Purpose of the study: This study aims to investigate the perception of employers on the skill deficiency of graduates. The study also attempts to explore the nature and importance of employability skills with emphasis on the areas of deficiency that could be addressed by higher education institutions (H.E.I.s) to make their graduates more employable.
Methodology: This paper is a theoretical exploration based on existing literature. Relevant research papers were sourced from prominent online databases, notably Emerald and Elsevier, including journals, articles, and scholarly conference proceedings. and carefully analyzed. These studies provided an insight for the researchers to understand employability skills and also it helped to suggest the steps to be taken by the H.E.I.s to address the lack of employability skills and make the students ready to face the job market.
Main Findings: The results of the study suggest that a lack of employability skills is a major cause of unemployment among graduates of universities, colleges, and other H.E.I.s.The findings reflect the increasing desire of employers for graduates to possess soft skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and effective communication, and collaboration. It also underscores the critical role of H.E.I.s in addressing graduate skill deficiencies.
Applications of this study: The study shows that employability skills are the foremost skills graduates require to successfully compete in the job market. The research encourages graduates to understand the skills deficiencies from the employers' perspectives and to discover some bespoke methods or ways of addressing their competency gaps, thereby enhancing their effectiveness and innovativeness. The study further offers a clear roadmap for H.E.I.s to enrich the quality of teaching and learning, thereby enhancing graduate employability. Thus, the outcome of this study will help not only the students but also the H.E.I.s and employers.
Novelty/Originality of this study: The study extends the current literature on graduate employability by integrating the three pivotal dimensions of the problem – the students, the H.E.I.s, and the employers. Previous studies have focused more on some specific aspects such as employability skills needed or expectations of the employers or stressed on H.E.I.s to create employability skills. Students are dependent on H.E.I.s for their studies while they are also dependent on employers for getting jobs; similarly, the H.E.I.s cannot function without the students, while the employers also cannot function without the human resource provided by the H.E.I.s.
Balancing skills in the digital transformation era: The future of jobs and the role of higher education
