Abstract
Changes are norms at workplaces. As a result, globalization and development of technology demand employeesto be highly-skilled. Graduates find it difficult to seek employment upon graduation as they are lack ofemployability skills. Thus the need to establish employability skills among university undergraduates isimperative. This study is conducted in order to determine whether employability skills can be enhanced throughstudying English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) among undergraduates in Malaysia. In addition, itinvestigates whether undergraduates are able to identify attributes employers seek. The results of this study haveuseful pedagogical implications for teaching of English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) as the data obtainedmay be used to prepare teaching materials in order to enhance undergraduates’ employability skills.
Highlights
What are employability skills? Employability skills are those basic skills necessary for getting, keeping and doing well on a job and they can be divided into three categories: Basic Academic Skills, Higher-Order Thinking Skills and Personal Qualities (Robinson, 2000)
Commitment, honesty, integrity, enthusiasm, reliability, personal presentation, common sense, positive self-esteem, a sense of humor, motivation, adaptability, a balanced attitude to work and home life and ability to deal with pressure
This was indicated by the participants as personal attributes encompassed 25 % of employability skills
Summary
What are employability skills? Employability skills are those basic skills necessary for getting, keeping and doing well on a job and they can be divided into three categories: Basic Academic Skills, Higher-Order Thinking Skills and Personal Qualities (Robinson, 2000). As for Zinser (2003), career and employability skills include areas such as managing resources, communication and interpersonal skills, team work and problem-solving and acquiring and retaining a job. Employability skills can be defined as a set of achievements, understandings and personal attributes that makes individuals more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations (ESECT, 2004). Further definition of employability skills' competencies was provided by Bush and Barrick (1987). Employability skills were categorized by the following competency areas: personal values, problem-solving and decision-making skills, relations with other people, communication skills, task-related skills, maturity, health and safety habits, and commitment to job.Generally, employability skills are needed by students to prepare themselves to meet the needs of many different occupations upon graduation
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