The Employability and Career Development of Finance and Trade College Graduates

Employability is a vital aspect for human development in career fields. In order to explore the factors affecting the employability of finance and trade graduates in higher vocational colleges, the researchers focused on human development in educational settings and conducted a piece of quantitative research within nine higher vocational colleges. The study uses descriptive statistical analysis to demonstrate the sample structure, using t-test, rank sum test, and chi-square test to assess the variables. It also adopts exploratory factor analysis to identify the classification of both educational practice and employability. Then, a multivariable linear regression model was adopted to examine the relationships between three main factors as well as the employability and career development of finance and trade graduates. The findings imply that the soft skills and basic skills of finance and trade college graduates have immensely improved through educational practice; graduates with high motivation for learning could enhance their soft skills and more internships or club engagement brings stronger professional skills. Based on these results, higher vocational colleges, enterprises, policymakers, teachers, and finance and trade graduates will benefit from the findings related to the reform of educational practice for strengthening graduate employability and human development. The originality of this paper is the conceptual evolution of finance and trade college graduate employability, as well as the empirical analysis on educational practice, student engagement, and family background affecting their human development.

ENGLISH - MAJORING STUDENT TEACHERS’ RESPONSE TO EMPLOYABILITY IN LIGHT OF A TRANSITION TO ONLINE LEARNING

This study discussed English student teachers’ growth in employability as a driving consequence of the transition to emergency remote learning in light of COVID-19 pandemic. The authors focused on senior students reaching graduation during this critical time. The learning mode change was believed to have a significant impact on graduates’ employability capital, thus influencing their post-study career plans. This quantitative research followed Tomlinson’s (2017) graduate employability framework, covering five forms of capital explores their perceptions of employability capital and measures how perceptions vary between groups of backgrounds. Specifically, they sought to develop a comprehensive understanding of how the transition to remote learning has challenged students’ employability capital, which then affected their career-related decision-making following graduation. The findings suggested, besides implications and limitation, five clustered forms of capital and explain why they perceived differently.

Application of the global computing curriculum guidelines and skills frameworks for competency discovery and analysis: a case study of data analytics

The current global computing curriculum guidelines including MISI2016, IT2017 and IS2020 are built to promote and facilitate competency-based higher education programs development and to enhance graduate employability. Their applications however are facing challenges in understanding, interpretation and operationalization. Taking data analytics and data engineering, this study shows how these guidelines are used to discover and analyze competencies, the boundaries between typical IT and IS programs and between IS undergraduate and postgraduate programs and further, the gaps for these programs to fill to incorporate professional practice competencies. The global skills frameworks are invoked and SFIA 7 is used to assist analysis.

Higher Education Institutions and Post-Covid In-Demand Employability Skills: Responding Through Curriculum that Works

This study explained that the post-Covid world of work would demand a new set of employability skills. Higher education institutions need to respond by preparing graduates with manifest post-COVID-19 employability skills through innovatively delivered curricula. Through literature review, the study identified post-Covid-19 in-demands employability skills and ways of innovatively fostering them. The study adopted the descriptive survey method and canvassed (104) faculty members’ (from 9 public universities) opinions through an online poll on the skills they considered relevant for post-pandemic graduate employability and integrating them into universities curricula. Data collected were descriptively analyzed using frequency count and percentage. Findings showed that when universities commit to innovative curriculum delivery, students can easily acquire skills and competencies required to effective security and create jobs in the post-Covid job market effectively recommended that universities should innovate their curricula by integrating post-Covid in-demands skills needed for students’ post-Covid job market.

Kebolehpasaran Siswazah Melalui Pendekatan Pembelajaran Berasaskan Kerja Di Politeknik

Pembelajaran Berasaskan Kerja (PBK) merupakan suatu kaedah pembelajaran yang menggabungkan dua medium pembelajaran iaitu pembelajaran teori di institusi pendidikan dan pengaplikasian amali di industri. Melalui penggabungan dua medium pembelajaran ini dapat memberi pendedahan dan pengalaman industri yang relevan mengikut bidang pengajian yang dapat merapatkan jurang ketidaksepadanan di antara kehendak industri dan graduan yang dihasilkan oleh politeknik. Kajian ini dijalankan bertujuan untuk penerokaan pengalaman kebolehpasaran pelajar politeknik dalam tiga program perintis yang menggunakan kaedah PBK iaitu dalam program Diploma Lanjutan Rangkaian, Ijazah Sarjana Muda Teknologi Pengurusan Fasiliti dengan kepujian dan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Teknologi Kejuruteraan Elektronik (Perubatan) dengan kepujian Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif kajian kes pelbagai. Penyelidik menggunakan kaedah temubual secara mendalam dan bersemuka dengan peserta kajian berpandukan protokol separa berstruktur terhadap tiga orang peserta kajian daripada politeknik. Hasil temubual yang telah diperolehi telah di transkrip dan dianalisis secara tematik. Dapatan kajian telah menunjukkan hasil daripada penerokaan pengalaman peserta kajian, penyelidik telah mendapati bahawa ketiga-tiga program telah menunjukkan kebolehpasaran siswazah yang tinggi dimana hampir kesemua siswazah telah mendapat pekerjaan dalam tempoh enam bulan selepas tamat pengajian. Dapatan ini diharapkan dapat memberi implikasi dengan lebih banyak program pendidikan menggunakan kaedah PBK diperkenalkan kerana ianya dapat membantu siswazah untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan selepas tamat pengajian. Work-Based Learning (WBL) is a learning methodology that combined two workplaces: educational institutions for theoretical learing and industries.for the practical. The combination of these two learning mediums can give the exposure and experience according to the field of study that can bridge the gap and mismatch between the needs of the industry and graduates produced by polytechnics. The aim of this research is to explore the experience of polytechnic graduate employability via three pilot programmes that apply WBL methods; which are the Networking Advanced Diploma, Bachelor of Facility Management with Honours and Bachelor of Computer Engineering Technology (Medical) with Honours.. This study employed a multiple case study of qualitative approach. The data collections in the field study were conducted using in-depth, face-to-face interviews and semi-structured protocol with the three participants from polytechnics. The results of the interviews have been transcribed and analyzed thematically. The findings showed that all the three programs have shown high graduate employability by almost all the graduates have been hired as a worker within six months after the graduation. Based on the results of this study, hopefully more educational programs will using the WBL method because it can help graduates to get a job after the graduation. Keywords: Work-Based Learning; polytechnic; graduate employability; graduates

Framing the English Language (EL) CEFR-informed Curriculum Structure: The UKM Experience

One of the main concerns that have been raised in the realm of the graduate employability workforce in Malaysia is for graduates to be competent in speaking English. The concern on the graduates’ standard in speaking English has been amplified to meet a global standard. It has triggered the Malaysian Ministry of Education to adopt the CEFR benchmark. This paper presents the framework of a CEFR-informed curriculum for Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) English Language (EL) courses at UKM and its basis. The paper outlines the method used in framing the curriculum structure based on the ADDIE model. It particularises the curriculum structure into four (4) main implementation phases that address the different proficiency levels in the targeted CEFR levels.

UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS AMONG FRESH GRADUATES

This paper attempts to explore the topic of the unemployment crisis among fresh graduates. The two main objectives of the study are to examine the influence factors of the unemployment crisis among fresh graduates in Malaysia, and the primary determinant of the unemployment has culminated in many policy implications for higher education. The unemployment rate among fresh graduates increased to 25% in 2020 than the year before, jumping from 13.8%. The null hypothesis is that employer preference, candidate attributes, and economic instability have no significant effect on the unemployment crisis. The information for the paper typically originates from a questionnaire survey method, with one hundred and thirty fresh graduates' participation in this study. The statistical approach is required to analyze numerical data using SPSS applications. Descriptive analyses such as frequency and simple percentages on demographic characteristics were used to analyze data. Inferential statistics such as linear bivariate correlation was used to test the formulated hypothesis. The finding demonstrated a significant association between employer preference, candidate attributes, and economic instability with the unemployment crisis. This finding would shed light on more preparation for fresh graduates' employability who preserve searching for a job by the education ministry. Hopefully, a revision in the academic higher education curriculum is considered to meet the job market's and stakeholders' needs for better graduate employability.