Producing graduates who meet employer expectations: Open and distance learning IS a viable option Tina Lim Mansor Fadzil Latifah Abdol Latif Norlia T Goolamally Norziati Mansor

Link between Human capital development, Lifelong learning and Higher education Human capital development Higher education Lifelong learning

Strong relationships between education, productivity and output levels (Wilson & Briscoe, 2004) “The concept of lifelong learning has become more critical as a factor which influences the employability of individuals” (Simmons-McDonald, 2009) “Employability of graduates is a key task for higher education” (UK Lifelong Learning, 1998)

Employability skills Skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve one’s potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions (ACCI, 2002 as cited in Hampson & Junor, 2010)

Past research on employability competencies (1) Reports abound of - Mismatch between the requirements of employers and that of university outputs - Cases of local university graduates lacking in generic competencies Quek (2005), Juhdi, Yunus & Abu Samah (2006), Khir (2006), Malhi (2009), Pandian (2010)

Agus, Awang, Yussof & Mohamed Makhbul (2011) Malaysian graduates 534 employers (Various sectors: Manufacturing, banking, services, etc) Gaps of 8 – 14.4% Griesel & Parker (2009) South African graduates 99 employers (Various sectors) Gaps of 15 – 34% Past research on employability competencies Employer Expectation of Graduates and their Satisfaction : Satisfaction level < Importance level

Role of Open Distance Learning in Advancing Lifelong Learning “Lifelong learning is also about providing second chances to update basic skills and to offer learning opportunities at more advanced levels. All this means that formal systems of provision need to become much more open and flexible, so that such opportunities can truly be tailored to the needs of the learner, or indeed the potential learner” (ESAE, 2007, p. 23) “Lifelong learning is also about providing second chances to update basic skills and to offer learning opportunities at more advanced levels. All this means that formal systems of provision need to become much more open and flexible, so that such opportunities can truly be tailored to the needs of the learner, or indeed the potential learner” (ESAE, 2007, p. 23)

ConventionalOpen and Distance Learning Elitist – ‘Cream of the crop’ pursues tertiary education Flexible entry Prescribed ageFlexible Attends lessons in physical classes Flexible approach - Blended Full timePart time “Despite a long and generally successful track record, open and distance learning is still required to prove that the quality of student learning is at least equivalent to face- to-face teaching” (Kirkpatrick, 2005)

Objective of the study to examine the extent to which OUM graduates met the expectations of their employers with regard to employability competencies

Methodology Quantitative approach Mail surveys were sent to employers of the November 2010 graduates (Bachelor’s degree) Items adapted from the Noel-Levitz Employer Satisfaction Survey 5-point Likert-type scale for Importance & Satisfaction Sample: 290 / 1088 employers (Response rate = 27.41%) 3 dimensions examined: – Knowledge & Understanding – General Attributes – Generic Skills Quantitative approach Mail surveys were sent to employers of the November 2010 graduates (Bachelor’s degree) Items adapted from the Noel-Levitz Employer Satisfaction Survey 5-point Likert-type scale for Importance & Satisfaction Sample: 290 / 1088 employers (Response rate = 27.41%) 3 dimensions examined: – Knowledge & Understanding – General Attributes – Generic Skills

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK LOW PRIORITY EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS Understanding of job-related information Knowledge in the field of study Specific technical knowledge required for the job Ability to translate theory into practice Importance-Satisfaction Quadrant Analysis: Knowledge & Understanding Gap = 0.22 (4.4%) Gap = 0.30 (6%) Gap = 0.26 (4.4%)

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK LOW PRIORITY EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS 7 Self-discipline 9 Teamwork 1 Positive attitude towards work 12 Willingness to learn 17 Integrity 5 Professional ethics 11 Reliability 3 Self-confidence 4 Self-motivation and initiative 8 Accepts responsibility for consequences of actions 13 Listening to others 14 Customer service 2 Flexibility & adaptability 15 Ability to reflect on own performance 6 Ability to find and access information 16 Written communication 18 Empathy 10 Creativity and innovation Importance-Satisfaction Quadrant Analysis: General Attributes Gaps range from 0.26 (4.4%) to 0.34 (6.8%)

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK LOW PRIORITY EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS Ability to set goals and allocate time to achieve them Management of resources Mentoring or coaching colleagues Entrepreneurial Leadership Decision making Gap = 0.25 (5.0%) Gap = 0.21 (4.2%) Importance-Satisfaction Quadrant Analysis: Generic Skills

Comparing OUM graduates with new graduates from other universities

Conclusions OUM’s ODL Bachelor degree programmes have been successful in producing graduates who meet the expectations of their employers with regard to employability competencies In order to adequately equip a workforce which meets the challenges and demands of the new age labour market, “the nexus between – output of graduates and industry needs, – the university and the workplace, and – the higher education system and the lifelong learning system needs to be further strengthened” (Ali, 2011). OUM’s ODL Bachelor degree programmes have been successful in producing graduates who meet the expectations of their employers with regard to employability competencies In order to adequately equip a workforce which meets the challenges and demands of the new age labour market, “the nexus between – output of graduates and industry needs, – the university and the workplace, and – the higher education system and the lifelong learning system needs to be further strengthened” (Ali, 2011).