The employability skills of analytical chemistry graduates from an institution of higher learning: An investigation of their relevance to potential employers in the Western Cape

Abstract

The shift in the employability skills required by employers has meant that, over and above their qualifications, graduates now need to have a set of specific skills that will enable them to be productive in the workplace. The basis for this study stems from the hypothesis that the intense competition for employment among graduates has meant that prospective employers now have a say in the attributes that are needed for potential employment. It is now no longer adequate for graduates to have a qualification, but to have, over and above the degree, specific employability skills that will enable them to be productive in the workplace. This study investigates the employability skills of analytical chemistry graduates at a university of technology for potential employers in the Western Cape. This was determined through a mixed-method approach, using both qualitative and quantitative research, and conducted amongst employers of analytical chemistry graduates in the chemical, cosmetic, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. In order to investigate the relevance of the employability skills, the following questions were asked: a. What skills are employers of new analytical chemistry graduates looking for in potential employees? b. What are the skills that past and current employers of analytical chemistry students, and graduates from the university of technology under investigation, have identified as important in these students and graduates? c. Is there congruence between the skills required by potential employers and those demonstrated by analytical chemistry graduates from the university of technology under investigation? This study was the basis for a potential further investigation into the development of a curriculum that will enable students to acquire the skills required by industry.