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Employability Skills Among Quantity Surveying Graduates in the Construction Industry
3.1% (2011), 3.2% (2012), 3.1% (2013). In
addition, according to The Statistics Portal, also in the organisation. However, its
the latest of unemployment rate in year
2014 are 3%. Therefore, we can see that
the rate of unemployment in Malaysia is
not below than 3%, making the issue of
employability a pressing concern.
The objective of this study is outlined as:
• To examine the importance of
employability skills from the employer’s
perspective;
• To determine the elements of
employability skills needed for quantity
surveying graduates
This research thus explores on
employability skills which affect
unemployment of graduates, in not
achieving what the employers need for
graduate’s employment.
2. Remployability
Skills
2.1 Definition of Employability
Skills
Employability skills can be defined
as “transferable core skills” required
in the fields of job in the 21st century
workplace because employability skills
are necessary for career success at
all levels of employment (Overtoom,
2000). According to Johannes (2008),
employability skills can be interpreted from
three perspectives; public, employers and
workers. From the perspective of society
or public, employability skills are defined as
indicators of opportunity for people to get
jobs. This is different from the employer’s
perspective, who defined employability
skills as indicators of opportunity to
balance supply and demand across
organizational change. Meanwhile, in the
context of an individual or an employee’s
perspective, employability skills are
defined as instructional opportunities for
individuals to find employment in various
types of jobs.
2.2 Importance of
Employability Skills
According to Brown (2002) and Mohamad
Sattar et al. (2009), employability skills
are very important for the individual and
importance is different depending on the
employers. Reviews by Hawthorne (2007)
based on the employers’ perceptions,
the combination of skills, education,
experience, good attitude, and the ability
to increase productivity in a long run,
may increase the potential for working
individuals who will be employed by the
employer. Ahmad Muhaimin, Jamaluddin
and Baharudin (2008) stated that the
increase in job demand in industry is not
only required for those who have academic
qualifications and technical skills but
they must also possess employability
skills. The construction industry currently
has become extremely competitive,
challenging and technology can make
job performance very translucent. Chang
(2004) revealed that employers only want
to hire employees who can contribute to
the team successfully. This is because
when employees have all the skills of
employability, most likely employees can
give ideas, explain topics and issues,
able to communicate in a constructive
manner, able to solve problems, able to
understand the events and issues faced
by the companies, and able to come
up with viable solutions to problems.
Graduates with better employability
skills and attitudes that has been valued
by employers would also succeed in
developing their potential in the job
markets.
2.3 Types of Employability
Skills Required By
Employers
2.3.1 Interpersonal Skills
The first employability skill to be
considered as most required by employers
is interpersonal skill (Mohamad Sattar,
Rose Amnah, Ahmad Rosli,2014),
because interpersonal skills are the goal-
directed behaviours used in face-to-face
interactions and are effective in bringing
the desired state of affairs and interaction (The Conference Board of Canada 1996;
(Hayes, 2002).
Some researchers mentioned
communication skills as one interpersonal
skill, which is a skill that enables a wide
variety of communication (Lee, 2003;
Mohamad Sattar, Rose Amnah, Ahmad
Rosli, 2014). According to Verma (1995),
the main component of interpersonal
Vol.50 No.2 2015
skills is communication, because effective
communication will help to accomplish
interpersonal acceptance, develop
teamwork and team motivation (Azim
et al., 2010). However, other researchers
separated communication skills from
interpersonal skills and were not included
under interpersonal skills (SCANS 2001;
The Conference Board of Canada 1996;
Kearns 2001).
Knowing that interpersonal skills are
mainly open to working with people,
individuals will thus need to possess
leadership skills to guide others (Mohamad
Sattar, 2009). So leadership skills are also
required by employers (The Conference
Board of Canada 1996; SCANS 2001;
Kearns 2001), as this skills represent
continuous accountability and relate
to the capacity to work autonomously
(Mohamad Sattar, Rose Amnah, Ahmad
Rosli, 2014). Therefore, communication
skills and leadership skills for the purposes
of this study has been included under
interpersonal skills.
2.3.2 Teamwork Skills
Teamwork skills were the second
employability skills to be considered
as most required by employers (The
Conference Board of Canada 1996; SCANS
2001; Kearns 2001). Teamwork skills is
the skills and attributes that are needed
to contribute productively to a company
or organization (Mohamad Sattar, Rose
Amnah, Ahmad Rosli, 2014).
2.3.3 Thinking Skills
The third employability skills considered as
most required by employers are thinking
skills (Mohamad Sattar, 2009). According
to him, thinking skills also included
problem solving skills of the employees,
think creatively/innovatively, know how
to learn, able to visualise and make
decisions. Therefore, in this study, creative
/ innovation skills and problem solving
skills will be included under thinking skills
SCANS 2001; Kearns 2001; Ab Rahim and
Ivan 2007).
2.3.4 Resource Skills
Resource skills were the fourth
employability skills considered as most
required by employers, which are about
management (Muhammad Sattar, 2009)
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