student and employer perceptions of the importance …
TRANSCRIPT
STUDENT AND EMPLOYER PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF
ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
________________
A Project
Presented
to the faculty of
California State University, Chico
________________
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science
in
Agricultural Education
________________
by
Clarissa Rowley
Spring 2014
STUDENT AND EMPLOYER PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF
ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
A Project
by
Clarissa Rowley
Spring 2014
APPROVED BY THE DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES
AND VICE PROVOST FOR RESEARCH:
_________________________________________
Eun K. Park, Ph.D.
APPROVED BY THE GRADUATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE:
________________________________ ___________________________________
Mollie Aschenbrener, Ph.D. Mollie Aschenbrener, Ph.D., Chair
Graduate Coordinator
_____________________________________
Michael Spiess, Ed.D.
_____________________________________
Brad Dodson, Ph.D
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
List of Tables……………………………………………………………….……………………………………….…. vi List of Figures……………………………………………………………….……………………………………….…. vi Abstract………………….……………………..……………………………………………...………..……………… vii CHAPTER
I. Introduction……………………………………………………………………..…………….…..… 1 Purpose of the Project…………………………………………………….…………… 1 Scope of the Project……………………………………….……………….…………… 2 Significance of the Project……………………………………………….…………… 3 Limitations of the Project…….…………………………………………….………… 4 Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………….………… 6
II. Review of Literature………………………………………………………..………..………… 7
Identifying Employability Skills……………………………………….…………… 7 Employer Desire for Employability Skills…..…………………….…………… 9 Employability Skill Development in the Classroom………….…………… 11
III. Methodology……………………………………………………………………………….……….. 18
IV. Results and Discussion…………………………………………………………………..……… 20
Results…………………………………….……………………………………………..…… 20 Discussion……………………………………………………….……………………..…… 23
V. Conclusions and Recommendations…………………..…….….…………….………... 25
Summary….……………….…………………………………….……………..…….…… 25 Conclusions……………….…………………………………….………………….…..… 25 Recommendations ……………….…………………………………………….……… 27
iv
PAGE
References……………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 29
Appendices
A. Survey Instrument…………………………………………………………………..………... 35 B. Employer Letter……………………………………………………………………..…….…... 36 C. Employer Thank You Letter…………………………………………………………..…… 37
v
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
1. Table 1 Summated Survey Results for Importance of Employability Skills, as Perceived by Students…………………………………….. 21
2. Table 2 Summated Survey Results for Importance of Employability Skills, as Perceived by Employers………………………………………. 22
vi
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
1. List of Employability Skills Included Within Each Skill Set………………………….. 9
vii
ABSTRACT
STUDENT AND EMPLOYER PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF
ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
By
Clarissa Rowley
Master of Science in Agricultural Education
California State University, Chico
Spring 2014
High school students may not be aware of the specific employability skills
needed in the workforce, and therefore may not be adequately prepared to enter the
workforce upon graduation. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived
importance of 30 employability skills as determined by agriculture-related employers
and high school agriculture students in Nevada County. Thirty skills were ranked using a
Likert type scale ranging from 0 (no importance) to 3 (most important). The goal was to
use the collected data to determine which employability skills should be taught within a
high school agriculture course in order to best prepare high school agriculture students
for the workplace. Employers ranked employability skills related to personal and social
behaviors of greatest importance. Students perceived employability skills related to
viii
time management and deadlines as most important. Both employers and high school
student ranked most of the employability skills as moderately important.
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Purpose of the Project
High school students may not be aware of the specific employability skills
needed in the workforce, and therefore may not be adequately prepared to enter the
workforce upon graduation. High school students may be under constant pressure to
complete challenging courses and participate in extra-curricular activities because of the
enrollment demands of colleges and universities. Unfortunately, the focus given to
knowledge acquisition in academic courses may cause students to lack many ‘soft’ skills
necessary to be successful in the workforce. Skills such as problem solving, critical
thinking, working with others, and making impromptu presentations are often lost in
the monotony of academics (Zisner, 2003). Schools have focused attention on improved
instruction of basic skills and thinking skills, but not on addressing the issue of
employability skills (Hill & Petty, 1995). More specifically, agriculture instructors have
noticed many agriculture students are unaware of these ‘soft’ skills needed in the
workforce and that they have difficulty completing tasks in which these skill sets are
used. Secondary teachers must prepare students for life after they graduate, whether
college, military service, trade school, or a career will follow high school. Students need
2
to possess basic employability skills if they want to be successful in their chosen career
(Robinson, 2000). This project is significant because it will investigate the importance of
specific employability skills, as perceived by students and employers, in order to
incorporate those needed skills within the curriculum of a high school agriculture
course.
Scope of the Project
The project is focused specifically on Nevada County, a primarily rural
community with only two high schools: Nevada Union High School and Bear River High
School. Both schools have successful agriculture programs and offer an agriculture
communications course that focuses on leadership development and communication
skills of the students. The class is considered an agriculture elective and is open to
students at the sophomore, junior, and senior levels. Many students who take
agriculture courses at the high school level return to the community and become
involved within the agriculture industry as a career, hobby, or as part of local agriculture
support organizations. This project is designed to directly approach employers in
Nevada County to determine what they believe are the most important skills for entry-
level employees to possess. To better understand the skills necessary to best assist the
development of curriculum for an agriculture course at local high schools, the focus was
specified to agriculture-related businesses in Nevada County. For the project research,
high school agriculture communications students and agriculture-related employers in
Nevada County completed a survey on their perception of the importance of thirty
3
employability skills. The survey instrument was adapted from an existing, longer
instrument (Robinson, 2006). In the survey, participants were asked to rank the skills
according to importance in their place of business for an entry-level employee or, in the
case of the students, which skills they believed to be most important as an entry-level
employee. The goal of this project is to compare the results of the employer and student
surveys to identify discrepancies. If there are significant discrepancies, curriculum within
the agriculture communications course will be created in order to develop desired skills
so students are better prepared to enter the workforce. Current curriculum designed to
cultivate soft skills of students will be reinforced to continue to develop the
employability skill set of high school agriculture students.
Significance of the Project
The need to improve the employability skill set of high school students has
been a constant concern of educators. Students are expected to develop their “hard”
technical skills as well as the “soft” people skills necessary to be successful in the
workplace (Shivpuri & Kim, 2004). Secondary educators have difficulties preparing
graduates with these “soft” skills because of the strong focus on academic learning and
success. The “hard” technical skills are job specific and best taught by industry
professionals on the job. Employers are usually willing to provide the specialized, job-
specific training necessary for their employees (Robinson, 2000). However, many work
environments require work that goes beyond the step-by-step task performance to
perform tasks such as problem solving, thinking creatively to solve problems, and
4
working effectively with coworkers (Overtoom, 2000). The development of these “soft”
skills is needed by all high school graduates and can be effectively incorporated into high
school curriculum (Hill & Petty, 1995). These skills allow high school students to
differentiate themselves and offer a wider skill set to their employers. While many
attempts have been made to identify the employability skills students need to enter the
workforce, few studies have looked specifically at agriculture employers and high school
agriculture students. There is a need to recognize which employability skills are sought
by agriculture employers in the industry.
This project is designed to assess the need for “soft” skill development by
directly approaching the agriculture-related employers to determine what they believe
are the most important skills for entry-level employees to possess. Whether students
are preparing for college or a career, employability skills are easily transferrable
throughout the students’ professional experiences. Part of the role as an educator is to
ensure that students are prepared for these experiences. This research project will be
significant for both agriculture programs in Nevada County as it will provide the
agriculture instructors a better perspective of industry needs from future employees
and how students can be better prepared to enter the workforce.
Limitations of the Project
Challenges to the project are most notably time and amount of agriculture-
related employers. In 2012, Nevada County ranked 54th out of 58 counties in the state of
California for agriculture production, with a total production value of $18,173,000
5
(“California Agricultural Statistics,” 2013). Although Nevada County is a heavily rural
community, the top commodities in the area are cattle, wine grapes, and pasture. The
diversity of agriculture-related businesses in the county is very limited. Time was also a
limiting factor because of the conflict between school duty hours and the operating
hours of most of the employers in the county. Another limitation was that this survey is
limited to students enrolled in the agriculture communications courses at Bear River
High School and Nevada Union High School, and results cannot be generalized beyond
this population.
6
Definitions of Terms
Employability Skills
A set of broad skills that are regarded by employers as very important; basic
skills necessary for getting, keeping, and doing well on a job (Wibrow, 2001; Robinson
2000).
Soft Skills
Interpersonal qualities and personal attributes such as communication,
responsibility, social skills, positive attitude, flexibility, teamwork, and work ethic
(Robles, 2012).
Hard Skills
Technical expertise and knowledge needed for a job (Robles, 2012)
7
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Identifying Employability Skills
Employability skills enable individuals to prove their value to an organization
and act as a key to job survival (Overtoom, 2000). Substantial research has been
conducted on the importance of soft skills in the workforce. Many of the studies
addressed high school and college graduates and share similar findings. One study found
that 75% of long-term job success depends on people skills, while only 25% is
dependent upon technical knowledge (Klaus, 2010). As industries change, employers
seek employees who are adaptable and have skills beyond technical knowledge
(Wibrow, 2011; Deloza, 2013). Other studies report that employers rate soft skills as
number one in importance for entry-level success on the job (Wilhelm, 2004; Burton,
Chavez & Kokaska, 1987). Soft skills are a mandatory requirement to ensure long-term
employment and a satisfactory career (Coscia, 2013). As today’s workplace comprises of
a wide variety of cultures, generations, and nationalities, the need for employees who
can efficiently work with others has never been greater (Jackson, 2013). Employers need
reliable, responsible workers who have the employability skills that help them fit into
and remain in the work environment (Robinson, 2000). In terms of qualities needed
today, self-motivation, discipline, and effective communication skills were most
8
recommended by employers, followed by learning agility, self-awareness and
adaptability (Van Velsor & Wright, 2013). Robles (2012) identified the top 10 soft skills
perceived as the most important by industry executives. These skills include integrity,
communication, courtesy, responsibility, social skills, positive attitude, professionalism,
flexibility, teamwork, and work ethic (Robles, 2012). Another study reported that
employers desired workers to be competent n four areas: managing self;
communicating; managing people and tasks; and mobilizing innovation and change
(Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann, 2002). The qualities respondents listed as important for 10
years from now include adaptability, versatility, effective communication, learning
agility and self-motivation and discipline (Van Velsor & Wright, 2013).
Employability skills, while categorized in different ways, are generally divided
into three skill sets: basic academic skills; higher-order thinking skills; and personal
qualities (Robinson, 2000). The three skills sets can be broken down into more detailed
skills sets (See Figure 1). Team working and communication are consistently identified as
among the most highly desired skills by employers (Jackson, 2013). It is difficult to utilize
employees effectively who lack personal skills, as they are necessary for viewing their
role as part of a team and aide in the willingness to work within the culture of a group
(Robinson, 2000). These skills combine to compile an essential skill inventory in work-
ready graduates, regardless of their plans after graduation.
9
Figure 1: List of Employability Skills Included Within Each Skill Set
Adapted From: Robinson, 2000
Employer Desire for Employability Skills
Technical skills, or hard skills, were historically the only skills necessary for
career employment. However technical skills are not enough to maintain employment in
today’s workplace (Robles, 2012). Two of the greatest concerns expressed by employers
included acquiring and training good workers (Robinson, 2000). Because soft skills are
important for productive performance in today’s workplace, there is an extreme
emphasis placed on the development of soft skills (Robles, 2012; Slusher, Robinson &
Edwards, 2010). Although employers can train employees for specific skills related to
the job, many of the soft, employability skills must be acquired at another time.
Employers are willing to train the specialized, job-specific training necessary, but require
workers to continuously develop skills beyond those required for a specific job
(Overtoom, 2000; Robinson, 2000). Certain types of employability skills are considerably
Personal Qualities
Responsible Self
Confidence Self Control Social Skills Honesty Integrity Adaptability Flexibility Team Work
Punctual and Efficient
Higher Order Thinking Skills
Learning Reasoning Thinking
Creatively Decision Making Problem Solving
Basic Academic Skills
Reading Writing Science Math Oral
Comminication Listening
10
more likely to be acquired in some settings than in others (Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann,
2002). Changing economies and rapid technology advancement have redesigned today’s
workplace into an innovative work environment, or a high-performance workplace
(Overtoom, 2000). This environment requires a behavior towards work that goes
beyond the step-by-step task performance. This lack of preparedness is not just within
one industry or one region, but it has been documented across all regions of the country
and across numerous industries and job vocations (Buhler, 2012). The research
concludes that while university graduates have good technical or specific skills, they
frequently lack general employability skills (Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann, 2002).
The skills that employers typically indicate they seek are not the same as the
skills that students believe employers desire (Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann, 2002). Employers
seek workers who can communicate, demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviors,
responsibility, adaptability, and people who can work with others (McLaughlin, 1995).
For many entry-level jobs open to high school graduates, employers emphasize “good
work attitudes” rather than specific job-relevant skills (Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann, 2002).
“Employers place a high value on employees who work well as team members, who
respect the gender, cultural and ethnic differences among colleagues, who arrive at
work on time, who have good work habits and take pride in their work” (DeLeon, 1998,
p. 19). Communication skills is an area in which entry-level employees do best, although
some have difficulty following the intent of oral instructions and using appropriate
vocabulary and grammar (Ascher, 1988). With interpersonal skills, workers have the
11
most difficulty asking for clarification and accepting constructive criticism (Ascher,
1988). Often employees exhibit the contradictory problem of not taking sufficient
initiative at the same time as inappropriately assuming responsibility (Ascher, 1988).
High school graduates should enter the workplace with the academic and vocational
skills that afford employment and sustain their longevity as “productive members in
today’s complex work environment” (DeLeon, 1998, p. 2). “The message is clear:
technical skills are simply no longer sufficient for success in the workplace” (Buhler,
2012, p. 24).
Employability Skill Development in the Classroom
Although there is a widespread drive to develop employability skills of
students, there are still gaps between graduate workplace performance and employer
expectations (Jackson, 2013; Buhler, 2012). Many students leave education without the
requisite skills to succeed in the adult work world (Zisner, 2003). Many young people are
deficient in employability skills, mainly because schools do not sufficiently emphasize
such skills and students lack awareness of the skills needed in the work world (Krahn,
Lowe & Lehmann, 2002). In more recent years, high schools report students are having
more difficulty surviving professionally after they graduate, regardless of whether they
go to a college or directly into a career. Zinser (2003) found that high schools are doing a
poor job of developing the career and employability skills of the students, therefore
hindering their success in the adult work world. A majority of high school students leave
school without a solid base of academic and employability skills that will enable them to
12
succeed in a career or in college (Overtoom, 2000). Employers focus on personal traits
and social skills, qualities that the Committee of Economic Development has termed
part of the “invisible curriculum” of schools (Ascher, 1988). Higher-order cognitive
abilities, like analyzing and problem solving, are considered important outcomes of
participation in the secondary and postsecondary education systems, but little progress
has been made in developing valid, reliable measures of these abilities (Krahn, Lowe &
Lehmann, 2002). Employability skills cannot just be taught within classroom walls.
“When schools tolerate absenteeism, truancy, tardiness, sloppy work, and misbehavior,
they are not helping students establish necessary work habits” (Ascher, 1988, p. 3).
Employers across the developed economies advocate that education providers help
prepare graduates for the workplace (Jackson, 2013). There is a widespread need for
students to gather employability skills in order to differentiate themselves from others
when entering the job market.
Employers recommend that secondary and postsecondary education
programs be revamped to better prepare students with the requisite skills for an ever-
changing workplace (Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann, 2002). In the past, learning employability
skills in the classroom was primarily associated with vocational courses and was not
seen as important in more academic-based instruction (McLarty, 1995). In recent years,
vocational programs have transitioned into Career Technical Education (CTE) programs,
comprised of several industry-related pathways include agriculture. For the last several
decades, more than 90 % of public high school graduates have earned at least some CTE
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credits in high school (“Postsecondary and labor,” 2011). Many students choose to
enroll in CTE programs because of the connection to their future career aspirations
(Slusher, Robinson & Edwards, 2010). There are currently 313 agriculture programs in
high schools across the state California with 71, 156 students enrolled ("California
agricultural education," 2013). Data published by the U.S. Department of Education
(2011) reported that of students taking courses related to the Agriculture CTE pathway,
38.3% enrolled in a post-secondary institution within the first two years after graduating
from high school, and 75% of students were working full time within the first two years
after high school graduation. The data also reported that 16.4% of the students who had
taken agriculture courses in high school were majoring in something related to
agriculture at the post-secondary level or were currently employed within a sector of
the agriculture industry (“Postsecondary and labor,” 2011). Several studies have
examined career technical education (CTE) and its role in the employment of graduates
(Coscia, 2013; Robinson, 2006; Slusher, Robinson & Edwards, 2010). Conroy (1998)
suggested that CTE courses be “integrated into the total education program in order to
provide a broad-based exposure to the world of work through experiential learning”
(p.9). Unfortunately, high school CTE courses have been relegated to “elective” status
and, as a result, have been “pushed out of the school” (Deloza, 2013, p. 9). Schools are
doing students a disservice by not offering opportunities, like CTE, to arm them with
practical skills that translate into well-paying jobs (Deloza, 2013). As demand for a high-
skill workforce has increased, reforms have focused on changing high school CTE from
14
an alternative to the college preparatory curriculum to an educational pathway for all
students that connects high schools, colleges, and the workforce (“Postsecondary and
labor,” 2011). Taking a more practical, real-world approach to career preparation seems
to be the step towards which many educators are moving (Deloza, 2013).
The need to improve the employability skills of the workforce has been an
issue across all phase of education and steps have been taken to define and address key
skill areas needed for improvement, specifically at the secondary level (Slusher,
Robinson & Edwards, 2010). In 1991, the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving
Necessary Skills (SCANS) report was initiated to define the skills needed by high school
graduates in the workforce. The focus of the report was to determine how high schools
could best mirror the industry “in an effort to make the transition from school-to-work
less difficult for secondary school graduates” (Secretary’s Commission, 1991, p. 3). A
related document from SCANS (1991), titled “Learning a Living,” suggested the best way
to ensure students have acquired employability skills is for teachers to teach “in
context” by linking the skills needed in industry to specific objectives within the
curriculum (Secretary’s Commission, 1991). Educators are beginning to see the need of
employability skill development in the classroom and have created the Common Core
State Standards (CCSS) with the hopes that it will develop the soft skills of students. One
of the goals of the CCSS was to break down the gap between academics and career
education (Deloza, 2013). The CCSS mission statement declares “the standards are
designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills
15
that our young people need for success in college and careers” (Deloza, 2013, p. 8).
Hopefully, with the implementation of Common Core State Standards, teachers may be
able to incorporate more employability skills, with emphasis on critical thinking, into the
existing curriculum.
Employability skills can be taught in both school and employment settings
(Robinson, 2000). After consulting a panel of experts regarding employability skills in
secondary agriculture education, Slusher (2010) recommended that secondary
agricultural education instructors integrate non-technical employability skills into
existing curriculum whenever appropriate to increase human capital holding value
related to the entry-level employment of high school graduates. There are three
important issues to consider when analyzing methods of teaching employability skills,
including: how well they are understood by teachers; the impact this has on students;
and whether there is a role for employers (Wibrow, 2011). In order for students to learn
and develop those skills, teachers must first understand those skills so that they can
best implement them into the classroom (Zinser, 2003). A knowledge and understanding
of employability skills is not complete without knowing how to assess employability
skills (“Assessing employability skills,” 1997). Interpersonal skills should be the
foundation which curriculum is developed and delivered in the classroom, which
presents a challenge to educators and curriculum developers (DeLeon, 1998). The skills
must be teachable in a school setting in order for teacher to develop those skills within
the students (McLarty, 1995). It is important to get student to start thinking about
16
careers at an early age, while also having an honest discussions about viable career
options (DeLoza, 2013). Student perceptions and “buy-in” to employability skill
development is also an important factor in soft skill development. Students must have a
clear understanding of the value of the presented material and appreciate the
importance of those skills in enhancing their employment prospects (Jackson, 2013).
Skills cannot be taught in the traditional modes of textbooks and lectures, but can only
be learned in the context of ‘doing’ (DeLeon, 1998). When possible, classrooms should
replicate the features of real work settings and teachers should set and communicate
high expectations and hold students responsible for their behavior (Robinson, 2000).
Attention to assignments that build learning agility and adaptability, and ensuring young
people are exposed to multicultural and collaborative work tasks as part of, or as a
supplement to, their normal job assignments can aide in developing needed soft skills
(Van Velsor & Wright, 2013). Working together in the classroom will give students
opportunities to enhance their ability to cross boundaries, learn from differences and
increase their openness to the views and needs of others (Van Velsor & Wright, 2013).
One way to assist in the development of employability skills in the classroom
is to have teachers partner with business to improve the preparedness of the workforce
(Buhler, 2012). While business can provide insights into the required sill sets, they can
also provide opportunities for students to get practical experience in the form of
internships, job shadowing programs, guest speaker spots, involvement in student
organizations, and advisory boards (Buhler, 2012). While schools should certainly
17
continue to develop higher order academic skills in all students, they should also ensure
that students learn all the basic social and academic skills needed for an entry-level job
(Ascher, 1988). “Without the voice of business, education may continue to prepare
students with an outdated (and ineffective) skill set” (Buhler, 2012, p. 24).
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
The design of this study was survey research in which data was collected
from groups of people by way of questionnaires. The population for this study included
high school agriculture students in the agriculture communications course at Bear River
High School and Nevada Union High School, and agriculture-related employers in
Nevada County. Agriculture communications was selected because it is an agriculture
elective course for upperclassmen that focuses on the development of leadership,
public speaking, career development, activity planning, and agriculture industry
knowledge. The course easily lends itself to the incorporation of employability skill
development. Employers were chosen based on the agriculture aspect of their business
and being located in Nevada County. Nevada County is primarily a rural community and
many individuals who attend high school in the county will return to work and raise
families. Because of the strong influence of local employers within the community, it
was important to include the input of those businesses when determining the
importance of employability skills among high school students.
A survey (See Appendix A) was developed by the researcher to assess the
perceived importance of thirty employability skills. The survey instrument was adapted
19
from an existing, longer instrument used in a similar study (Robinson, 2006).
The survey used in this research consisted of measuring the self-perceived importance
of 30 employability skills on a five-point response scale. The response choices were: 0 –
no importance, 1 – minor importance, 2 – moderate importance, 3 – major importance,
N/A – not applicable. The importance ratings were analyzed using a Likert scale. The
mean scores, standard deviations, and range of the responses were calculated for each
employability skills for the student and employer responses, respectively.
Twenty-five assessments were delivered to employers with sixteen
completed and returned for a response rate of 64% (n=16). Employer surveys were
hand-delivered with a stamped envelope addressed to the researcher. This allowed
participants the opportunity to complete the survey assessment at their own discretion.
Forty total high school students completed surveys; 18 from the Ag Communications
course at Bear River High School, and 22 from the agriculture communications class at
Nevada Union High School (n=40). Student instruments were conducted during class.
20
CHAPTER IV
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results
When examining the student survey results (see Table 1), two skills were
ranked the highest in terms of importance: using time efficiently (M=2.8) and meeting
deadlines (M=2.85). In the employer survey results (See Table 2), the highest ranking
skills were establishing good rapport with co-workers (M=2.9375) and maintaining a
positive attitude (M=2.9375).
When comparing the student results to the employee results, there were
eight skills whose mean scores differed more than 0.40. For three of those skills,
students ranked them higher than employers. These skills were: Sharing ideas verbally
to groups (M=2.275), making effective business presentations (M=2.35), and evaluating
long-term effects of decisions (M=2.275). For the remaining five skills, employers ranked
higher in importance than the students: Monitoring progress against the plan
(M=2.0625), managing several tasks at once (M=2.25), working well with other
employees (M=2.875), establishing rapport with co-workers (M=2.9375), maintaining a
positive attitude (M=2.9375) (See Table 2). Other employability skills that were surveyed
had mean scores that were very consistent, meaning that the given rankings among the
survey completers were very similar.
21
Discussion
When examining the data, it is clear how similarly ranked many of the skills
appeared to be when comparing the average ranking of each skill between the students
(See Table 1) and employers (See Table 2). It was interesting to see how the student and
employer rankings differed. Students, for the most part, have a very good idea as to the
importance of certain skills in the workforce. There were some skills that students rated
as more important than the employers, including making effective business
presentations (M = 2.35) and sharing ideas verbally to groups (M = 2.28). Overall,
students ranked using time efficiently (M = 2.8) and meeting deadlines (M = 2.85) as the
two top skills. Conveniently, these are skills that they need and heavily use while in high
school in order to meet assignment deadlines and balance busy schedules, such as
sports practices and work shifts. For employers, their top ranking skills were related to
having a positive attitude and working with others. Again, these are skills that the
students can develop as they continue throughout high school and can be enhanced
with effective curriculum. It is interesting to note that when comparing the top rated
skills between students and employers, students perceived time management was most
important, whereas employers felt that personal relations were more important based
on the overall perceived importance rankings.
Many of the employer rankings differed, which may have depended on the
specific industry sector that the employer was representing. For example, certain skills
22
at a welding fabrication shop would be more important than at a farm credit office.
When developing the skills used in the survey, skills were chosen based on their
applicability to most agriculture industry sectors in Nevada County. But the
discrepancies in some of the rankings are most likely due to different job environments
and skills needed in the respective agriculture career industry sectors.
23
Table 1: Summated Survey Results for Importance of Employability Skills, as Perceived by Students (n = 40)
Skill M SD Range
Identifying Problems 2.50 0.59 1 - 3 Solving Problems 2.67 0.52 1 - 3 Contributing to group problem solving 2.05 0.63 1 - 3 Monitoring progress against the plan 1.62 0.80 1 - 3 Setting problems 2.50 0.67 0 - 3 Using time efficiently 2.80 0.40 2 - 3 Managing/overseeing several tasks at once 1.82 0.63 0 - 3 Meeting deadlines 2.85 0.36 2 - 3 Taking Reasonable job-related risks 1.90 0.74 0 - 3 Identifying alternative ways to meet objectives 2.05 0.63 0 - 3 Communicating information one-to-one 2.27 0.84 0 - 3 Sharing ideas verbally to groups 2.27 0.71 1 - 3 Making effective business presentations 2.35 0.69 0 - 3 Making impromptu presentations 1.62 0.89 0 - 3 Using proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation 2.10 0.87 0 - 3 Listening carefully 2.67 0.52 1 – 3 Working well with other employees 2.47 0.59 1 – 3 Establishing good rapport with co-workers 2.15 0.76 0 – 3 Adapting to changing situations 2.47 0.59 1 – 3 Modifying to enhance productivity 2.45 0.59 1 – 3 Keeping up-to-date with trends related to your company’s success 1.92 0.99 0 – 3 Combining relevant information form a number of sources 2.05 0.71 0 – 3 Keeping up-to-date on developments in the field 2.17 0.81 0 – 3 Responding positively to constructive criticism 2.40 0.70 1 – 3 Maintaining a positive attitude 2.50 0.71 0 – 3 Functioning well in stressful situations 2.72 0.45 2 – 3 Ability to work independently 2.47 0.71 0 – 3 Evaluating long-term effects of decisions 2.27 0.67 1 – 3 Making decisions in a sort time period 2.30 0.56 1 – 3
Establishing critical events to be completed 2.35 0.74 0 – 3 Note: Scale: 0 = no importance, 1 = minor importance, 2 = moderate importance, 3 = major importance, N/A = not applicable.
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Table 2: Summated Survey Results for Importance of Employability Skills, as Perceived by
Employers (n = 16)
Skill M SD Range
Identifying Problems 2.65 0.50 2 – 3 Solving Problems 2.56 0.62 1 – 3 Contributing to group problem solving 2.31 0.79 1 – 3 Monitoring progress against the plan 2.06 0.77 0 – 3 Setting problems 2.62 0.88 0 – 3 Using time efficiently 2.75 0.57 1 – 3 Managing/overseeing several tasks at once 2.25 0.85 0 – 3 Meeting deadlines 2.68 0.60 1 – 3 Taking Reasonable job-related risks 1.81 0.83 0 – 3 Identifying alternative ways to meet objectives 2.12 0.95 0 – 3 Communicating information one-to-one 2.50 0.95 0 – 3 Sharing ideas verbally to groups 1.75 0.77 1 – 3 Making effective business presentations 1.37 1.02 0 – 3 Making impromptu presentations 1.25 0.93 0 – 3 Using proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation 2.37 0.95 0 – 3 Listening carefully 2.62 0.50 2 – 3 Working well with other employees 2.87 0.34 2 – 3 Establishing good rapport with co-workers 2.93 0.25 2 – 3 Adapting to changing situations 2.81 0.40 2 – 3 Modifying to enhance productivity 2.56 0.62 1 – 3 Keeping up-to-date with trends related to your company’s success 2.00 1.03 0 – 3 Combining relevant information form a number of sources 1.87 0.88 0 – 3 Keeping up-to-date on developments in the field 1.87 1.08 0 – 3 Responding positively to constructive criticism 2.68 0.60 1 – 3 Maintaining a positive attitude 2.93 0.25 2 – 3 Functioning well in stressful situations 2.75 0.57 1 – 3 Ability to work independently 2.62 0.80 0 – 3 Evaluating long-term effects of decisions 1.87 0.80 0 – 3 Making decisions in a sort time period 2.12 0.88 0 – 3 Establishing critical events to be completed 2.06 0.92 0 – 3
Note: Scale: 0 = no importance, 1 = minor importance, 2 = moderate importance, 3 = major importance, N/A = not applicable.
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The study was conducted to assess the perceptions of the importance of
entry-level employability skills needed in the workforce and consisted of a survey
instrument. The study sought to determine high school students’ perceptions of the
importance of the employability skills and determine agriculture-related employers’
perceptions of the importance of the employability skills. According to students and
employers, all 30 skills were deemed at least moderately important for success in the
workplace. Students perceived the most important skills to consist of time management
and functioning well in stressful situations, while the least important skills pertained to
making impromptu presentations and monitoring progress against the plan. Of the 30
skills, employers perceived maintaining a positive attitude and establishing good rapport
with co-workers as the most important, while making impromptu presentations was one
of the least important skills needed.
Conclusions
The survey assessment results successfully provided information to assist
agriculture educators determine employment skills to be taught within class that would
26
meet the local agriculture-industry expectations. Based on the collected data,
employers deemed skills related to personal attitude and professional relations as the
most importance. Unfortunately, the survey only collected data on what the students
felt was most important, not their actual level of proficiency in those selected skills.
Regardless, all of the skills would benefit the students in their future endeavors and
could easily be incorporated into the agriculture communications curriculum.
For example, the use of group projects and assignments will allow students
to develop their ability to work as a team and share ideas in a group-setting. Students
that are provided with inquiry-based assignments and assessments can develop their
problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Accomplishing projects during class time
allows students to learn how to use their time efficiently in order to meet deadlines.
Teachers may also set clear expectations for their students in order to successfully
develop their skills while in the classroom. The skills used in the survey could easily be
incorporated throughout high school classes, therefore providing the most
opportunities to improve skills so they will be successful when they enter the workforce.
Within an agriculture course, educators have the opportunity to develop both technical
skills and soft skills of the students. Students who possess both skills sets will be better
prepared for a career, and will be able to differentiate themselves from others in order
to be more preferred employees because of their advanced soft skill development. In an
ag communications course, employability skill development could be easily be
implemented within the agriculture careers unit, agriculture issues unit, public speaking
27
unit, and leadership development units. Within these units, activities and projects lend
themselves to utilize soft skills including working with a team, being able to manage
time and deadlines and deadlines, and maintaining a positive and productive attitude.
Employability skill development could be easily put into practice in the classroom.
Recommendations
If possible, the results would have benefitted if more employers would have
responded to the survey. With more employer responses, the results may have shown
more significance with more data from those surveys. Unfortunately, due to the
minimal agriculture-related employers in Nevada County, the investigation was
somewhat land-locked. It would be interesting to determine if differences would be
observed given a broader survey area that was expanded outside of Nevada County.
Additionally, difference may differ in a county with a wider range of agriculture. Results
may differ in the San Joaquin Valley or the South Coast area of California. It would also
be interesting to conduct a similar study, but divide the results based on the agriculture
industry sector, such as surveying ag mechanics-related businesses and ag mechanics
students. The importance of certain employability skills may differ depending on the
necessary skill set needed within a specific industry sector. The implementation of
Common Core Standards greatly lends itself to the development of employability skills
in the classroom, so it would be beneficial to assess which employability skills are most
necessary for the workforce so as to better prepare agriculture students across the state
of California.
28
The results collected from this study successfully identified skills most
important in the workforce. Agricultural educators in Nevada Union county can use the
results to illustrate the importance of employability skill development when discussing
methods to best prepare students future endeavors. Incorporating employability skill
development into the curriculum, students will be better able to demonstrate the skills
most desired by employers.
REFERENCES
30
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APPENDICES
35
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: Survey Instrument
36
APPENDIX B. Employer Letter
September 3, 2013
Dear Nevada County Employer,
The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in an important study to
assess the employability skills that Nevada Union High School students need to possess
to be successful in the workforce. You have been selected to participate in this study as it
focuses specifically on agriculture students and employers in Nevada County.
Your participation in this study in completely voluntary; however I would
appreciate you taking a few moments to complete the enclosed questionnaire and return
it in the pre-addressed stamped envelope that has been provided. While you are not
obligated to participate in this study, your responses are very important as we consider
modifying curriculum to address the needs of our current and future students. The
findings from this study will be used to enhance the curriculum taught in the high school
agriculture departments in an effort to better prepare tomorrow’s graduates for
employment.
Please take a few moments to complete the survey and return it no later than
Friday, October 4th. Should you have any questions concerning this letter and/or study,
please do not hesitate to contact me via email at [email protected].
Thank you for your assistance and participation in this study! I look forward to
receiving your response!
Respectfully,
Clarissa Rowley
Agriculture Department
Nevada Union High School
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APPENDIX C: Employer Thank You Letter
October 25, 2013
Dear Employer,
Thank you for participating in the Employability Skills study by responding to a
questionnaire that you received. I truly appreciate the time taken to evaluate a wide range of
skills that you deem most important for our agriculture graduates in the workforce. The goal is
to fully understand the needs of our students to prepare them for their future careers. The
results of this study will be extremely useful in modifying the curriculum used in the agriculture
classes at both high schools in Nevada County. We will examine the results to enhance the
curriculum taught in the high school agriculture departments in an effort to better prepare
tomorrow’s graduates for employment.
As a relatively new member of this community, I am always humbled by the tremendous
amount of community support that surrounds the students at the high school, especially the
agriculture program. Once again I thank you for your assistance and participation in the study
as well as your interest in the academic preparation of high school graduates in the agriculture
program.
Respectfully,
Clarissa Rowley
Agriculture Department
Nevada Union High School