Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.
Employability is one of the significant challenges facing graduates; it encompasses a wide range of issues that hinder the clarity of its meaning. The purpose of this review is to draw a better understanding of this concept concerning higher education graduates. Over recent years, employment has raised concerns, leading to increased publication. Nonetheless, this review cannot exhaust all the issues, but it will be essential in shedding light on the critical factors of this context. Employability has reduced significantly over the past years, contrary to the expectations and purposes of high education; this has thus raised many questions regarding its relevance. Various stakeholders have contributed suggestions regarding the most appropriate steps toward guaranteeing employability among graduates (Osmani et al., 2019, pp.423-432). Despite increased developmental efforts and innovations toward increasing the employability of graduates, the effects have since been low, indicating that there is much to be done concerning this concept. Employability is one of the main objectives of higher education; as such, these institutions have designed their respective curricula to achieve this objective.
Definition of Employability
The definition of employability differs from one person to the other due to the deviations in their perspectives. Nonetheless, these differences have a common assumption. Employability is an individuals ability to secure and maintain a new job. Additionally, it entails having the relevant skills and the right motivation, which enables a person to achieve their intended purposes in their place of work. From others point of view, employability is seen as the attributes and understanding that an individual possesses and their influence on their ability to be successfully employed (Raihan and Azad, 2021, pp. 231-247). Employability is viewed concerning two main factors: educational perception; one, graduates are considered employable if they are well-equipped with the relevant skills needed in their respective job markets (Bowers-Brown and Harvey, 2018, pp. 243-254). The second perception is the ability of a graduate to secure a job in the competing market regardless of their qualification. This concerns the employers perspective; if graduates exhibit desirable attributes, they have a higher employability chance.
Major Issues Influencing Graduate Employability
Graduate employability is significantly influenced by an array of factors and issues, which are both internal and external. Some of these issues comprise the quality of graduates, inadequate career orientation, lack of relevant skills, technology, unsuitable work, conditions of the job market lack of transparency in job allocation.
Technology
Despite its role in creating employment, technology is among the major issues that have impacted graduate employability globally. With increased technology, significant developments have been achieved, replacing many forms of human labor, thus rendering most graduates jobless. For instance, different companies have adopted computer software that only requires programming and is cheaper to maintain and run. Additionally, technology has eliminated breaks and paid vacations since they have facilitated the continuous running of the respective organizational processes.
The Quality of Graduates
Most graduates fail to meet the requirements set by employers and the job market. The quality of graduates refers to their skills and relevance to prospective employers. The job market has witnessed tremendous changes and is still experiencing changes that dictate the required skills (Huu et al., 2022, pp. 20-21). These changes have led to a shift in the job markets needs; however, most graduates do not satisfy them, which influences their employability. This has been attributed to the inability of most universities and colleges to adapt to the new market changes, thus producing unwanted human resources.
Job Skill
Most graduates have inadequate skills that employers require. A study that was conducted established that most, if not all, graduates have no skills to perform in the real world. They are only equipped with theoretical knowledge in school without practical know-how (Huu et al., 2022, pp. 20-21). This has thus influenced their employability since they are deemed unfit for jobs by prospective employers. As such, some employers have taken the initiative of training their employees on the required skills, which are costly and open the risk of losses in the case of employee turnover.
The Market Condition
The other issue is the market condition; markets are constantly changing; thus, graduates are required to keep track of these changes to identify opportunities. Nevertheless, this has proven to be a challenge because it is costly; therefore, most of them can hardly support themselves, let alone pay for these services (Huu et al., 2022, pp. 20-21). The job market is uncertain, unlike the education system, where learners understand what to do, how to do it, and when to. Therefore, they can barely make any credible predictions regarding the directions or fluctuations in the market, which has impacted their employability.
Critical Self-Reflection
The mock presentation significantly contributed to the importance of critical analysis and reflection on the status of my employability. Additionally, it created an opportunity to learn impactful information regarding my career strengths, weaknesses, and their respective solutions. The mock presentations positive implications on my employability helped boost my confidence. In most cases, graduates cannot address their prospective employers confidently and articulately, which hinders their chances of securing employment. As such, through this presentation, I have learned that confidence is a crucial factor in an individuals employability. Confidence will be significant in facilitating effective communication with employers. I also learned that labor is one of the most demanded commodities in the labor market (Jackson and Collings, 2018, pp. 403-425). However, despite the high demand, there is high unemployment because the laborers lack skills that match the markets needs; as such, I understood the importance of acquiring the relevant skills to meet the needs of the prospecting employers, and this will consequently promote my employability.
The mock presentation significantly impacted my employability by creating awareness of the issues of skill inadequacy among graduates. Most graduates, if not all, lack the necessary skills, resulting in a significant challenge for employers since they have to train their recruits afresh, which is costly and time-consuming. As such, I have taken the initiative of learning the relevant skills to match the job markets needs, which will consequently improve my employability. Based on the data collected during the presentation, the number of graduates and postgraduates has been increasing in China, which means the job market is flooded. Therefore, I was able to understand the importance of being different from the rest of the graduates, and thus will be able to increase my employability.
The presentation helped to understand the impact of the language barrier in the job market. Despite having many undergraduates and postgraduates, many people cannot speak English fluently, while others cannot talk about the language. This has thus created an opportunity that, in turn, influences my employability positively. A mastery of a few major and minor foreign languages is essential and is preferred by most employers (Bowers-Brown and Harvey, 2018, pp. 243-254). This increases ones ability to solve problems and creativity, which are valuable skills employers wish to see in prospective recruits. Speaking a second language has increased an individuals chances of employment and higher pay. Consequently, this will significantly contribute to being ready as a professional.
Another strength I realized from the presentation is the importance of mastering office software. Different software systems have been developed, each with its distinct purpose geared towards achieving the maximum utilization of the technology. Most industries, if not all, have adopted these systems since they are efficient and more effective. Nevertheless, the number of graduates who can confidently run these systems is considerably low, resulting in a significant shortage of much-needed skills. Possessing the skills and knowledge to operate and maintain these systems will significantly impact my employability. In addition to the technical know-how, the presentation highlighted the importance of solid communication skills, super execution, and being proactive. Effective communicators will facilitate easy articulation of my ideas before employers and significantly increase my employability, thus signifying my career readiness. A proactive character will be necessary for portraying my ability to anticipate problems and solve them swiftly, consequently increasing my employability.
In addition to learning and helping identify my strengths, the presentation was essential in revealing my weaknesses which have negatively impacted my employability. Some of these weaknesses comprise experience in self-employment. Most employers prefer graduates with experience running their enterprises since they believe they are responsible and more reliable. Aside from reliability, being self-employed instills a sense of responsibility, and thus they do not need to be supervised regularly (Jackson and Collings, 2018, pp. 403-425). Self-employed graduates have a highly creative and innovative power which contributes to the growth of the companies that employ them, improving their employability. As such, I am at a loss because I lack the experience of being self-employed, which undermines my employability.
Lacking adequate project experience is another weakness the presentation highlighted, which was a disservice to my employability. Studies have shown that project-based learning is significant in promoting the students skills, which helps them meet the job markets needs. I consider my project knowledge inadequate since I could not plan and operate an individual project other than the ones assigned by the schools. Projects are essential to learners since they promote creativity, teamwork, and critical thinking among the graduates. As such, these skills positively impact their employability. On the other hand, insufficient project experience lowers my employability since I am deemed inadequate and ill-trained for the jobs available. As such, the aspect of career readiness will be influenced negatively and, thus, low employability.
Academic and Professional Development
Course Description
The postgraduate course will focus on building foundational knowledge for the theoretical approaches to decision-making and management. Develop analytical skills in a student to differentiate the functional areas in an organization. The course aims to instill a critical perspective in students while introducing the essential keys to the organization of businesses. The objectives of this course will be to familiarize the idea of academic and professional development and emphasize its uses. The system will apply two learning methods; one method will be directed by the teacher, while the other will be student-centered. Students can share and discuss knowledge that will promote effective learning through these techniques. This will consequently help promote analytical thinking among learners.
The course will encompass different modules employing various instructional methods like lectures, tutorials, workshops, case studies, and simulations. These modules will focus on developing and honing the skills that will facilitate the scholars success in their studies. Additionally, the course will focus on bolstering the students employability skills and exploring available opportunities for the students and how to seize these opportunities. The teaching methods promote academic knowledge by developing research and professionalism. The course will utilize assessment methods: essays, presentations, portfolios, business plans, dissertations, online tests, and exams. Through these activities, students will be equipped with skills and beneficial attributes like self-reliance, readiness, responsibility, and progressive thinking.
Course Quality
Course Quality is considered good if it engages learners while providing challenging tasks to increase their mental capacity and involvement. Therefore, for this course to be accredited, it must be qualified to ensure effective learning. Additionally, the course has a set of objectives that provide direction and a gauging standard to ensure that it does not fall short of the expected output. Furthermore, the system has an elaborate assessment tool that helps establish whether learning has occurred. It has been divided into modules that contain progressive content based on their arrangement.
Action Plan
Challenging and engaging are the defining factors of a quality course. This course has provided opportunities for students through which they are motivated and encouraged to participate in learning activities that help to improve their understanding. Through these activities, the students can perfect their skills while at the same time increasing their knowledge and experience (ACCPH, n.d.). The students are presented with challenges that, in turn, promote cognitive development and growth. Consequently, it helps to identify the skills and abilities of the students; as such, the course provides exercises that promote the development of this knowledge.
Students autonomy will be upheld and supported by this course, and this means that all learners will be recognized for their strengths and suitable solutions provided for their weaknesses. This will be effective in facilitative meaningful learning hence quality. The stability and interests of the respective students will be identified and promoted through different activities, thus advocating for their professional ambitions. The students will be assigned tasks that match their professional interests (ACCPH, n.d.). The students will be allowed to make their assignment choices based on their interests and area of specialization. This will help them develop a deeper understanding of how their aspired companies operate. The course is designed so that the students can make customized adjustments that enable them to meet the learners needs, hence improving the courses quality.
Practical learning will be the primary method of instruction in this course since, through doing, students can master the skills they have learned, thus promoting the systems quality. Practical learning has been proven to be one of the most effective instructional methods since it centers on the needs of the students, and actual learning is achieved. Forgetting the learned aspects is difficult in this method since the students have lived it and have seen their colleagues doing the practical on repeated accounts. Additionally, through this method, learners demonstrate what they have learned to their colleagues, and this cements the concept in their brains.
Equity and Justice will be upheld in all aspects of this course to ensure it achieves the intended quality, which will, in turn, facilitate its accreditation. The classes will factor in the issues revolving and impacting the education system, like economic, political, and social factors. In addition to these factors, the course will work towards promoting equity among all students by ensuring all learners are provided with chances with respect to their background and academic performance. The system will accommodate all students irrespective of socioeconomic abilities, thus ensuring that no student can access resources since they cannot afford them (ACCPH, n.d.). Furthermore, it will consider the differences between the learners receiving content without bias and adopt a variety of teaching aids that will help provide a uniform ground for the learners.
Course Content
Course content, on the other hand, refers to the material and information that the course intends to disseminate to the students. The content of this course will majorly entail materials aimed at enhancing the students abilities instead of demoralizing them. In most cases, systems usually develop difficult curricula, which are a demotivating factor for the students, and thus very few achieve their aspired dreams and goals. This course will contain content that is relevant to and objectives of the course.
Action Plan
The course content will be easy to use; in different instances, teachers have used content that feels easy. They fail to consider their students, which impacts negatively on their performance. Nevertheless, the course will use straightforward content that is understood and easy to use by all the students. The easiness of the course content will be facilitated by the systematic organization of the course (ACCPH, n.d.). The content will progressively be arranged from the most manageable sections to the most complex concepts. As such, teach concept will be built on the previous contents; thus, students will be able to follow how and therefore understand as they are taught.
The course content will be all-inclusive; this means that the content used to relay information in this course will consider all the differences between the students. In many scenarios, instructors tend to use teaching content that discriminates against a portion of their students, which is wrong. Some students may have partial blindness. Using visual aids disadvantaged these students (ACCPH, n.d.). However, this course will employ a variety of course contents that will accommodate the needs of the students. This will consequently facilitate accreditations since the learners needs have been met.
Course Assessment
Assessment is a critical aspect of any learning system; it allows the stakeholders to evaluate. Additionally, it will enable the instructors to measure the extent of achievement of the set objectives. Through assessment, instructors can understand how the students are handling the content they are being taught, whether they are under or a different approach is required. Consequently, this course will employ various assessment methods which help evaluate every aspect of this course, whether the theory or practical. It will include an evaluation approach that will enable students to gauge themselves in terms of their progress.
Action Plan
The course will employ portfolio assessment to ensure student accountability and responsibility. Usually, portfolios have to follow a specific order of exercises; as such, the students must tackle all the practices meticulously to prevent any mistakes or risk repeating the exercise. To achieve the correct results, students will have to conduct research and read extensively, improving their skills and mastery of the concepts learned. Additionally, this assessment method will help identify gaps and unwanted outcomes within the curriculum. Furthermore, this assessment method will encourage students to reflect critically on what they learn, which will be essential in distinguishing the concepts they understand from those they do not understand. The portfolio assessment method will help the students develop analytical skills through data analysis exercises. This skill will be essential in preparing them for their future roles in different fields of employment.
Online tests will promote computer literacy among students. Technology has developed significantly over the years and has become a necessity for survival since everything has been automated. As such the course will employ online classes and tests which allow the students to demonstrate their ability to operate and run computers. Furthermore, the tests will be critical in facilitating projects throughout the course. Additionally, this will increase the project experience of the students, which is an essential requirement for employers.
Sit-in exams are among the most common form of assessment. They will determine the students retention ability and comprehension of the content they were taught. Most students are known to cram and transfer the content to the exams; therefore, the course will use presentations as a form of assessment to ensure that the students read and understand instead of mere cramming. Since presentations will be done in teams, the students will learn to work together despite their differences. In addition, coexistence among the students presentations will enhance their understanding since they will discuss and share ideas.
Reference List
Bowers-Brown, T. and Harvey, L. (2018). Are there too many graduates in the UK? A literature review and analysis of graduate employability. Industry and Higher Education, 18(4), pp.243-254. Web.
Huu, Ai Tran; Hoàng, Giang L°u; Nhat, Truong Tran; et al. (2022): The Reason Why the Unemployment rate of College Graduates is Increasing& ResearchGate. Web.
Jackson, D. and Collings, D. (2018). The influence of work-integrated learning and paid work during studies on graduate employment and underemployment. Higher Education, 76(3), pp.403-425. Web.
Osmani, M., Weerakkody, V., Hindi, N. and Eldabi, T. (2019). Graduates Employability Skills: A Review of Literature against Market Demand. Journal of Education for Business, 94(7), pp.423-432. Web.
Raihan, M.Z. and Azad, M.A.K. (2021). A Bibliometric Review on Outcome-Based Learning for Graduate Employability: Mapping the Research Front. Journal of Education, pp. 231-247. Web.
Training Requirements for Accredited Courses (n.d.) ACCPH. Web.
Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.