Employability of fresh IT graduates from local universities in the IT industry : a study addressing employability skill development

Abstract

Employability of Fresh IT Graduates from Local Universities in the IT Industry: A Study Addressing Employability Skill Development Employability is a set of achievements - skills, understandings and personal attributes - that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations. The literature reveals a common set of employability skills which affects the employability irrespective of their field of interest. This research has deployed the same employability skills to identify the extent to which the fresh IT graduates from local university possess employability skills and what the employability of fresh IT graduates are. In order to improve the employability, skills and to increase the employability of fresh IT graduates, literature reveals several measures that can be taken by the individual graduates, employers and universities. In the research an attempt is made to evaluate this pre-identified measures that 'can be taken' and 'already taken' by the individual fresh IT graduates, employers and universities to improve the level of the employability./ The findings of the research reveal that there are employability skill deficiencies among the fresh IT graduates especially in problem solving, flexibility & adoptability, quick learning, team work, decision making and self confidence. The evaluation of measures that 'can be taken' and 'already taken' by individual fresh IT graduates, employers and universities shows that currently none of these parties are actively engaged in taking any of these measures. Further investigation led to reveal that as IT industry is a booming industry there is no major employability problem even though there are employability skill deficiencies in fresh IT graduates.