A Study on The Connection A Study on The Connection Between the UOW Graduate Between the UOW Graduate

Attributes and Graduate Attributes and Graduate EmployabilityEmployability

Graduate Attributes Challenge

2004

Sali El-TorgomanTony LarchezLianne Moller

OutlineOutline

ObjectiveObjective StrategyStrategy CompaniesCompanies ResultsResults ConclusionConclusion

UOW Graduate Electrical Engineers

Objective & ChallengeObjective & Challenge

To understand and quantify the link between:

The attributes UOW electrical engineering graduate students have The needs and selection criteria of the companies hiring electrical engineers

Employers

9 Attributes list

Strategy – Survey designStrategy – Survey design

ClarityClarity Brief & focusedBrief & focused ConsistencyConsistency Yielding pertinent & Yielding pertinent &

quantifiable resultsquantifiable results

1.1. 2.2.

3.3.

4.4.

Company context The concept of an ideal engineer

Ideas for Improvements

The 9 UOW attributes relevance

Strategy – Survey Strategy – Survey structurestructure

Engineers hired/year Engineers hired/year Type of engineersType of engineers Training typeTraining type ……

Company context The concept of an ideal engineer

Ideas for Improvements

The 9 UOW attributes relevance

Understand the relevance of Understand the relevance of graduate engineer to the companygraduate engineer to the company

The 9 UOW attributes relevance

The concept of an ideal engineer

Build your ideal Build your ideal engineer!engineer!

Unbiased resultsUnbiased results Spontaneous answerSpontaneous answer

Strategy – Survey Strategy – Survey structurestructure

Analytical &

TechnicalCore

Commonsense

SelfConfidence

Curious

Sense of Improvement

Ethical

Interpersonal Skills

Team Work

Time Management

Innovative

Prac

tical

Company context

Ideas for Improvements

Strategy – Survey Strategy – Survey structurestructure

Company context

The concept of an ideal engineer

Ideas for Improvements

The 9 UOW attributes relevance

Strategy – Survey Strategy – Survey structurestructure

Company context

The concept of an ideal engineer

Ideas for Improvements

The 9 UOW attributes relevance

How can graduate engineers be improved for you?

Could you suggest another attribute? In your opinion how relevant are the UOW

graduate attributes to your organization?

Employers particularly appreciated this initiative

CompaniesCompanies

Diverse engineering fields

Consultant, power engineers…

Local & International

Related to UOW- Illawarra

CompaniesCompanies

ResultsResults

Employers Say: Engineers Desired Attributes

Analytical Skills

Innovation

team work

other

Com. Skills

Customer Service

Time Mngt

•Analytical Skills•Communication skills•Time Management•Innovation•Customer Service•Literacy•Leadership•Interpersonal Skills•Knowledge•Initiative

ResultsResults

Students Say: Engineers Desired Attributes

Analytical Skills

Com. SkillsTime Mngt

Team Work

Other

Interper-sonnal Skills

Communication SkillsAnalytical SkillsInterpersonal SkillsTime ManagementTeam WorkInnovationLiteracyIndependenceEthicsCuriosityConfidenceSense of Improvement

ResultsResults

Relative importance of the Graduate Attributes

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

9.Responsibility Accountability

8.Innovative Progress

7.Research Computer Literacy

6.Diversity and Interpersonal

5.Decisive Analytical

4.Team Work

3.Self-Confidence Communication

2.Knowledge of Discipline

1.Learning

Percentage Importance

Employers

Students

Teamwork Research and computer literacy skills Self confidence in communication

ConclusionsConclusions

Being more proactiveBeing more proactive Customer orientedCustomer oriented Stress managementStress management Time managementTime management ImprovementsImprovements

Hands on Hands on experienceexperience

The 10th attribute!The 10th attribute!