Graduate employability skills in Taiwanese business education

Jean-Sebastien Goyette

Agenda

• Context of study

• Original research

• Preliminary results

• Updated research

• Employability model

• Current research

Context of study

• Globalization– Increased competition– Global SME’s

• Increased access to higher education– Decreased value of degree

Context of study

• Co-existence of unemployment and vacancies

• New employer expectations– Skills, knowledge and ongoing training

• Lack of agreement between: – Employers– HEIs– Graduates

Initial research topic

• Influence of postgraduate business program skills development on career success in Taiwan (focus on student’s perspective)

• Goal to better prepare graduates for the workplace

21st century curriculum?

• Alumni anecdotal evidence: – Finding position matching expectations– Staying in same company for more than 1-2 years– Fulfilling employer expectations (sales, e-business,

IT)

• Evolution of curriculum (or lack of) – Generic core classes– Lack of adaptation to current demands

Concerned groups

1. Students & graduates2. Employers3. Higher education institutions

• Others– Government– Society (e.g. economic development)

International Trade Institute (ITI)

• Part of Taiwan External Trade Development Council

• 1-2 year postgraduate program – Focus on business & languages

• Goals– Provide skilled labor– Promote international trade– Increase network (HEIs & companies)

Step 1: Taiwan’s business programs

• Similar foundation– Strong focus on professional knowledge • Marketing, finance, HR

– Distinction in specializations (small proportion)

• Differences ITI’s curriculum– Short courses with practical focus– Industry lecturers– Strong focus on languages (English/Japanese)

Step 2: Alumni placement

• Majority in sales & marketing

• Industries– Computer hardware (e.g. ASUS)– Consumer electronics (e.g. HTC)– Semiconductor & optoelectronics (e.g. TSMC)

• Strong SME presence– Same requirements, fewer resources

Step 3: Employer requirements

• Analysis of postings sent to ITI– Education– Skills: • Language• Sales & marketing• Research• IT

– Business & management experience– Personality

Step 4: Pilot interviews

• 40 invitations– 25% positive response rate

• 5 students from different concentrations– Skype interviews

• Goals: – Test assumptions– Improve questionnaire– Examine different concentrations

Preliminary findings

• Curriculum isn’t central

• Passive experience – follow process: – Focus on goal of getting job– Trust program will deliver this

• Merger of business subjects

• Request to go outside curriculum

Focus on English classes• Seldom used at work• Focus on associated classes

Business curriculum hours (Chinese)

English curriculum hours

Meetings 3 48

Negotiations 12 48

Presentations 6 48

Job search 7 48

Report writing 3 48

Graduate employability skills

• “soft”, “transferable” or “generic” skills– Flexibility, creativity, independence– Communication, teamwork– Self-reflection, time management

• General definition (Knight & Yorke, 2003) – “A set of achievements – skills, understandings and

personal attributes – that make individuals more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy”

Employment Vs. Employability

• Employment - short term– Percentage of employed graduates

• Employability – long term– Acquisition (of a position)– Transition (into the workforce)– Development (of a career)

Research questions

• What employability skills are required in order for a recent graduate to successfully: – Obtain employment– Transition into this new position– Facilitate career progression

• Which of these employability skills are successfully taught in business programs?

• How can business programs incorporate these employability skills in a curriculum?

Gaps in literature

• Previous emphasis on Western countries– UK, USA & Australia

• Little research on Taiwan, Greater China, or East Asia

• Lack of focus on student experience

USEM model (Knight & Yorke, 2003)

Skillful practices

Metacognition

Understanding

Efficacy beliefs

Employability

Alternative models of employability

• Psycho-Social Model (Fugate et al., 2004)

Alternative models of employability

• CareerEDGE Model (Dacre Pool & Sewell, 2007)

Alternative models of employability

• Bridgstock’s employability model (2009)

Alternative models of employability

• CBI/NUS Model

USEM model (Knight & Yorke, 2003)

• Research with recent graduates (less than 5 years)

• Lead back to curriculum (e.g. changes)

• Adaptable by design– Database of core questions– Successfully implemented in past decade

Updated sample

• 2 year “Double Major” program – 50% business (in Mandarin Chinese)– 50% English

• 30-35 hours of classes/ week– Similar structure to MBA + language classes

• 2 month internship abroad (USA or Ireland)

Updated sample

• Minimize difference between interviewee

– Education level (B.A.)

– Minimal (or no) work experience

– Fluent Mandarin Chinese & upper intermediate to

advanced English

– Taiwanese nationality

– No international experience (study or work)

Current process

• Updating employability literature review

• 2nd round of interviews

• Analysis– Compare with advertised skills (job ads) – Compare with program promised skills

• Embedding strategy