Employers’ perception of employability skills among built-environment graduates

Abstract

Purpose Universities have become training centres or “academic hubs” where skilled labour for societal and global consumptions are continuously produced. More so, the quality of teaching (pedagogy) provided by universities is essential in enhancing the skills, expertise and competencies of students who are required to meet the needs of the construction industry after graduation. Hence, the purpose of this study is to assess employers’ level of satisfaction with the employability skills of built-environment graduates in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach was adopted for this study with close-ended questionnaires administered to respondents drawn from professionals in the Nigerian construction industry. Out of 150 questionnaires disseminated, 131 were completed and 126 were usable, signifying an 87% response rate. Data from this research were analysed using descriptive and exploratory factor analysis. Findings Employers are seemingly satisfied with the sound academic record of built-environment graduates. They also affirmed their contentment with graduates’ willingness to learn and the way they achieve tasks with positive results. However, they expressed their dissatisfaction with the graduates’ prior work experience, communication skills and technical competencies in handling industry tasks effectively. Research limitations/implications Data was collected from construction professions across two cities – Abuja and Lagos. Because of the limited budget allocated for this study, other regions were not considered. Because of time and financial implications, it was extremely impossible to visit all 36 states. It is, therefore, impossible to generalise the results of this research to the larger population. In generalising the results on a larger scale, the study would have to factor in a more diverse sample to ensure it is more representative. A more diverse sample may mitigate any possible bias that may arise from a self-administered questionnaire. Practical implications From the survey results obtained from the respondents, it was observed that general knowledge about local and global trends, management skills, teamwork skills, work experience, communication skills, critical thinking skills, numeracy skills and civic responsibility are among the major non-academic skills lacking among built-environment graduates. This places significant pressures on universities in Nigeria to revisit and revamp its curricula in developing these skills among students who require them to thrive in the construction industry. Originality/value Although the subject of employability has been adequately discussed across various fields (accountancy, psychology, management, business, marketing, etc.), there exist limited research studies in the built-environment context, a gap, which this study aims to fill. This study also provides several approaches through which employability skills can be developed.

Total Interpretive Structural Modelling of Graduate Employability Skills for the Built Environment Sector

“…Tholen et al [40] identified written and verbal communication, team working, positive attitude and commitment as key employability skills for real estate graduates. Aliu and Aigbavboa [10] identified technical and leadership skills, management and academic skills, work ethics and business skills, organisation and ethical skills, and industry knowledge as key drivers of graduate employability in the BE sector from the perspectives of employers.…”

“…Findings from the literature review, as shown in Table 1, show a consensus among a plethora of authors concerning 24 skills driving graduate employability. I. Analytical and problem-solving: the ability to engage in rational and reflective thinking, evaluate and synthesise ideas, and provide reasoned judgements to provide solutions to problems [10]. II.…”

“…Technical and academic skills: associated with knowledge of the task, hands-on ability, and in this context relates to core knowledge on a specific or general BE subject area. These are skills associated with core technical knowledge and proficiencies of a graduate in the BE sector and their ability to keep abreast of emerging concepts and technological changes and apply them when required [10,42]. V. Leadership: the ability for a graduate to possess qualities to manage people, take initiatives, and to be held in high esteem [4,10].…”

“…The CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey [9] revealed that more than three-quarters of businesses (77%) in the UK expect to have more job openings for graduates possessing employability skills as demanded by the workplace. The growth and contemporary changes and increased market competition in the construction industry has resulted in an increasing demand for HEIs to produce graduates with work-ready skills [10]. Therefore, HEIs appear to be making considerable efforts to ensure adequate preparation of their graduates for the workplace [11,12].…”

“…Others are strategically integrating employability skills development across the curriculum rather than in a piecemeal approach [9,13]. However, most of these pursuits appear to be much underdeveloped in Built Environment (BE) disciplines [10].…”