Fit or Unfit? Perspectives of Employers and University Instructors of Graduates’ Generic Skills

Despite all the mechanisms introduced by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and the universities to ensure that graduates leave the institution fit for employment, the fact remains that many employers decry the quality of fresh graduates, particularly in the area of generic or soft skills (Morshidi Sirat et al., 2008). This study was undertaken to identify areas of consonance (and/or dissonance) in the perceptions of instructors and employers with regards to the generic skills that graduates should possess upon leaving the university (Ministry of Human Resource, 2009). The findings of such a study would reveal if universities were emphasizing the skills that the employers looked for in their employees. Using a questionnaire, the study sampled 124 employers and 126 instructors in the Klang valley. The findings reveal that there is some degree of consonance in the generic skills perceived as important for employability by instructors and employers, with communication skills taking pole position, followed closely by integrity and professional ethics, and teamwork. Interestingly, critical thinking and problem solving skills, highly regarded in the educational arena was not deemed as vitally important by the employers. Although this study shows that the university curriculum is aligned to the needs of the industry in terms of the top three generic skills demanded by employers, the question remains as to why a large number of graduates remain unemployed. Are the skills being adequately deployed by the graduates themselves? In attempting to transform local higher education to meet world-class standards, graduate (un)employability is a high-stake issue which demands immediate redress. This study attempts to throw some light on this contentious issue.