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The Perception of Employer towards Office Management(OM) Industrial Trainees’ Performance during theInternship: A Case Study of Public/Private Organizationsin Klang Valley
oorlaila Hj Yunus, Salina oranee and Rohana Hj Ehsan
Faculty of Office Management & Technology, Shah Alam/Perak laila814@salam.uitm.edu.my Salin65@perak.uitm.edu.my Rohanaehsan@perak.uitm.edu.my 
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research was to find out the information about the level of employability skills andcompetencies on trainees of Office Management and Technology UiTM. Today much has been said aboutthe need to produce employability skills among students including the concern about students’ capability tomeet the demands needed by employers in today’s working world. We, the researchers, have previouslycompleted a research about this topic that covered the northern region and now extend our samples toorganizations in the Klang Valley. The objectives of this study were to measure the level of competenciesof trainees in the areas of technical skills, interpersonal skills, decision making and personality. Dutton(1996) stated that students are only successful in their career if a curriculum program involves university to provide all the necessary competencies the employer wants. It is recommended that areas such as Englishcommunication, human relations, and problem solving/decision making skills should be emphasized(Salina, Rohana and Noorlaila, 2004). The researchers are concerned and are eager to find out what are thesteps to improve the quality of education so that lecturers at the Faculty of Office Management andTechnology can train students to be prepared to make a better transition from what they learn in class to theworking world. The population of this study consists of the employers who worked in selectedorganizations in the Klang Valley. The selection of sample was based on simple random technique. Atotal of 100 questionnaires were distributed to the selected organizations and the respondents were giventwo weeks to return back the questionnaires. The Statistical Package in the Social Science Software(SPSS) Version 12.0 was used to conduct data analysis. Data were analyzed for descriptive statistics suchas the percentage, mean, mode, median and frequency. Based on the findings, we found that the traineeshave moderate levels in professional characteristics, communications skills, problem solving and decisionmaking skills, and quality of work. It is recommended that continuous attention is still needed on thoseaspects. Trainees must improve their communication skills, problem solving and decision making as to be
 
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competence workers. Trainees must improve their professional characteristics because it will imply their weakness. In the era of globalization, trainee must compete to be excellent workers.Keywords: Perception, Trainees, Office Management, Competencies, Internship
ITRODUCTIO
Discussions for the need to produce employability skills among students include the concernabout students’ capability to meet the demands needed by employers in today’s working world.In 2004, we, lecturers at Mara University of Technology (UiTM), had conducted a research withthe same topic but was limited only to organizations in the northern areas: Perlis, Kedah, Penang,and Perak. From our findings in the northern areas, it has been recognized that continuousattention is still needed on all aspects of the trainees’ competencies. Improvement is also crucialon the effectiveness, communication and some areas that have been identified. It isrecommended that areas such as English communication, human relations, and problemsolving/decision making skills should be emphasized. (Salina, Rohana and Noorlaila, 2004).Since our previous research only covered the northern region, we now conduct a research thatcovers the Klang Valley. The purpose of this research was to find out the information about thelevel of employability skills and competencies that trainees of Office management andTechnology UiTM has. We now extend our samples to organizations in the Klang Valley.According to a research conducted by the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving NecessarySkills, “more than half of our young people leave school without the knowledge or foundationrequired to find and hold a good job” (SCANS 1991). Therefore, the researchers are concernedand are eager to find out what are the steps to improve the quality of education so that lecturers atthe Faculty of Office Management and Technology (FOMT) can train students to be prepared tomake a better transition from what they learn in class to the working world. Every semester FOMT has been successfully producing graduates that have promising careers in the private aswell as public sectors. These graduates can be hired as executive officers, administrative officers, personal assistants, and office managers. The Diploma in Office Management (OM114) programis a 3-year program that trains students to programs related to Office Administration,Management, and Technology, Office Competencies, Communication, Personality Development,Public Speaking, and Human Relations. Besides that, students need to enroll in other courses that
 
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include Mathematics, Business and Law, Accounting, English, Islamic Understanding andThought, and Mandarin. With the courses offered, students are having a great learningexperience trained and guided by dedicating lecturers of the Faculty. During the fifth semester,students will have to enroll a course in practical training, which is a part of the requirementneeded to graduate. The practical training will take about three months or the whole semester tocomplete. To be able to prepare students undergo for the practical training, students have tocomplete and passed the prerequisite courses such as Document Processing 2, Executive Note-taking, and Computer and Information Processing. Besides these courses, students need to havecompetencies in communication, interpersonal/human relations, problem solving, groupeffectiveness, and several other skills. The main objective of UiTM is to provide opportunitiesfor Bumiputra students to further their education. Therefore, it is important that students receivequality educational opportunities. Generally, the number of students graduating from universityevery year shows the success of education. However, in reality, we cannot assume this as asuccess since it does not guarantee students to be successful in the working world. Dutton (1996)stated that students are only successful in their career if a curriculum program involves universityto provide all the necessary competencies the employer wants.
STATEMET OF THE PROBLEM
Skills and competencies are the two important competencies that trainees’ need to possess so thatthey can make a better transition from classroom environment to working environment.
Preparedness in employability skills is an important contributor to the individual’s self-interest and general well-being. Students need to give greater attention to thedevelopmental area so that they can be expected to contribute the best for their careers aswell as for their personal fulfillment. Today’s business has changed into high technologyworkplace. Latest technology, participative environment, sophisticated quality control,good customer services, and many others are important. Therefore, employees need tohave expanded skills if they want to survive in the workplace effectively. Educatingfuture employees need to be changed to meet the new needs. It is hoped that with thisresearch in the Klang Valley are, we will be able to know what the skills employers wanttheir workers to possess are. This will help educators to train students with the skills sothat students can meet the demand of the workforce.
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