Perception of Employers about the Employability Skills of Fresh Graduates: A Case Study of Distt. Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

In this modern age, the dramatic change in economic trends is creating a high demand for employability skills in the job market. Employability skills play a significant role in the placement of graduates in the job sector. Job markets are progressively highly competitive and rely on quality learning and abilities. The employers have elevated the requirements for the newcomers to do their work from the earliest starting point. The purpose of this paper was to explore the perceptions and satisfaction levels of employers about the employability skills of fresh graduates in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. A case study design using the qualitative method was conducted to explore the different aspects related to the study. An in-depth interview was used for the data collection. The data was gathered from the 10 purposefully selected managers or owners of companies and NGOs where graduates are most likely to find jobs. Coding and themes were used for the analysis and to make the data meaningful. The findings indicated that the employers’ expectations were usually not met by the fresh graduates. According to the point of view of employers, the students of public universities did not perform well or performed less than students of more well-known private universities on many skills such as communication, creativity and critical thinking.