Graduate employ ability skills of the 21st century : development and validation of a scale in Bangladesh

Abstract

In the ever-evolving landscape of the 21st-century workforce, employability skills have become a critical factor for fresh graduates seeking success in their careers. The present study aimed to address the specific context of Bangladesh by developing and validating an Employability Skills Scale tailored to the needs and expectations of employers in the country. The research followed a systematic and comprehensive methodology, with two primary phases: scale development, and scale validation. The study commenced with a thorough literature review, spanning three decades and encompassing 25 research studies and government reports. This extensive review led to the identification of 166 unique employability skills, which were refined to 87 after removing duplicates and industry-specific skills. Subsequently, through careful analysis and exclusion, 33 skills were deemed contextually irrelevant, leaving a final set of 54 employability skills for consideration. Semi-structured interviews with Bangladeshi employers, representing various sectors and positions, were conducted to validate the identified skills. These interviews yielded 37 skills that were specific to the Bangladeshi workplace context, categorized into six dimensions: Personal Management Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Organizational Skills, Knowledge and Information Management Skills, Career Planning and Development Skills, and Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills. The development of the Employability Skills Scale involved creating an item pool of 89 items across these six dimensions, following input from subject matter experts and recent graduates to ensure clarity and relevance. Data collection from 368 participants, including recent graduates and final year university students, led to exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, refining the scale to 47 items with strong factor structure, reliability, and validity. Cronbach's α coefficient and composite reliability indicated high internal consistency, while convergent and discriminant validity assessments demonstrated the scale's construct validity. The final stage involved validating the scale by assessing its impact on graduates' job placement success with a new data set from 132 graduates. Findings revealed a significant negative correlation between employability skills scores and the time taken to secure a job after graduation, confirming the practical utility of the developed Employability Skills Scale. In conclusion, this study has contributed a meticulously crafted and contextually tailored Employability Skills Scale, comprising 47 items organized into six dimensions, ready for application in future research and practical use. It not only addresses the unique needs of employers in Bangladesh but also serves as a valuable resource for enhancing the employability of fresh graduates in the competitive 21st century job market.