EMPLOYABILITY GAP AMONGST ENGINEERING GRADUATES- GROWING DISPARITY BETWEEN GRADUATE SKILLS AND MARKET (EMPLOYER) NEEDS IN GUJARAT Research Project Report Submitted to Ahmedabad Management Association And California State University, San Bernardino Under Joint Certification Program in HRM (June – December 2014) By Ms. Bhumi Vala Mrs. Neeti Mittal Ms. Simran Kaur
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EMPLOYABILITY GAP AMONGST ENGINEERING GRADUATES-
GROWING DISPARITY BETWEEN GRADUATE SKILLS AND MARKET (EMPLOYER) NEEDS IN GUJARAT
Research Project Report
Submitted to
Ahmedabad Management Association
And
California State University, San Bernardino
Under
Joint Certification Program in HRM (June – December 2014)
By
Ms. Bhumi Vala Mrs. Neeti Mittal Ms. Simran Kaur
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Our special thanks to all faculty members, who gave us important insights by sharing their professional experiences. We would also like to thank them for guiding us throughout our project work.
We thank Mr. Jayesh Ganatra, Dr. Sameer Pingle and Dr. P. V. Desai, for their suggestions and guidance during the project, reviews and presentations.
We are also obliged to Mr. Janardhanan, Mr. Deep Mehta and entire AMA staff for their great support during our entire program.
We are thankful to CSUSB and AMA for jointly offering this program which has enhanced our skills in HRM and provided us platform to learn.
We feel deeply regards to our family members, friends and our classmates who gave us encouragement during the project work.
We are finally thankful to all who have helped us directly or indirectly during the project.
Bhumi Vala Neeti Mittal Simran Kaur
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sr No. Content Page No.
1. Executive Summary I-II
2. Project Outline
Introduction
Background: Need and Justification
Objective
Scope
Significance of the Study
Methodology
1
2
3
4
4
4
3. Literature Survey 5-7
4. Employer Data Analysis and Interpretation 8-40
5. Employee Data Analysis and Interpretation 41-52
6. Significant Findings and Observations 53-55
7. Recommendations 56-57
8. References 58
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
IT-Information Technology
ITeS - Information Technology enabled Services
EC – Electronics and Communication
MECH- Mecahnical
CE- Computre Engineering
EE- Electrical Engineering
IC- Instrumentation and Control
KPO- Knowledge Process Outsourcing
BPO- Business Process Outsourcing
GIL- Gujarat Informatics Limited
GIPL- Gujarat Information Petro Limited
GSPC LNG- Gujarat State Petroleum Corp Liquefied Natural Gas
GTU- Gujarat Technological University
PRL- Physical Research Laboratory
ISRO- Indian Space Research Organization
ONGC- Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
KSA- Knowledge, Skills, Attributes
US- United States
Govt- Government
Pvt- Private
HR-PR- Human Resource- Personal Relationships
GD- Group Discussion
MS Office- Microsoft Office
LIST OF TABLES
Sr No. Title Page No.
1. Employability Percentage of Engineering Graduates in Different Roles
2
2. Size of the Company 8
3. Degree of importance for employers to hire graduates from reputed institutes
9
4. Satisfaction with newly hired graduates 10
5. Qualities Importance for the Job - Employer Perspective 13
6. Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Importance for the Job - Employer Perspective
14
7. Qualities Satisfaction for the Job - Employer Perspective 15
8. Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Satisfaction for the Job - Employer Perspective
16
9. Importance & Satisfaction – Knowledge Of Subject 18
10. Importance & Satisfaction – Knowledge Of Contemporary Issues
19
11. Importance & Satisfaction – Knowledge Of Computers 20
12. Importance & Satisfaction – Ability To Apply Knowledge 21
13. Importance & Satisfaction – Ability To Analyze 22
14. Importance & Satisfaction – Ability to Solve Problems 23
15. Importance & Satisfaction – Creative And Innovations 24
34. Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job
45
35. Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job - Weighted Average Mean
47
36. Confidence on the Qualities for the successful performance in the job
48
37. Employees Qualities Confidence Weighted Average Mean 48
38. Most Common Responses 50
LIST OF CHARTS
Sr No.
Title Page No.
1. Employer sector specification 8
2. Size of the Organizations responded 9
3.Degree of importance for employers to hire graduates from reputed institutes
10
4. Satisfaction with newly hired graduates 11
5. Govt sector- Satisfaction with newly hired graduates 11
6. Pvt sector- Satisfaction with newly hired graduates 12
7. Mfg sector- Satisfaction with newly hired graduates 12
8. Service sector- Satisfaction with newly hired graduates 13
9.Degree of Qualities Importance for the Job - Employer Perspective
14
10.Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Importance for the Job -Employer Perspective
15
11.Degree of Qualities Satisfaction for the Job - Employer Perspective
16
12.Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Satisfaction for the Job -Employer Perspective
17
13. Importance- Knowledge of subject 18
14. Satisfaction- Knowledge of subject 18
15. Importance- Knowledge of contemporary issues 19
16. Satisfaction- Knowledge of contemporary issues 19
17. Importance- Knowledge of computers 20
18. Satisfaction- Knowledge of computers 20
19. Importance- Ability to apply Knowledge 21
20. Satisfaction- Ability to apply Knowledge 21
21. Importance- Ability to analyse 22
22. Satisfaction- Ability to analyse 22
23. Importance- Ability to solve problems 23
24. Satisfaction- Ability to solve problems 23
25. Importance- Creativity and Innovations 24
26. Satisfaction- Creativity and Innovations 24
27. Importance- Entrepreneurial skills 25
28. Satisfaction- Entrepreneurial skills 25
29. Importance- Interpresonal skills 26
30. Satisfaction- Interpresonal skills 26
31. Importance- Written communications 27
32. Satisfaction- Written communications 27
33. Importance- Verbal communications 28
34. Satisfaction- Verbal communications 28
35. Importance- Willingness to learn 29
36. Satisfaction- Willingness to learn 29
37. Importance- Teamwork 30
38. Satisfaction- Teamwork 30
39. Importance- Flexibility 31
40. Satisfaction- Flexibility 31
41. Importance- Reliability 32
42. Satisfaction- Reliability 32
43. Importance- Integrity 33
44. Satisfaction- Integrity 33
45. Importance- Self discipline 34
46. Satisfaction- Self discipline 34
47. Importance- Self motivated 35
48. Satisfaction- Self motivated 35
49. Importance- Empathy 36
50. Satisfaction- Empathy 36
51.KSAs which are most lacking and need to improve in engineering graduates
37
52.Actions should be taken by higher institutes as per employer’s perception
38
53. Recommendations for Institutions by the Employers 40
54. Employees Qualification 41
55. Employee Sector Specification 42
56. Type of Organization 43
57. Duration And Experience of Employees 43
58. Recruitment Selection Criteria 44
59. No of Interviews Attended by the Employees 45
60.Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the Job
46
61.Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job - Weighted Average Mean
47
62.Confidence on the Qualities for the successful performance in the job
48
63. Employees Qualities Confidence Weighted Average Mean 49
64. How to Acquire the Skills Lacking in the Graduates 50
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
India needs to re-engineer the development of engineers.
- Times Ascent
Although almost 6 lakhs engineering graduates are passing out every year in India, however their employability remains a cause of concern. According to a recently released report by Aspiring Minds, of the six hundred thousand engineers that graduate annually, only 18.43% of them are employable for the Software Engineer-IT services role. Despite the gravity of the situation, little research has been conducted to identify the kinds of skills/attitudes demanded by employers amongst engineering graduates and measure in which skills/attitudes they meet employers’ expectation.
There is an increasing demand for such information from universities, administrators, and policy makers. On the supply side, the quantity of the fresh engineering graduates has increased by leaps and bound, due to mushrooming of several new engineering colleges. However, while catering to the quantity, the quality has been compromised thereby leading to very low employability of these graduates. Hence there is a need to study the area.
The study aims to find out the deficiency in the quality of engineering graduates called employability gap. The study seeks to explore the employer’s perceptions of the employability skills/attitudes that technical students need to possess, as well as assessing the employer’s level of satisfaction with the student’s employability skills. It also seeks to explore the perception of newly recruited engineering graduates as to which are the skills in which they felt confident when they joined their first job and where they felt that their university education was lacking. The scope of the study is restricted to the geographical limits of Gujarat.
The study is exploratory in nature. Research is based on Secondary as well as Primary data. Two sets of questionnaires have been developed, one for the employer and the other for the newly recruited engineering graduates with 6-12 months of work experience. Sample size for employers is 32. Approx 210employees from the organizations, from which the employer’s data was collected, were made to fill the questionnaires.
The study found out that the overall satisfaction of the Employers was at somewhat level. 43% Government sector employers are satisfied and 28%Private sector employers are satisfied. Manufacturing sectors employers satisfaction level is 35%, whereas in service sector it is 25%.Most desirable skills while recruiting engineering graduates are willingness to learn, self discipline and self motivation. The least significant skill as perceived by the employers was Entrepreneurial skills. Satisfaction level was least on written communication, ability to analyse and problem solving skills. Technical knowledge with its application and Skill development are equally deficient. Major reasons for these
are obsolete technologies, content of the curriculum, and teaching methods.Practical exposure with applied knowledge and learning was not found up to the mark.
Corrective actions that should be taken by higher institutions in order to improve the employability of their graduates as suggested by employers are as follows: (i) 41% employers feel the engineering curriculum courses need to be more relevant to their needs (ii) More practical exposure needs to be included (iii) Include sector specific work placements as an integral part of the study program.
With respect to employee perspective, maximum priority was given to Interviews in recruitment selection. Employees feel that knowledge is the most important criteria for successful performance of the job followed by skills and personality traits. Technical skills and problem solving are considered to be very important by the employees for successful performance. Employees were most confident on technical skills and emotional intelligence. They were least confident on critical and analytical reasoning.
The engineering graduates suggested the following ways to acquire the skills that they are lacking in (i) Through continuous practice and learning through experience (ii) Taking help from seniors and colleagues (iii) Attending various training programmes (iv) Acquiring technical skills and industrial knowledge (v) Acquiring communication skills.
Areas identified by the employees that need to be included in the university curriculum to make it more market worthy are (i) Updation of the curriculum and practical orientation (ii) Increased industrial exposure (iii) Training on communication and soft skills (iv) Change in examination pattern (v)Mock interviews.
To summarise we can say, that there is employability gap among the fresh engineering graduates and there is a need to reduce this gap. It can be done by focusing not only on the quantity but also quality of the education in the ever mushrooming engineering institutes. The faculties of these institutes should be well versed with the latest technological advancements and there should be due emphasis on periodic revision of the course content to make it more relevant to the market needs. More practical orientation is what is desired by the engineering students that they find lacking in the present set up. Similarly, due emphasis should also be laid on acquisition of interpersonal and communication skills during the four year degree program. All these steps would increase the satisfaction level of the employers to a great extent and thereby reduce the employability gap.
CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION
“Employability is the possession by an individual of the qualities and competencies required to meet the changing needs of employers and customers and thereby help
to realize his or her aspirations and potential in work.” (Confederation of British Industry, 1999)
Deriving from the above definition of employability, the absence of such qualities, competencies and skills can be referred to as the employability gap. Employability skills are defined as skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve one’s potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions. Skill shortage remains one of the major impediments to continued economic growth in India. Over the past 5 years the growth of Indian economy was more than 8% on an average, including the year of the financial crisis in 2009. However, insufficient supply of quality skills is one of the major constraints in most industries in India (World Bank, 2009). In recent times, it has also been found that the employers find the newly recruited employees lacking not only in knowledge and skills but also their attitude. The problem is acute in engineering graduates.
Classification of employability skills
Employability skills can be categorized in different sets. The competence model divides them into three major groups viz. Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (figure 1). While Knowledge and skills are clearly visible and measurable, attributes like attitude, motivation, values are less visible and less easy to measure.
Employability Skills (figure 1)
Knowledge Skills Attributes
1
Knowledge of the subject
Knowledge of contemporary issues
Knowledge of computers like spreadsheets, databases
Ability to apply knowledge of math and engineering
Ability to analyze and interpret data
Creativity and innovation Entrepreneurial skills Interpersonal skills Communication skills
Different sectors where engineers play a crucial role have been particularly in difficult situations when there is unmet demand for skills. IT, infrastructure and power sectors to name a few, are facing the most serious problem of lack of skills. For example, the exporting IT sector reported that the major obstacle for growth is lack of skills in newly hired graduates (World Bank, 2009). Similarly, according to a recently released report by Aspiring Minds, of the six hundred thousand engineers that graduate annually, only 18.43% of them are employable for the Software Engineer-IT services role. For core jobs in mechanical, electronics/electrical and civil engineering only a mere 7.49% are employable (see Table 1).
Employability Percentage of Engineering Graduates in Different Roles
IT ROLES
Software Engineer – IT Product 3.21%
Software Engineer – IT Services 18.43%
Associate – ITeS Operations (Hardware and Networking ) 35.37%
ENGINEERING ROLES
Design Engineer – Non IT 7.49%
Sales Engineer – Non IT 16.54%
NON-TECH ROLES
Business Analyst – KPO 11.53%
Associate – ITeS/BPO 39.84%
Creative Content Developer 15.36%
Technical Content Developer 10.81%
Table no.1, Employability Percentage of Engineering Graduates in Different Roles
Source: Aspiring Minds, National Employability Report-Engineers 2014
The power sector is also facing severe shortages of qualified engineers and the sector needs more skills and knowledge at all levels of the workforce (Ministry of Power, 2007). In the infrastructure sector as well, the focus is on shortage of qualified manpower. The sector needs to increase its hiring by at least 2-3 times of the 2008 level where 6,000 –7,000 fresh engineers and diploma holders joined the infrastructure sector workforce (World Bank, 2008).
2
Despite the gravity of the situation, little research has been conducted to identify the kinds of skills/attitudes demanded by employers amongst engineering graduates and measure in which skills/attitudes they meet employers’ expectation. There is an increasing demand for such information from universities, administrators, and policy makers. For example, Government of India is implementing a program with World Bank co-finance, to improve quality of engineering education and increase learning outcomes of engineering education graduates. For this program as well as other initiatives, it is crucial to identify specific bottlenecks in skills/ attitudes demanded by employers in the engineering graduates, and provide detailed information and practical suggestions to overcome the skill shortages and skill gap.
In today’s scenario, the jobs for engineering graduates are highly technical and sophisticated. Shift from production oriented engineering jobs to service oriented engineering jobs demands professionals with both sound technical and behavioral skills to attain and retain the job. This requires highly professional candidates for increased productivity who can thereby contribute to increase in the value of an organization. On the supply side, the quantity of the fresh engineering graduates has increased by leaps and bound, due to mushrooming of several new engineering colleges. However, while catering to the quantity, the quality has been compromised thereby leading to very low employability of these graduates. Hence there is a need to study the area.
The topic has been extensively studied worldwide while there is little research available in India on the subject. In this study we would strive to cover the government as well as the private sector. Similarly, our endeavor would be to collect data from both manufacturing and service sector industries and then find out the trends in employability gap amongst engineering graduates in various sectors. The study aims to find out the deficiency in the quality of engineering graduates called employability gap. Once, the reasons for gap are identified and specific skills deficient in the engineering graduates found, the corrective steps need to be taken to reduce this gap can be enumerated.
Objectives
The aim of this research is to find out the gap in skills/attitude which the employers look for in the fresh engineering graduates while recruiting them and to identify the skill gap amongst engineering graduates. The encompassing objective of the project is also to work with engineering graduates hired with 6-12 months experience in order to identify the skills where the engineering graduates themselves feel that they are lacking, when they take up their first job.
The following are the objectives of the study:
To identify the skills/attitudes which the employer considers important when hiring new engineering graduates.
To identify the extent to which the employers are satisfied with the skills/attitudes of engineering graduates.
3
To identify the key skills/personality traits that are lacking in engineering graduates as per the perception of employer.
To identify the areas in which newly recruited engineers find themselves confident. To identify the areas where newly recruited engineers find themselves lacking. To identify the gap between the perceptions of employer and employee.
As most of the studies target on the employer’s perception, we try to give due emphasis on the perception and attributes of the newly recruited employees as well.
Scope
The study seeks to explore the employer’s perceptions of the employability skills/attitudes that technical students need to possess, as well as assessing the employer’s level of satisfaction with the student’s employability skills. It also seeks to explore the perception of newly recruited engineering graduates as to which are the skills in which they felt confident when they joined their first job and where they felt that their university education was lacking. The scope of the study is restricted to the geographical limits of Gujarat.
Significance
The study will help the engineering graduates to know as to which skill sets/attitudes are their prospective employers looking for in which they are lacking so that they can improve on them. It will also throw light on the areas in which the university education is lacking and which other skill sets can be made part of the curriculum for the engineering graduates so that their employability increases. Through the above two, it will also benefit the prospective employers in finding the right candidates for the job.
Methodology
The study is exploratory in nature. Research will be based on Secondary as well as Primary data. Two sets of questionnaires have been developed, one for the employer and the other for the newly recruited engineering graduates with 6-12 months of work experience. The questionnaire has both quantitative and qualitative type of questions. Various skills/attitudes have been identified on which employers would be required to rate the employees with respect to the importance of that skill/attitude and their satisfaction level. Random Sampling method has been used. Sample size for employers would be 30. Approx 250 employees from the organizations, from which the employer’s data will be collected, will be made to fill the questionnaires. Sampling unit would be the recruiters and employees in Ahmedabad city. Being the capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabad is representative of the entire state. Moreover, the employees in Ahmedabad would also have come from different parts of the state. Therefore the data would be representative of the Gujarat state. For data analysis, MS Office tools and Pivot tables will be used.
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CHAPTER-2
LITERATURE SURVEY
Three research papers have been studied in depth to better understand the complex issues and concept of employability and further used to clarify the investigation, research methodology and tools to carry out the research. The survey also gave us clarity on framing the objectives of our study.
Research Paper I – Sustainable Employability Skills for Engineering Graduates in India
According to V. Saravanan (in a study conducted on Sustainable employability skills for engineering graduates in India in 2009) the students who acquire soft skills like positive attitude, effective communication, problem solving, time management, team spirit, self-confidence, handling criticism, flexibility, have much better chances to survive in the tough corporate world compared to the students who are lacking in those skills. He identified a set of seven skills required for sustainable employability of engineering graduates in India. The seven soft skills are, i) Communicative skills ii) Critical thinking and Problem Solving skillsiii) Team work iv) Life-Long Learning & Information Management Skills v) Entrepreneurship skills vi) Ethics, Moral & Professional vii) Leadership skills.
The necessary data for the study was collected through interview schedules. The researcher prepared two different interview schedules, one for the students and the other for the placement officers. Around 15 students and 15 placement officers were contacted for collection of data.
He came to know that majority of the placement officers are concerned more about soft skills which are a prerequisite for campus placements. But actually for being successful professionals, the engineering graduates must acquire the combination of the technological skills and soft skills. That’s why the soft skills should be imbibed with the curriculum. According to student’s perceptions, the skills like communicative skills, critical thinking and problem solving, lifelong learning & information management, leadership etc are essential for sustainable employability in the reputed companies. More thrust should also be given for role play, group discussion, seminar, presentation, questioning, brain storming, book reviews, interaction etc. to develop the required soft skills.
The placement officers remarked that in most of the leading engineering colleges, soft skills training is outsourced and such training and personality development programmes are conducted once in every year for only 2 to 3 days. The placement officers suggested that soft skills training should be incorporated in the curriculum and it should be spread over all the four years of their B.E. /B.Tech degree program. This would enhance the students’ performance in the campus interviews. Both the technological skills and soft skills were found to be equally important for a successful engineering professional.
5
Research Paper II – Employability and Skill Set of Newly Graduated Engineers in India
A study was conducted by Andreas Blom and Hiroshi Saeki on Employability and Skill Set of Newly Graduated Engineers in India in 2010. The study found that there is a huge dissatisfaction with the quality of engineering graduates. Further, the satisfaction of Indian employers is much less as compared to US employers with their engineers. The skills set for engineering graduates are categorized in three skills - Core Employability Skills, Communication Skills and Professional Skills. The Engineers who acquired all these skills are in high demand. FICCI and World Bank conducted an on-line employer satisfaction survey from September to November, 2009. 157 employers across sectors and regions in India fully completed the questionnaire.
In employer’s perception, the professional skills are important and are present in the engineering graduates. However, soft skills like communication skills and core employability skills are lacking in engineering graduates. Further employers feel that the graduates are strong in knowledge and understanding but lacking in higher order thinking skills like analyzing, evaluating and solving the problem. The survey found that the skill gap in English communication is the smallest among all other skills as colleges are doing very well in meeting the demand for English skills.
The study concluded that other employability skills like higher order thinking skills, analytical ability, problem solving ability and leadership skills should also be emphasized during the degree courses at University level. It suggested that engineering education institutions should: (i) seek to improve the skill set of graduates; (ii) emphasize Soft Skills, (iii) refocus the assessments, teaching-learning process, and curricula away from lower-order thinking skills, such as remembering and understanding towards higher order skills such as analysis and creativity; and (iv) interact more with employers to understand the particular demand for skills in that region and sector.
Research Paper III – Employability Skills – A Study on the Perception of theEngineering Students and their Prospective Employers
Chithra. R studied the perception of Employers as well as Employees of employability skills required for Entry level engineering graduates in multinational software companies in Tamil Nadu, India in between December 2012 and January 2013. She developed two questionnaires one each for the employer and employee. 25 skill sets were identified as skill inventory. Questionnaires were filled by 90 students and 35 employers.
She found that the perceptions of the students and their employers are significantly different. Employers give importance to personal and behavioral attributes and attitude of a candidate whereas students give more importance to their technical skills. Also the students who are having work experience and the students having no work experience are having further significantly different perceptions. In studying the gap between employer and graduates perception, the difference was found very high with respect to the importance of skills like empathy, reliability, integrity, willingness to learn, knowledge in contemporary
6
issues and advanced computer skills. Similarly, in attributes, there was significant difference in integrity; and in professional skills, there was significant difference found in problem solving, creativity, customer service, knowledge in contemporary issues. Further, the research reveals that the students having work experience are having better awareness of the employability skills required in global market than the students having no work experience.
This study concluded that the awareness of employability skills demanded by the global talent market among the Indian graduates is strongly needed. The curriculum must be updated at regular interval for catering the needs of the industry. For that industry-academia relationship must be improved. Specific training should be provided to the candidates for enhancing the skills and application of knowledge so that they can perform their jobs in the best possible manner.
7
EMPLOYER DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Sector Specification:
Chart no.1, Employer sector specification
Sector wise percentage of the employers is shown in above figure. Approx 47% of employers (15 in no.) were from Private Manufacturing sector and 16% (5 in no.) were from Government Manufacturing from Private and 6 % (2 in no.) were from Government firms.
Size Of The Company:
Size Of the Organization No. Of Employers
Small 4
Medium 10
Large 19Table no.2, Size of the Company
Size of the organization was based on the number of employees working in the company. The reference range for small, medium and large organizations is as follows:
Small: 1-49 employees
Medium: 50-249 employees
CHAPTER-3
EMPLOYER DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Specification:
Chart no.1, Employer sector specification
Sector wise percentage of the employers is shown in above figure. Approx 47% of employers (15 in no.) were from Private Manufacturing sector and 16% (5 in no.) were from Government Manufacturing sector. While in Service sector 31% (10 in no.) were from Private and 6 % (2 in no.) were from Government firms.
The Company:
No. Of Employers
4
10
19o.2, Size of the Company
organization was based on the number of employees working in the company. The reference range for small, medium and large organizations is as
8
EMPLOYER DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Sector wise percentage of the employers is shown in above figure. Approx 47% of employers (15 in no.) were from Private Manufacturing sector and 16% (5 in no.) were
sector. While in Service sector 31% (10 in no.) were
organization was based on the number of employees working in the company. The reference range for small, medium and large organizations is as
Large: 250 + employees
Chart no.2, Size of the
The above figure shows that most of the organizations surveyed had more than 250 employees working with them.
Degree of Importance for Employers to hire Graduates fReputed Institutes
Degree of Importance for Employers to hire Graduates From Reputed Institutes
Very Important
Important
Rather Important
Rather Unimportant
Not important at allTable no.3, Degree of importance for employers to hire graduates from reputed institutes
Chart no.2, Size of the Organizations responded
The above figure shows that most of the organizations surveyed had more than 250 employees working with them.
Importance for Employers to hire Graduates fReputed Institutes
Degree of Importance for Employers to hire Graduates From Reputed Institutes No. Of Employers
22
5
6
0
0Table no.3, Degree of importance for employers to hire graduates from reputed
9
The above figure shows that most of the organizations surveyed had more than 250
Importance for Employers to hire Graduates from
Table no.3, Degree of importance for employers to hire graduates from reputed
Chart no.3, Degree of Importance for Employers to hire graduates from reputed institutes
Interpretation – the above Bar Chart represents cases, it was found that it is very important Reputed Institutes.
Satisfaction with newly hired Graduates
Satisfaction with newly hired Graduates
Extremely
Very
Somewhat
Not Very
Not at allTable no.4, Satisfaction with newly hired graduates
Degree of Importance for Employers to hire graduates from reputed institutes
the above Bar Chart represents that in majority i.e., 66.7% of the very important for the employers to hire Graduates
ith newly hired Graduates
Satisfaction with newly hired Graduates No of Employers
4
7
19
3
0Table no.4, Satisfaction with newly hired graduates
10
Degree of Importance for Employers to hire graduates from reputed institutes
in majority i.e., 66.7% of the Graduates from
Chart no.4, Satisfaction with newly hired graduates
The above Chart represents that majoritysomewhat satisfied with the newly hired graduates
Satisfaction with newly hired graduates with respect to
Government sector:
Chart no.5, Govt sector
no.4, Satisfaction with newly hired graduates
The above Chart represents that majority of the employers (57.6%)with the newly hired graduates in the last one year.
Satisfaction with newly hired graduates with respect to specific sector.
Government sector:
Chart no.5, Govt sector- Satisfaction with newly hired graduates
11
(57.6%) are only year.
specific sector.
Private sector:
Chart no.6, Pvt sector
Manufacturing sector:
Chart no.7, Mfg sector
Chart no.6, Pvt sector- Satisfaction with newly hired graduates
Manufacturing sector:
Chart no.7, Mfg sector- Satisfaction with newly hired graduates
12
Service sector:
Chart no.8, Service sector
Qualities Importance for the Job
Qualities Importance for the Job Employer Perspective
Knowledge
Skills
Personal TraitsTable no.5, Qualities Importance for the Job
The above data shows that 37.5 % of the employers responded that the newly hired graduates is extremely important for the job. 34.4 % of the employers found personal traits to be extremely important for successful completion of the job. Only 25% of the employers rated skills to be extremely important for th
Chart no.8, Service sector- Satisfaction with newly hired graduates
Qualities Importance for the Job - Employer Perspective
Qualities Importance for the Job –Extremely Very Somewhat Not Very Not at all
12 12 7 1 0
8 15 8 1 0
11 15 6 0 0Qualities Importance for the Job - Employer Perspective
The above data shows that 37.5 % of the employers responded that knowledge of the newly hired graduates is extremely important for the job. 34.4 % of the employers found personal traits to be extremely important for successful completion of the job. Only 25% of the employers rated skills to be extremely important for the job.
13
Employer Perspective
Not at all
0
0
0
knowledge of the newly hired graduates is extremely important for the job. 34.4 % of the employers found personal traits to be extremely important for successful completion of the job.
e job.
Chart no.9, Degree of Qualities Importance for the Job
Weighted Average Mean for Employer Perspective
Qualities Importance for the Job - Employer Perspective
Knowledge
Skills
Personal TraitsTable no.6, Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Importance for the Job Perspective
This shows that the employersuccessful completion of the job. Knowledge and skills follow personal traits in that order.
Chart no.9, Degree of Qualities Importance for the Job - Employer Perspective
Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Importance for the Job
Qualities Importance for the Job Weighted Average Mean
26
25
27Table no.6, Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Importance for the Job
This shows that the employers find personal traits to be most important for successful completion of the job. Knowledge and skills follow personal traits in that
14
Employer Perspective
Qualities Importance for the Job -
Table no.6, Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Importance for the Job - Employer
find personal traits to be most important for successful completion of the job. Knowledge and skills follow personal traits in that
Chart no.10, Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Importance for the Job
Qualities Satisfaction for the Job
Qualities Satisfaction for the Job Employer Perspective
Knowledge
Skills
Personal TraitsTable No. 7, Qualities
Although the employer found personal traits, knowledge and skills (in that order) to be extremely important for the job, their satisfaction with the newly hired graduates on these parameters was very low. with the knowledge and person6.25%.
Chart no.10, Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Importance for the Job - Employer Perspective
Qualities Satisfaction for the Job - Employer Perspective
Qualities Satisfaction for the Job –Extremely Very Somewhat Not Very
3 10 15 4
2 8 14 8
3 12 13 4Table No. 7, Qualities Satisfaction for the Job - Employer Perspective
Although the employer found personal traits, knowledge and skills (in that order) to be extremely important for the job, their satisfaction with the newly hired graduates on these parameters was very low. Only 9.34 %employers were extremely satisfied with the knowledge and personal traits while on skills, the figure stood at even low of
15
Employer Perspective
Employer Perspective
Not at all
0
0
0Employer Perspective
Although the employer found personal traits, knowledge and skills (in that order) to be extremely important for the job, their satisfaction with the newly hired graduates
Only 9.34 %employers were extremely satisfied l traits while on skills, the figure stood at even low of
Chart no.11, Degree of Qualities Satisfaction for the Job
Weighted Average Mean forEmployer Perspective
Qualities Satisfaction for the Job Employer Perspective
Knowledge
Skills
Personal TraitsTable No. 8, Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Satisfaction for the Employer Perspective
On calculating the weighted average mean also it was found that satisfaction was least on the skills sets for the newly hired engineering graduates.
Chart no.11, Degree of Qualities Satisfaction for the Job - Employer Perspective
Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Satisfaction for the Job Employer Perspective
Qualities Satisfaction for the Job –Weighted Average Mean
22
20
22Table No. 8, Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Satisfaction for the
On calculating the weighted average mean also it was found that satisfaction was least on the skills sets for the newly hired engineering graduates.
16
Employer Perspective
Qualities Satisfaction for the Job -
Table No. 8, Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Satisfaction for the Job -
On calculating the weighted average mean also it was found that satisfaction was
Chart no.12, Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Satisfaction for Chart no.12, Weighted Average Mean for Qualities Satisfaction for the Job - Employer Perspective
17
Employer Perspective
Degree of Importance and Satisfaction of Individual Key skills/ Personality traits for the job
1. Knowledge of Subject
Knowledge of subject
Importance
Extremely 13
Very 13
Somewhat 6
Not very 0
Not at all 0
Table no.9, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no.13, Importance-Knowledge of subject
The above pie charts show that although knowledge extremely or very important by majority of the employers, the satisfaction level on this criterion was not very good. Majority of the employers were only somewhat satisfied with their employees as far as knowledge of subject
Degree of Importance and Satisfaction of Individual Key skills/ Personality
Knowledge of subject
Importance Satisfaction
1
11
17
3
0
Table no.9, Importance and Satisfaction- Knowledge of subject
Knowledge of subject Chart no.14, Satisfaction- Knowledge of subject
The above pie charts show that although knowledge of subject is considered to be extremely or very important by majority of the employers, the satisfaction level on this criterion was not very good. Majority of the employers were only somewhat satisfied with their employees as far as knowledge of subject is concerned.
18
Degree of Importance and Satisfaction of Individual Key skills/ Personality
Knowledge of subject
of subject is considered to be extremely or very important by majority of the employers, the satisfaction level on this criterion was not very good. Majority of the employers were only somewhat
is concerned.
2. Knowledge of contemporary issues
Knowledge of contemporary issues
Importance
Extremely 6
Very 15
Somewhat 9
Not very 2
Not at all 0
Table no.10, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no.15, Importance-Knowledge of contemporary issues Chart contemporary issues
The above pie charts show that although knowledge of contemporary issues is considered very important by the very dismal. Only 9 out of 32 (28%) employers are satisfied with their employees on this skill.
Knowledge of contemporary issues
Knowledge of contemporary issues
Importance Satisfaction
1
8
16
7
0
Table no.10, Importance and Satisfaction- Knowledge of contemporary issues
Knowledge of contemporary issues Chart no.16, Satisfaction
The above pie charts show that although knowledge of contemporary issues is considered very important by the employer, the satisfaction level on this criterion is very dismal. Only 9 out of 32 (28%) employers are satisfied with their employees on
19
6, Satisfaction-Knowledge of
The above pie charts show that although knowledge of contemporary issues is employer, the satisfaction level on this criterion is
very dismal. Only 9 out of 32 (28%) employers are satisfied with their employees on
3. Knowledge of computers
Knowledge of computers
Importance
Extremely 16
Very 9
Somewhat 5
Not very 2
Not at all 0
Table no.11, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no.17, Importance-Knowledge of computers Chart no.18computers
With respect to the knowledge of be extremely important, only 19% were extremely satisfied. 50% of the employers were either somewhat or not very satisfied with their employees on this criterion.
Knowledge of computers
Importance Satisfaction
6
10
13
3
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Knowledge of computers
Knowledge of computers Chart no.18, Satisfaction-
With respect to the knowledge of computers, while 50% employers considered it to be extremely important, only 19% were extremely satisfied. 50% of the employers were either somewhat or not very satisfied with their employees on this criterion.
20
-Knowledge of
computers, while 50% employers considered it to be extremely important, only 19% were extremely satisfied. 50% of the employers were either somewhat or not very satisfied with their employees on this criterion.
4. Ability to apply knowledge
Ability to apply knowledge
Importance
Extremely 8
Very 14
Somewhat 10
Not very 0
Not at all 0
Table no.12, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 19, Importance-Ability to apply Knowledge Chart
With respect to ability to apply knowledge, 68.75% employers found it to be extremely or very important for successful completion of the job, however, only 43.75% were extremely or very satisfied on this criterion, leaving a lot of scope for improvement.
apply knowledge
Importance Satisfaction
3
11
13
5
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Ability to apply Knowledge
Ability to apply Knowledge Chart no. 20, Satisfaction-Ability to apply Knowledge
With respect to ability to apply knowledge, 68.75% employers found it to be extremely or very important for successful completion of the job, however, only
ly or very satisfied on this criterion, leaving a lot of scope for
21
Ability to apply
With respect to ability to apply knowledge, 68.75% employers found it to be extremely or very important for successful completion of the job, however, only
ly or very satisfied on this criterion, leaving a lot of scope for
5. Ability to analyse
Ability to analyse
Importance
Extremely 9
Very 15
Somewhat 7
Not very 1
Not at all 0
Table no.13, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 21, Importance- Ability to analyse Chart
The above bar charts show that with respect to ability to analyse, the skill was considered extremely or very satisfaction level (extremely/very) on this criterion was as low as 25%.
Ability to analyse
Importance Satisfaction
2
6
19
5
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Ability to analyse
Ability to analyse Chart no. 22, Satisfaction- Ability to analyse
The above bar charts show that with respect to ability to analyse, the skill was considered extremely or very important by 75% of the employers. However, the satisfaction level (extremely/very) on this criterion was as low as 25%.
22
Ability to analyse
The above bar charts show that with respect to ability to analyse, the skill was important by 75% of the employers. However, the
6. Ability to solve problems
Ability to solve problems
Importance
Extremely 9
Very 15
Somewhat 7
Not very 1
Not at all 0
Table no.14, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 23, Importance-Ability to solve problems Chart no. 2
The situation was equally dismal as far as is clear from the above bar chart. There is an acute need to impart more training to the engineering graduates on these skill sets.
Ability to solve problems
Importance Satisfaction
3
5
18
6
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Ability to solve problems
Ability to solve problems Chart no. 24, Satisfaction-Ability to solve problems
The situation was equally dismal as far as ability to solve problems is concerned as is clear from the above bar chart. There is an acute need to impart more training to the engineering graduates on these skill sets.
23
Ability to solve problems
ability to solve problems is concerned as is clear from the above bar chart. There is an acute need to impart more training to
7. Creativity and innovation
Creativity and innovation
Importance
Extremely 8
Very 16
Somewhat 7
Not very 1
Not at all 0
Table no.15, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 25, Importance-Creativity and Innovations Chart no. 2Innovations
Creativity and innovation is one skill set, where not only the satisfaction level of the employer with his employees was 25% but also, in 34% responses, the employers were not very satisfied, thereby reflecting the skill gap.
Creativity and innovation
Importance Satisfaction
1
7
13
11
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Creativity and innovations
Creativity and Innovations Chart no. 26, Satisfaction-
Creativity and innovation is one skill set, where not only the satisfaction level of the employer with his employees was 25% but also, in 34% responses, the employers were not very satisfied, thereby reflecting the skill gap.
24
-Creativity and
Creativity and innovation is one skill set, where not only the satisfaction level of the employer with his employees was 25% but also, in 34% responses, the employers
In case of entrepreneurial skills, a similar situation prevailed. 41%of the employers were not very satisfied with the employees on this skill set. Only 22% employers were extremely or very satisfied with the newly recruited engineering graduates on this criterion. However, a major difference, as compared to creativity and innovation, was that less than 50% (43%) employers found entrepreneurial skills to be extremely or very important for successful completion of the job.
Entrepreneurial skills
Importance Satisfaction
1
6
12
13
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Entrepreneurial skills
In case of entrepreneurial skills, a similar situation prevailed. 41%of the employers were not very satisfied with the employees on this skill set. Only 22% employers
or very satisfied with the newly recruited engineering graduates on this criterion. However, a major difference, as compared to creativity and innovation, was that less than 50% (43%) employers found entrepreneurial skills to be extremely
t for successful completion of the job.
25
Entrepreneurial skills
In case of entrepreneurial skills, a similar situation prevailed. 41%of the employers were not very satisfied with the employees on this skill set. Only 22% employers
or very satisfied with the newly recruited engineering graduates on this criterion. However, a major difference, as compared to creativity and innovation, was that less than 50% (43%) employers found entrepreneurial skills to be extremely
81.25% of the employers consider interpersonal skills to be extremely or very important, while the satisfaction level (extremely/very) was only employers were not very satisfied on this criterion while 34% were only somewhat satisfied.
Interpersonal skills
Importance Satisfaction
3
11
11
7
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Interpersonal skills
81.25% of the employers consider interpersonal skills to be extremely or very important, while the satisfaction level (extremely/very) was only 43.75%. 22% employers were not very satisfied on this criterion while 34% were only somewhat
26
Interpersonal skills
81.25% of the employers consider interpersonal skills to be extremely or very 43.75%. 22%
employers were not very satisfied on this criterion while 34% were only somewhat
Similarly, with respect to the written communication skills, 78% employsomewhat or not very satisfied with the newly hired engineering graduates, thereby reflecting the need to improve upon the skill set
Written communication
Importance Satisfaction
1
6
16
9
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Written communication
Written communications Chart no. 32, Satisfaction-Written communications
Similarly, with respect to the written communication skills, 78% employers were only somewhat or not very satisfied with the newly hired engineering graduates, thereby reflecting the need to improve upon the skill set.
27
Written communications
ers were only somewhat or not very satisfied with the newly hired engineering graduates, thereby
The situation is somewhat better with 81.25% employers, 50% were extremely or very satisfied with this skill set among freshly hired engineering graduates.
12.Willingness to learn
Verbal Communication
Importance Satisfaction
3
13
8
8
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Verbal communication
The situation is somewhat better with respect to verbal communication where out of 81.25% employers, 50% were extremely or very satisfied with this skill set among freshly hired engineering graduates.
28
Verbal communications
respect to verbal communication where out of 81.25% employers, 50% were extremely or very satisfied with this skill set among
Willingness to learn
Importance
Extremely 16
Very 11
Somewhat 5
Not very 0
Not at all 0
Table no.20, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 35, Importance-Willingness to learn
Willingness to learn was also one of the skill set which was rated as extremely or very important by large number of the employers (84.4%). 50% of the employers were extremely or very satisfied on this skill set. Only 12.5% employers were not very satisfied with their employees on
Willingness to learn
Importance Satisfaction
4
12
12
4
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Willingness to learn
Willingness to learn Chart no. 36, Satisfaction-Willingness to learn
also one of the skill set which was rated as extremely or very important by large number of the employers (84.4%). 50% of the employers were extremely or very satisfied on this skill set. Only 12.5% employers were not very satisfied with their employees on this criterion.
29
Willingness to learn
also one of the skill set which was rated as extremely or very important by large number of the employers (84.4%). 50% of the employers were extremely or very satisfied on this skill set. Only 12.5% employers were not
13.Team Work
Team Work
Importance
Extremely 14
Very 11
Somewhat 5
Not very 2
Not at all 0
Table no.21, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 37, Importance-Teamwork
Team work was one trait where a large number of employers were very or extremely satisfied (56%) with the newly recruited engineering graduates while 78% considered it to be extremely or very important fo
14.Flexibility
Importance Satisfaction
3
15
6
8
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Teamwork
Teamwork Chart no. 38, Satisfaction-Teamwork
Team work was one trait where a large number of employers were very or extremely satisfied (56%) with the newly recruited engineering graduates while 78% considered it to be extremely or very important for successful completion of the job.
30
Team work was one trait where a large number of employers were very or extremely satisfied (56%) with the newly recruited engineering graduates while 78% considered
Flexibility
Importance
Extremely 8
Very 17
Somewhat 7
Not very 0
Not at all 0
Table no.22, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 39, Importance-Flexibility
On this personality trait, 78% of the employers felt it was extremely or very important to be flexible in the work settings, however, only 47% were extremely or very satisfied with respect to it.
On this personality trait, 78% of the employers felt it was extremely or very important to be flexible in the work settings, however, only 47% were extremely or very
31
On this personality trait, 78% of the employers felt it was extremely or very important to be flexible in the work settings, however, only 47% were extremely or very
15.Reliability
Reliability
Importance
Extremely 10
Very 16
Somewhat 5
Not very 1
Not at all 0
Table no.23, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 41, Importance-Reliability
With respect to reliability, while 81.25% employers considered it to be an extremely or very important personality trait, only 47% wecriterion. Majority of the employers (53%) were either somewhat or not very satisfied as far as reliability of the newly recruited engineers is concerned.
With respect to reliability, while 81.25% employers considered it to be an extremely or very important personality trait, only 47% were extremely or very satisfied on this
. Majority of the employers (53%) were either somewhat or not very satisfied as far as reliability of the newly recruited engineers is concerned.
32
With respect to reliability, while 81.25% employers considered it to be an extremely satisfied on this
. Majority of the employers (53%) were either somewhat or not very satisfied
Integrity
Importance
Extremely 13
Very 13
Somewhat 6
Not very 0
Not at all 0
Table no.24, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 43, Importance-Integrity
While 41% of the employers perceived integrity to trait to be considered while hiring fresh engineering graduates, only 6% were extremely satisfied on it.
17.Self discipline
Importance Satisfaction
2
15
12
3
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Integrity
Chart no. 44, Satisfaction-Integrity
While 41% of the employers perceived integrity to be extremely important personality trait to be considered while hiring fresh engineering graduates, only 6% were
33
be extremely important personality trait to be considered while hiring fresh engineering graduates, only 6% were
Self discipline
Importance
Extremely 11
Very 17
Somewhat 4
Not very 0
Not at all 0
Table no.25, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 45, Importance-Self discipline
Self discipline was one personality trait where, while 87.5% of thewas extremely or very important, only 37.5% of the employers were extremely or very satisfied. This shows the lack of self discipline in freshly hired engineering graduates.
Self discipline was one personality trait where, while 87.5% of the employers felt it was extremely or very important, only 37.5% of the employers were extremely or very satisfied. This shows the lack of self discipline in freshly hired engineering
34
employers felt it was extremely or very important, only 37.5% of the employers were extremely or very satisfied. This shows the lack of self discipline in freshly hired engineering
Self motivated
Importance
Extremely 13
Very 14
Somewhat 5
Not very 0
Not at all 0
Table no.26, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 47, Importance-Self motivated
84.4% employers considered self motivation to be an extremely or very important personality trait required for successful completion of the job, however, only 41% were extremely or very satisfied with respect to this personality trait. Almost half of the employers were only somewhat satisfied as far as self motivation of the employees is concerned.
employers considered self motivation to be an extremely or very important personality trait required for successful completion of the job, however, only 41% were extremely or very satisfied with respect to this personality trait. Almost half of
yers were only somewhat satisfied as far as self motivation of the
35
employers considered self motivation to be an extremely or very important personality trait required for successful completion of the job, however, only 41% were extremely or very satisfied with respect to this personality trait. Almost half of
yers were only somewhat satisfied as far as self motivation of the
19.Empathy
Empathy
Importance
Extremely 4
Very 19
Somewhat 9
Not very 0
Not at all 0
Table no.27, Importance and Satisfaction
Chart no. 49, Importance-Empathy
Although 72% employers felt that the newly recruited engineers should have an empathetic attitude at work place, 41% were this personality trait.
Importance Satisfaction
1
12
15
4
0
, Importance and Satisfaction- Empathy
Chart no. 50, Satisfaction-Empathy
Although 72% employers felt that the newly recruited engineers should have an empathetic attitude at work place, 41% were actually extremely or very satisfied on
36
Although 72% employers felt that the newly recruited engineers should have an actually extremely or very satisfied on
Key skills/ personality traits that are lacking in engineering graduates as per Employer’s perception
Chart no.51, KSAs which are most lacking and need to improve in engineering
As shown in chart above, According to the Employers the most lacking skill is written and verbal CommunicationCreativity and innovativenessits application and skill developmentdevelopment etc are equally important to be improved at third priority. Later on Good attitude such as being a good listener, service oriented attitude, Positivity and Personality traits in general graduates. Some other KSAs observed by the employers to be improved are skills like, Data interpretation and analysis, Logical reasoning and problem solving ability, Knowledge on contemporary issues, knowledge of indPR skills like Self management, time management, self discipline, Interpersonal skills, teamwork, Integrity, and Entrepreneurial skills and Documentation.
Key skills/ personality traits that are lacking in engineering graduates as per Employer’s perception
Chart no.51, KSAs which are most lacking and need to improve in engineering graduates
As shown in chart above, According to the Employers the most lacking skill is written and verbal Communication. The second most important skill lacking is Creativity and innovativeness. Whereas Technical knowledge with ability of
and skill development such as computer literacy, software development etc are equally important to be improved at third priority. Later on
such as being a good listener, service oriented attitude, Positivity in general have found to be lacking in engineering
graduates. Some other KSAs observed by the employers to be improved are skills like, Data interpretation and analysis, Logical reasoning and problem solving ability, Knowledge on contemporary issues, knowledge of indPR skills like Self management, time management, self discipline, Interpersonal skills, teamwork, Integrity, and Entrepreneurial skills and Documentation.
37
Key skills/ personality traits that are lacking in engineering graduates as per
graduates
As shown in chart above, According to the Employers the most lacking skill is . The second most important skill lacking is
Technical knowledge with ability of such as computer literacy, software
development etc are equally important to be improved at third priority. Later on such as being a good listener, service oriented attitude, Positivity
have found to be lacking in engineering graduates. Some other KSAs observed by the employers to be improved are skills like, Data interpretation and analysis, Logical reasoning and problem solving ability, Knowledge on contemporary issues, knowledge of industry, HR-PR skills like Self management, time management, self discipline, Interpersonal skills, teamwork, Integrity, and Entrepreneurial skills and Documentation.
Corrective actions that improve the employability of their graduates
Chart no.52, Actions should be taken by higher institutes as per employer’s perception
Above graph shows the perception of the employers for corrective actions to be taken by the higher education institutes in order their graduates. 41% employers feel the engineering curriculum courses need to be more relevant to their needs at first preference. Secondly more practical exposure need to be included in study period, which helps the studenwork scenario in industries and getting knowledge about industries. Actual application and implementation of their conceptual knowledge can be learnt effectively only by practical exposure. Third preference is to include sector spwork placements as an integral part of the study program as 23 % importance is given to this suggestion.
Other Suggestions discussed by the Employers during the interviews in order to improve the employability of Engineering graduates:
Up gradation of Content of Curriculum:skills are the basic obstacles in making the engineering graduates able to deliver in current global market trends. The theories in the books and being taught in classrooms extremely need to be upgdevelopment. The classroom teaching should include the solved which are obtained from various organisations and are based on current scenario in the industries. Same approach should be taken for project work also. Latest technologies and skills development has to be incorporated in curriculum. Same is the case with Laboratories.
Updated Engineering labsand instruments to provide the students the real exposure of pComputer labs also need to be updated, make the students connected with global innovations and better learning.
that should be taken by higher institutions in order to the employability of their graduates.
Chart no.52, Actions should be taken by higher institutes as per employer’s perception
Above graph shows the perception of the employers for corrective actions to be taken by the higher education institutes in order to improve the employability of their graduates. 41% employers feel the engineering curriculum courses need to be more relevant to their needs at first preference. Secondly more practical exposure need to be included in study period, which helps the student be familiar with actual work scenario in industries and getting knowledge about industries. Actual application and implementation of their conceptual knowledge can be learnt effectively only by practical exposure. Third preference is to include sector spwork placements as an integral part of the study program as 23 % importance is
Other Suggestions discussed by the Employers during the interviews in order to improve the employability of Engineering graduates:
of Content of Curriculum: Obsolete knowledge and technical skills are the basic obstacles in making the engineering graduates able to deliver in current global market trends. The theories in the books and being taught in classrooms extremely need to be upgraded with global need and development. The classroom teaching should include the Case studiessolved which are obtained from various organisations and are based on current scenario in the industries. Same approach should be taken for project
so. Latest technologies and skills development has to be incorporated in curriculum. Same is the case with Laboratories.
Updated Engineering labs: The labs need to be having latest technologies and instruments to provide the students the real exposure of practical work.
also need to be updated, Online classes and emake the students connected with global innovations and better learning.
38
should be taken by higher institutions in order to
Above graph shows the perception of the employers for corrective actions to to improve the employability of
their graduates. 41% employers feel the engineering curriculum courses need to be more relevant to their needs at first preference. Secondly more practical exposure
t be familiar with actual work scenario in industries and getting knowledge about industries. Actual application and implementation of their conceptual knowledge can be learnt effectively only by practical exposure. Third preference is to include sector specific work placements as an integral part of the study program as 23 % importance is
Other Suggestions discussed by the Employers during the interviews in
Obsolete knowledge and technical skills are the basic obstacles in making the engineering graduates able to deliver in current global market trends. The theories in the books and being
raded with global need and Case studies to be
solved which are obtained from various organisations and are based on current scenario in the industries. Same approach should be taken for project
so. Latest technologies and skills development has to be incorporated
The labs need to be having latest technologies ractical work.
Online classes and e-library can make the students connected with global innovations and better learning.
Good & Dedicated faculty members: As we improve the curriculum and labs, the delivery of these benefits can be possible only by the faculty members who are familiar with these latest changes and innovations and dedicated to teach the students as well. Then only the purpose of these all can be achieved.
Interaction with Employers on business-related services should be provided by the university.
A Business Observatory to carry out studies on the requirements of local businesses, the skill profiles required by them in their hiring trends and to monitor the characteristics of graduates, both employed as well as unemployed.
Management and Market exposure subjects should be included as an important part of the curriculum that can provide the knowledge of current market trends and also improve managerial capabilities and set of behavioural characteristics in graduates. The students need to learn Organisation management. Training in Planning, coordination and organization, oral and written Communication skills, Conflicts resolution and Negotiation skills should be provided to the graduates during their study courses.
Overall Personality Traits should be improved by providing various training programs and seminars periodically on Motivation, Willingness to learn, developing Good attitude and values such as loyalty, honesty, decision-making, taking responsibilities, dedication, problem solving and written communication etc. Socialisation in Graduates is very important for improving the personal values and interpersonal skills. This improves the personal values, positive attitude, good interpersonal skills, feeling to work in a team, integrity, empathy, sensitivity, taking initiative etc. Socialization can be improved in graduates by including Sports and other extra curricular activities in regular activities in colleges. Further Trainings in dealing with others: Team work, taking initiatives, leadership and other interpersonal skills should be provided during the graduation courses.
Job centre within the University to match graduates with the employers.
Labour tackling ability, this is demanded and recommended by the employers of manufacturing sectors where Engineers have to tackle the labourers on daily basis.
39
Chart no.53, Recommendations for Institutions by the EmployersChart no.53, Recommendations for Institutions by the Employers
40
EMPLOYEE DATA ANAYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Employee Qualification
Branch No of Employees
EC 55
IT 36
MECH 36
CIVIL 26
CE 18
EE 14
CHEMICAL 17
ICTable No.28, Employees Qualification
Chart No. 54, Employee Qualification
It shows specialization of the engineering graduates in various
CHAPTER-4
EMPLOYEE DATA ANAYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Qualification
No of Employees
55
36
36
26
18
14
17
1, Employees Qualification
Chart No. 54, Employee Qualification
It shows specialization of the engineering graduates in various branches.
41
EMPLOYEE DATA ANAYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
branches.
Employee Sector Specification
Data was collected from 54GIL, GIPL, GSPC LNG, 19 organizations were from service sector. This implies that the data is fairly representative of both the private sector and government sector as well as both manufacturing and service sector.
Sector No. of Organizations
Govt 7
Private 47
Table No. 29, Sector Specification
Chart No. 55, Sector Specification
Table No. 30, Type of Organization
Sector No of Organizations
Manufacturing 19
Service 30
Education 4
Sector Specification
was collected from 54 organizations in total. 7 were govt organisations GIL, GIPL, GSPC LNG, ISRO, PRL, ONGC, GTU and 47 were private companies.
organizations were from manufacturing sector, 4 from education sector, and 30. This implies that the data is fairly representative of both the
private sector and government sector as well as both manufacturing and service
No. of Organizations
, Sector Specification
Chart No. 55, Sector Specification
Table No. 30, Type of Organization
42
Organizations
govt organisations viz. –private companies.
from education sector, and 30. This implies that the data is fairly representative of both the
private sector and government sector as well as both manufacturing and service
Chart No. 56, Percentage of Organizations in
Duration And Experie
Duration No of Employees
1- 3 43
4- 6 62
7- 12 84
13- 18 14 Table No.31, Duration And Experience of Employees
Chart No. 57, Experience of Employees
Approx 41% of the employees were having work experience of 7were with 4-6 months experience, 22 % were of 1employees were having 13employees had work experience of 7
Chart No. 56, Percentage of Organizations in Manufacturing, Service and Education Sector
Duration And Experience of Employees
No of Employees
, Duration And Experience of Employees
Chart No. 57, Experience of Employees
41% of the employees were having work experience of 7-12 months, 32 % 6 months experience, 22 % were of 1-3 months and rest 5% of
employees were having 13-18 months of work experience. Thus, majority of the employees had work experience of 7-12 months.
43
Manufacturing, Service and Education Sector
12 months, 32 % 3 months and rest 5% of
Thus, majority of the
Recruitment Selection Criteria
Source of Selection
College Grading
Academic Qualifications
Aptitude Test
Personality Test
GD
Interviews
OthersTable no.32, Recruitment Selection Criteria
Chart No.58, Recruitment Selection Criteria
As shown in above figure, maximum priorityrecruitment selection.Academic Qualificationscriteria. Other criteria were College grading, GD and Personality test.
No of Interviews Attended
No of InterviewsAttended No. of Employees
1- 3
4- 6
7- 12
13- 18 Table no. 33, No of Interviews Attended by the Employees
Selection Criteria
No of Employees
45
68
96
28
37
112
9, Recruitment Selection Criteria
Chart No.58, Recruitment Selection Criteria
As shown in above figure, maximum priority was given to Second priority was given to Aptitude Test
Academic Qualifications were found to be the third very important selection criteria. Other criteria were College grading, GD and Personality test.
Attended
No. of Employees
167
26
10
0, No of Interviews Attended by the Employees
44
given to Interviews in Aptitude Test and the
were found to be the third very important selection criteria. Other criteria were College grading, GD and Personality test.
Chart No. 59, Number of Interviews attended by the Employees
It shows the number of interviews faced by the engineering graduatesemployed. Most of the employees (167 in no.) faced 1their first job.
Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job
QUALITITES IMPORTANCE
Knowledge
Technical skills
Problem Solving /Lateral Thinking
Critical & Analytical Reasoning
Interpersonal & Communication Skills
Emotional Intelligence/Aptitude/PassionTable no. 34, Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job
Chart No. 59, Number of Interviews attended by the Employees
nterviews faced by the engineering graduates before Most of the employees (167 in no.) faced 1-3 interviews before getting
the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job
Extremely Very SomewhatNot Very
65 93 40
77 103 20
Problem Solving /Lateral Thinking 63 118 20
Critical & Analytical Reasoning 42 113 46
Interpersonal & Communication 76 94 30
Intelligence/Aptitude/Passion 31 107 53Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job
45
before getting 3 interviews before getting
the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job
Not Very
Not at all
5 0
3 0
2 0
2 0
3 0
11 0Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job
Chart No.60, Importance of the Qualities for Successful Performance of the
The above Chart shows that a large chunk of engineers felt it was important to have knowledge of the subject. However, they rated other skill sets to be very important for successful performance of the job.
Chart No.60, Importance of the Qualities for Successful Performance of the Job
shows that a large chunk of engineers felt it was to have knowledge of the subject. However, they rated other skill sets to
for successful performance of the job.
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shows that a large chunk of engineers felt it was extremely to have knowledge of the subject. However, they rated other skill sets to
Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job
Qualities Importance
Knowledge
Skills
Personal TraitsTable no. 35, Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job - Weighted Average Mean
Chart No. 61, Importance of Qualities for Successful
Average Mean
The above Pie Chart shows that the employees feel that knowledge is the most important criteria for successful performance of the job follwed by skills and personality traits.
Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job Average Mean
Weighted Average Mean
169
167
153Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the
Weighted Average Mean
Chart No. 61, Importance of Qualities for Successful Completion of the Job
The above Pie Chart shows that the employees feel that knowledge is the most important criteria for successful performance of the job follwed by skills and
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Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the job - Weighted
Importance of the Qualities for the Successful Performance in the
Completion of the Job-Weighted
The above Pie Chart shows that the employees feel that knowledge is the most important criteria for successful performance of the job follwed by skills and
Confidence on the Qualitiesexplains the level of confidence amongst the newly recruited engineers on the Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (KSA) parameters. They first had to rank the importance of these parawere asked to rate their confidence level on the same KSA set.
QUALITIES CONFIDENCE
Knowledge
Technical skills
Problem Solving /Lateral Thinking
Critical & Analytical Reasoning
Interpersonal & Communication Skills
Emotional Intelligence/Aptitude/PassionTable no. 36, Confidence on the Qualities for the successful
Chart No. 62, Confidence on the Qualities for Successful Performance of the Job
Employees Qualities Confidence Weighted Average Mean
Qualities Confidence
Knowledge
Skills
Personal TraitsTable no. 37, Employees Qualities Confidence Weighted Average Mean
ualities for the successful performance in the jobexplains the level of confidence amongst the newly recruited engineers on the Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (KSA) parameters. They first had to rank the importance of these parameters for successful completion of the job and then they were asked to rate their confidence level on the same KSA set.
Extremely Very SomewhatNot Very
16 103 71
26 129 47
Solving /Lateral Thinking 26 106 69
Critical & Analytical Reasoning 25 100 74
Interpersonal & Communication 45 109 44
Intelligence/Aptitude/Passion 22 122 52Confidence on the Qualities for the successful performance in the job
Chart No. 62, Confidence on the Qualities for Successful Performance of the Job
Employees Qualities Confidence Weighted Average Mean
Weighted Average Mean
152
155
154Employees Qualities Confidence Weighted Average Mean
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for the successful performance in the job- This explains the level of confidence amongst the newly recruited engineers on the Knowledge, Skills and Attributes (KSA) parameters. They first had to rank the
meters for successful completion of the job and then they
Not Very
Not at all
11 2
1 0
1 1
4 0
5 0
7 0performance in the job
Chart No. 63, Employees Qualities Confidence
As regards the level of confidence on the same skill sets, majority of them felt verysomewhat confident, while a very few number felt extremely confident on those skill sets.Thus, while they thought knowledge to be most important, they were least confident on it. Similarly, while they rated personality traits to be least important, thmost confident on them.
Chart No. 63, Employees Qualities Confidence-Weighted Average Mean
As regards the level of confidence on the same skill sets, majority of them felt verysomewhat confident, while a very few number felt extremely confident on those skill sets.Thus, while they thought knowledge to be most important, they were least confident on it. Similarly, while they rated personality traits to be least important, they were found to be
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As regards the level of confidence on the same skill sets, majority of them felt very or somewhat confident, while a very few number felt extremely confident on those skill sets.Thus, while they thought knowledge to be most important, they were least confident on it.
ey were found to be
How to acquire the skills that the engineering graduates are lacking
The most common responses to these questions were:
Through continuous practice and learning through experience
Taking help from seniors and colleagues
Attending various training programmes
Acquiring technical skills and industrial knowledge
Acquiring communication skills
Table no. 38, Most common response
Chart No.64, How to Acquire the Skills
How to acquire the skills that the engineering graduates are lacking
The most common responses to these questions were:
Through continuous practice and learning through experience 35
help from seniors and colleagues 35
Attending various training programmes 25
Acquiring technical skills and industrial knowledge 14
Acquiring communication skills 15
ost common responses
Chart No.64, How to Acquire the Skills Lacking in Graduates
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How to acquire the skills that the engineering graduates are lacking in
35
35
25
14
15
Other responses were:
Reading and taking help of self help books: Some of the employees responded that taking help from the reading material available in the company and referring to self help books helped them in acquiring the skills they lacked.
Learning material provided by the company: In some of the cases the company itself provided some reference material for better understanding in the work setting.
Taking help of internet: Some of the fresh engineering graduates took help of the internet to solve the problems that they initially faced in their jobs.
Attempting problem solving quizzes: The newly hired employees also practiced on problem solving quizzes in their free time so that they could then use the skills acquired in their work settings.
Getting enrolled in online certification courses: Some of the engineering graduates got themselves enrolled in online certification courses to get trained on desired skill sets.
Attending seminars: Attending seminars on relevant topics also helped some of them to get a better understanding of the job requirements.
Being more self aware: This helped them in identifying the problem areas and where there is scope for improvement.
Areas needed to be included in the university curriculum to make it more market worthy
Updation of the curriculum and practical orientation: Most of the engineering graduates felt that there needs to be more emphasis on practical training than theoretical knowledge which should also include field training. A hands-on approach to teaching rather than curriculum target should be adopted in engineering colleges. There is a requirement to upgrade the technology part in the curriculum. New techniques and processes need to be included in the curriculum for engineering degree programs. There is also a need to design the curriculum according to the market requirements. The employees also responded that there is a need for lab upgradation and software development training module to be included in the curriculum.
Increased industrial exposure: The employees opined that there should be more lectures on the basics of industrial management and industrial knowledge. Industrial visits should be organized wherein experts’ sessions by industry experts can be held to give them first hand information. Case studies from industries should be included in the curriculum. Before the final placements, internships with the industries should be done so that they get a fair idea of the work environment. A basic knowledge about the government set up should also be provided to them during the engineering program.
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Training on communication and soft skills: The employees also suggested that there should be more training on communication, interpersonal and soft skills. Some more sessions should be kept for personality development and training in management skills.
Change in examination pattern: Exams should be based on understanding rather than rote memory and there should be aptitude based exam pattern. More short assignments should be given to bring greater conceptual clarity.
Mock interviews: To improve the chances of fresh engineering graduates of getting selected in job interviews, the placement cells of the engineering institutes should organize mock interviews.
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CHAPTER-5
SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS
1. Employer Perspective:
Overall satisfaction of the Employers with the newly recruited engineering graduates is at Somewhat level.
While bifurcating the Satisfaction level in different sectors, it shows that the 43% Government sector employers are Satisfied and 28%Private sector employers are satisfied.
Similarly the Satisfaction level varies in manufacturing and service sectors, as in manufacturing sectors employers satisfaction level is 35%, whereas inservice sector it is 25%.
So overall, the employability skills in engineering graduates are lacking and there is a need for significant improvements.
As per the data collected from the employers, the three most significant skills/traits identified as most desirable while recruiting engineering graduates are willingness to learn, self discipline and self motivation.
The satisfaction level was found to be highest on teamwork, willingness to learn and verbal communication.
The least significant skill/trait as identified by the employer is Entrepreneurial skills.
The satisfaction level was found to be least on written communication, ability to analyse and problem solving skills.
Written communication skills are lacking most in engineering graduates.
Technical knowledge with its application and Skill development are equally deficient in these graduates as they move into actual practical work.
Obsolete Technologies, Content of the curriculum and Teaching methods are the major reasons for Employability gap amongst graduates. The present curriculum is not significantly satisfying the global needs and also the local employer and industrial needs.
Practical exposure with applied knowledge and learning is not up to the mark in the university institutions programs.
Personality traits are also equally important for better performance at workplace.
Lack of management skills and other soft skills exposure is found to be the reason for the same according to most of the employers view.
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2. Employee Perspective:
Maximum priority was given to Interviews in recruitment selection.
Employees feel that knowledge is the most important criteria for successful performance of the job followed by skills and personality traits.
Technical skills and problem solving are considered to be very important by the employees for successful performance.
Employees were most confident on technical skills and emotional intelligence.
They were least confident on critical and analytical reasoning.
The engineering graduates suggested the following ways to acquire the skills that they are lacking in:
Through continuous practice and learning through experience
Taking help from seniors and colleagues
Attending various training programmes
Acquiring technical skills and industrial knowledge
Acquiring communication skills.
Areas identified by the employees that need to be included in the university curriculum to make it more market worthy are
Updation of the curriculum and practical orientation: More Practical Exposure should be provided to the students for gaining the industrial knowledge and real work experience.
Increased industrial exposure
Training on communication and soft skills
Change in examination pattern
Mock interviews
3. Gap between Employer and Employee Perspective
The weighted average mean of the importance of qualities, from employer’s perspective viz-a-viz employees’ perspective, revealed that while the employers perceived personal traits to be most important for successful completion of job, employees felt that knowledge was most important. Similarly, when satisfaction and confidence of the employers and employees was measured respectively, the weighted average mean disclosed that while employers were satisfied with Knowledge and Personal Traits, employees felt most confident on Skills.
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4. Others:
Most of the Employers observed that as the employees gain work experience above one year then only they become able to exactly identify their KSA areas need to be improved and by what efforts they can improve their performance. So the experience criteria for the employees suggested by the employers was 1-1.5 years.
Engineering students who are hired in the government sectors are having very low willingness to learn and lack of motivation observed by the employers.
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Recommendations
Corrective actions that should be taken by higher institutions in order to improve the employability of their graduates as suggested by employers are as follows: (i) 41% employers feel the engineering curriculum courses need to be more relevant to their needs. (ii) More practical exposure needs to be included(iii) To include sector specific work placements as an integral part of the study program.
The engineering graduates suggested the following ways to acquire the skills that they are lacking in (i) Through continuous practice and learning through experience (ii) Taking help from seniors and colleagues (iii) Attending various training programmes (iv) Acquiring technical skills and industrial knowledge (v) Acquiring communication skills.
Areas identified by the employees that need to be included in the university curriculum to make it more market worthy are (i) Updation of the curriculum and practical orientation (ii) Increased industrial exposure (iii) Training on communication and soft skills (iv) Change in examination pattern (v) Mock interviews.
In nutshell, the following recommendations emerged
Suggestion for more focus upon industrial training and more industry aspects oriented projects
Practical training including Industrial visits
Designing the curriculum according to current market needs and problems
Focus on Soft skills like interpersonal skills and communication skills
Teaching faculty should update their subject knowledge with current scenario in industry
Making e-learning and online libraries available
Interactions with industry specific people
To summarise we can say, that there is employability gap among the fresh engineering graduates and there is a need to reduce this gap. It can be done by focusing not only on the quantity but also quality of the education in the ever mushrooming engineering institutes. The faculties of these institutes should be well versed with the latest technological advancements and there should be due emphasis on periodic revision of the course content to make it more relevant to the market needs. Universities should developed new standards for engineering faculty appointments emphasising experience as practicing engineers and create new development programmes to support the professional growth of the engineering faculty.
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More practical orientation is what is desired by the engineering students that they find lacking in the present set up. In addition to delivering engineering principles, engineering schools must teach engineering students to think analytically, define feasible problems from ambiguous situations, integrate across multiple technical and non technical disciplines, collaborate within global teams, and adopt an entrepreneurial mind set. Similarly, due emphasis should also be laid on acquisition of interpersonal and communication skills during the four year degree program. Student evaluation should focus on demonstration of real world competencies rather than tests of theory and exercises containing sterile contrived problems sets. All these steps would increase the satisfaction level of the employers to a great extent and thereby reduce the employability gap.
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India’s educational awakening, The Financial Express, February 10, 2014
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Sustainable Employability Skills for Engineering Professionals, V Sarvana, The Indian Review of World Literature in English, Vol.5, No. II – July 2009
The Economic Times, June 25, 2012
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