IMPORTANCE OF ENHANCING EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS OF UNDERGRADUATES IN SRI LANKAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

Attached

The ultimate goal o f the students who are studying in Universities is to get an employment in a suitable field. In this process “Employability skills” play a vital role in securing a relevant job. Sometimes these skills help someone to market themselves in an interview and help to write an attractive job application. Hence, employability skills make a link from learning to earning. The objective o f this study is to identify the undergraduates’ employability skills according to the employers’ requirements. Therefore, available research articles, and some in-depth discussions with passed out graduates were used to collect data/information, which are analysed descriptively. Further, experience o f development o f employability skills in universities is also analysed. Study identified that social sciences degree programmes are in critical stage in connection with the development of employability skills o f students. However, some of students in such degree programmes are preparing themselves acquiring additional qualifications such as diploma in Human Resource Management, Marketing, English, IT etc. Yet, critical point is that the employers’ requirements such as communication skills, analytical ability, team work, personal relationship etc are seriously lacking behind the majority o f graduates in social sciences. Having identified these factors, students who wish to develop their skills as well as University authorities, especially Career Guidance Units in Universities need to modify the existing methods and strategies o f development o f employability skills through the degree programmes. This may be a gradual process in bridging the gap between employers’ expectations and graduates’ expectation.