Enhancing Soft Skills of Accounting Undergraduates through Industrial Training

<p>The importance of developing soft skills competency among students should be the priority of all the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in order to ensure their graduates are marketable. Therefore, it is essential for HEIs to distinguish the knowledge and soft skill levels of their students so that strategies and intervention could be implemented to rectify their capabilities. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and soft skills competency from the employer’s viewpoints on the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) students participating in the industrial training programme. A total of 438 employers from different industrial backgrounds had participated in this study. A questionnaire consisting of five dimensions of soft skills which are basic knowledge, communication skills, practical skills, leadership, and attitude was utilized to collect data. The results of this study indicate that the employers were satisfied with the knowledge and soft skills competency portrayed by UUM students in preparing themselves for the real work environment. The employers from the service sectors were satisfied with students’ performance in all dimensions of soft skills measured. However, employers from the factory and commerce sector perceived as moderate satisfaction for all dimensions of soft skills. Additionally, the employers of the factory and commerce sector assessed by giving the lowest satisfaction score for “hands-on” skills, but generally they satisfied with the students’ communication skills. The information gathered can provide important insights from the perspective of organizations which is valuable in improving the overall hard and soft skills competency for future professionals and managers.</p>

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Relative Importance Index (RII) In Ranking the Factors of Employer Satisfaction Towards Industrial Training Students

International Journal of Asian Education ◽

10.46966/ijae.v2i4.187 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 493-503

Author(s):

Duratul Ain Tholibon ◽

Masyitah Md Nujid ◽

Hamizah Mokhtar ◽

Jamilah Abd Rahim ◽

Nurul Faiizin Abdul Aziz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Civil Engineering ◽

Soft Skills ◽

Working Hours ◽

Industrial Training ◽

Program Outcomes ◽

Generic Skills ◽

Employer Satisfaction ◽

Relative Index ◽

Importance Index ◽

Diploma Program

This study aims to examine the level of employer satisfaction towards industrial training students of the UiTM Pahang Civil Engineering Diploma Program and identify employer satisfaction factors for industrial training students from aspects of knowledge, personality, generic skills, and soft skills. This study is focused on semester four students undergoing industrial training. This study was conducted on 158 respondents from various organizations. Using the important relative index (RII), the level of important factors was ranked through the value of the index. Findings show the highest employer satisfaction is towards the student mastering their knowledge, adhering to the working hours, improving their skills and knowledge, and communicating well with co-workers. Besides, it also shows a good correlation between knowledge and personality among industrial training students. This study found that industrial training students of the Civil Engineering Diploma Program had a good level of control over all four domains. Overall findings showed that employers are satisfied with the industrial training students of the UiTM Pahang Civil Engineering Diploma Program. This study is important to measure the effectiveness of the industrial training syllabus in terms of achieving the program outcomes addressed in the syllabus

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The Acquisition of Soft Skills in Real Estate Program via Industrial Training

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.11.199 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 65 ◽

pp. 781-786

Author(s):

A.J. Wilson ◽

B. Ahmad Ariffian ◽

Abu Zarin H

Keyword(s):

Real Estate ◽

Soft Skills ◽

Industrial Training

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Kemahiran Insaniah Pelajar Prasiswazah: Analisis Perbezaan Jantina

Jurnal Teknologi ◽

10.11113/jt.v61.1677 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hazilah Mohd Amin ◽

Johari Jaafar ◽

Zaihosnita Hood ◽

Saidah Saad ◽

Hamizah Mohd Amin

Keyword(s):

Undergraduate Students ◽

Time Management ◽

Soft Skills ◽

Training Data ◽

Management Skills ◽

Industrial Training ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

Ict Skills ◽

High Level

Soft skills are important in virtually every profession in the workplace. Therefore, when evaluating employees, organizations will look for graduates with soft skills in addition to technical skills. However, in-depth studies on the extent these skills have been acquired by students in local higher education institutions have not been fully explored. Thus, this paper discusses this issue based on a study on 165 students’ soft skills assessment forms completed by industry supervisors during 2011 industrial training. Data was analyzed descriptively and inferentially using t-test. Findings of this study found that generally, teamwork skills, professionalism, social responsibility, and ICT skills were generally at high level. However, communication and problem solving skills were found to be at a moderate level. The study also found that skills in using ICT hardware, accept criticism, respect for others' views, and time management skills were effective differentiators in explaining genders differences. The research has brought meaningful implications for undergraduate students, employers and policy makers.

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