pakistan, where unemployment has already touched 8.3%, the highest in last 13 years. Findings ofthis study can guide the management of engineering universities to better align their engineering programs with employer’srequirements and create awareness among students about the importance of soft skills in their professional career.