The reliability of
questionnaires was observed from the consistency in responses. Test retest
method (pilot study) was used to reveal the consistency. In this study, 30 research
subject (population & Sample) from the class of ED7751A1 and others will be
selected to test the questionnaire.
Friday, 10 January 2014
Validity
To achieve content validity,
all the items were constructed based on the conceptual framework. The contents
will be checked by content experts. The constructs were extracted from the
literature review as illustrated in the conceptual framework. The criterion
validity of instrument was tested. A
well-known instrument can be used for the testing of criterion validity.
Research Instrument
A questionnaire is chosen
as data collection instrument. The questionnaires included a variety of
questions on the variable constructs based on the theoretical / conceptual
framework.
The questionnaire consists of two sections. Section A aims to look
on demographic factors while Section B aims to look into answering the research
questions. The questionnaire constructed is assessed by a Professor that has
experience and involved in student employability in UiTM. The information
obtained could assist the researcher when interpreting results.
Research Design
A quantitative approach is
used in the research design. A survey research is conducted in this study. The
survey design is used to collect data for describing population of final year
students from a sample of two faculties, recommended one form Science
Technology and another from Social Science faculty.
In this study the information
is collected through questionnaires distributed to the respondents based on the
sample number. The sample number is based on the population size and the sample
size will be defined based on the population table. This design is chosen to
meet the objectives of the study, and the stratified sampling technique will be
applied after the group of the sample being identified.
Here, the researcher
received advice from his EDU702 lecturer to narrow down the sample from each
faculty (from all final year students in that faculty to smaller sample size
that is based on program).
Literature Review
Generation Y
Known also as Generation Y, Nexters, and Echo Boomers, members of the latest generation in the workforce were born between 1981 and 2000, witnessed formative events such as the birth of the internet, Columbine, and 9/11, and are characterised by a notion that they are destined to accomplish great things and to make a difference in the world (Martin and Tulgan, 2001). The parents of Millennials, reacting to their own latch-key childhood, reassumed an authoritative role, coddling their children, and instilling a conventional and civic-minded value system (Strauss and Howe, 1991; Zemke et al., 2000).
Millennials regard jobs as primarily a means to build a career resume´ (Howe and Strauss, 2000) and lack long-term attachment or commitment to the organisation. This challenges managers to motivate workers beyond the bare minimum task requirements, leading to the possibility of using workplace fun to motivate this group (Karl et al., 2008). Millennials exhibit citizenship behaviour in their lives, but not necessarily in the organisation (Zemke et al., 2000). As they regard their organisations as a means to an end, and not the end in itself (Zemke et al., 2000), workplace fun may help strengthen Millennials’ perspectives toward the organisation as well as toward individuals within it. Millennials are flexible, fun, and team-oriented (Hill, 2004; Howe and Strauss, 2000). They loathe cynicism, sarcasm, unfairness, condescension, and boredom (Raines, 2003). Unlike Boomers, who may oppose workplace fun, and Xers who may be indifferent to workplace fun, Millennials are likely to regard fun in the workplace not as a benefit, but a requirement.
Gen Yers do want clear directions and managerial support, but they also demand the freedom and flexibility to get the task done in their own way, at their own pace. Yers love to be given the results you want and the freedom to figure out the process to achieve them. However, there’s another, seemingly contradictory, dimension to Gen Yers’ independent streak: a desire for collaboration. They work well alone, but they work better together. Since Yers–much more so than Xers– are accustomed to team play, you may also hear things like: ‘‘Can I get some assistance with this project from Bill in accounting.’’ ‘‘Who else has experience doing this task so I can shorten the learning curve?’’ ‘‘Who can I get to help me?’’
Graduate Employability
Harvey and Contributors (2003) suggest that a more complex picture is emerging, both with respect to new and emerging graduate occupations and also graduate expectations. In a recent study from HESA (2006) it was noted that less than 60 per cent of graduates enter full time work, whilst others may opt for further study to enhance their prospects and that increasingly graduates put off the search for a graduate level job and choose to engage in voluntary work or travel instead. Additionally, according to Browning (2005), of those that do enter full-time graduate level employment many are looking for their next role or considering the next career step before their basic induction is completed. As reported in the Recruitment, Retention and Turnover Survey (CIPD, 2005), the main reasons why people leave employment are a desire for promotion and lack of career development; pay being relatively less important, although graduates may now be in a different position as a result of their debt burden. Browning (2005) also highlights that 70 per cent of employees are looking for more meaning at work and a more positive working culture.
Employers Views
From the employers views, the issues are graduate remuneration, skills and competences. Widespread changes in the environment, for example, an increasing need for flexibility and customer responsiveness may ultimately mean that employers have reduced resources available to devote to the general development of employees, including new graduates. This problem may be exacerbated in SMEs given their fundamentally different management practices, processes and attitudes to training and development in comparison to larger organisations (Storey, 1994; Thomas, 1998). The SME sector may find it increasingly difficult to match graduate expectations, particularly in relation to pay and pensions.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers must pay attention to the fit between graduates’ expectations of the work place and what they actually experience in order to ensure they remain satisfied (Westerman and Yamamura, 2007). In terms of training and development this means giving Millennials the kind of development experience they want and need to feel secure – even in an insecure economy – thereby harnessing training and development as a retention tool (Dolezalek, 2007) as well as one that enhances their CV (Hira, 2007). It also means giving them the kinds of development activities which reinforce the culture described above so that they become and stay engaged with the organisation. Failure to do so could have serious implications for organisational effectiveness as more and more Generation Y graduates enter the workplace and lever their position through sheer numbers and skills.
Significance of The Study
From this study, we will
look into whether the respondents are ready to enter the workforce. This study
also provides understanding on the skills and competencies that needed to enter
the workforce.
Limitation of The Study
The sample size for this study
that come from final year first degree students from two faculties might not
allow the findings of the study to be general to all final year students in
this country. In addition, this study is a quantitative research and by adding
some qualitative methods like interview will enhance this study to become
better.
Operational Definitions
Generation Y
According to Carolyn A. Martin
(2005), generation Y are born between 1978 1988, Yers are the blunt,
techno-savvy, contradictory children of Baby Boomers who believe education is a
key to success, technology is as transparent as the air, diversity is a given,
and social responsibility is a business imperative.
Generation
Kupperschmidt
(2000) defines a generation as an identifiable group, which shares years of
birth and hence significant life events at critical stages of development. In general,
while researchers differ slightly in the precise years of birth that define the
different generations, most agrees that there are four broad generations of
employees: Veterans (1925-1944), Baby Boomers (1945-1964), Gen X (1965-1981),
and Gen Y (1982-2000) (Hart, 2006; Howe et al., 2000; Yu and Miller, 2003).
Research Questions
The
research questions for this study are :
1. How have the skill and knowledge obtained influence the industries to hire UiTM graduates?
2. Are graduates aware about the working environment in
government or private sector?
3. Are graduates aware about the charecteristics of the
industries future employees?
4. How have the soft skills and extra curricular activities
influence the industries to hire UiTM graduates?
5. Are UiTM graduate ready to enter the workforce?
Purpose of The Study
The purpose of the study is to examine the readiness of
UiTM student to enter the workforce. The study will also determine regarding
issue in graduate employability, graduate preparation to enter employment
world, graduate awareness to the industries evaluation of their future employee
and whether geography and income factors have an effect on student
employability.
Problem Statement
People
nowadays in mass media, academician discussion and social researcher discussion
have made known to public about the generation gap and the discussion is more
focus on the Y Generation. As a result, many research and study have been done
by the researcher and the academican on Y generation.
We
also know that The Ministry of Higher Education have set a target for the year
of 2013 to all IPTA to increase the rate of student employability from 80% to
100% and the student are employed during 6 month after graduation. We can say
that students and graduates today are from the Y generation (based on the
research done by Cordrington & Marshall, 2005 and become reference to Prof.
Madya Dr. Mariani Md Nor from Universiti Malaya stated that the Y generation as
the generation that born between year 1977 – 1998).
Therefore,
I propose a study to be conducted to study the readiness of the Y generation to
work. Today, we can see the trend of the decline in graduate employability as
the feedback from the industries state that graduate nowadays cannot fulfill
the characteristics demanded by the industries of their future employees.
This study will provide current information
regarding issue in graduate employability, graduate preparation to enter
employment world, graduate awareness to the industries evaluation of their
future employee and whether geography and income factors have an effect on
student employability.
Bonus
Hi,
As for bonus, I would like to share to all about a Smart Researcher course that I have attended on 16th November 2013. Lets take a look :
As we have our research and dissertation around the corner, the more knowledge we have in research, is better.
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