This article was written based on a part of a bigger research project on developing a Graduate Employability (GE) Teaching Model which received university funding. Industry Revolution 4.0 has emphasised on the importance of the 21st century soft skills among fresh graduates in securing employment. A growing literature of GE also suggests that graduates need to be prepared with sufficient soft skills in enhancing their employability skills. However, along with the demand of the IR4.0 industry, came a new challenge in training the university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions now operate in a new norm that is unprecedented. This raises several concerns on how GE is now being addressed, given the changing industry and education landscape. Much yet need to be learned from the academics about their awareness of the GE skills and how those skills are trained during the pandemic. Hence, the study aims to investigate academics’ level of awareness of the basic employability skills required of the graduates and the important factors to be considered in developing a GE teaching model. A quantitative research design was employed resulting in the administration of an pnline survey. As part of a bigger data collection procedure, the survey was completed by 39 academics from various social science faculties in one of the public universities. The investigation focused on eight key dimensions of basic employability skills: basic literacy and numeracy skills, critical thinking skills management skills, leadership skills, interpersonal skills, information technology skills, systems thinking skills and work ethic disposition. Using SPSS, data was analysed using descriptive statistics. The academics’ levels of awareness were identified by each dimension and the findings help the study to identify areas for further training needed by the academics. Some of the salient findings suggest academics need further traning on the digital and technology related skills such as systems thinking and information technology skills and that the GE teaching model could encapsulate the need for professional development in the technological domain besides the pedagogy and content domains. Further research on areas such as academics’ professional development and revised or futuristic curriculum could be considered.
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In-Text Citation: (Majid et al., 2022)
To Cite this Article: Majid, F. A., Sharil, W. N. E. H., & Salmee, M. A. A. (2022). Eight Dimensions of Basic Employability Skills: A Survey on the Academics’ Level of Awareness. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(9), 1817– 1833.
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