Unemployment of university graduates negatively affects the economy and causes both financial and psychological problems for individuals. In order to get employed, it is of great importance to have technical knowledge about the discipline of graduation as well as non-technical skills which are called employability skills. Employability skills are skills that are common to all areas of business that are necessary for people to get employed, be successful in their work life, make progress and improve themselves. Employability skills include basic skills, thinking skills, personal skills, resource usage skills, interpersonal skills, system and technology usage skills, foreign language skills and information literacy skills. This study aims to determine the competencies of senior students at Hacettepe University in terms of employability skills. Within the scope of the study, a questionnaire was applied to both senior students and faculty members to determine their perceptions about the importance of employability skills and the competence of the students in these skills. Research findings indicate different competence level of the students’ employability skills. The findings also indicate that there is a difference between the importance given to employability skills and competency levels.
Cite this paper
Yildirim, T. and Kurbanoglu, S. (2022). Employability Skills of Senior Students. Open Access Library Journal, 9, e8748. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1108748.
ILO [International Labour Organization] (2020) World Employment and Social Outlook-Trends 2020.
https://www.ilo.org/global/research/global-reports/weso/2020/lang--en/index.htm
Brooks, A. (2019) 7 Skills Employers Look for Regardless of the Job. Rasmussen University.
https://www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/college-life/skills-employers-look-for/
Dench, S., Perryman S. and Giles, L. (1998) Employers’ Perceptions of Key Skills. Institute for Employment Studies. The Institute for Employment Studies, Brighton.
Baldoz, R. (2010) In the 21st Century, We Need Workers with Hot Skills.
https://www.dole.gov.ph/news/in-the-21st-century-we-need-workers-with-hot-skills-baldoz/
University of Kent (2021) What Do Employers Want. Employability Skills, Careers and Employability Service. https://www.kent.ac.uk/ces/student/skills.html
Rateau, R.J. (2011) Understanding the Employability of College Graduates for Success in the Workplace. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg.
https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/29334
Sarmah, K.H. and Hazarika, B.B. (2012) Importance of the Size of Sample and Its Determination in the Context of Data Related to the Schools of Greater Guwahati.