OUMH1103

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES

JANUARY 2012

OUMH1103

LEARNING SKILLS FOR OPEN DISTANCE LEARNERS

MATRICULATION NO. : 750424125353001

IDENTITY CARD NO. : 750424125353

TELEPHONE NO. : 0168466499

E-MAIL : mahadirjohari@oum.edu.my

LEARNING CENTRE : SABAH LEARNING CENTRE

1
 OUMH1103

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction 3

2.0 The Important Skills That Employers Are Looking For In Graduates 4

2.1 Verbal and Written Communication Skills in English 4

2.2 ‘Plurilingualism’ Skills 4

2.3 Interpersonal Skills 5

2.4 Leadership Skills 5

2.5 Research Skills 5

2.6 Academic Ability 6

3.0 Suggestions 6

4.0 Conclusion 9

References 11

2
 OUMH1103

1.0 Introduction

Employers from different background of industry have different valued skills that
they perceived graduates to possess. These skills are what determine the marketability of
graduates. The more skills they have the more flexible they will be in the working
environment. But focusing on to many skills to master is not an easy job. That is why most
graduates would rather focus on a few related skills for specific area of expertise and
industry. But how do graduates determine whether the skills they possess are suitable with
what employers expected for them to possess is the main question to ask and to answer.

In today’s rapidly changing and stiff competition for jobs in working environment,
graduates must be alert of what are skills that most employers recognize so that they can gain
the upper hand and the competitive advantage to stay on top of other competitors. Today’s
workforce characterized by rapid change and increasing competition for jobs makes it
important for educational programs to be aware of qualities valued by employers in the
industry (Ramli, Nawawi, & Chun, 2010). While Ramli et al (2010) further stated that it is
the role of Universities to prepare graduates with all the necessary and appropriate knowledge
and skills required in particular and specific industry, but based on their study they concluded
that there are no guarantees that all the knowledge and skills can be fully utilize by graduates
in their working period. Therefore it is inappropriate to have just Universities or educational
institution to carry the entire burden to prepare graduates to possess skills that employers
value in specific area of expertise and industries.

Communication and the ability to write are one of the skills that employers expected
from graduates, specifically the ability to competently communicate and write in English.
Whether graduates possess first class degree or not, it will not matter at all if they cannot
communicate and write in English. Their degree then will be a waste of time and resources.
Malaysia especially had long went global and so do countless organizations and companies in
Malaysia which made the ability to speak well in English is an increasingly important skills
alongside the ability to write in English (Azizan & Mun, 2011). Azizan and Mun (2010) also
stated that without being able to communicate and write in English then it as almost as
impossible for graduates to obtain top jobs that suit their academic qualification. That’s just
one example of skills that employers expect graduates to possess. There are also different
skills as employers can come from various different backgrounds of industries that require
different kind of skills and knowledge.

3
 OUMH1103

2.0 The Important Skills That Employers Are Looking For In Graduates

2.1 Verbal and Written Communication Skills in English

One of the essential skills that graduates should possess in their effort to win the heart
and attention of employers out there in the real world is language, particularly English.
English is a language spoken by people in order to communicate with other people from
different geographic background all across the globe. The ability to communicate and write in
English is somehow becoming more and more popular and also becoming one of the tools to
benchmark graduates for whether they are qualify to fill the positions in the company or not.
Furthermore, English is considered as important in all sectors in addition to the majority
language (Lehtonen & Karjalainen, 2008). Communicating in English is critically important
for certain position especially in companies that deals with other international companies. In
a study conducted by Kassim and Ali (2010), they found out that both spoken and written
communication were seen as important for multinational companies such as from Malaysia
and Hong Kong. Kassim and Ali (2010) further highlighted that all graduates must possess
excellent English communication skills as mastery in English communication can further
help to develop confidence level, problem solving skills and greater clarity in their
presentation.

2.2 ‘Plurilingualism’ Skills

Even though exists a very good deal of needs in communication and written English,
this matter does not push out the majority language away. Instead of having to be able to talk
and write proficiently in English, the ability for graduates to communicate and write
proficiently in other language also considered as important. Lehtonen and Karjalainen (2008)
highlighted the word ‘plurilingualism’ in their study as an important measurement and
benchmarking tools for graduates to capture the attention of employers to enable them to join
a particular company. Individuals working in a particular context have specific needs or
expected to have specific skills in a particular language and in that matter it differs between
language used in work and language used in other context than work (Lehtonen &
Karjalainen, 2008). This then brings to the essentiality of language for specific purposes
(LSP) and English for specific purposes (ESP). Based on Lehtonen and Karjalainen (2008),
for graduates to capture the attention of employers in the real world, they must at least have
plurilingual ability.

4
 OUMH1103

2.3 Interpersonal Skills

Besides communication and skills, graduates must also prepare themselves with good
interpersonal skills. Employers out there seek to have employees with considerably good
interpersonal skills, not to mention those who are competent in terms of interpersonal skills.
As an example, in accounting profession, it is not just graduates that have competent level of
knowledge in accounting can become members of the profession, but much greater emphasis
also being put in other characteristics such as interpersonal skills (Andon, Chong, &
Roebuck, 2010). The sufficiency to become members in the accounting profession is not
limited to accounting graduates only but also to non-accounting graduates as long as they
gave good impression of themselves in other characteristics besides accounting. This
highlighted the importance of having good interpersonal skills, much more to have competent
interpersonal skills. In a study conducted by Walker et al (2012) indicates that a large
components of the health professional’s role is interacting with patients and family numbers
requiring competent interpersonal skills where graduates should be able to interact efficiently
and competently with other people in health professional’s role.

2.4 Leadership Skills

Another important skill perceived by employers towards graduates is leadership skills

and quality. Leadership is about the ability of a person to get other people to do something
(Kort, 2008). Graduates must possess the quality of a good leader to get employers to give
them appropriate attention which then will increase their chances of getting hired for a job.
Graduates are expected to have various skills possessed not only for specific use such as job
and knowledge requirement but also skills that can help them climb higher and better in the
profession which they ventured in and one of them is leadership skills (Ramli, Nawawi, &
Chun, 2010).

2.5 Research Skills

Besides English,plurilingualism, communication, writing, interpersonal skills and

leadership, another skill that is much sought after by employers among graduates are research
skills. Research skills such as data collection can provide transferable skills as well as a
secure grounding for future research work, that is why research skills is important for all
graduates regardless what discipline they are from (Blenkinsop, 2003). Possessing adequate
level of research skill, graduates can develop other related skills such as analytical skills,

5
 OUMH1103

planning skills, communication skills as well and can also help to increase self confidence.
All these skills can be transferred and used in various field of profession which is the reason
why employers expect graduates to possess research skills as they will not be limited into
single line of work or profession but also can be absorbed and sent into other field of
expertise that require similar skills. Blenkinsop (2003) further discussed that graduates that
possess research skills will have the advantage of various transferable skills such as
communication skills, analytical skills, planning skills, self awareness and self protection,
self confidence, ethical awareness, and also reflection and self-criticism for them to apply in
various field of work and expertise.

2.6 Academic Ability

Other than that, what employers usually referred to when selecting graduates to fill in
job position is their academic ability. Academic ability refers to how well they did in their
academic whether they were successful or not. Academic ability can be used as a
measurement to predict future performance of graduates at the starting of their working point.
In a study conducted by Bloomfield (2011) indicates that graduates that achieve higher grade
averages in their academic perform much better and much more efficient rather than those
who scored averagely in their academics. The findings suggested that the greater their
academic ability, the better will their work be and this is what caught the attention of
employers to include academic abilities into their expectation of what graduates should
possess in order for them to join into the real working environment.

3.0 Suggestions

For graduates to enter the real working environment they must prepare themselves
well and to obtain everything that are necessary in order to survive and strive. Employers that
constantly aim at graduates to obtain as workforce have their sight for certain and unique
characteristic that fit with their business and organization environment. That is why graduates
must give focus towards what most employers aim in terms of skills which will also increase
their chances to be hired.

Employers recognizing the importance of graduates that have generic skills such as
communication skills and enthusiasm for long term career with their work is constantly
increasing in numbers and that is why graduates must have the ‘work-readiness’ attitude

6
 OUMH1103

(Walker A. et al., 2012). Walker et al (2012) further explained work-readiness as the extent to
which graduates posses the attributes needed for them to be successful in the workplace.

Therefore, for graduates to achieve successful working life in a real life working
environment, they need to be fully prepared in terms of knowledge and skills appropriate to
the profession which they would like to venture in. In other words, graduates must be ready
for any possibilities and prepare contingency plans before venturing in into working
environment. By contingency plans, means that graduates should not just focus on the
knowledge required for particular job profession but also other knowledge area that may not
be directly linked to that particular profession. Some skills may not be directly linked with
the particular profession but the essence of the skills may be transferrable to other field of
profession which will increase graduates’ flexibility in a rapidly changing working
environment.

Besides graduates, educational institutes also have their own roles and responsibilities
to prepare graduates into venturing workplace environment. Educational institution must be
aggressive in the effort to ensure that graduates are fully prepared to face the challenges
posed in the real working environment. In terms of communication, Universities should
ensure that English for Specific Purposes (ESP) taught to graduates will significantly provide
graduates with the necessary and appropriate communication skills (Kassim & Ali, 2010).
Kassim and Ali (2010) further stated that education community and curriculum developers
should done researches among existing professional workers within specific field of work to
investigate the actual use of communication skills in the workplace. This will help them to
develop a more successful curriculum that is similar to what the real world really has.

By teaching them how to actually communicate with people in the real working
environment instead of just teaching them how to communicate, perhaps graduates can
communicate even better and even more efficient. When they have the ability to
communicate, combine with appropriate way to communicate then it will create an
integrative style of communication which is synergetic with each other that can result in
competent communication skills. Other skills such as interpersonal skills can be polished
along the way alongside leadership, research skills and plurilingualism skill.

When graduates know how to talk appropriately and efficiently, then the door to
becoming an effective and competent leader will open itself. Leaders are person that posses
the ability to have other person to do something and leadership is the relationship between

7
 OUMH1103

leader and subordinates (Kort, 2008). Being leaders is all about competencies and trust. The
more competent the graduates are and the more the subordinates or peers trust a particular
person, then the higher the chances of that particular person to become a leader.

Instead of having graduates to give their focus on what’s there to be given from
educational institution such as universities or colleges, these institutions should be updated
with what they prepared for their students to ensure that every important aspects that are
needed to prepare graduates before venturing into working environment can be covered.
Besides that, educational institutions also have the responsibilities to determine the
marketability of their students in the working environment. They should ask themselves
whether their students were being prepared with the right weapons and ammunitions to
become the center of attention among employers and to survive in the harsh environment of
workplace. But even though educational institutions all over the world may provide the best
curriculum there is to serve the needs and skills for graduates that matches with what most
employers perceived, there is no guarantee that the graduates can perform exactly the skills
spelt out on their certification as a graduate (Ramli, Nawawi, & Chun, 2010). Therefore, the
task to prepare graduates to acquire and master the skills perceived by employers does not
come only from graduates and educational institutions only but also the employers
themselves.

Employers or organization whether government or private institution also have their

own roles and responsibilities in nurturing graduates to possess the skills required in
particular field of work and profession. Organizations must implement strategies that can
integrate demands of graduates with requirements of the organization itself. Patterson and
George (2001) in their study indicated that there exists conflict between demand and
significant differences in expectations whereby graduate employees are concerned with issues
of equity, payment, job variety and job conditions rather than career development
opportunities which organizations may believe important. Therefore, organizations should
develop strategies that can integrate demands and requirement of organizations. Human
Resource department should develop strategies that focus on important areas to avoid having
graduate employees exploiting training and development just to leave and have better
conditions and more interesting work elsewhere (Patterson & George, 2001).

Furthermore, employers must be open in participating research and surveys conducted

by educational institutions to obtain meaningful and useful information of what skills do they

8
 OUMH1103

perceived in graduates in different field of expertise. This will give educational institutions
the advantage and the upper hand on preparing graduates to possess the kind of skills that
employers perceived based on that information. Ramli, Nawawi and Chun (2010) in their
study suggested that every feedback from employers, companies and organizations can help
to improve and increase the standard of education to create a better curriculum to fulfill their
own needs and perceived skills among graduates. Suggestions and ideas obtained from
employers and companies from time to time can surely help to overcome weaknesses that
educational institutions face in preparing students or graduate in their workforce to meet the
needs of current market and professional needs (Ramli, Nawawi, & Chun, 2010).

Besides that, organization regardless government or private organization must also

continue to give training for development of newly joined graduate employee to polish their
existing skill to the optimum level. Organization should come up with integrative training
system that combines the training provided, existing skills, required skills and perceived
skills of graduate employees to ensure their wellness in the working environment in the
future. What educational institutions provide to graduates are mostly in the form of
theoretical knowledge rather than organization that provide much more effective in-depth
training. Training given on the real working environment with real tasks can be experiential
to graduates for future career development (Blenkinsop, 2003).

4.0 Conclusion

Important skills that employers are looking for in graduates does not solely comes
from the graduates themselves but also came from what they had learnt and what they have
been taught by their educational institute. How well their educational institutes taught and
prepare them will affect how equipped will graduates be to venture in working environment.
But then again, there is no guarantee that graduates in a particular area of expertise will be
able to perform competently in their area of expertise (Ramli, Nawawi, & Chun, 2010).

Besides graduates and educational institutions, organization both government and

private must also help educational institutions to develop a better and more assuring
curriculum that focus on students’ deep-learning method. Information regarding requirements
of particular profession should be updated in-line with the needs and requirements of the
business environment as well to ensure that graduates for the future time will not be outdated

9
 OUMH1103

from the trend of employability and most of all lose their marketability in the working
environment both national and international.

(2793 words)

10
 OUMH1103

References

Andon, P., Chong, K. M., & Roebuck, P. (2010). Personality preferences of accounting and
non-accounting graduates seeking to enter the accounting profession . Critical Perspectives
on Accounting , 253-265.

Azizan, H., & Mun, Y. L. (2011). Top jobs only for those who know the language well.
Petaling Jaya: The Star.

Blenkinsop, C. (2003). Research: an essential skill of a graduate nurse? Nurse Education

Today , 83-88.

Bloomfield, J. G. et al. (2011). Clinical skills education for graduate-entry nursing students:
Enhancing learning using a multimodal approach. Nurse Education Today , 01-06.

Kassim, H., & Ali, F. (2010). English communicative events and skills needed at the
workplace: Feedback from the industry. English for specific purposes , 168-182.

Kort, E. (2008). What, after all, is leadership? ‘Leadership’ and plural action. The Leadership
Quarterly , 409-425.

Lehtonen, T., & Karjalainen, S. (2008). University graduates' workplace language needs as
perceived by employers. System , 492-503.

Patterson, D. K., & George, C. (2001). Securing Graduates Commitment: an exploration of

the comparative expectations of placement students, graduate recruits and human resource
managers within the hospitality, lisure and tourism industries. Hospitality Management , 211-
323.

Ramli, A., Nawawi, R., & Chun, M. P. (2010). Employees’ Perception of Employability
Skills Needed in Todays Workforce among Physiotherapy Graduates. Procedia Social and
Behavioral Science , 455-463.

Walker, A. et al. (2012). Work Readiness of Graduate Health Professionals. Nurse Education
Today , 01-07.

11