Skills Gap Analysis: Satisfaction and Expectation of Engineering Educators in Malaysia
Mohd Kamaruzaman F.1, Hamid R.2, Mutalib A.A.3, Rasul M.S4
1Mohd Kamaruzaman F, Centre of Innovation in Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Selangor D.E.
2Hamid R, Smart and Sustainable Township Research Centre, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Selangor D.E.
3Mutalib A.A, Smart and Sustainable Township Research Centre, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Selangor D.E.
4Rasul M.S, STEM Enculturation Center, Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Selangor D.E.
Manuscript received on 27 June 2019 | Revised Manuscript received on 10 July 2019 | Manuscript Published on 17 July 2019 | PP: 447-454 | Volume-8 Issue-2S July 2019 | Retrieval Number: B10660782S19/2019©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Skills mismatch between graduates and industry needs is a prolonged issue. The high unemployment rate among graduates indicates that the skills possessed by the students in higher learning institutions and the industrial needs are not in the equilibrium. This scenario has negative impacts on the country in economic, social and political aspects, which should not be underestimated by the government. To have a better overview regarding this issue, skills gap analysis has to be done to identify the missing skills among the graduates. Previous studies only reported skills gap analysis based on industry perspectives. This study was conducted to explore and quantify the gaps from engineering educators’ perspectives. A survey on satisfaction and expectation of engineering educators from Malaysian public universities toward engineering graduates was conducted. Satisfaction and expectation were applied to measure skill gaps of 18 non-technical skills that are relevant to engineers. The research findings demonstrated that 50% of engineering educators are only contented through the skill levels of their engineering graduates. On the other hand, all skills were considered considerably essential for engineering graduates according to the educators. Skills gap analysis revealed that written communication skill exhibited the worst mean gap, whereas the lowest mean gap was displayed as the best score by critical thinking skill (0.41). Findings from this survey can be used as a guidance for industries, institutions and graduates in helping one refines and defines skills needed for now and in the future, making employees aware about the critical skills they need to grow to excel in the working field.
Keywords: Skills Gap; Non-technical Skills; Satisfaction; Expectation; Engineering Educators.
Scope of the Article: Social Sciences