Do Graduates Demonstrate Soft Skills? Perspectives from Service Companies in Malaysia

Abstract

The Malaysian service sector is pivotal in the country's economy, contributing more than half of the GDP and employing over 60% of the workforce. Despite the pressing need for talent development, a noticeable gap exists due to the absence of a comprehensive framework for identifying and nurturing soft skills. In the era of Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0), soft skills become increasingly crucial, complementing technological advancements, automation, and digital transformation by serving as human-centric attributes that enhance the effectiveness of these technologies. The soft skills outlined by the Ministry of Higher Education are generic, with universal applicability rather than being specific to a particular profession or field. This study aims to identify the soft skills required by the service industry, explore the soft skills offered by the industry, and assess the soft skills possessed by graduates according to employers. The study samples include employers from service companies sourced from the Federation of Manufacturing Malaysia Directory. A questionnaire, available online as a Google Form for a month, is employed for data collection. Using SPSS version 25.0, descriptive and inferential analyses are conducted on the gathered data. The results of the inferential analysis indicate a significant positive correlation between the importance of soft skills in organisations and the soft skills attainable within those organisations (ρ: .590). Additionally, a strong connection is identified between graduates' soft skills and the perceived importance of soft skills in organisations (ρ: .493). The graduates' soft skills also demonstrate a substantial association with the soft skills acquired at the organisations (ρ: .604). In conclusion, the research underscores that organisations tailor learning opportunities to meet the specific needs of their employees. This investigation, focusing on the essential soft skills crucial for employment in the services industry, holds significance in advocating for increased collaboration between educational institutions and industries. The aim is to provide students with practical experiences essential for their future employment in alignment with the demands of the evolving job landscape.