Transcript the Missing Link in Enhancing Employability of STEM Graduates

Effective Communication Skills;
the Missing Link in Enhancing
Employability of STEM Graduates
By Sindiso Zhou & Nhlanhla Landa
2nd National Science and Mathematics
Education Conference: Enhancing Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM); 20 – 22 August 2014, Bindura
University of Science Education, Zimbabwe
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Introduction and Background
 Objectives
 Definitions
 Employability Framework
 Conclusions and recommendations

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The single most critical problem facing
STEM graduates in the world today is
that of securing and retaining
employment
 Employability
extends
beyond
securing a job, into performance and
retention of that job (Knight and York,
2002)
 Another problem is finding useful
graduates who add value, develop
and grow in STEM fields

INTRODUCTION CONT...
 STEM
subjects are abstract by nature
 Facilitation of transfer and implementation
of scientific, technological, and mathematical
knowledge in industry demands deliberate,
rigorous and continuous practice in effective
communication skills
 Transferring course material (study) into
personal and professional development of
our students is vital yet problematic
 Employability
concerns
itself
with
individuals’ ability to find, retain, and be
successful in chosen employment (not
directly taught in the curriculum)
OBJECTIVES
a)
b)
c)
d)
Define employability
Describe effective communication
skills
Link
employability
(industry
requirements)
with
effective
communication skills
Outline job seeking and job
retention skills
CRITICAL QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Is our curriculum responding to the job
market?
If so, is this link between curriculum and
career paths explicit to the learner?
Are our teaching methods moulding an
employable individual?
When we release graduates into the labour
market, are they career ready?
Do our students understand the value of
Higher Education beyond immediate subject
area?
Are learning outcomes explicitly linked to
employability?
DEFINING EMPLOYABILITY
Soft/qualitative skills
Workforce/career readiness skills
 Core skills necessary for success
in the workplace
 forces of attraction in industry
(what makes you tick as an
engineer, doctor, technician,
computer programmer)

KEY SKILLS IN STEM CAREERS
There are three broad skills;
 Applied knowledge
- academic/course knowledge as applicable to
real life situations
- practical application of theory gained in HE
 Effective Communication Skills
- Effective Communication Skills such as
proficiency in reading, writing, listening and
speaking
- Interpersonal interaction
 Workplace skills
Critical Analysis and evaluation
Information Literacy and ICT knowledge
KEY COMMUNICATION SKILLS
FOR STEM CAREERS
Cognitive skills
Involve:
a) being able to identify, analyze and
solve problems from a body of
information and from organizational
relationship trends
b) Being able to assess data and draw
logical conclusions
1.
KEY COMMUNICATION SKILLS
FOR STEM CAREERS CONT.
2. Communication and ICT;
Involve:
a) Teamwork
b) Conflict resolution
c) Interpersonal sensitivity
d) Information handling skills
e) Presentation skills
f) Self management
g) Time management
KEY COMMUNICATION SKILLS
FOR STEM CAREERS CONT.
3. Practical and professional skills – using
experience to understand:
a)
b)
c)
organizational culture,
organizational policies
organizational processes
EMPLOYABILITY FRAMEWORK
Enhancing
employability
involves
developing skills through curriculum –
revisiting the curriculum to link learning
outcomes with employability.
- Is attention necessarily drawn to the
employability qualities that our courses
develop?
 Beyond that, employability also involves
giving students a language to communicate
effectively and successfully with their
employers about their skills, knowledge and
career potential.
EMPLOYABILITY FRAMEWORK CONT.
While different STEM qualifications are
the requirement to get a job, the
workplace is a communication network in
which;
- there is less theory and more practice
- abstract material should be concretized
- there is interaction with real people and
real problems

to survive the above, one needs effective
communication skills to bridge the gap
between theory and practice

JOB SEEKING EXPERTISE
Searching for vacancies online
and offline
 Completing application forms
 drafting
covering letters and
Curriculum
Vitae/Resume
in
response to vacancies
 Preparing for interviews
 Interview etiquette

JOB RETENTION SKILLS
To
sustain
employability
(staying
and
succeeding in a job) involves more than being
qualified – it involves several communication
skills;
- Presentation skills
- Conflict resolution skills
- Report writing skills
- Persuasive engagement/Team work
- Cultural consciousness/sensitivity
- Time management and Self management
 All
the
above
constitute
effective
communication skills
CONCLUSIONS
 Our
curriculum, from secondary to
tertiary education, is largely silent about
employability issues, yet it should
consciously integrate employability as a
critical component so as to avoid
unemployable graduates
 Effective communication skills are taught
in passing yet they should be a
compulsory component from entry to exit
point in teaching and learning institutions
RECOMMENDATIONS
Programme audit – to check;
- What employability skills are developed through
course material?
- How are the learning outcomes of your
programme linked to employability skills?
 HEIs should come up with checklists for course
development teams and programme committees to
link learning objectives and outcomes with
employability potential of graduates.
 Communication skills courses should not be
limited to basic communication but extend to
include communication for specific occupational
purposes.

THANK YOU
SIYABONGA
TATENDA