Enhancing the employability of IT graduates in Vietnam

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the employability of international branch campus (IBC) students and graduates in Malaysia, including their possession of transnational skills and knowledge, and the role of IBC educational characteristics in improving such employability. Design/methodology/approach A combination of employer interviews (n=21) and a survey of Malaysian students (n=246) enrolled at four IBCs are used in this study. Thematic and matrix analyses were applied to the interviews and multivariate analysis to the survey responses. Findings IBC graduates are well-equipped with the skills and attributes that employers find most important, in particular, soft skills and personal attributes. The development of these employability attributes is related to IBC educational characteristics and international exposure on campus – with important heterogeneity among IBCs and curricula. However, IBC education does not strongly improve the transnational human capital of Malaysian students and is only a partial substitute for education abroad in this respect. Originality/value This paper is one of the few studies that examine the employability of students that graduate from IBC universities, a type of education that has received only limited scholarly attention. It also broadens the scope of the debate on the relation between international experience and employability by examining whether receiving an IBC education in one’s home country can lead to the development of transnational human capital. Finally, it provides new insights on the returns to (higher) education by directly measuring students’ acquisition of skills and examining the role educational characteristics play in this.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

The employability of international branch campus graduates: evidence from Malaysia

Belderbos¹

2019

“…From a theoretical perspective, employability has been conceptualized as the ability to secure and maintain employment (Hillage and Pollard, 1998), as well as possessing certain skills and attributes that lead toward more successful occupations (Knight and Yorke, 2004). Since HERA was issued in 2005, there has been some progress in examining the university students' perceived importance of soft skills in the job market (Tran, 2012(Tran, , 2013(Tran, , 2015, as well as the importance of soft skills among graduates working at the job itself (Duy Nguyen et al, 2004;Lau et al, 2016;Thang and Wongsurawat, 2016). Continued research in this area can include longitudinal studies that track what soft skill development looks like in the transition of STEM students from university to maintaining careers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, Thang and Wongsurawat (2016) found that English language skills, adaptability and soft skills were crucial to the self-perceived employability of Vietnamese IT graduates. The five soft skills in their study (i.e.…”

Section: Soft Skill Development In Vietnamese Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 91%

Soft skill development for employability

Yao

Tuliao

2019

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore graduate students’ perception of how soft skills are developed at a transnational university in Vietnam, and how these soft skills contribute to their perceived employability. Design/methodology/approach This study utilized a qualitative case study method. In depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 graduate students at Vietnamese–German University. Findings Findings suggest that faculty utilized classroom-based practices to provide students the opportunity to enhance soft skills that are perceived to contribute to employability, such as skills related to independent work, interpersonal relationships and the ability to work in global contexts. In addition, interacting with international faculty played a large part in providing students the opportunity to develop their independent skills, critical thinking, communication and cultural competence. Practical implications Implications include multiple approaches, including faculty training, curriculum development and learner preparation. Institutions must consider how their curriculum contributes to the development of soft skills and how international faculty are prepared to engage meaningfully with students, particularly within specific global and political contexts. In addition, graduate students must also be prepared to engage in a classroom that promotes group work, class presentations and independent work. Originality/value This study provides insight on how a transnational institution can foster soft skills for employability in graduate students in Vietnam. Considering the growth of collaborative transnational institutions in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, findings and implications from this study provide recommendations on how to better prepare graduates for employability within a global economy.

“…Through stakeholder and expert opinions, the study highlights the skills/knowledge areas that are considered crucial by the employers while recruiting candidates. These studies on employability are primarily restricted to the west (Yen et al, 2001;Woratschek and Lenox, 2002;Bailey and Mitchell, 2006;Jackson, 2014;Hollister et al, 2017;Chhinzer and Russo, 2018) and other Asian countries (Wickramasinghe and Perera, 2010;Thang and Wongsurawat, 2016;Harun et al, 2017). Since these studies are scarce in context of the IT sector in India, the findings shall be beneficial for potential job seekers to understand the skills that are considered crucial by employers and the level of significance attached to the different skills/knowledge areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Total Interpretive Structural Modelling of predictors for graduate employability for the information technology sector

Sehgal

Nasim

2018

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a qualitative analysis of the significant factors that influence graduate employability in information technology (IT) sector. This is imperative, given the rising “employability gap” confronted by this sector, especially in context of India. The key factors that influence graduate employability have been drawn from the literature. This research paper aims to conduct a preliminary validation of these predictors of employability and analyse the contextual relationship between them through Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) technique (Nasim, 2011; Sushil, 2012). This technique is an innovative version of Interpretive Structural Modelling proposed by Warfield (1973). Design/methodology/approach The antecedents of graduate employability have been identified through qualitative analysis of available literature. Further, TISM has been used to derive a structural model and analyse the contextual relationship among these identified antecedents. The structural model has been derived through in-depth interviews with experts that include senior middle management professionals from reputed IT companies in India. The developed TISM model has been further validated through assessment surveys with a larger set of domain experts to enhance the credibility of the obtained results. Findings Based on the data collected from the domain experts, eight elements including employability and its seven antecedents were hierarchically modelled into four levels. While all the seven identified factors were endorsed by the industry experts as the drivers of employability, some of the key factors affecting employability emerged to be technical specialties knowledge, technology management skills and communication skills. Furthermore, the developed model has been subsequently validated and accepted based on the results of the assessment surveys conducted with a larger set of domain experts. Research limitations/implications The findings are expected to help the graduates seeking jobs in IT and allied sectors and the higher education institutions (HEIs) offering academic programmes in this domain. These findings would enable the graduates to understand the significance of the different knowledge/skill areas that influence their employability and increase the chances of securing job. Also, the HEIs can comprehend the developed model to understand the demands of the employers, the rationale behind it and further align their course curriculum/teaching methodologies in sync with their expectations. The developed model should be put to empirical validation for greater reliability. Originality/value The qualitative analysis of the antecedents of graduate employability using TISM technique is an original methodological contribution to the field. Though the TISM technique has been used in research studies across different sectors like e-government (Nasim, 2011), higher education (Prasad and Suri, 2011) and flexible manufacturing systems (Dubey and Ali, 2014), the application of this technique to employability in IT sector in India is a novel contribution.