Employability Skills Indicator as Perceived by Manufacturing Employers

Research on employability skills were conducted nationally and internationally, found that many technical graduates lacked employability skills. This article reports on the study of employability skills that technical students should acquire to be employed and sustained in manufacturing industries. The study investigates the importance of employability skills as perceived by 107 employers from manufacturing industries. The findings of the study revealed employers place great importance on interpersonal skills, thinking skills and personal qualities that students need to emphasize to be employed in manufacturing industries. Indicators such as work safety, integrity, customer service, creative/innovative thinking and problem solving, and exercise leadership showed the highest mean score. Overall employers from manufacturing industries placed employability skills as must be owned by all graduates to enable them to compete in the global market.