1

CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The employability of graduates of the university is one of the important factors in

determining the effectiveness of the institution’s existing academic programs and policies.

Yorke (2004) defines employability as “a set of achievements- skills, understandings, and

personal attributes that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful

in their chosen occupations, which benefit themselves, the workforce, the community and

the economy.” Competent graduates are a product of excellent instruction and facilities

because these will guarantee that graduates are well equipped with the relevant and

appropriate knowledge, skills, and values to thrive in their respective fields. The

fundamental responsibility of a university is not to produce graduates for a ‘graduate

level job’, but rather capable students who will be employable for the rest of their lives,

whatever career they choose to be.

The success of graduates in their fields of profession favors not only the graduates

themselves but also their alma mater. Students consider acquiring college degrees in

universities where they can enhance their career prospects. This becomes increasingly

important in view of rising costs of education and levels of debt on graduation, so

individuals want to ensure it has been money well spent. Furthermore, employers seem to

aim at universities where they have successfully recruited in the past and where they

recognize that courses are continuing to develop and innovate to produce students with

the level of competency relevant to their needs. In a private survey designed and
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commissioned by Emerging, a French human resource consultancy, that asks recruiters

from 21 major countries to answer questions about the ideal attributes of graduates and

select which institutions they think produce the best recruits, it was found out that the

highest proportion of survey respondents say that they prefer universities based on past

experiences with their graduates. In recent years, however, this may not be the case.

Following the dramatic increase in colleges offering baccalaureate programs, the

number of graduates they produce and a low job production rate from local firms, a

degree is no longer enough to guarantee a satisfying future career. This is all the more

true in light of the current economic climate. In many sectors, recruiters are looking for

‘work ready’ graduates with clear evidence of job specific skills in addition to high-level

graduate attributes. Professional experience and area of degree specialization follows.

Academic grades come bottom of the priority list (Bothwell, 2015). Students’ perception

that employers are looking for people who, through tests and grades, have demonstrated

that they are high achievers have proven to be wrong. Employers nowadays focus away

from academic qualifications and more on specific technical skills such as

communication and critical thinking abilities, having found out that there is no substantial

evidence that success at university is correlated with subsequent success in obtaining

professional qualifications. It is an emerging trend for employers to hire the graduate

because of his potential to learn and become an asset to their companies instead of the

prestige and names of the applicant’s university.

In the Philippines, where the government banks on human capital to sustain

hyper-economic projection, academic institutions are compelled to supply high-quality

graduates to meet the demands of a highly competitive global labor market. The local
 3

industry alsoleans on universities to provide them with skilled professionals to run their

plants and offices. Without a steady supply of young and talented individuals, national

development would be hindered and economic progress will be undermined. Therefore, it

is the role of the universities to improve their educational systems and catch up with

international standards. The workforce shall be prepared for the challenges and take

advantage of the 21st century ‘global realities’ including globalization, trade liberalization,

information and technology advancements, and bilateral and multilateral employment

treaties.

The role of competent workers in the upbringing of socio-economic growth is a

factor that must be recognized by the government, academe and the industry alike. At a

time when the country is gaining prominence as a hub for foreign back-office

requirements, Filipino graduates shall be equipped with the adequate knowledge and

proper training to sustain global competition. Nevertheless, most graduates still struggle

to get employed or remain employed due to a variety of unfortunate reasons despite the

high value and expectation placed on higher education. Thousands of young university or

college graduates can be seen lining up in job fairs around the country in search of

elusive employment opportunities. Based on a labor force survey released by the National

Statistics Office recently, 49.2% of the total numbers of unemployed sector are under the

age bracket of 15-24 years old. It was also shown that 40% of the applicants fail in their

job interviews, majority of whom are fresh graduates. Moreover, most of them fail

because of lack of technical skills. Rather, they lack key behavioral competencies

necessary to perform typical office situations. Another similar survey from

Jobstreet.com.ph, an online job finding website, revealed that most graduates do not have
 4

the patience to last in their jobs and quit to find other less stressful options. Also, a large

part of the workers cannot fulfill simple administrative tasks, complaining that they feel

diminished about doing so. Generally, these problems on the graduates’ inabilities and

behavioral tendencies are largely attributed to “schools not delivering on their promise”.

It must be acknowledged that academic institutions, universities and colleges in

particular, play the key part in shaping the manpower pool of the future generation. With

this in mind, it should be noted that the government, together with the local industry, is to

work closely with the academe to guarantee the availability of talent for the current and

future requirements of the market. Furthermore, a significant amount of continuous

research must be done on the status of employability and productivity of graduates and

possibly recommend ideas on how to improve existing learning and training methods to

ensure the quality of graduating students each year. By this virtue, this study was

undertaken.

This study examines the employability and productivity of Bulacan State

University, College of Engineering graduates from years 2013-2015. It seeks to

determine the factors that directly affect employment, the role of the college and the

university in producing employable, productive and competent graduates and to attempt

to provide recommendations for the development of the programs and the curriculum.

Statement of the Problem

The general problem of the study is “How may the employability and productivity

of Bulacan State University, College of Engineering graduates be evaluated?”

Specifically, the study attempts to answer the following questions:

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1. How may the profile of Bulacan State University, College of Engineering

graduates be described in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 sex;

1.3 civil status;

1.4 course/ program completed;

1.5 year graduated;

1.6 honors/ awards received;

1.7 reasons in pursuing the course/ program; and

1.8 trainings/ advanced studies attended after college?

2. How may the employability and productivity of Bulacan State University, College

of Engineering graduates be described in terms of:

2.1 employability

2.1.1 duration in applying for the first job;

2.1.2 reasons for accepting the first job;

2.1.3 employment status;

2.1.4 nature of employment;

2.2 productivity

2.2.1 monthly income in the first job;

2.2.2 length of stay in the first job; and

2.2.3 reasons for staying in the first job?

3. How may the perception of the engineering graduates on their course program be

described in terms of:

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3.1 faculty competencies;

3.2 curriculum and instruction;

3.3 physical and laboratory facilities;

3.4 attendance to job fair/ pre-employment seminar;

3.5 proficiency in the utilization of application software/ program;

3.6 number of hours required for the on-the-job training program;

3.7 partnership with cooperating industries for the on-the-job training;

3.8 volume of library holdings and access to e-journals;

3.9 intervention program to increase the preparation on taking and passing the

licensure examination;

3.10 actual application of the theories acquired;

3.11 attitude/ values of students through attendance to seminars, trainings, and

conferences;

3.12 faculty methods and strategies in teaching;

3.13 implementation of school policies;

3.14 monitoring of the subject requirements;

3.15 enrichment in the grading system; and

3.16 enrichment of the curricular program to attune with the current trends?

4. What recommendations maybe posited based on the results of the study to

develop the college of engineering programs?

Significance of the Study

This study aims to evaluate the employability and productivity of select Bulacan

State University, College of Engineering graduates from the years 2013, 2014 and 2015.
 7

Furthermore, this research proposes to create programs that will help improve the

employment of current and future graduates.

This study, together with its findings, will prove to be significant to each of the

following:

College of Engineering. This study will help the Bulacan State University

College of Engineering improve its course programs to produce highly competitive and

skillful graduates. Additionally, the school will be able to identify the strengths and

weaknesses of the existing policies and how they can help students to further their talents.

Faculty Members. Instructors will be guided on advancing their methods of

teaching and learning techniques that will aid the students to acquire the knowledge,

skills and values needed to be employed.

Students. The study will help students to engage in the whole educational process

because of new innovative learning, teaching and assessment methods and have the

added benefit of developing attributes which make them valuable to potential employers.

Also, they will contribute fully to the life of the university, the community and eventually

have fun during the process.

Future Researchers. The study will be beneficial to future researchers of a

similar subject who will be needing references for their own study and guide them

throughout their research.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

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The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the present employability and

productivity of Bulacan State University, College of Engineering graduates from 2013-

2015. Specifically, the researchers want to know the relationship between the social

profile and educational attainment of the graduates to landing their current jobs.

Moreover, this research sought to ask the graduates’ problems in the workplace and how

the skills they obtained at the university help them through. In general, the researchers

would like to propose recommendations based on the results of the study and the

experience of the graduates on improving the quality of education, programs and policies

in an attempt to reduce most of the employment related problems that future graduates

would likely to encounter.

The respondents of the study are limited to the graduates of Bulacan State

University, College of Engineering from 2013, 2014 and 2015 specifically the graduates

of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical

Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, and Bachelor of Science in

Manufacturing Engineering. The study did not include, however, graduates from other

courses that the college currently offers such as Bachelor of Science in Electrical

Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering,

Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, and Bachelor of Science in Mechatronics

Engineering. Also, this research will not cover graduates from the College Engineering

master’s program.

The researchers chose to consider graduates from two courses with licensure

examinations (Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Bachelor of Science in

Mechanical Engineering) and two courses without licensure examinations (Bachelor of

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Science in Industrial Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering)

to provide a balanced analysis and comparison of data about the graduates’ employability

and productivity. The study considered their personal information such as name, age, sex,

and civil status among others. Educational background, together with training and

advanced studies attended, are also well taken into account. Other information,

nonetheless, such as beliefs, ethnicity, cultural superstitions and morewere not assessed

for this study. The researchers believe that they provide little to no significance for the

results of this study.

A survey method was used to conduct this study. Each graduate was provided

with a questionnaire to be answered by themselves or under their supervision. The

questions included the past and present occupational experiences and problems. In order

to manage precise and accurate data collection, most questions were restricted to

checklist and multiple choice forms. This restricts the study to be analyzed and

interpreted solely to the contents and information that would be gathered from the results

of the questionnaires.

Also, the research questionnaire did not cover the employer’s evaluation of the

graduate’s performance on their respective jobs. While this data is essential to assessing

the competency of graduates, the researchers were limited by the amount of resources

needed and duration of the study involved. Still, the researchers believe that the subject

area is an important as this study and feel the need for a separate serious evaluation.
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CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Relevant Theory

Human Capital Theory is primarily the most influential economic theory of the

western civilization, setting the framework of government policies in the 20 th century. It

refers to the stock of knowledge or characteristics that a worker has (either innate or

acquired) that contributes to his or her productivity. The idea is to think of the set of

marketable skills of workers as a form of capital in which workers make a variety of

investment. This perspective is important in understanding both investment incentives

and the structure of wages and earnings.

One of the important premises of the human capital theory is the treatment of

education and training as an investment process which generates a future flow of income.

Investment in education is assumed to exert a positive impact on a worker’s capacity to

create labor and thus, on their incomes. Despite these benefits, investing into human

capital also incurs costs. Studying in an academic institution requires a substantial

amount of expenditure (fees, cost of accommodation and travel, etc.) which is often

shouldered by a sponsor (parent, scholarship foundations, etc.) and sometimes

compensated through student loans and salary. These costs, however, do not include

opportunity cost, that is from the loss of potential income during the period of studying-

the time spent on studying cannot be devoted to a productive job that generates earnings.

It is supposed that these costs are counterbalanced when the knowledge and competencies
 11

accumulated in the education process produce a sufficiently high rate of return and raise

the future flow of income to a level high enough to compensate for all cost incurred.

The Becker view (1964) examines human capital and proposes a very strong

relationship between productivity and wages. Other models such as that of Ben- Porath

(1967) and Mincer (1974) show that education and training strongly influence wage

formation during the life-cycle. Important implications of the Ben-Porath model and

Mincer wage equation include the following:

-the opportunity cost of one more year of schooling is foregone earnings

-schooling is not the only way in which individuals can invest in human capital

-there is a continuity between education investments and other investments in human

capital

-in societies where schooling investments are high, we may also expect higher levels of

on the job investments in human capital

-with an increase in demand for human capital, we observe an increase in the rate of

return for education and on-the-job training (higher in the short run, diminishing in the

long run) which are followed by an increase of school enrollment and job training

frequency

These models show that the wage curve is concave with respect to age. Wages are

lowest in the initial period of a career and then increase but at a diminishing speed so that

initial wages are much higher than at the end of a professional career. However, it cannot

be deduced if the observed wage path can be attributed only to human capital investments.
 12

Other factors seem to influence the behavior of the wage curve and thus, it is more

empirical to question to what extent does school based education and formal and informal

job training affect the wage path. The phenomenon can be explained by claiming that

people who invested on education and training at the earliest stages in their careers have

the highest rate of return for both the workers and the firms. Human capital takes

advantage of a person’s youth, when knowledge and skills are absorbed more easily and

have a long time horizon to profit from the results of investment in the form of higher

expected future income. The same interpretation applies for the company. Institutions

investing in training in the initial period of a worker’s career can secure a continuous

flow of future benefits as a result of a personnel’s increased productivity, and hence

higher profits.

Mincer (1994) confirms through empirical findings that job training investments

imply statistically significant wage increases and prove to be more profitable. In addition,

it can be presumed that both the duration and incidence of job training declines with age,

as predicted by the concavity of the wage curve of the human capital theory with respect

to age. Another important analysis shows that workers who experience job training had

on average 4.4% faster wage growth than those without training. In the same study,

Mincer demonstrates that the wage premium on education, measured as the differentials

of college and high school graduates with 10 years’ job experience, more than doubled

between 1979 and 1988. The observation can lead to several valid arguments, the most

notable of which is that skill biased technical change, resulting from a relative increase in

demand for high skills, was followed by only a minor increase in the labor supply of
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highly educated graduates. These findings convincingly strengthen human capital claims

about wage information and job training.

In a study conducted by Murmane et al. (2001) on the impacts of high school

students’ skills on their labor market success a decade after graduation, it was found out

that three skills (academic skills, skills in completing elementary mental tasks quickly

and accurately, and self-esteem) play an important and significant role in determining

subsequent wages. The differences in the skills are able to rationalize more than 60 % of

the observed wage differences. This may be one of the reasons why enrollment rates are

increasing each year. Schools and universities observe the premium on wages as the

effect of education and therefore, fees are evaluated as a direct proportion of these returns.

Nevertheless, the present situation is very much nothing like the previous

generation. Indeed, the job market from 40 to 50 years ago required cognitive skills and

routine and non-routine manual abilities; thus, a high school diploma was enough basis

for landing a decent job. In contrast, the requirements for accessing the professions have

changed dramatically and most employment demands more non-routine analytic and

interactive skills (Levy and Murmane). On these grounds, students tend to choose the

best university with the best programs where they believe they can acquire these skills the

most. Freeman and Hirsch (2008) provide empirical evidences on the strong relationship

between the choice of education type and observed labor market conditions.

The assumptions and principles of the human capital theory are very much

evident in the Philippines, a country who depends predominantly on labor trade and

overseas worker’s remittances to boost economic development. For many Filipinos,

education is regarded as an investment that affords them a way out of poverty

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(Valenzuela and Mendoza, 2012). It is seen as the primary means of improving the

quality of living and elevating social and financial status. Parents spend a premium on

education, viewing it as an investment that would create rewarding jobs for their children,

and thus higher returns. With respect to the value of education in nurturing the strengths

of the Filipino people, the Philippine Constitution mandates that “The State shall give

priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism

and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human development” (The

Constitution of the Philippines, 1987). The access to quality education holds both

individual and national implications.

Acknowledging the vital role of education in sustaining hyper economic

projection, the Philippine government allocate the largest portion of its national budget to

the public education sector. In 2015, the Department of Budget and Management

proposed P 435.9 billion, an increase of 15.4 % or P 52.8 billion, under the P 3.002

trillion national budget for the improvement of the country’s existing teaching facilities

and to address the needs for more classrooms and teaching personnel (The Official

Gazette, 2015). Subsequently, most of this capital expenditure will also proceed to the

republic’s 111 state universities and colleges, 50 local universities and colleges, 1

Commission on Higher Education supervised institution, 9 other government schools, and

5 special schools. The efforts of the administration to investing in human capital through

education as a social service has proven to be beneficial, as the country continues to

maintain a steady economy despite recent global recessions and poor fiscal environment.

This could be attributed solely to the constant flow of increased revenues from manpower
 15

related remittances, local and foreign, that helps stabilize the effects of the current

monetary crisis.

Related Literature

In 1970, Bulacan College of Arts and Trades (now Bulacan State University)

under the leadership of then President, Gavino M. Carpio, instituted the College of

Engineering and began offering five-year civil and mechanical courses. However, these

courses had to be phased out on its third year of operation due to inadequate engineering

training facilities and lack of funding to continue the said programs. The courses were

reestablished in 1977 and were again included in the curricular offering. The programs

resumed smoothly and just after 5 years, in 1982, a significant milestone has been

achieved when the all 7 of the initial set of graduates from the Civil Engineering

department gave the College its first ever 100 percent passing mark in the State Licensure

Examination for Civil Engineers.

Today, Bulacan State University, College of Engineering continues to provide

higher professional instruction as it was mandated to 46 years ago, gaining prominence as

one of the best in the province and the region. It has received numerous accolades ever

since, such as being awarded with the highest accreditation given by the Commission on

Higher Education and being hailed as Centers of Development for demonstrating premier

standards in the areas of instruction, research and extension, highlighted by constant

exceptional Licensure Examination performances.

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Whether these accomplishments and reputation have translated to actual

employability and productivity of graduates is yet to be known. The role of the college in

shaping the graduates to be productive and competitive workers must be clearly identified

and discussed thoroughly. By this virtue, we review related literature, studies and theories

to further our knowledge and help raise significant points and ideas for the purpose of

this discourse.

The global economy favors knowledge and technology. Higher education is

increasingly being viewed as central to national strategies for securing shares in the

global market and universities as the repositories of valuable human capital to support

national development (Tan & Arnold, 2012).

Specifically, universities contribute to economic development in three key areas:

producing and accumulating human capital; generating, disseminating, and applying

knowledge; and innovating and inventing new information and technology. The

accelerating shift to high-technology industries and an information technology economy

requires sustained human resource development and training. This reiterates the

importance of an appropriate higher education system for preparing a competent

workforce.

A UNESCO report in 2009 demonstrates the premium given by most countries on

knowledge and education, which can be reflected by the fivefold increase of tertiary

education enrollment from 28.6 million in 1970 to 152.2 million in 2007. However, the

production of jobs had not kept pace with this trend. Global unemployment rates

increased from 5.6 percent in 2007 to 6.2 percent in 2010 (ILO, 2010). The manpower

crisis has created a highly competitive environment for young people aged 15-24 years,
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as most unemployed people fall on this age bracket. These statistics are alarming, since

the youth represents the most productive labor force of the countries. Without competent

workers, many governments have to deal with a host of issues and challenges facing a

lost generation.

The number of unemployed graduates is partly caused by imbalances in the

economy. The financial crisis and economic downturns in recent years are certainly

reasons for the reduction in the number of jobs, but supply-side factors also contributed

to the high numbers of unemployed graduates. The kind of skills required for graduates to

enter the labor market need to be clearly understood so that higher education institutions

(HEIs) can foster these skills in their students. Relevance of their programs plays an

important part in helping their graduates find employment.

According to Tomlinson (2012), the inter-relationship between HE and the labor

market has been considerably reshaped over time. This has been driven mainly by a

numberof key structural changes both to higher education institutions (HEIs) and inthe

nature of the economy. The most discernable changes in HE have been itsgradual

expansion over the past three decades and, in more recent times, the move towards

greater individual expenditure towards HE in the form ofstudent fees.Such changes have

coincided with what has typically been seen as a shift towards a more flexible, post-

industrializedknowledge-driven economy that places increasing demands on the

workforceand necessitates new forms of work-related skills (Hassard et al.,

2008).Questions continued to be posed over the specific role of HE in regulating skilled

labor, and the overall matching of thesupply of graduates leaving HE to their actual

economic demand and utility(Bowers-Brown and Harvey, 2004).

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The relationship between HE and the labor market has traditionally been a closely

corresponding one, although in sometimes loose and intangible ways(Brennan et al., 1996;

Johnston, 2003). HE has traditionally helped regulate theflow of skilled, professional and

managerial workers. Furthermore, thisrelationship was marked by a relatively stable flow

of highly qualified youngpeople into well-paid and rewarding employment. As a mode of

cultural andeconomic reproduction (or even cultural apprenticeship), HE facilitated

theanticipated economic needs of both organizations and individuals, effectively

equipping graduates for their future employment. Thus, HE has beentraditionally viewed

as providing a positive platform from which graduatescould integrate successfully into

economic life, as well as servicing the economyeffectively.

The correspondence between HE and the labor market rests largely around three

main dimensions: in terms of the knowledge and skills that HEtransfers to graduates and

which then feeds back into the labor market,the legitimatization of credentials that serve

as signifiers to employers and enable them to ‘screen’ prospective future employees and

the enrichmentof personal and cultural attributes, or what might be seen as

‘personality’.However, these three inter-linkages have become increasingly problematic,

notleast through continued challenges to the value and legitimacy of

professionalknowledge and the credentials that have traditionally formed its

bedrock(Young, 2009). A more specific set of issues have arisen concerning the types of

individualorganizations want to recruit, and the extent to which HEIs canserve to produce

them.

The changing HE–economy dynamic feeds into a range of further

significantissues, not least those relating to equity and access in the labour market.
 19

Thedecline of the established graduate career trajectory has somewhat disruptedthe

traditional link between HE, graduate credentials and occupationalrewards (Ainley, 1994;

Brown and Hesketh, 2004). However, there are concerns that the shift towards mass HE

and, more recently, more wholescalemarket-driven reforms may be intensifying class-

cultural divisions in both access to specific forms of HE experience and subsequent

economic outcomesin the labour market (Reay et al., 2006; Strathdee, 2011). An

expanded HEsystem has led to a stratified and differentiated one, and not all graduates

maybe able to exploit the benefits of participating in HE. Mass HE may thereforebe

perpetuating the types of structural inequalities it was intended to alleviate.

Perhaps increasingly central to the changing dynamic between HE and thelabour

market has been the issue of graduate employability. There is muchcontinued debate over

the way in which HE can contribute to graduates’overall employment outcomes or, more

sharply, their outputs and value-addedin the labour market. What has perhaps been

characteristic of more recent policy discourses has been the strong emphasis on

harnessing HE’s activities tomeet changing economic demands. Policy responses have

tended to be supply-sidefocused, emphasizing the role of HEIs for better equipping

graduates forthe challenges of the labour market. For much of the past decade,

governmentshave shown a commitment towards increasing the supply of graduates

enteringthe economy, based on the technocratic principle that economic

changesnecessitate a more highly educated and flexible workforce (DFES, 2003)

Thisrationale is largely predicated on increased economic demand for higherqualified

individuals resulting from occupational changes, and whereby themajority of new job

growth areas are at graduate level.

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In relation to the more specific graduate ‘attributes’ agenda, Barrie (2006)has

called for a much more fine-grained conceptualization of attributes and thepotential

work-related outcomes they may engender. This should be ultimately responsive to the

different ways in which students themselves personallyconstruct such attributes and their

integration within, rather than separationfrom, disciplinary knowledge and practices.

Furthermore, as Bridge stock (2009)has highlighted, generic skills discourses often fail to

engage with moregermane understandings of the actual career-salient skills graduates

genuinelyneed to navigate through early career stages. Skills and attributes

approachesoften require a stronger location in the changing nature and context of

careerdevelopment in more precarious labour markets, and to be more firmly builtupon

efficacious ways of sustaining employability narratives.

Research has tended to reveal a mixed picture on graduates and their positionin

the labour market (Brown and Hesketh, 2004; Elias and Purcell, 2004; Greenand Zhu,

2010). More positive accounts of graduates’ labour market outcomes tend to support the

notion of HE as a positive investment that leads tofavourable returns. Elias and Purcell’s

(2004) research has reported positiveoverall labour market outcomes in graduates’ early

career trajectories 7 yearson from graduation: in the main graduates manage to secure

paid employmentand enjoy comparatively higher earning than non-graduates. They

alsoreported quite high levels of satisfaction among graduates on their perceivedutility of

their formal and informal university experiences. Graduates indifferent occupations were

shown to be drawing upon particular graduate skillsets,be that occupation-specific

expertise, managerial decision-making skills,and interactive, communication-based

competences. Less positively, theirresearch exposed gender disparities gap in both pay
 21

and the types ofoccupations graduates work within. They found that a much higher

proportionof female graduates’ work within public sector employment compared

withmales who attained more private sector and IT-based employment. This isfurther

reflected in pay difference and breadth of career opportunities open todifferent genders.

Perhaps significantly, their research shows that graduatesoccupy a broad range of jobs

and occupations, some of which are more closelymatched to the archetype of the

traditional graduate profession. Graduatesclearly follow different employment pathways

and embark upon a multifariousrange of career routes, all leading to different experiences

and outcomes. This isperhaps reflected in the increasing amount of new, modern and

niche forms ofgraduate employment, including graduate sales managers, marketing and

PRofficers, and IT executives.

However, other research on the graduate labour market points to a variablepicture

with significant variations between different types of graduates.Various analysis of

graduate returns (Brown and Hesketh, 2004; Green andZhu, 2010) have highlighted the

significant disparities that exist amonggraduates; in particular, some marked differences

between the highest graduateearners and the rest. While investment in HE may result in

favourableoutcomes for some graduates, this is clearly not the case across the board.

Thisis particularly evident among the bottom-earning graduates who, as Green andZhu

show, do not necessarily attain better longer-term earnings than non-graduates.Thus,

graduates who are confined to non-graduate occupations, oreven new forms of

employment that do not necessitate degree-level study, mayfind themselves struggling to

achieve equitable returns. A range of key factorsseem to determine graduates’ access to

different returns in the labour marketthat are linked to the specific profile of the
 22

graduate.Research by both Furlong and Cartmel (2005) and Power and Whitty

(2006)shows strong evidence of socio-economic influences on graduate returns,

withgraduates’ relative HE experiences often mediating the link between theirorigins and

their destinations. Power and Whitty’s research shows thatgraduates who experienced

more elite earlier forms of education, and then attendance at prestigious universities, tend

to occupy high-earning and highrewardoccupations. There are two key factors here. One

is the pre-existinglevel of social and cultural capital that these graduates possess, which

opens upgreater opportunities. The second relates to the biases employers harbor around

different graduates from different universities in terms of theseuniversities’ relative so-

called reputational capital (Harvey et al., 1997; BrownandHesketh, 2004). It appears that

the wider educational profile of thegraduate is likely to have a significant bearing on their

future labour marketoutcomes.

Further research has also pointed to experiences of graduate

underemployment(Mason, 2002; Chevalier and Lindley, 2009). This research hasrevealed

that a growing proportion of graduates are undertaking forms ofemployment that are not

commensurate to their level of education and skills.Part of this might be seen as a

function of the upgrading of traditional of non-graduatejobs to accord with the increased

supply of graduates, even thoughmany of these jobs do not necessitate a degree. However,

this raises significantissues over the extent to which graduates may be fully utilizing their

existingskills and credentials, and the extent to which they may be over-educated

formany jobs that traditionally did not demand graduate-level qualifications If the

occupational structure does not become sufficiently upgraded toaccommodate the

 23

continued supply of graduates, then mismatches betweengraduates’ level of education

and the demands of their jobs may ensue.

The employability and labour market returns of graduates also appears tohave a

strong international dimension to it, given that different nationaleconomies regulate the

relationship between HE and labour market entrydifferently (Teichler, 2007). The

Varieties of Capitalism approach developed byHall and Soskice (2001) may be useful

here in explaining the different waysin which different national economies coordinate the

relationship betweentheir education systems and human resource strategies. It is clear that

morecoordinated occupational labour markets such as those found in continentalEurope

(e.g., Germany, Holland and France) tend to have a stronger levelof coupling between

individuals’ level of education and their allocation tospecific types of jobs (Hansen,

2011). In such labour market contexts, HEregulates more clearly graduates’ access to

particular occupations. Thiscontrasts with more flexible liberal economies such as the

United Kingdom, United States and Australia, characterized by more intensive

competition,deregulation and lower employment tenure. In effect, market rules

dominate.Moreover, in such contexts, there is greater potential for displacement

betweenlevels of education and occupational position; in turn, graduates may

alsoperceive a potential mismatch between their qualifications and their returns inthe job

market.

Research done over the past decade has highlighted the increasing

pressuresanticipated and experienced by graduates seeking well-paid and graduate-

levelforms of employment. Taken-for-granted assumptions about a ‘job for life’, if ever

they existed, appear to have given away to genuine concerns over theanticipated need to
 24

be employable. The concerns that have been welldocumented within the non-graduate

youth labour market (Roberts, 2009)are also clearly resonating with the highly qualified.

What this research hasshown is that graduates anticipate the labour market to engender

high risksand uncertainties (Moreau and Leathwood, 2006; Tomlinson, 2007) and

aremanaging their expectations accordingly. The transition from HE to work isperceived

to be a potentially hazardous one that needs to be negotiated withmore astute planning,

preparation and foresight. Relatively high levels ofpersonal investment are required to

enhance one’s employment profile andcredentials, and to ensure that a return is made on

one’s investment in study.Graduates are therefore increasingly likely to see responsibility

for futureemployability as falling quite sharply onto the shoulders of the

individualgraduate: being a graduate and possessing graduate-level credentials no

longerwarrants access to sought-after employment, if only because so many

othergraduates share similar educational and pre-work profiles.

Research done by Brooks and Everett (2008) and Little (2008) indicates thatwhile

HE-level study may be perceived by graduates as equipping them forcontinued learning

and providing them with the dispositions and confidence toundertake further learning

opportunities, many still perceive a need forcontinued professional training and

development well beyond graduation. Thisappears to be a response to increased

competition and flexibility in the labourmarket, reflecting an awareness that their longer-

term career trajectories areless likely to follow stable or certain pathways. Continued

training and lifelonglearning is one way of staying fit in a job market context with

shifting and everincreasingemployer demands. Discussing graduates’ patterns of work-

relatedlearning, Brooks and Everett (2008) argue that for many graduates ‘y thislearning
 25

was work-related and driven by the need to secure a particular job andprogress within

one’s current position (Brooks and Everett, 2008, 71). Thisclearly implies that graduates

expect their employability management to be anongoing project throughout different

stages of their careers. The constructionof personal employability does not stop at

graduation: graduates appear awareof the need for continued lifelong learning and

professional developmentthroughout the different phases of their career progression.

The themes of risk and individualization map strongly onto the transitionfrom HE

to the labour market: the labour market constitutes a greater risk,including the potential

for unemployment and serial job change. Individualstherefore need to proactively

manage these risks (Beck and Beck-Gernsheim,2002). Moreover, individual graduates

may need to reflexively align themselvesto the new challenges of labour market, from

which they can make appropriatedecisions around their future career development and

their general life courses.For Beck and Beck-Germsheim (2002), processes of

‘institutionalized individualization’ mean that the labour market effectively becomes a

‘motor’for individualization, in that responsibility for economic outcomes istransferred

away from work organizations and onto individuals. Researchinto university graduates’

perceptions of the labour market illustrates that theyare increasingly adopting

individualized discourses (Moreau and Leathwood,2006; Tomlinson, 2007; Taylor and

Pick, 2008) around their future employment.Moreau and Leathwood reported strong

tendencies for graduates toattribute their labour market outcomes and success towards

personal attributesand ‘qualities’ as much as the structure of available opportunities. This

is alsothe case for working-class students who were prone to lament theirinability to

secure employment, even though their outcomes are likely reflectstructural inequalities.
 26

Tomlinson’s research also highlighted the propensitytowards discourses of self-

responsibility by students making the transitionsto work. While they were aware of

potential structural barriers relating to thepotentially classed and gendered nature of

labour markets, many of theseyoung people saw the need to take proactive measures to

negotiate thesechallenges. The problem of managing one’s future employability is

thereforeseen largely as being ‘up to’ the individual graduate.

Brown and Hesketh’s (2004) research has clearly shown the competitivepressures

experienced by graduates in pursuit of tough-entry and sought-afteremployment, and

some of the measures they take to meet the anticipatedrecruitment criteria of employers.

For graduates, the challenge is being able topackage their employability in the form of a

dynamic narrative that capturestheir wider achievements, and which conveys the

appropriate personal andsocial credentials desired by employers. Ideally, graduates would

be able topossess both the hard currencies in the form of traditional

academicqualifications together with soft currencies in the form of cultural

andinterpersonal qualities. The traditional human and cultural capital thatemployers have

always demanded now constitutes only part of graduates’employability narratives.

Increasingly, graduates’ employability needs to be embodied through their so-called

personal capital, entailing the integration ofacademic abilities with personal,

interpersonal and behavioral attributes.These concerns seem to be percolating down to

graduates’ perceptions andstrategies for adapting to the new positional competition. For

Brown andHesketh (2004), however, graduates respond differently according to

theirexisting values, beliefs and understandings. ‘Players’ are adept at responding tosuch

competition, embarking upon strategies that will enable them to acquireand present the
 27

types of employability narratives that employers demand.‘Purists’, believing that their

employability is largely constitutive of theirmeritocratic achievements, still largely equate

their employability withtraditional hard currencies, and are therefore not so adept at

responding tosignals from employers.

Many graduates are increasingly turning to voluntary work, internshipschemes

and international travel in order to enhance their employabilitynarratives and potentially

convert them into labour market advantage. Muchof this is driven by a concern to ‘stand

apart’ from the wider graduate crowdand to add value to their existing graduate

credentials. Even those studentswith strong intrinsic orientations around extra-curricular

activities are awareof the need to translate these into marketable, value-added skills. It

wasnot uncommon for students participating, for example, in voluntary orcommunity

work to couch these activities in terms of developing teamworkingand potential

leadership skills. Such research shows are that younggraduates entering the labour market

are acutely aware of the need to embark on strategies that will provide them with a

positional gain in the competitionfor jobs.

What more recent research on the transitions from HE to work has furthershown

is that the way students and graduates approach the labour market andboth understand

and manage their employability is also highly subjective(Holmes, 2001; Bowman et al.,

2005; Tomlinson, 2007). How employable agraduate is, or perceives themselves to be, is

derived largely from their self-perceptionof themselves as a future employee and the

types of work-relateddispositions they are developing. This is likely to be carried through

into thelabour market and further mediated by graduates’ ongoing experiences

andinteractions post-university. As such, these identities and dispositions are likelyto

 28

shape graduates’ action frames, including their decisions to embark uponvarious career

routes. If initial identities are affirmed during the early stages ofgraduates’ working lives,

they may well ossify and set the direction for future orientations and outlooks. Some

graduates’ early experience may beempowering and confirm existing dispositions

towards career development;for others, their experiences may confirm ambivalent

attitudes and reinforcetheir sense of dislocation. Research on the more subjective,

identity-basedaspects of graduate employability also shows that graduates’ dispositions

tendto derive from wider aspects of their educational and cultural biographies, andthat

these exercise some substantial influence on their propensities towardsfuture employment.

Research by Tomlinson (2007) has shown that some students on the point

oftransiting to employment are significantly more orientated towards the labourmarket

than others. This research highlighted that some had developedstronger identities and

forms of identification with the labour market andspecific future pathways. Careerist

students, for instance, were clearly imagingthemselves around their future labour market

goals and embarking uponstrategies in order to maximize their future employment

outcomes and enhancetheir perceived employability. For such students, future careers

werepotentially a significant source of personal meaning, providing a platformfrom

which they could find fulfilment, self-expression and a credible adultidentity. For other

students, careers were far more tangential to their personalgoals and lifestyles, and were

not something they were prepared to make stronglevels of personal and emotional

investment towards. The different orientationsstudents are developing appear to be

derived from emerging identities andself-perceptions as future employees, as well as

from wider biographicaldimensions of the student. Crucially, these emerging identities

 29

frame the waysthey attempt to manage their future employability and position

themselvestowards anticipated future labour market challenges.

Longitudinal research on graduates’ transitions to the labour market(Holden and

Hamblett, 2007; Nabi et al., 2010) also illustrates that graduates’initial experiences of the

labour market can confirm or disrupt emerging workrelatedidentities. This tends to be

mediated by a range of contextual variablesin the labour market, not least graduates’

relations with significant others inthe field and the specific dynamics inhered in different

forms of employment.For graduates, the process of realizing labour market goals, of

becoming a legitimate and valued employee, is a continual negotiation and

involvescontinual identity work. This shows that graduates’ lived experience of thelabour

market, and their attempt to establish a career platform, entails adynamic interaction

between the individual graduate and the environment theyoperate within. This may well

confirm emerging perceptions of their owncareer progression and what they need to do to

enhance it. Much of this islikely to rest on graduates’ overall staying power, self-efficacy

and tolerance topotentially destabilizing experiences, be that as entrepreneurs, managers

orresearchers. Similar to Holmes’ (2001) work, such research illustrates thatgraduates’

career progression rests on the extent to which they can achieveaffirmed and legitimated

identities within their working lives.

It would appear from the various research that graduates’ emerging labourmarket

identities are linked to other forms of identity, not least those relatingto social

background, gender and ethnicity (Archer et al., 2003; Reay et al.,2006; Moreau and

Leathwood, 2006; Kirton, 2009) This itself raises substantialissues over the way in which

different types of graduate leaving mass HEunderstand and articulate the link between
 30

their participation in HE and futureactivities in the labour market. What such research has

shown is that the widercultural features of graduates frame their self-perceptions, and

which can thenbe reinforced through their interactions within the wider employment

context.

In terms of social class influences on graduate labour market orientations,this is

likely to work in both intuitive and reflexive ways. Studies of nontraditionalstudents

show that while they make ‘natural’, intuitive choicesbased on the logics of their class

background, they are also highly consciousthat the labour market entails sets of middle-

class values and rules that maypotentially alienate them. The research by Archer et al.

(2003) and Reay et al.(2006) showed that students’ choices towards studying at particular

HEIs arelikely to reflect subsequent choices. Far from neutralizing such pre-

existingchoices, these students’ university experiences often confirmed their

existingclass-cultural profiles, informing their ongoing student and graduate identitiesand

feeding into their subsequent labour market orientations. For instance,non-traditional

students who had studied at local institutions may be far morelikely to fix their career

goals around local labour markets, some of which may afford limited opportunities for

career progression.

Similar to the Bowman et al. (2005) study, it appears that some

graduates’‘horizons for action’ are set within by largely intuitive notions of what

isappropriate and available, based on what are likely to be highly subjectiveopportunity

structures. Smart et al. (2009) reported significant awarenessamong graduates of class

inequalities for accessing specific jobs, along withexpectations of potential disadvantages

through employers’ biases aroundissues such as appearance, accent and cultural code. In
 31

a similar vein,Greenbank (2007) also reported concerns among working-class graduates

ofperceived deficiencies in the cultural and social capital needed to access specifictypes

of jobs. Such graduates are therefore likely to shy away, orpsychologically distance

themselves, from what they perceive as particularcultural practices, values and protocols

that are at odds with their existing ones.

The subjective mediation of graduates’ employability is likely to have asignificant

role in how they align themselves and their expectations to thelabour market. Driven

largely by sets of identities and dispositions, graduates’relationship with the labour

market is both a personal and active one. Itappears that students and graduates reflect

upon their relationship with thelabour market and what they might need to achieve their

goals. The extent towhich future work forms a significant part of their future life goals is

likely todetermine how they approach the labour market, as well as their own

futureemployability.

Effective deployment of human capital has clearly been recognized as a key

contributor of organizational effectiveness (Ahmed, 2009). The speed with which

changes are taking place in the economic environment is forcing organizations to be very

flexible and responsive. Hence, there is pressure to staff organizations with knowledge

workers who are able to think, feel and behave effectively despite significant changes and

challenges in the working environment. Job design is usually the set of accountabilities

for results that needs to be accomplished based on the mission of the organization. In a

changing and competitive environment person competence is the key factor to maintain

long-term success.
 32

The general criticism levelled at traditional tertiary institutions is that they have

emphasized teaching rather than the development of the learner holistically. The

curriculum in higher educational institutions is typically organized and communicated

through as menu of courses defined, labelled, and organized by discipline.

Sincedisciplines are often equated with department, disciplines are also the basis for the

organizational structure of universities. Both of these factors may result in a further

emphasis on the teaching. Other factors that encourage teaching are the view of faculty as

experts, the faculty reward system, and the drive to maximize autonomy. Corporations

having become quite disappointed by the output of the traditional university have relied

upon the competency based assessment of capability needs and competency based

training and instruction.Job competency needs are both technical competencies and

attitudinal (emotional) in nature such as self-control, interpersonal sensitive, and risk

taking

Employers’ preferences do not significantly differ across commonly used

segments such as country, occupational field or organization-size. The finding that

preferences do not differ much across countries might come as a surprise as some of the

results in the graduate surveys suggest for example a weaker link between study field and

job tasks in countries like the UK.

Employers appreciate having studied abroad as a signal of positive personality

characteristics such as openness to experience and independence. Yet, they emphasize

that this attribute is seen as something that may tip the balance when other things are

equal.
 33

When selecting graduates for job interviews, employers attach most importance to

attributes which signal familiarity with the job task and low training costs: the match

between the field of study and the job task, as well as relevant work experience.

Graduates’ chances to get invited to a job interview increase substantially with the quality

of the field of study-job match and with the amount of relevant work experience.

Graduates with fields of study unrelated to the job task only have an outside chance to get

invited to the job interview. Having graduated in a field of study not completely matched

but related to the job task can be compensated with relevant work experience. Chances of

getting invited to a job interview decrease significantly for graduates without relevant

work experience.

Employers bare responsibility for the further development of expert thinking.

Employers want graduates to be work-ready. One of the solutions stakeholders in the

focus groups see is that students should have a period of practical experience in HE, for

example through internships or through dual programs that combine work and study.

Study-related work experience has indeed been shown to increase the labor market

success of graduates significantly and is a strong predictor of graduates’ employability.

Employers bare responsibility for the second component of professional expertise, the

ability to apply expert thinking. To develop expert thinking requires another 5 to 10 years

of work experience (see Hayes, 1981; Ericsson and Crutcher, 1990) and can thus not be a

responsibility of HE alone. Therefore, it is important for graduates to get the kind of jobs

that enable them to develop expert thinking.

Grades matter for getting invited to a job interview. Below average grades signal

a substantially lower level of employability than average grades. Above average grades
 34

increase graduates’ chances to get invited to a job interview to a similar extent as does

being among the top 10% with regard to GPA. Excellent grades are especially important

for graduates who lack work experience. Conversely, work experience can compensate

for having below average grades. The prestige or reputation of the university from which

graduates obtained their degree also matters, and the impact is comparable to having

above average instead of average grades. Employers often use a university’s prestige or

reputation to validate the meaning of grades.

International orientation is considered important and employers have a

preference for graduates who have done at least part of their study abroad. Although it is

not a decisive factor, it may tip the balance for a particular candidate when other things

are equal. Employers primarily associate having studied abroad with skills like advanced

international orientation, language skills and a demonstrated ability and willingness to

deal with new situations, to take risks and to be open to new experiences.

Relevant work experience is important. The conjoint analyses clearly show the

importance of getting relevant work experience for graduates’ employability. These

findings are in line with previous results from the graduate surveys (REFLEX,

HEGESCO). The problem is of course to get work experience in the first place.

Internships and other forms of study-related work practices can help students to ensure a

smoother transition to the labor market.

Employers prefer graduates with higher levels of skills over graduates with lower

levels of skills. Skill domains differ, however, with regard to their overall importance for

the hiring decision. The most important skills are professional expertise and interpersonal

skills. Both the conjoint study as well as the in-depth interviews suggest that a lack of
 35

professional expertise and interpersonal skills is difficult, if not impossible, to

compensate. Most employers require all team members to have at least average levels of

these skills. While there are some employers who prefer team members to have similar

skill profiles for reasons of team cohesion and worker substitutability, many employers

see possibilities for within-team specialization with regard to innovative/creative skills,

strategic/ organizational skills and commercial/entrepreneurial skills. These skill domains

lend themselves for specialization because not everybody needs to possess them to a high

extent as long as some members in the team have them. Possibilities for specialization

within teams depend on the job tasks in the team the candidate will be working in and the

willingness of the specific employer to apply within-team compensation. Innovative/

creative skills, strategic/organizational skills and commercial/entrepreneurial skills are

often considered less crucial for performing the tasks associated with junior positions, yet

important for graduates’ career prospects.

Strategic/organizational skills are needed for long-term career opportunities. The

conjoint analyses show that strategic/organizational skills are important but are usually

not expected from people who just graduated from HE. According to the experts in the

focus groups, these are also not the skills that are typically developed in HE but are rather

developed throughout the labor market career. But they do define long-term career

opportunities of graduates. Graduates with strong strategic/organizational skills will have

higher chances of proceeding to managerial jobs or other strategic jobs in the

organization. They are thus key to defining career opportunities in the long run.

Basic skills, like literacy, numeracy and strategic ICT skills should already be

developed in secondary education. The in-depth interviews showed that the above-
 36

mentioned skills are indeed the relevant skill domains. But some employers also point out

that graduates still lack some general basic skills such as being able to write a report and

having sufficient linguistic skills et cetera. In general, this holds not only for literacy and

numeracy skills, but also to having a sufficient level of strategic ICT skills. This does not

mean that HE should pay more attention to these basic skills, as these should have been

developed already in secondary education. But there is a need to guarantee these

minimum levels upon entering HE (e.g. by having entry exams at the university or by

having central exit exams at the end of secondary education that assess the level of these

skills).

Graduates need more than flexibility to deal with increasing uncertainty. In the

literature review we identified increasing uncertainty as one of the six trends that shape

the world of work for graduates. This increasing uncertainty implies that graduates need

the flexibility to adapt to a changing environment and the ability to stay employable

throughout the life course. What this study made clear is that flexibility is rather the

passive component to deal with uncertainty. Certainly graduates need to expect instability

and changes. In that sense the world has changed. But in order to successfully cope with

these changes they also need strategic/organizational skills, innovative/creative skills, or

commercial/entrepreneurial skills as some employers pointed out in the focus groups.

These are the typical skills that offer graduates the opportunity to actively change the

environment. Where flexibility is the insurance policy that everybody needs to have in

case of a fire, the other mentioned skill domains are like the Fire Brigade to extinguish

the fire.
 37

General academic skills are well developed. The conjoint study shows that

general academic skills do not rank highly on the agenda of employers. What we see here

is that HE successfully performs its screening and signaling function. Employers expect

graduates to have sufficient general academic skills once they graduate from HE. That is

one cannot imagine that graduates have developed professional expertise without having

the proper general academic skills that go along with this. The results from the in-depth

interviews and the focus groups give no indication that general academic skills are

lacking.

Interpersonal skills are becoming more and more important. The conjoint

analyses show that interpersonal skills are almost as important as professional expertise.

These include communication skills, teamwork skills et cetera. The literature review

stresses that with the emergence of high performance workplaces, basic interpersonal

skills are required from everybody. Nowadays it is not enough to be a specialist anymore.

Graduates also need to be able to communicate with others: clients, co-workers or

colleagues outside the organization. Lacking interpersonal skills can pose a serious threat

to the whole team and the chances to achieve the organization’s goals. In contrast to

professional expertise interpersonal skills can also be developed outside HE and one can

even doubt whether HE is the best place to develop them. Joining a team sport in

adolescence might be a better way to develop team skills than working in groups during

HE. This should pose no problem as long as there is no trade-off between developing

interpersonal skills in HE and the development of relevant other skills. One of the

presumed advantages of project work or other student centered methods is the claim that

they can develop professional expertise as well as other relevant skills at the same time.
 38

We need to know more about whether this claim is justified but assuming that it is these

methods should be deployed. However, if using these methods comes at the expense of

developing other relevant skills, this needs to be reconsidered.

Employability also encompasses significant equity issues. Wider

structuralchanges have potentially reinforced positional differences and

differentialoutcomes between graduates, not least those from different class-

culturalbackgrounds. While mass HE potentially opens up opportunities for

nontraditionalgraduates, new forms of cultural reproduction and social closurecontinue to

empower some graduates more readily than others (Scott, 2005).Using Bourdieusian

concepts of capital and field to outline the changingdynamic between HE and the labour

market, Kupfer (2011) highlights thecontinued preponderance of structural and cultural

inequalities through theexistence of layered HE and labour market structures, operating

indifferentiated fields of power and resources. The relative symbolic violenceand capital

that some institutions transfer onto different graduates mayinevitably feed into their

identities, shaping their perceived levels of personal oridentity capital. Compelling

evidence on employers’ approaches to managinggraduate talent (Brown and Hesketh,

2004) exposes this situation quite starkly.The challenge, it seems, is for graduates to

become adept at reading thesesignals and reframing both their expectations and

behaviors.While in the main graduates command higher wages and are able to access

widerlabour market opportunities, the picture is a complex and variable oneand reflects

marked differences among graduates in their labour market returnsand experiences. The

evidence suggests that some graduates assume the statusof ‘knowledge workers’ more

than others, as reflected in the differential rangeof outcomes and opportunities they
 39

experience. Variations in graduates’ labourmarket returns appear to be influenced by a

range of factors, framing the waygraduates construct their employability. The

differentiated and heterogeneouslabour market that graduates enter means that there is

likely to be littleuniformity in the way students constructs employability, notionally

andpersonally. Moreover, there is evidence of national variations betweengraduates from

different countries, contingent on the modes of capitalismwithin different countries. This

will largely shape how graduates perceive thelinkage between their higher educational

qualification and their future returns.

Kinash (2015) prepared a comprehensive study that discusses higher education

role in the employability of graduates and a number of ways to address the problem of

unemployment through the participation of the university itself, the students, the

government, and the industrial sector. The overall findings of the project were that: there

is evidence of gaps between the perspectives of students, graduates, employers and higher

education personnel in how to approach the overall higher education experience for

heightened employability; multiple stakeholders stated that the most employable

graduates are those who have a broad-based experience, and are able to sell their own

personal identity, brand and profile; transferable skills and a broad-based student

experience are more important than the particular discipline of study for impacting

employability;higher education personnel (private and public) believe they can bolster

graduate employability by promoting/supporting extra-curricular and co-curricular

activities and skill development (technical and transferable) through work experience,

internships and placements and other types of employability strategies;students have a

variety of needs, resources and capacities, such that extra-curricular and co-curricular
 40

activities and experiences may not be realistic and accessible to all; andthere are barriers

to employment, such as gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic background that may

override employability strategies and supports.

Moreover, a literature review revealed empirical evidence for a positive

relationship between twelve employability strategies and graduate employment. The

twelve strategies in alphabetical order by the keywords are: capstone/final semester

projects; careers advice and employment skill development; engaging in extra-curricular

activities; international exchanges; mentoring; attending networking or industry

information events; part-time employment; developing graduate profiles, portfolios and

records of achievement; professional association membership/engagement; using social

media/networks; volunteering/community engagement; and work

experience/internships/placements.

Survey analysis also disclosed relative gaps between the perception of students,

graduates, higher education institutions and employers about certain aspects of

employability related strategies. Most students and graduates hailed part time work and

internships, placements and work experience as the best means of gaining enough

knowledge and skills that would be beneficial for future employment. In contrast,

employers and higher education agree that extra-curricular activities contribute to a

worker’s overall competency and productivity.

In a separate UNESCO report, these gaps were argued and specified the

importance of resolving these misunderstandings to create a better perception of what

graduates should expect and what employers truly need. While academic qualifications

are essential, aptitudes and attitudes of graduates are all the more important on
 41

prospective employers. A high grade point average does not guarantee employment. It is

therefore crucial for graduates to develop qualities most sought after in the job market.

The researchers identify it to be motivation, an ability to think “outsidethe box”,

problem are solving and communication skills, and an ability to work both as part of a

teamand independently. It is also vital that graduates liable to work in many different jobs

and industriesthroughout their entire career seek to constantly improve and update their

skill, and willing to learn newtechnologies. Any sign that they possess some of these

qualities might persuade employers to offerthem jobs. Young people therefore have a

responsibility to prepare themselves for a changing worldby improving their knowledge

and skills to meet the demands of employers and the realities of theworkplace.

In addition, Kinash cites eleven key themes that emerged from the survey as

developed through the duration of the study. Project participants consists of students,

graduates, employers, higher education institutions and focus groups. A description of

each theme is provided in the succeeding paragraphs.

Multi-national corporations. Graduate employment through multi-national

corporations offers the unique work-based learning experience of formal graduate

development programs, which are highly esteemed by project participants.

Competitive sport, athletes & employability. It was the experience of project

participants that students who engage in extra-curricular activity, such as sport,

experience advantages in graduate employability.

Entrepreneurship. Project participants expressed a belief that entrepreneurship is

an increasingly viable and valuable career pathway for higher education graduates.
 42

Project participants stated that higher education support of entrepreneurship is a

productive response to changing traditional employment vacancies.

In economies with limited job opportunities, entrepreneurship is seen as a viable

option for new graduatesto chart their own future by setting up an own business. To

overcome barriers such as the shortageof start-up funds, insufficient knowledge of

business practices and lack of motivation, it is necessary todesign courses for

entrepreneurship, organize extracurricular activities, and provide government supportand

funding as further encouragement. Tan & Arnold (2012) cites entrepreneurship in their

study about employability of graduates in Asia and states that a paradigm shift is seen in

Asian countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia. TheIndonesian government has

introduced an entrepreneurship skills program and provides seed capitalfor new graduates

to start up their own businesses. The Malaysian government has initiated a combinationof

conventional discipline-related courses and entrepreneurship courses to include subjects

such assmall business management, competencies such as English language, team work

and analytical skills toexpose students to skills to help them start their own business,

create jobs for themselves and others.ICT graduates will benefit substantially from such

training in entrepreneurship in view of the potential forinnovative start-ups in the industry.

Private institutions. The importance of establishing strong links with industry

through the adoption of both formal and informal approaches was articulated as a key to

enhancing graduate employability. Project participants expressed a belief that private

institutions are providing leadership through example in this domain.

Career development centres. The experience of many higher education

institutions, as expressed by project participants, is that students visit career development

 43

centres too late in their program of studies. Project participants shared examples of higher

education institutions strategically embedding career development supports throughout

the student learning experience.

Indigenous employment. Quality learning, teaching and employment outcomes of

indigenous students were key concerns of project participants. A salient theme was that

heightened employability of indigenous graduates can only be realized when community

stakeholders authentically work collaboratively to build initiatives.

Commercial employment enterprises. Project participants stated that for-profit and

fee-for-service career supports can support institutions and/or individual graduates to

heighten employability outcomes.

Government. According to project participants, government departments and

agencies are significant employers of Australian graduates. Project participants

articulated the importance of preparing students for recruitment and application processes

unique to government positions.

Emerging careers. Project participants observed new careers emerging from

technological innovation and change. They articulated the importance of preparing

students for careers that do not yet exist, or are not in their fully evolved form.

Generalist disciplines. Project participants stated that generalist disciplines lead to

a broad range of graduate career options. They expressed a belief that generalist

disciplines are a viable option for students/graduates.

Graduate attributes. Project participants stated that graduate attributes are an

important domain of the student learning experience, as employability appears to be

 44

advanced through a balanced developmental focus on attributes, knowledge, skills and

communicated identity.

In general, Kinash emphasizes the development of strategies to deliver superior

graduate outcomes with a focus on globally relevant careers. Specifically, he enumerates

8 ways to enhance the chances of graduate employment through a collaborative effort

between relative stakeholders. These main points are further explained below.

Support increased opportunities for student work experience, placements and

internships.The number one graduate employability strategy-set emerging from education

research is work experience, placements and internships. Teacher networks provide the

top means of identifying and securing these opportunities for students. Use your

discipline/ industry connections to build partnership opportunities for students. Stay in

close contact with the Career Development Centre and make introductions. Suggest

opportunities to students and recommend students to industry contacts. Maintain a

flexible, personalized curriculum and program offering, such that students who optimize

their education experience through work experience, placement and internship

opportunities are not disadvantaged by missing required subjects or sequences. Take a

co-curricular approach, whereby you explicitly direct students to draw-upon their work

experiences to prepare assessment, graduate portfolios and other core learning

experiences.

Explicitly articulate the relevant graduate employability skills in the learning

outcomes for every subject. Every subject has a role to play in graduate employability.

Deeply consider how this subject aligns with graduate employability and discourse with

students at the introduction and throughout every semester. Ensure that at least one of the
 45

learning outcomes for every subject explicitly links to “graduate employability” helping

students to put the puzzle pieces together for enhanced graduate outcomes.

Design authentic assessment activities, aligned with industry practices, standards

and approaches. In designing assessment process and mode are equivalent to those

currently being used in graduate destinations. For example, if most of your assessment

items are paper-based multiple-choice exams, it is important to ask yourself whether

employees in industries where your graduates are commonly employed typically work

off-line and are required to recall fact-based information on a regular basis. If your

assessment expects students to write a series of long, referenced research essays, it is

important to ask whether the emphasis on this skill is adequately developing their

possible industry-based skills such as creating press releases and short social media posts.

While essays can be an essential academic skill to prepare some students for future post-

graduate work. Know the typical, common and/or range of destinations of your graduates.

Analyze what types of work these graduates do and align your assessment appropriately.

Know your disciplines’ career options and outcomes and be explicit about career

pathways. When choosing a degree pathway, students and parents want to know about

career upshots, graduate pathways and success stories. It is important to stay in contact

with graduates in order to inform yourself and your future students. However, this

information is not only relevant to prospective or future students on a marketing basis,

but to current students. It is important to align lessons and assessment with industry

trends and practices. Know what is happening in the field to alleviate the transition and

properly prepare students for these outcomes. Employment is constantly changing and
 46

new opportunities rising. In order to adjust curriculum and learning experiences

accordingly, it is vital to stay connected to industry.

Make the learning experience about knowledge, skills and attributes. Before the

printing press and then the proliferation of information via the internet. It was applicable

that teachers read and lectured long passages. They had the information and the students

did not. The capable measures of passing on that knowledge was through verbal report to

large groups of students. Now the students have access to most if not all of the necessary

information through books, the web, video recordings and countless other sources.

Employers are vocal about the destructive nature of teachers who have continued

teaching through long lectures followed by recall exams. Employers state that graduates

are arriving with university HDs but limited technical skill and soft skill such as that

showed by professionally taking and adjusting to feedback, working in a legitimate team

and appropriately interacting socially. A university purposely uses the term learning

outcomes to refer to what students will be able to demonstrate and do upon subject and

then overall program completion. It is important that teachers know what graduates will

need to be able to do and then design learning experiences such that these skills are

developed through the program of studies.

Invite employers to engage. Throughout the research project on graduate

employability, employers said that they want to engage with universities in order to

acquire quality employees. There are numerous ways in which you can involve

employers, such as invite employers as guest speakers or panelists, review your

curriculum and assessment with employers and ask for their feedbacks, ask employers to
 47

grade or rank or evaluate or provide feedback on submitted assessment, and develop case

studies with employers and use these as learning materials with the students.

There is strong support for industries to play a bigger role in improving the

employability of graduates,both within or outside the formal curriculum structure.

Linkages between universities and industriesoffering work-based projects and internships

can also help universities to acquire valuable informationto update their curricula, and

students to gain practical work experience. Employers need to facilitate on-the-job

training, particularly for specific skills or new applications and technologies.

Invite graduates to engage. Likewise, request for the graduates to come on-

campus and/or online and share their experiences with the current students. In addition to

the engagement ideas as shared with respect to employers, consider also inviting a panel

of graduates to address and answer questions from the students. Here are some questions

that can be posed to graduates like what are you doing now? What is your advice for

current students? About their studies? About their approach to pursuing employment?

About what they should be doing as students to ensure they are employable? What do

you wish you would have known as a student that you know now as a graduate? How do

you see your industry changing or evolving? What can students do to prepare? What

knowledge, skills and attributes are key to your career?

Explicitly teach students how to be employable. Have discussions with students

about employability at the beginning, middle and end of the semester. There are the

specific employability recommendations that emerged for students for instance start early,

participate in work experience, placements and internships, join in extra-curricular and

 48

co-curricular activities (e.g. student societies, clubs and competitive sport), and get to

know your professors and your career development centre personnel.

Related Studies

(Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Asia: Changing supply,

demand, and mismatches) Graduate unemployment in the Philippines has largely been

attributed to a structural or skills mismatch. This mismatch occurs because the jobseekers,

in general, are not seen by employers as having the necessary skills for employment

(McQuaid, 2006). One area of this mismatch lies in the inadequacy of the general skills

and knowledge among new entrants to the labor force. These new graduates are perceived

to lack the requisite level and quality of communication, technical and job-specific skills

needed in the workplace. Another mismatch can be found in the disparity between the

type of graduates or trainees produced and the type of jobs available. Thus, we have

thousands of customer service jobs in the booming call center and BPO industries being

filled by graduates who have been trained to be nurses, teachers and other professions.

The Philippines also has an oversupply of business graduates, as demonstrated by

the 22 percent who had business degrees in 2004, many of whom ended up being

unemployed (Ramota, 2005). This current study reveals another closely related mismatch

of perceptions between the assessments of the graduates about their own employability

versus the assessment of the employers. Graduates from this sample tended to rate

themselves highly with regard to their employability attributes. They appraised the

training they received from their HEIs positively. This, however, did not coincide with

the assessments from the employers. In the face of work insecurity and unemployment,

employability is increasingly seen as necessary for individuals to ensure continuous

 49

lifetime employment (Hillage and Pollard, 1998). This study confirms that employability,

graduate employability in particular, is a function of a range of individual characteristics.

Individual-level supply-side factors often associated with labor market outcomes are

shown to be important. Some of these employability attributes cited in this study include

key transferable skills such as adaptability, intellectual skills, teamwork and basic

interpersonal skills and their usefulness to the graduates in their jobs. The employed

respondents who mentioned the relevance of their courses to their jobs underscored the

importance of academic qualifications and job-specific skills to be successful in their jobs.

Both unemployed and employed graduates in the sample have expressed their desire to

get jobs that are pertinent to their chosen fields. Job-seeking strategies such as the use of

the internet, walkin interviews and attendance at job fairs demonstrate the respondents’

use of both formal and informal search methods. It appears that employed graduates tend

to attended job fairs more frequently than those who were unemployed. This suggests that

certain job-seeking strategies may be more effective in finding employment. It is also

interesting to note the greater weight given to starting salary by the unemployed

graduates in the sample (relative to the employed graduates) when choosing a job. This

supports a suggestion that wage flexibility may be important to an individuals’

employability (e.g., Aberg, 2001).

Aside from the individual factors, external demands are equally important. Many

respondents cited the lack of job opportunities as the main factor for their unemployed

status. Labor market conditions, recruitment and selection procedures, and preferences of

the employers have to be taken into account too. Thus, the premium placed by employers

on communication skills will impact the employability of the graduate. The results of the
 50

survey in this report, however, showed that communication skills were not rated highly

by both the graduates and employers alike. On the other hand, mechanisms for matching

labor demand and supply – such as providing accessibility to public services and job-

matching technologies (e.g., job fairs, career or job placement services), and

implementing measures to ease the school-work transition (e.g., linkages between

academe and industry/employers) – are perceived to be more beneficial. A broad

understanding of employability taking into account individual factors and the contextual

factors is a useful approach particularly when the data and sample size are small.

This provides a framework for developing policies to address the unemployment

of graduates. Based on the findings from this study, there are recommendations that

needs to be considered. CHED should conduct regular studies to analyze the

employment/unemployment of new graduates and provide up-to-date information that

will assist policy makers to address graduate unemployment.Minimum standards for

graduate tracer studies should be established, with such studies being regularly conducted

by all HEIs and collated for sharing. More programs involving apprenticeship,

entrepreneurship training, internships and on-the-job training should be institutionalized

in academic programs, particularly for poor and marginalized young people. These

programs should help to ease the transition from school to workplace. Higher learning

institutions need to nurture the development and integration of generic skills, such as

communication and other soft skills, into subjects, courses and programs to make

graduates more employable. Employment or job placement services, career

guidance/counselling and labor market information especially on less popular careers

should be provided by all HEIs to prepare students for work after graduation. Career
 51

management skills can be integrated into university courses starting from Year 1 to be

reinforced by constant input and feedback from faculties, industry and students.

Longitudinal tracking of cohorts can be done to assess how beneficial these programs are

with respect to the development of the necessary attributes for graduate employability

and employment outcomes. Continuing university-based career support to recent

graduates should be considered especially since students tend not to think about their

future careers until graduation and therefore have a poor idea of what to expect from life

beyond the university (Perrone and Vickers, 2003). Academe-employer partnerships

should expand beyond the industry sector and include those not traditionally sought by

graduates such as NGOs, non-profit groups and other private sector organizations. Web-

based career guidance portals can be established to facilitate collaboration among the

students, new graduates, career counsellors and employers, and should include links to

different career guidance tools and manuals, and labor demand/supply statistical reports.

Appropriate and updated labor market information should be provided to bridge the

information gap between HEIs and employers, and between people looking for work and

employers. To increase the availability of labor demand statistics, publication of annual

reports that indicate current labor demand by job sector/classification and scenarios for

the next few years should be produced.

(Employability of Philippine College and University Graduates in the United

States)Limited economic opportunity for many Filipinos has created substantial

emigration of the country’s educated work force. The economic opportunities in the

United States have attracted Philippine immigrants seeking employment opportunities.

Thus, the U.S. now has a substantial foreign-born Filipino population. Although the
 52

majority of Philippine immigrants to the U.S. possess bachelor’s degrees or advanced

degrees (Allard & Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011; Camarota, 2012; Commission on

Filipinos Overseas, 2012), many are underemployed or work in fields relatively unrelated

to their education and experience.English language proficiency, immigration status, age,

and gender, factors which influence and determine Philippine graduates’ employability in

the U.S. labor market. The Triangulation Mixed Methods Design also known as the

Concurrent Triangulation Design was employed to effectively measure the complex

phenomenon of Philippine graduates’ employability by integrating quantitative and

qualitative data sets. The null hypotheses for this thesis were rejected exclusive of age

and gender differences. Data revealed employability was enhanced when Philippine

graduates networked with Weak Ties during initial employment and continued to be

advantageous for being adequately employed (i.e. resulted in lower underemployment).

However, lower employability and underemployment negatively affected graduates with

a bachelor’s degree (particularly a business-related degree), those who were less

proficient in English, and those who were Green Card holders. The factors that were

influential in the employability of Philippine graduates coincided with the labor market

demands of the American employers sampled in this study. The thesis found that the

current status of Philippine graduates has improved substantially with a higher percentage

of the respondents obtaining jobs commensurate with their educational qualifications as

opposed to their initial employment. The findings of this thesis provide insight into the

employability of Philippine graduates because of the sampling restrictions, the findings

cannot be extrapolated beyond the scope of this research. These results should only be
 53

treated as indicative within the context of this research. However, they provide useful

insights for policy-makers, stakeholders and academics in the Philippines.

(Employment and employability profile of a select group of Filipino College

Graduates) Graduates are exhorted to develop personal skills, qualities, and experiences

that enable them to compete in the labor market (Moreau &Leathwood, 2006; McQuid&

Lindsay, 2005). This graduate tracer study creates an empirical portrait that describes the

employment aspects of the graduates of a comprehensive university in the Philippines

during the years 2001-2004 to identify policy imperatives for greater relevance of higher

education curricula to industry needs and expectations. A sample of 540 randomly

selected graduates representing various disciplines participated in this study. Data were

gathered through a survey instrument developed by a pool of experts identified by the

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in the Philippines. Data were treated in-depth

through descriptive and inferential statistics. Graduates of the institution under study

pursue advanced studies and other work-related training. The impressive employability

profile of comprehensive university graduates to middle level management positions

particularly those representing the social behavioral sciences, natural sciences, medical

fields, engineering and technology and mass communication is brought about not by the

academic honors of the graduates but through capabilities such as knowledge, skills and

attitudes used in work places.

(Graduates Employability: A Tracer Study for Bachelor of Science in Hotel

and Restaurant Management) Professional subjects are relevant for job placement and

the faculty member’s communication and mastery skills proved the most important in

terms of school related factors in terms of faculty and instruction. All school related
 54

factors to the job placement of Hotel and Restaurant Management graduates were deemed

to be relevant. The employment rate of Hotel a Restaurant Management from 2005 –

2009 of LPU is considered employable and this study aimed to propose a program that

would enhance the future employment ratings of its graduates. In this way, the College of

International Tourism and Hospitality Management must strengthen their services and

focus on quality instruction with the support of research and community extension.

The CITHM may regularly update once a year the status of their graduates and

ask for possible curriculum enhancement programs they could offer at the College. The

CITHM faculty may encourage the students to be more motivated to work hard and

persevere in whatever task and project assigned to them to develop their sense of

responsibility and leadership. Their competencies may be further strengthened through

exposure to various competitions and other related training and seminars. Further

students should be encouraged continue to participate in the English Proficiency

Programs to further enhance their oral and written communication skills. Work skills and

values of the HRM students must be further emphasized in the application of the

outcomes based curriculum. Faculty Members teaching General Education and

Professional Subjects may be encouraged to continue to update and enhance teaching

skills through various re training programs facilitated by the university. The CITHM

must continue to tap linkages that will bring possible employment opportunities for its

graduates.
 55

Conceptual Framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

- Review of related - Evaluation using - Evaluated

literature, theories specified survey Graduate's

and studies on the questionnaire Employability and

employability and Productivity.

productivity of - Analyze, interpret

graduates. the data. - Proposed

recommendations

- CHED Memoranda - Process the data for the program

and Circulars using regression enrichment.

models.
- BSU Code, Faculty

Manual and student

handbook
 56

Figure 1. The conceptual paradigm of the study

CHAPTER III

METHODS OF RESEARCH

In this chapter, we discuss the methods and techniques used in the duration of the

study that the researchers found beneficial in an attempt to collect unprejudiced data for

establishing sound conclusions and reasonable recommendations.

Methods and Techniques of the Study

Descriptive research is a method that is employed to describe the characteristics

of a population or phenomenon that is being studied. It provides a scientific basis to

create accurate and precise technical assessments. In this method, the features and

qualities of the sample being considered are classified into several groups also known as

descriptive categories. The description is used for frequencies, averages and other

statistical calculations. As a result, relationships between and among variables associated

with the occurrences are identified and established.

The main purpose of descriptive research is to describe, explain and validate

findings. Description arises following creative exploration, and serves to organize the

findings in order to fit them with explanations, and then test or validate those

explanations (Krathwoll, 1993). Many research studies call for the description of natural
 57

or man-made phenomena such as their form, structure, activity, change over time,

relation to other phenomena, and so on. The description often illuminates knowledge that

we might not otherwise notice or even encounter.Descriptive research also involves

gathering data that describe events and then organizes, tabulates, depicts, and describes

the data collection (Glass & Hopkins, 1984). It often uses visual aids such as graphs and

charts to aid the reader in understanding the data distribution. Because the human mind

cannot extract the full import of a large mass of raw data, descriptive statistics are very

important in reducing the data to manageable form. When in-depth, narrative descriptions

of small numbers of cases are involved, the research uses description as a tool to organize

data into patterns that emerge during analysis. Those patterns aid the mind in

comprehending a qualitative study and its implications.

However, descriptive research also has its own limitations. Descriptive research

cannot describe what caused a situation. Thus, descriptive research cannot be used to as

the basis of a causal relationship, where one variable affects another. In other words,

descriptive research can be said to have a low requirement for internal

validity.Descriptive research is mainly done when a researcher wants to gain a better

understanding of a topic. That is, analysis of the past as opposed to the future. Descriptive

research is the exploration of the existing certain phenomena. The details of the facts

won't be known. The existing phenomena’s facts are not known to the person.

In this study, the researchers recognize the importance of the descriptive method

to fully understand the subject topic. Specifically, the technique is used to describe the

graduates’ characteristics in terms of personal profile, employability, productivity and

perception of the engineering program throughout their stay with the university. Survey
 58

questionnaires were given to a random number of graduates to be filled out accordingly.

Population and Sample of the Study/ Respondents of the Study

This study includes Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Bachelor of

Science in Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, and

Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering graduates from 2013 to 2015. There

were 558 respondents, composed of 246 Civil Engineers, 177 Mechanical Engineers, 99

Industrial Engineers, 36 Manufacturing Engineers. Specifically, fifty percent of the total

graduate population from 2013-2015 were subjected to survey questions with reference to

employability and productivity.

Table 1

Respondents of the study

Course Batch Total Percentage

2013 2014 2015 Population

Bachelor of Science

in Civil Engineering 80 81 85 246 50%

Bachelor of Science

in Mechanical 52 57 68 177 50%

Engineering
 59

Bachelor of Science

in Industrial 29 32 38 99 50%

Engineering

Bachelor of Science

in Manufacturing 9 12 15 36 50%

Engineering

Research Instruments

Various research instruments were used in gathering data for the completion of

this study. Particularly, questionnaires that were thoroughly organized and selected with

the assistance of Dr. Cecilia Geronimo were given to rand survey respondents.

Unstructured personal interviews, casual interviews conducted through phone calls,

phone messages, e-mail and social media networks and observation of research-based

materials such as other documented materials were also use to support the data collected

through the questionnaires.

Graduates’ addressees, e-mail and social accounts were commissioned through

documents verified and approved by the registrar office. Also, copies of yearbooks from

2013 to 2015 of the College of Engineering from the Alumni office were secured to

provide much needed information about the respondents’ whereabouts. This information

was used to analyze a specific technique to access the graduates in a manner that is well

suited for both parties.

 60

Survey questionnaires were employed to evaluate the respondents’ personal

profile, employability and productivity status. It was designed to source valuable

information from the graduates that would help to properly describe their present

condition. Among the questions included were about the respondents’ personal profile

(name, age, sex, civil status), course, year graduated, and current employment

information. Moreover, graduates were asked to provide their perception on certain

concerning their respective course programs.

The researchers also performed unstructured personal interviews as a means of

collecting raw data and information about the subjects as supporting elements. These

interviews were done in an effort of increasing the accuracy and reliability of the survey

results and possibly obtaining information that were not found in the questionnaires.

Several meetings were done in places agreed on as convenient to both the researchers and

the respondents. Thereafter, an informal interview is conducted with questions from the

survey questionnaires.

As much as possible, the researchers tried to maintain a physical meeting with the

respondents for the latter to answer the survey questions in their presence. However,

inevitable and unfortunate reasons for instance, long distance issues and schedule

conflicts, limit this methodology. In such cases, casual interviews through phone calls,

text messages, e-mail, and social networking were utilized. Graduates were notified in

document file will be sent containing the questionnaire to be answered by the respondent

and sent back to the researchers after a certain period of time.

Data Gathering Procedure

 61

1. Goal Setting Approval and Initial Systematic Planning. Identifying the

specific objectives including the scope and focus. Analyzing the whole

research study, its nature, importance and concerns. Selection and choice of

the group to accept the research base on the compatibility to the researchers,

availability of the instruments, facilities, or any medium to be used, feasibility

of the study at any given time.

2. Preparation of the Research Study. Gathering information and formulating

written documents that will serve as a guide to the study. Further study and

analysis of the research

3. Consultations and Acceptance of Suggestions.

4. Gathering of Research Instruments.

5. Inspection and organization of the survey questionnaire. Copies of yearbooks

of the College of Engineering from 2013 to 2015. Directory of candidates for

graduation from the registrar’s office. Dissemination of information to all

parties concerned

6. Research Implementation. Dissemination of the questionnaires. Unstructured

personal interviews

7. Data Analysis

8. Research Findings

9. Final Analysis and Interpretation of the Study

10. Preparation for Research Defense. Preparation of documents and presentations.

Exchange of views and strategies to present research effectively

11. Final Report, Research Defense, and Presentation of Study

 62

Data Processing and Statistical Treatment

The data gathered from using the research instruments employed were then

organized, classified and tabulated. This information is processed to provide a

relationship comparison between the several factors such as the personal profile of

graduates, employability and productivity status and developments in their course

programs as bases for the College of Engineering curriculum enhancement. The data is

treated by the use of percentages, weighted mean and rank order.

Mean and Expected Value.In probability and statistics, mean and expected value are

used synonymously to refer to one measure of the central tendency either of a probability

distribution or of the random variable characterized by that distribution. For a data set,

the terms arithmetic mean, mathematical expectation, and sometimes average are used

synonymously to refer to a central value of a discrete set of numbers: specifically, the

sum of the values divided by the number of values. The arithmetic mean of a set of

numbers x1, x2, ..., xn is typically denoted by x, pronounced "x bar". If the data set were

based on a series of observations obtained by sampling from a statistical population, the

arithmetic mean is termed the sample mean (denoted x) to distinguish it from the

population mean (denoted μ or μx).For a finite population, the population mean of a

property is equal to the arithmetic mean of the given property while considering every

member of the population. For example, the population mean height is equal to the sum

of the heights of every individual divided by the total number of individuals. The sample

mean may differ from the population mean, especially for small samples. The law of

large numbers dictates that the larger the size of the sample, the more likely it is that the

sample mean will be close to the population.

 63

Frequency. A frequency distribution is a table that displays the frequency of

various outcomes in a sample. Each entry in the table contains the frequency or count of

the occurrences of values within a particular group or interval, and in this way, the table

summarizes the distribution of values in the sample. In the succeeding chapter,

frequencies are converted to percentage forms to provide a straightforward comparison of

the different factors involved. Frequency distribution is equal to the number of times each

value of a variable occurs in a set of observations.

 64

Chapter IV

Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data

In this study, the researchers employed several statistical techniques to obtain

results about the relationship of the College of Engineering graduates’ personal profile,

employability and productivity. This chapter presents this information in a tabulated form

for a better understanding of the subject matter. Also, an analysis and interpretation were

made by the researchers after the succeeding tables. The data produced in this section

would later help us in providing firm conclusions and recommendations for the

development of the engineering courses’ programs.

Table 1

Respondents Profile in Terms of Age Frequency

Age BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

(%)

20-21 63 32 26 10 23.47

22-23 96 72 36 14 39.07

24-25 82 64 33 12 34.23
 65

26-27 3 8 4 0 2.69

28-above 2 1 0 0 0.54

Total 246 177 99 36 100

Table 1 shows the frequency of age of the 558 respondents. 131 respondents are

aged 20-21 years old. 218 graduates are at least 22-23 years old at the time of the study.

191 are 24-25 years old. 15 and 3 respondents fall among the 26-27 and 28-above age

brackets respectively.

Table 2

Respondents Profile in Terms of Civil Status Frequency

Civil Status BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

(%)

Single 211 163 89 32 88.53

Married 35 15 10 4 11.47

Total 246 177 99 36 100

Table 2 shows the frequency of civil status of the graduates. 494 of the

respondents are single at the time of the study. In contrast, 64 of the population are

already married.

Table 3

Respondents Profile in Terms of Sex Frequency

Sex BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

(%)
 66

Male 156 149 35 17 63.98

Female 90 28 64 19 36.02

Total 246 177 99 36 100

Table 3 shows the frequency of sex of the 558 respondents. 357 of the graduates

are male and 201 are female.

Table 4

Respondents Profile in Terms of Reason for Taking the Course

Reasons for BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

Taking the (%)

Course

Good Grades 6 2 1 0 1.61

in the Subject

Influence of 36 35 6 2 14.16

Parents and

Relatives

Prospect for 39 29 4 4 13.62

Immediate

Employment

Availability 4 3 2 1 1.79

of Chosen

Course
 67

Offering in

Chosen

Institution

Affordable 22 6 3 0 5.56

for the

Family

Opportunity 45 37 8 5 17.03

for

Employment

Abroad

Good Grades 6 3 3 1 2.33

in High

School

Peer 12 8 13 2 6.27

Influence

Status or 7 3 2 0 2.15

Prestige of

the

Profession

Prospect for 42 27 14 1 15.05

Career

Advancement

No Particular 20 19 42 19 17.92
 68

Choice or No

Better Idea

Persuaded by 7 5 1 1 2.51

Attended

Seminar/

Forum About

the Course

Total 246 177 99 36 100

Table 4 shows the frequency of the respondents’ reason for taking the course. 9

graduates listed good grades in the subject as the main reason for taking up the course. 79

graduates were influenced by parents or relatives. 76 saw the prospect of an immediate

employment. 10 of them seek the availability of their chosen course in the institution. 31

alumni chose their course because of its affordability for their families. 95 respondents

were aiming to be employed overseas. 13 had good grades in high school to take up

engineering. 35 were persuaded by friends to pursue their degrees. 13 graduates believed

in the prestige of the profession. 84 were moving to advance their careers upon

enrollment to the college. 100 had no particular choice or better idea at the time of

choosing for a course in the university. 14 respondents attended a seminar or forum about

their courses and are later on persuaded to enroll.

Table 5

Respondents Profile in Terms of First Choice for College Degree

First Choice BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

 69

for College (%)

Degree

Yes 198 135 58 27 74.91

No 48 42 41 9 25.09

Total 246 177 99 36 100

Table 5 shows the frequency of the graduates’ response to the question “Is your

course your first choice for your college degree?”. 418 of the respondents had their

courses as their first choice for their college degrees while 140 of them said it is not.

Table 6

Respondents Profile in Terms of Passing the Licensure Examination

Passed Licensure BSCE BSME Frequency (%)

Examination

Yes 136 101 56.03

No 110 76 43.97

Total 246 177 100

Table 6 shows the frequency of the respondents who passed the licensure

examinations for their respective courses. Notice that Industrial Engineering and

Manufacturing Engineering graduates were exempted from this table. It is because of the

fact that these courses do not have state-sponsored licensure examinations. For Civil

Engineering and Mechanical Engineering graduates, 237 passed out of the 423 total

respondents while 186 graduates did not pass.

Table 7
 70

Respondents Profile in Terms of Present Employment

Present BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

Employment (%)

Employed 221 142 81 29 84.77

Unemployed 25 35 18 7 15.23

Total 246 177 99 36 100

Table 7 shows the frequency of the respondents’ present employment status.473

of the total graduates are presently employed. 85 are currently without employment.

Table 8

Respondents Profile in Terms of Reasons for Unemployment

Reasons for BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

Unemployment (%)

Health-related 0 0 3 0 3.53

Reasons

No Job 0 0 0 0 0

Opportunity

Family 0 0 0 0 0

Concerns and

Decided not to

Find a Job

Lack of Work 16 5 7 2 35.29

Experience
 71

Lack of Job- 9 30 8 5 61.18

related Skills

Did not Look 0 0 0 0 0

for a Job

Total 25 35 18 7 100

Table 8 shows the frequency of the respondents’ reasons for unemployment. 3

had a health-related problem before ending up unemployed. 30 graduates reported lack of

work experience as the reason they are without jobs. 52 are lacking job-related skills to

work on their preferred occupation. None of the respondents recorded did not look for a

job, doesn’t have job opportunities or having family concerns as a reason for

unemployment in this case.

Table 9

Respondents Profile in Terms of Present Employment Status

Present BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

Employment (%)

Status

Regular or 173 96 51 29 73.78

Permanent

Casual 17 29 11 0 12.05

Self- 5 2 2 0 1.90

employed

Temporary 0 0 0 0 0
 72

Contractual 26 15 17 0 12.26

Total 221 142 81 29 100

Table 9 shows the frequency of the present employment status of the respondents

who were employed at the time of the study. 349 of the graduates have regular or

permanent occupations. 57 are working casually at their fields. 9 of them were self-

employed. None of the respondents registered temporary employment. Lastly, 58 are

working on contractual terms.

Table 10

Respondents Profile in Terms of Place of work Frequency

Place of BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

Work (%)

Local 167 127 57 26 85.49

Abroad 46 8 9 1 14.51

Total 213 135 66 27 100

Table 10 shows the frequency of the graduates’ place of work. 377 respondents

are presently working in the Philippines. On the other hand, 64 have found employment

overseas.

Table 11

Respondents Profile in Terms of First Job After College

First Job BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

After (%)
 73

College

Yes 131 101 55 13 68.03

No 85 32 11 13 31.97

Total 216 133 66 26 100

Table 11 shows the frequency of the graduates’ response when asked if their work

was their first job after college. 300 of the respondents answered yes while 141 said no.

Table 12

Respondents Profile in Terms of Reasons for Changing the Job

Reasons for BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

Changing the (%)

Job

Inadequate 37 23 2 15 43.50

Salaries and

Benefits

Lack of Job- 9 3 5 0 9.60

related Skills

Career 1 2 0 1 2.26

Challenge

Poor 46 12 3 1 35.03

Relationship

with Co-

workers
 74

Distance of 12 3 2 0 9.60

Workplace

from

Residence

Total 105 43 12 17 100

Table 12 shows the frequency of the respondents’ reasons for changing their jobs.

77 of the graduates did not find their job financially rewarding to continue. 17 reasoned

the lack of job-related skills for changing employment. 4 were seeking for a career

challenge that were not presents from their past works. 62 reported having poor

relationship with people in their workplaces. Finally, 17 were unable to reconcile the

problem of the distance of their residences to their workplace.

Table 13

Respondents Profile in Terms of Length of Stay in First Job

Length of BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

Stay in First (%)

Job

Less Than a 0 1 1 1 1.68

Month

1 to 6 73 3 4 5 47.49

Months

7 to 11 24 40 2 6 40.22

Months
 75

1 Year to 7 2 3 0 6.70

Less Than 2

Years

2 Years to 3 3 1 0 3.91

Less Than 3

Years

Total 107 49 11 12 100

Table 13 shows the frequency of the respondents’ length of stay in their first jobs.

3 stayed for only less than a month before changing occupations. 85 graduates settled for

1 to 6 months after assuming position. 72 stayed for at least 7 to 11 months. 12 remained

for 1 year to less than 2 years and 7 waited 2 years to less than 3 years prior to looking

for other opportunities.

Table 14

Respondents Profile in Terms of Way to Find First Job

Way to Find BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

First Job (%)

Through 3 5 5 0 3.62

Advertisement

on Newspaper

Through 89 33 25 23 47.35

Online Job

Finding
 76

Websites

Recommended 4 1 0 0 1.39

by Someone

Job Fair 18 10 2 0 8.36

As Walk-in 17 39 13 1 20.65

Applicant

Information 1 0 0 0 0.28

from Friend’s

Office

Manpower 25 18 6 0 13.65

Agencies

Family 9 2 0 0 3.06

Business

Total 166 108 51 24 100

Table 14 shows the frequency of the graduates’ ways of finding their first job. 13

acquired their first jobs through advertisement on the newspaper. 170 respondents sought

the aid of online job finding websites. 5 landed work through the recommendation of

people they know. 30 succeeded in hunting their occupations on job fairs. 70 listed being

walk-in applicants as their way to find their first jobs. 1 had information from a friend’s

office to work there. 49 applied through manpower agencies en route to their present

occupations. Lastly, 11 did not have to look for a job because they have a family business

to employ them.

Table 15
 77

Respondents Profile in Terms of Length of Time Needed to Find First Job

Length of BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

Time (%)

Needed to

Find First

Job

Less Than a 31 36 13 1 18.37

Month

1 to 6 180 104 46 25 80.50

Months

7 to 11 3 2 0 0 1.13

Months

1 Year to 0 0 0 0 0

Less Than 2

Years

2 years to 0 0 0 0 0

Less Than 3

Years

Total 214 142 59 26 100

Table 15 shows the frequency of the respondents’ answer when asked “How long

did it take to get your first job?”. 81 graduates only needed less than a month to land

employment. 355 respondents found work after 1 to 6 months while 5 obtained their jobs
 78

after 7 to 11 months. No employment took 1 year to less than 2 years or 2 years to less

than 3 years to be attained.

Table 16

Respondents Profile in Terms of Initial Gross Salary in First Job

Initial Gross BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

Salary in (%)

First Job

(Per Month)

Below Php 7 9 3 6 5.67

10, 000

Php 10, 001 37 13 54 13 26.53

to Less

Than Php

15, 000

Php 15, 001 138 97 6 4 55.56

to Less

Than Php

20, 000

Php 20, 001 26 14 2 1 9.75

 79

to Less

Than Php

25, 000

Php 25, 001 8 2 1 0 2.49

and Above

Total 216 135 66 24 100

Table 16 shows the frequency of the respondents’ initial gross salary per month.

25 graduates are earning Php 10, 000 and below. 117 had salaries of Php 10, 001 to less

than Php 15, 000. 245 respondents are receiving Php 15, 001 to less than Php 20, 000 for

rendering their services. 43 are producing Php 20, 001 to less than Php 25, 000 of profit

per month on their jobs. Last of all, 11 are earning Php 25, 001 and above.

Table 17

Respondents Profile in Terms of Relation of First Job to Course

Relation of BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

First Job to (%)

Course

Related 219 132 51 25 96.83

Unrelated 2 3 7 2 3.17

Total 221 135 58 27 100

Table 17 shows the frequency of the graduates’ response when asked the question

“Is your job related to your course in college?”. 427 agreed that their work is related to
 80

their finished degrees while 14 believed that there was no significant relation between

their jobs and their courses.

Table 18

Respondents Profile in Terms of Subjects Relevant on First Job

Subjects BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

Relevant on First (%)

Job

Oral 6 2 22 0 7.03

Communications

AutoCAD 90 3 1 0 22.01

Mathematics 17 1 1 0 4.45

Thermodynamics 0 39 0 0 9.13

Kinematics 0 12 0 3 3.51

Engineering 0 0 11 0 2.58

Entrepreneurship

Written 41 9 2 0 12.18

Communication

Engineering 0 0 4 0 0.94

Statistics

Computer 0 1 5 17 5.39

Integrated

Manufacturing
 81

Engineering 0 10 2 4 3.75

Design Graphics

Machine Design 0 34 1 0 8.20

Others 80 7 2 0 20.84

Total 234 118 29 24 100

Table 18 shows the frequency of the respondents’ subjects that were relevant on

their first jobs. 30 graduates listed oral communications as a subject of great significance

on their current work. 94 acknowledged the importance of AutoCAD in their first jobs.

19must have needed the concepts of Mathematics on solving daily problems at their

fields. 39 applied the laws of Thermodynamics to their convenience at their respective

occupations. 15 of the respondents utilized Kinematics on a regular basis. 11 are using

what they learned from Engineering Entrepreneurship at their present employment. 52

realized written communication as a relevant subject on their first jobs. 4 recorded

Engineering Statistics to be important on their workplace. 23 of the graduates used

computer integrated manufacturing. 16 are relying on Engineering Design Graphics to

make their works easier and 35 are directing Machine Design. 89 of the total population

listed other engineering principles and disciplines such as structural and reinforced

concrete design, estimate, hydraulics and project management as primarily useful in their

present field of works.

Table 19

Respondents Profile in Terms of Skills Relevant on First job

Skills Relevant BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

 82

on First Job

Communication 13 2 34 1 10.99

Skills

Information 10 3 0 0 2.86

Technology

Skills

Human 21 5 32 2 13.19

Relation Skills

Problem 14 11 0 5 6.59

Solving Skills

Entrepreneurial 0 0 9 1 2.20

Skills

Critical 18 12 0 3 7.25

Thinking Skills

Leadership 26 4 2 0 7.03

Skills

Strong Time 2 1 0 0 0.66

Management

Skills

Planning Skills 41 1 0 0 9.23

Estimating 14 0 0 0 3.08

Skills

Programming 0 0 0 1 0.22
 83

Skills

Designing 22 72 0 0 20.66

Skills

Blueprint 12 0 0 0 2.64

Reading

Technical 14 36 0 11 13.41

Competency

Total 207 147 77 24 100

Table 19 shows the frequency of the respondents’ skills that are relevant on their

first jobs. 50 graduates equip themselves with communication skills to excel on their

chosen work. 13 utilize their information technology skills to continue on their respective

field. 60 are depending on their human relation skills. 30 are natural problem solvers. 10

are employing their entrepreneurial skills. 33 find their critical thinking skills to be

relatively useful on their present jobs. 32 assumed that leadership skills are needed to

function effectively on their first jobs. 3 of the respondents believe on the sense of strong

time management. 42 are relying on their planning skills to complete assigned projects.

14 identified precise and accurate estimating skills to be helpful on finishing their tasks. 1

also recorded programming skills. 94 graduates put their designing skills into use on a

daily basis to fulfill their engineering duties. 12 are mastering how to read blueprints.

Last but not the least, 61 respondents recognized technical competency to be their

principal arsenal to remain on their line of work.

Table 20

Respondents Profile in Terms of Help/ Assistance of School to Find First Job

 84

School Help BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

to Find First (%)

Job

Yes 8 8 2 3 4.76

No 205 124 62 29 95.24

Total 213 132 64 32 100

Table 20 shows the frequency of the respondents’ answers when they were asked

“Did the school help you to find your first job after graduation?”. 21 got much needed

assistance from the university to land employment. Alternately, 420 supposed they

received no aid from the school in finding their first job.

Table 21

Respondents Profile in Terms of Sufficiency of On-the-job Training Duration to

Familiarize on First Job

Sufficiency BSCE BSME BSIE BSMFE Frequency

of On-the- (%)

job Training

Duration to

Familiarize

in First Job

Enough 199 121 56 3 85.94

Not Enough 14 17 5 26 14.06

Total 213 138 61 29 100

 85

Table 21 shows the frequency of the graduates’ response when they were asked

“Do you think the On-the-job Training duration is enough to equip/ familiarize you in

your first job?”. 379 of the respondents believed that the duration was enough while the

remaining 62 had other matters in mind at the time of the survey.

Table 22

Respondents Profile in Terms of Measure to Improve Employability and

Productivity

Measures to 5 4 3 2 1 MEAN
Improve (STRONG (AGREE) (MODERAT (DISAGR (STRONG
Employability LY ELY EE) LY
and AGREE) AGREE) DISAGRE
Productivity E)
School 188 – 109 – 223 – 38 – 0 3.8
Physical 33.692% 19.534% 39.964% 6.810%
improvement
plan
Provide 246 – 196 – 116 – 0 0 4.23
adequate 44.086% 35.125% 20.789%
physical and
laboratory
facilities
Attendance to 220 – 247 – 81 – 10 – 0 4.21
job fair, pre- 39.427% 44.265% 14.516% 1.792%
employment
seminar.
Proficiency in 278 – 186 – 94 – 0 0 4.33
the utilization 49.821% 33.333% 16.846%
of application
software/
 86

program.
Increase the 185 – 137 – 175 – 61 – 0 3.8
number of 33.154% 24.552% 31.362% 10.932%
hours required
for the On-
the-Job
Training
program.
Institutionaliz 214 – 212 – 132 – 0 0 4.15
e the 38.351% 37.993% 23.656%
partnership
with
cooperating
industries for
the On-the-
Job Training.
Increase the 135 – 195 – 228 – 0 0 3.83
volume of 24.194% 34.946% 40.860%
library
holdings and
access to e-
journals.
Provide 293 – 233 – 32 – 5.735% 0 0 4.47
intervention 52.509% 41.756%
program to
increase the
preparation on
taking and
passing the
licensure
examination.
Develop the 85 – 144 – 244 – 85 – 0 3.41
attitude/ 15.233% 25.806% 43.728% 15.233%
values of
students
through
attendance to
seminars,
trainings and
conferences.
Enhance 153 – 221 – 184 – 0 0 3.94
faculty 27.419% 39.606% 32.975%
methods and
strategies in
teaching
 87

Strict 129 – 153 – 223 – 53 – 0 3.63

implementatio 23.118% 27.419% 39.964% 9.498%
n of school
policies
Strict 209 – 194 – 155 – 0 0 4.1
monitoring of 37.455% 34.767% 27.778%
the subject
requirements
Adopt an 234 – 175 – 149 – 0 0 4.15
enriched 41.935% 31.362% 26.703%
grading
system
Further revise 170 – 201 – 80 – 107 – 0 3.78
the curriculum 30.466% 36.022% 14.337% 19.176%
program to
adapt with the
current trends.
Table 22 shows the respondents’ answers when asked the question “Here are some

possible measures that the university will be undertaking to improve the employability

and productivity of graduates. From 5-Strongly agree, 4-Agree, 3- Moderately Agree, 2-

Disagree, 1-Strongly Disagree. What are your perceptions about the following items?”. In

school physical improvement plan, 188 strongly agreed, 109 agreed, 223 moderately

agreed and 38 disagreed. In the item “provide adequate physical and laboratory facilities”,

246 strongly agreed, 196 agreed and 116 moderately agreed. For attending job fair and

pre-employment seminars, 220 strongly agreed, 247 agreed, 81 moderately agreed, and

10 disagreed. For proficiency in the utilization of application software/ program. 278

strongly agreed, 186 agreed and 94 moderately agreed. On the increase in the number of

hours required for the on-the-job training program, 185 strongly agreed, 137 agreed, 175

moderately agreed and 61 disagreed. 214 respondents on the item “institutionalize the

partnership with cooperating industries for the on-the-job training” strongly agreed while

212 of them agreed and 132 moderately agreed. For increasing the volume of library
 88

holdings and access to e-journals, 135 strongly agreed, 195 agreed, and 228 moderately

agreed. On the school’s intervention program to increase the preparation on taking and

passing the licensure examination, 293 strongly agreed, 233 agreed and 32 moderately

agreed. The respondents were divided on the item “develop the attitude/ values of

students through attendance to seminars, trainings and conferences”. 85 of them strongly

agreed, 144 agreed, 244 moderately agreed while 85 disagreed. In enhancing faculty

methods and strategies in teaching, 153 graduates strongly agreed, 221 agreed and 184

moderately agreed. On the strict implementation of school policies, 129 strongly agreed,

153 agreed, 223 moderately agreed and only 53 disagreed. For the strict monitoring of the

subject requirements, 209 strongly agreed, 194 agreed and 155 moderately agreed. On the

college’s adaptation of a new grading system, 234 strongly agreed, 175 agreed and 149

moderately disagreed. Finally, to further revision of the curriculum to adapt with current

trends, 170 strongly agreed, 201 agreed, 80 moderately agreed and 107 disagreed.
 89

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of Findings

The employability and productivity of graduates is an important standard that

every university must and always maintain. It should be clearly defined from the moment

a student assume enrollment to the time he receives his diploma that all the efforts

exerted at his stay with the academe will eventually lead to employment. From the

researchers’ standpoint, this study has succeeded in its purpose to evaluate the present

employability and productivity status of the College of Engineering graduates. Also, key

factors relating to an effective career in the engineering profession have been well

identified and asserted. A summary of this study’s significant findings will be specified

below.

Most students who enroll in the College of Engineering have indefinite reasons

for taking up the course. In Table 5 which shows the frequency of the respondents’

reasons for taking up the course, 18.46 % of the total respondents had no particular
 90

choice or no particular idea upon admission to the college. On a casual interview done by

the researchers with one of the graduates, the respondent added that “she ended up with

her course because she didn’t make her first choice’s quota and she had no other option

or else she would have to look for another university which she can’t afford”. Moreover,

18.21 % pursued their degrees with the strong influence of parents and relatives

interfering with their decisions. Also, 17.69 % were looking for employment

opportunities abroad and 16.15 % were depending on the prospect of immediate

employment. In contrast, only 10.77 % of the graduates had the intent of advancing their

careers on the engineering profession.

The general reasons for graduate unemployment are lack of work experience and

lack of job-related skills. Presently unemployed graduates which are job-related skills

deficient account for 58.82 % of the total 51 graduates who are without jobs. In addition,

39.22 % are lacking work experience, a major qualification most employers are

demanding for hiring applicant into employees. The other lone unemployed graduate had

a health-related problem, the only reason that seems acceptable for being unable to work

at the moment.

Majority of the graduates believe that they did not receive enough help from the

college to land their first job. 94.99 % of the total graduates who are employed at the time

of the study answered no when asked if the school provided much needed assistance to

get their first job after their stint with the university was finished. Only a marginal 5.01 %

or 17 out of the 339 respondents with jobs were given aid to employment after right after

graduation.
 91

On the average, graduates are earning between Php 15, 000 to Php 20, 000 of

salary per month. 49. 56 % of the respondents fall within this income bracket.

Furthermore, other graduates make close to Php 15, 000 to Php 20, 000 with 27.73 % and

12.09 % of the total employed receiving profits of Php 10, 000 to less than Php 15,000

and Php 20, 000 to less than Php 25, 000 respectively. Notably, 7. 37 % are still earning

Php 10, 000 and below, which is way under the national average salary for engineering

professionals.

Conclusions

The researchers made their conclusions on the results of the data gathered from

the findings generated by the responses to the survey questionnaires. Based on the study

findings, the researchers conclude that most graduates are generally productive with their

present jobs. An income of Php 15, 000 to Php 20, 000 per month is well within the

national average of Php 19, 500 per month for local engineers. This is an indication that

the College of Engineering has been effective in doing its job to produce quality

engineers worthy of receiving a decent salary.

Also, the researchers deduce that the college provided little to no assistance to the

majority of the graduates in finding their first job after graduation. The role of the

university in helping their students land employment must be clearly stated. It may be

argued that the school is not responsible anymore for these graduates after they leave the

university premises but the graduates hold with them the university’s name and prestige

wherever they go. This means that with the benefits the school is obtaining from

successful alumni also comes criticisms from unfortunate graduates. Therefore, what the
 92

college has provided to 5.01 % of the respondents of this tracer study must also be

received by the considerable 94.99 %.

Another significant finding unified the researchers into concluding that most

graduates that remain unemployed lack job-related skills and work experience, the very

factors that a greater part of employers look into hiring their applicants. These job-related

skills, which are also included in the questionnaire, are integral in continuing and

developing in the engineering profession. Most of these skills are usually a product of

direct instruction and must be provided through daily interactions between the professors

and the students within the classrooms. Even with other cases, it is the responsibility of

the school to ensure that the graduates they produce are well-equipped with these

attributes to thrive in whatever field they may choose. However, the lack of work

experience of most graduates is an aspect that cannot be directly identified with the

course programs. Such is a matter that cannot be taught or trained but is only earned with

time.

Finally, the researchers would like to point out a strong conclusion that most of

the reasons that persuade students to take up engineering degrees might have negative

implications in the future and possibly affect their employability and productivity

thereafter. The reasons are well far from the positive responses which are good grades in

the subject or prospects of career advancement. As it is widely known and perceived,

Engineering courses are one of the most challenging courses to take up in higher

education. Therefore, it would help a potential student to have the will to study the

profession and also the attributes to stay and finish the degree. While this study is not

final and absolute, it could be agreed upon that reasons such as prospects for employment
 93

opportunities abroad or no particular choice and no better idea are unmistakably vague

and ambiguous as reasons for taking up a prestigious course like Engineering.

Recommendations

The fundamental goal of this tracer study is to make a basis for the development

of the College of Engineering program. With this in mind, the researchers together with

their adviser, Engr. Cecile Geronimo, have included an item in the questionnaire that

would evaluate the graduates’ perception on different measures that the college may

undertake to improve the employability and productivity of its students. The following

recommendations are proposed with regards to the results and responses of the graduates

in the said item.

Provide intervention program to increase the preparation on taking and

passing the licensure examination. For most employers, the question if a prospective

applicant has passed the licensure examination is still relevant. Not only does it increase

the chances of employment, this factor also affects the salary the employee might receive.

The college must provide and design an effective intervention program on the preparation

of its graduates who will take the licensure examination. While it is astounding to have

somebody on the top ranks of any licensure examination, the welfare of all the examinees

from the college must not be taken for granted. Still, a 100 % overall passing rate is more

ideal than producing a topnotcher and having a subpar performance. The intervention

program may be in the forms of one-on-one tutorials, professional advices or constant

monitoring and must apply to all examinees, potential topnotchers or not.

 94

Proficiency in the utilization of application software/ program. Growing

trends and developments in technology have paved the way for engineering application

software or programs. These programs help most engineering professionals make their

work easier, accurate, and completed faster. With this regard, the school must develop its

curriculum in favor of these softwares and application. Although the existing program

require students to take up Autodesk’s AutoCAD, there are far many applications in use

today such as Primavera, Revit, SketchUp and StaAd. Proficiency in these softwares are a

huge edge in securing employment than those who are not or doesn’t know about the

programs. Moreover, it must be noted that the college should maintain a constant update

of the instructions for these applications. It would be convenient that a newer version be

used every year, as these programs constantly change interfaces and commands.

Provide adequate physical and laboratory facilities. If possible, the college

must provide and update the physical and laboratory facilities. In the actual field,

applications of engineering knowledge are more important than theories and principles.

Most of the equipment and machineries in the College of Engineering are if not obsolete,

is non-operational. This results in most subjects with laboratory requirements not

fulfilling its task or sometimes, not taught at all. There is a great difference between

seeing a technique in pictures or watching it in a video and actually and physically

performing it with your bare hands. Moreover, good facilities increase the technical

competency of graduates, leading to better employment opportunities.

Adopt an enriched grading system. In the researchers’ opinion, the current

grading systems are promoting a culture of bad habits and incompetence. While there are

instructors who are adopting better grading schemes, most professors are still sticking to
 95

giving higher percentage rates to midterm and final examinations. This method is not

completely flawed; however, students are driven into the concept that they will always

have a room for error which is not at all acceptable. The notion that should they fail in

their quizzes or other activities and will still pass the subject if they perform well in the

midterm and final examinations is absolutely absurd. Furthermore, students are inclined

towards procrastinating, a habit that does not benefit them even if they pass the

succeeding examination. The researchers recommend that the college implement a strict

averaging method, wherein all activities and examinations are coequal in weight. It is

also proposed that the “attendance” system be omitted from the grading system.

Instructors are well aware that some students only appear in class meetings to sign

attendance sheets, making a good 10 % or 20 % of their overall grade. In the process,

nothing is learned and accomplished.