COPIR employer survey suggests more soft skills training
Graduates from The UWI St Augustine have been ranked competitive by local employers. These were the results of the 2022 Employer Perception Study conducted by the Campus Office of Planning and Institutional Research (COPIR) with support from the Office of Institutional Advancement and Internationalisation. A major challenge faced by employers, however, was an under-supply of soft skills among recent graduates.
The survey was carried out in partnership with the T&T Chamber Industry of Commerce and the Human Resource Management Association of T&T. It was presented to and accepted by the Academic Board in April. Employers were invited to participate in the initiative as part of the institute’s continued efforts towards quality enhancement and institutional effectiveness.
Sixty-eight percent of respondents represented the private sector while the public sector represented 21 percent of respondents. Other agencies surveyed included regional, international and non-governmental organisations. Forty-seven percent of the responding organisations reported that between 10 to 30 percent of their staff were UWI graduates. Seventy percent of these graduates were from the Faculty of Social Sciences while 16 percent represented the Faculty of Engineering. Of the employers surveyed, 50 percent described UWI St Augustine graduates as competitive when compared to graduates from other institutions. UWI St Augustine graduates were also found to perform higher than their peers in multiple areas including teamwork, written and oral communication, ethics and entrepreneurial and enterprise skills.
Although employers commended graduates for competitiveness, they noted that more training in soft skills was necessary. The most valuable soft skills were deemed to be communication, analytical/critical thinking, sector specific technical skills, emotional intelligence and leadership. The lack of soft skills was a recruitment challenge. Additional challenges cited in the report included a lack of practical workplace experience, unrealistic salary expectations and candidates applying for positions for which they did not meet the requirements. Recommendations to these challenges suggested making internships, work-study and volunteering part of the curriculum, strengthening employer engagement and skills training.
According to COPIR Institutional Research Analyst and Planning Officer, Keren Wilson, some of the recommended strategies are already in place, but steps are being taken to implement further recommendations. “In an effort to continue sensitisation across the campus, we have been invited to present findings to faculty boards where they can discuss and refine strategies for implementation. The results of the survey made them aware that the strategies already in place could benefit from expansion through increased collaboration with employers and industry and increased communication of said opportunities to the student body. Additionally, we will continue working with Student Support Services to explore the expanded provision of opportunities for students to develop soft skills,” said Wilson.
She added, “Consideration is being given for the establishment of a Campus Working Group on Graduate Employability with the aim to develop a harmonised approach for the campus response to improving graduate employability which will of course document further avenues for collaborating with industry in adequately preparing our graduates for the labour force.”
