Abstract
The university graduate unemployment rate reached a record high of 6% in 2009 in Taiwan; paradoxically, business managers complained that they could not find enough qualified employees. The mismatch between knowledge taught in universities and the requests of the job market has been criticized as the main reason for the escalation of the university graduate unemployment rate. To alleviate the aforementioned crisis, this research endeavored to identify the major career services that should be provided by universities, calculate the relative importance of each career service, and determine which department should be responsible for what career services. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was adopted as the major research method, and a self-developed questionnaire was administered to 30 university faculty and 50 students. The results indicated that real work place practice and internships were rated as the most important career service that should be carried out by universities immediately. Moreover, the career center and academic department office are the most important offices in accomplishing the career services.
Highlights
University graduates are often expected to have a good job after their graduation, but this is no longer true in Taiwan
This research aims to identify the major career services universities should accomplish to assist their students in developing a good career after graduation and determine which university office should be responsible for specific career services
University students in Taiwan have difficulty finding an adequate job after graduation; at the same time, many business managers complain a great deal that they cannot recruit enough employees who possess the basic competences required in the job market
Summary
University graduates are often expected to have a good job after their graduation, but this is no longer true in Taiwan. Business executives have lamented that it is very difficult for them to find enough qualified employees because most of the university graduates do not possess competences to accomplish assignments in the workplace. This mismatch between competences requested by the job market and competences taught in the universities has aroused enormous concerns among government officials, educators, and the general public. This research aims to identify the major career services universities should accomplish to assist their students in developing a good career after graduation and determine which university office should be responsible for specific career services.
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