Students’ Workplace Readiness: Assessment and Skill-Building for Graduate Employability

Sara Siddique,Neda Azizi,Ali Ahsan,Omid Haass

doi:10.3390/su14031749

Abstract

This study introduces a new approach for the competence development of the socio-technical aspect. The curriculum of the Project Management (PM) course taught in degree programs concentrates largely on imparting technical knowledge. Current research seeks to direct the attention of the PM curriculum towards Personal Competencies as well. PM studies not only require a project to be carried out successfully but also expect students to demonstrate certain personal competencies, behaviors, and traits to effectively lead the project team. This research seeks to inform action and yield pertinent knowledge and instructional material around the desired personal competence. This study adopts an exploratory and (educational) action research approach with a quantitative mode of inquiry. The first of the four phases of this study comprises an action-based approach to find out which Personal Competence is essential for PM students. The second phase is of further follow-ups with the research subjects that indicate their lack of understanding of the PM personal competencies. The next phase employs a second survey showing that the Communication Skills of research subjects need work. The last phase offers a comprehensive training plan around the required competence, a training evaluation tool, a competence assessment exam, and tools for training and trainer feedback. The findings of this research bear immense implications for PM competence building and curriculum. The practical contribution of the study offers a way to prepare the graduates for ready employability.

Highlights

Technology is rapidly altering the nature of competition, and the global job market is in bigger demand for skilled and ready-for-the-job people
After reviewing the literature on Project Management (PM) competencies and related areas, we concluded that most of the research on PM competencies fails to address the development of key personal competencies required to be a competent project manager
The lack of a few crucial personal skills and competencies has become the reason for increased graduate unemployment

Summary

Introduction

Technology is rapidly altering the nature of competition, and the global job market is in bigger demand for skilled and ready-for-the-job people. Getting quality education from prestigious and high-ranking colleges is normally the first step to a prosperous future. There is no denying that education and knowledge competencies play a vital role in achieving the career aspirations of the people, but does it make them industry-ready? A sizable gap exists between industry and academia. Among the many criticisms of the Higher Education. Institutes (HEIs) of Pakistan, some studies establish a weak link between academia and industry [1]. Landing a job right out of college depends a great deal on the soft skills of the candidate. Personal competencies play a significant role in climbing the career ladder. Networking Objectives and Network Map Elevator Pitch

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Conclusion