The perception of graduate students on employability skills for the future career in ho chi minh city

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY — HO CHI MINH CITY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS THE PERCEPTION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS ON EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE CAREER IN HO C

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY — HO CHI MINH CITY

INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

THE PERCEPTION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS ON

EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE CAREER IN HO

CHI MINH CITY

A research proposal Submitted to The School of Business Administration

In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the of Business Research Methods

Student’s name: NGUYEN HOANG MINH KHUE (BABAWE18635)

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

2021

Page | 1

ABSTRACT

Employability skill, even though has become an important issue in higher education worldwide,

in Vietnam it has been emerging only in the last few years This research purpose is to investigate

on graduate students’ perspective of employability from university in Ho Chi Minh City and how they shape the perspective of having a successful career to suitable for their future job This

research mainly focuses on students who have already graduates from university in Ho Chi Minh City and are currently looking for their suitable future occupation

To achieve the purpose of the research, the study calculated post graduate students’ perceptions

of which skills they are strong at, which skills are necessary for future workplace success, and

the extent to which skills should be integrated into the curriculum to attain this goal The study

shows four most important dimension in measuring the perception of successful career are

related directly to academic issues: Basic skills, Personal skills, Personal Qualities and Thinking skills The total population of the research is consisted of seven main university included in the

system of National University in Ho Chi Minh City The research applied both quantitative and

qualitative methods to analyze the data collection to achieve the best result After the study, the

results of the findings can provide good suggestions universities in Vietnam to better orient in

producing competent students, to help them become more employable and have a better future

career

Page | 2

TABLE OF CONTENT ABSTRACT

1.5 Scopes and Limitations

1.6 Structure of the research

CHAPTER IT: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Definition of key concepts

2.3 Conceptual Framework and Research Hypothesis

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study is to provide some foremost information of this research The first part gives rationales of the paper Next, problem statement and the need to do this research are

presented, which leads to the research objectives expressing the main purpose of the research

Research questions and significance are shown after that and followed by scope and limitation

The last part of this chapter is the structure of the whole paper

1.1 Research Background

Our education system has improved in tandem with Vietnam's growing economy Many more

universities, colleges, and intermediate courses are now accessible, allowing even individuals

who reside in the suburbs to pursue higher education However, when qualifications are no

longer as "useful" as they once were, another issue arises People may have a degree, a technical

certification, and some job experience on their resumes, but soft skills are something that the

majority of them overlook Soft skills, sometimes known as "employability skills" in the

business, are becoming increasingly crucial to graduate recruiters combing through a rising pool

of similar-looking applicants' CVs Employability skills are known as job readiness skills and it

also refers to skill requirements to acquire and maintain a job According to (Saterfiel and

Mclarty, 1995), the term can also be defined as the preparation or foundation skills upon which a

person must build job-specific skills such as sale-report Furthermore, (ESECT, 2004) adds that

employability skills include a set of achievement, understanding and personal attributes to gain

employment and be successful in their jobs

According to (Collins, 2001), the employment market become increasingly competitive and one

of the top priorities that organizations should concern is attracting and retaining talents

Qualifications are fine, but most employers are now looking for a more human touch —

employability skills Employers nowadays are more interested with finding an applicant who

combines not just academic skills such as reading, writing, listening, mathematics, and science,

but also higher-order thinking abilities such as learning, decision-making, problem-solving, and

negotiating They are also seeking for personnel with interpersonal abilities such as self-

confidence, honesty, adaptability, flexibility, team spirit, self-motivation, self-management, and a positive approach toward work In school, from the training schedule students can learn practical skills, the ability to detect and resolve issues in specific managing situations in order to meet the

increasing requirements of employers in the workplace However, there are many reports on

problem of students’ lacking of successful career after graduating In school, students can gain

practical skills, such as the ability to detect and address difficulties in certain management

scenarios, as part of their training program, in order to meet the rising demands of employers in

the workplace However, there have been several reports on the issue of students’ inability to get

a successful profession following graduation

In Vietnam, according to (Nguyen Hong Diep, 2011), Vietnamese recruiters discovered

significant limitations in graduate students’ communication skills, English, and, in particular,

practical expertise in the workplace However, very few our graduates are aware of this

phenomenon They do not always see the connection between the knowledge and lessons they

learn in class and the competitive employment environment into which they are pushed They are unaware of the skills that their employers require As a result, we may witness an uneven picture

of professional capabilities in the workforce and academic institutions It is critical for lecturers

to guarantee that these students are well-prepared with employability skills in order for them to

be “employable” and subsequently successful in their professional area

1.2 Problem Statement

The field of successful career and the extent to which secondary and vocational school graduates and attendance possess these abilities has received a lot of attention in the form of study and

training over the last three decades In Vietnam, only a limited number of individuals were able

to enroll in and graduate from colleges One of the primary reasons was that colleges were only

accessible in major cities like Vietnam Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hue at the time

As aresult, entry to such universities was restricted, and admission to university was reserved for only the best students Therefore, the education system in our countries also changes to keep

pace with the global competition Recognizing the importance of soft skills or employability

skills, many institutions encourage their students to acquire interpersonal skills as well as soft

skills in addition to fundamental academic knowledge Modern companies demand entry-level

employees to have a successful career background in addition to job-specific abilities, such as

engineering or accounting (Carnevale et al., 1990; Green and Seymour, 1991) While students

currently receive adequate training in the theoretical knowledge, the successful career are not

receiving sufficient attention Rapid technological, social, and economic developments have

made organizations more complex, emphasizing the importance of educating graduates entering

the workforce for the first time with abilities other than technical talents Educational institutes in

general have made very little progress in providing students with opportunities to apply their

newly gained knowledge

From the problems listed above, we must determine the extent to which these factors impact

students’ ability to obtain work and how to equip these talents The research focuses on which

talents are most important and the integration of successful careers in postgraduate curricula, the relationship of successful careers they possess, and how they are successful in their careers

1.3 Research Objectives

From the problems above, we desire to conduct this research for some purposes:

O Identifying the abilities required for student achievement

Page |6

O What are the skill requirements needed for students when apply for a job?

h Which skills have the most impacts on their future career?

Ol What should graduate students and employers do to develop and maintain these employability skills?

1.5 Scopes and Limitations

The data for the research is mainly from post graduate students from seven universities in Ho Chi Minh City with the purpose to investigate and help these students in their future when apply jobs Due to the limited in time and budget, the sample size cannot entirely correct, there will be some minor mistakes in the data collection and analyzing process in the research

1.6 Structure of the research

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introducing the topic and explain the reasons why it is necessary to conduct this research This chapter includes the research background, problem statement, research questions and research objectives Finally, the scopes and limitations will be mentioned at the end of this chapter

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Demonstrating some previous significant definitions, concepts and basic theories discussed on the framework

Chapter 3: Methodology

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce some concepts and theories related to the research,

giving theoretical background of concepts, definitions about employability, the perception of

graduates about employability skills and career success

2.1 Definition of key concepts

2.1.1 Employability Skills

Over the previous two decades, the definitions of employability have evolved in a variety of ways They've shifted their focus away from demand-driven skill sets and toward a more holistic view of "graduate characteristics," which includes "softer" transferrable talents and person- centered traits that are acquired alongside subject knowledge, abilities, and competencies Employability or graduate employability is defined as the compilation of a series of skills and abilities that a graduate can obtain to achieve a desirable job and succeed in his/her career, according to (Chen, 2017; Tomlinson, 2012) Graduate job seekers with these skills and capacities can satisfy the needs of employers and adapt to changes in the labor market Employability is far more than just finding a job It is more than just gaining skills or experience

to help a student find a job or improve in their existing profession Instead, it is about learning, and the focus is on "ability" rather than "employ." (Harvey, 2003) added that it emphasizes on developing critical, reflective abilities with the goal of empowering and enriching the learner are the areas that must be prioritized

Moreover, Yorke (2006) defined “employability” as a set of accomplishments - abilities, understandings, characteristics, and qualities required for certain work tasks These abilities also increase the likelihood of graduates being employable and successful in their professional choices, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community, and the economy

2.1.2 Skills

In Vietnam, the concept of "skills" has received little attention in both the educational system and

in everyday life Most people believe that “people know people will do,” and our education is founded on that premise As a result, they continued to strive to educate and teach their pupils, and it cannot be denied that many students had a knowledge gap after graduation However, the gap between knowing and practicing is not small, and the gap between practicing and working professionally is even wider As a result, our students graduate with a lot of information but little

or no job experience

In recent years, the media has generated a lot of discussion about the phrase "skills" or "soft skills" as distinct variables in the treatment of encouraging efficient work The simple definition

of skill is basically the ability to do something that comes from training, experience, or practice

In a psychological way, skill is the ability of humans performing a certain activity or any action

on the basis of experience Moreover, another definition from is the ability of a human to manipulate the operations of an activity in accordance with established processes As mentioned above, I will discuss deeply about four most important dimension in measuring the perception of successful career are related directly to academic issues: Basic skills, Personal skills, Personal Qualities and Thinking skills

2.1.2.1 Basic Skills

According to (U.S Department of Labor, 2004), basic skills include five total skills: reading, writing, solving arithmetic and mathematical operations, listening and speaking Firstly, reading contains identify relevant data, seek information in books or manuals, determine the meanings of unfamiliar terms, assess the quality of reports and utilize computers to locate information Writing skill means using computers to transmit information and write comprehensive and accurate letters and reports with correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation Third skill is solving mathematics skill by using numbers, fractions, percentages, tables, graphs, charts and calculator

to enter, retrieve, change, and communicate numerical information Speak clearly, use suitable vocabulary, tone of voice and gestures for the audience is what you need for speaking skill Lastly, listening skill requires pay attention to what someone says, observing their tone of voice and body language, reply in a way that demonstrates you comprehend what they're saying

2.1.2.2 Personal Skills

Page | 10

2.1.2.3 Personal Qualities

Personal qualities are the characteristics that define who you are Personal characteristics describe how you will go about applying yourself to a position or task, in addition to the information and abilities you can offer to work Whether or not you are consciously aware of how your personality affects your job, your personality may be the difference between bad and outstanding performance for yourself and your team (U.S Department of Labor, 2004) In personal qualities, it demonstrates responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management Responsibility exerts a great amount of effort and persistence in the order to achieve a goal, sets high standards, pays attention to details, works effectively, and displays a high degree of focus even when assigned an unpleasant assignment in order to become an expert at completing things Attendance, punctuality, enthusiasm, energy, and optimism in approaching and finishing tasks are all high expectations Self-esteem means believe in one’s own self-worth, maintain a good self-image, displays awareness of one's own talents and abilities and aware of one's influence on