Evaluation of quality attributes of graduate by employers to develop skilled manpower and ensuring the quality of higher education

Abstract

Education is the backbone of the nation. The key success and prosperity of the country depend on the skilled manpower or human resource development. Self-evaluation in higher educational institutes (HEI)is  necessary for building skill graduates to combat in the competitive labour market and to stable the backbone of the nation.  In this regard, a study was conducted to evaluate the quality performances of new graduates by employers or stakeholders passed from a HEI. A total of 17 employers of different categories (private or government) were selected randomly to collect data on the performances such as knowledge, communication skills, interpersonal skills and work skills of new graduates. A survey work was conducted to collect data from the employers with a pre-formed questionnaire during the study period. Each questionnaire contained a range of questions differing in aspect and varies from 3 to 7. Enough time, freedom and explanation were given to each respondent to fill up the questionnaires before collecting data. Data were evaluated from the respondents against the scores set from 1 to 5 scales (1=Poor, 2=Fair, 3= Good, 4=Very good and, 5= Excellent). The result revealed that maximum score (2.82±0.30) obtained in job knowledge of the graduates.  Majority employers about 53 % supported that this skill like job knowledge or subject matter knowledge of the graduate is better than  that those of IT (35.29%) knowledge and innovative (47.06%) knowledge, respectively. In case of communication skills, and presentation skill of graduate being the highest average score (3.76±0.33), and 41.18 % employers expressed that the quality of presentation skill of the graduate is excellent. Other skills including written (35.29%) and oral (41.18 %) skills were found very good. The results of interpersonal skills (IS) showed that teamwork ability got the higher score (3.24±0.28) and it is supported by 29.41 % employers as good. Other IS qualities of the graduate found very good with respect to motivating ability (41.18%), adaptability (41.18%),, empathy (41.18%), appreciation to ethical values (35.29%), and reliability (23.53%) except for leadership skill (29.41%) being fair category. The data of work skills (WS) reported that discipline of the grad had the higher score (3.29±0.30) and it was supported by 35.29% employers as very good. Time management skill of the grad was found to be excellent as 23.53% employers responded  positively for this skill,  Other WS qualities like judgment (47.06%), problem solving ability (47.06%), ability to link theory to practice  (41.18%), of the grad found very good  except for  the data analyzing ability (41.18%), and sense of responsibility (29.41%) of the grad being  good,  It can be inferred from the results that the overall quality attributes of our grad appear to be very good as majority responses of the employers supported positively for this performances including knowledge, communication, interpersonal and work skills were measured in this study. Above all, to make more skilled, competent, qualified graduates or man power, the university should give more emphasis on these qualities improvement of the graduates.