A Multi-Stakeholder Analysis of Business Graduate Work-Readiness Based on Employability Skills and Employability Enhancers

Abstract

This study examined the gap between the skills required by the contemporary job market and those possessed by fresh business graduates. A quantitative research design, supported by survey was employed to capture the perceptions of three stakeholders i.e. students, academics, and employers. A 100 respondents from each group and 300 in total participated in the study. The findings revealed that information technology skills are perceived to be the most important and most possessed skills across all groups. However, other results are not encouraging as significant discrepancies were observed between the demanded and the supplied skill sets. The novelty of this study lies in its multi-stakeholder approach, which uncovered significant disparities in perceptions regarding graduates’ skill possession and overall work-readiness. This led to the comprehensive understanding of employability gap. To address this gap, the study furnished a set of employability enhancers aimed at improving graduates’ work-readiness, where internship and pre-work placement emerged as the most recommended strategy. Practically, the findings provide actionable insights for universities, employers and students to align their efforts towards greater graduate employability. Theoretically, the study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by proposing a conceptual model to guide future research on employability skills and work-readiness.