Wanyu Wang1* , Muhammad Hussin2 , Mohamad Zuber Abd. Majid3
1Universiti Kebangssan Malaysia/Baicheng Normal University.
2,3Affiliation: Universiti Kebangssan Malaysia.
Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 16, Issue 2, 2024. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v16n2.14g
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Abstract
The issue of employment for university students is receiving significant attention in China, leading to educational reforms aimed at enhancing students’ employment skills and prospects. One such initiative is the “3+1” higher education programs, characterized by work-based learning. However, the effectiveness of this initiative falls short of expectations due to insufficient understanding of the up-to-date employment skills required by the industry. As such, this qualitative study explored stakeholders’ perceptions regarding the employment skills needed by students enrolled in “3+1” programs. Key challenges and strategies associated with developing students ‘ employment skills were identified through interviews with students, teachers, curriculum planners, industry leaders, and human resource professionals. Findings revealed a consensus among stakeholders on the importance of developing a holistic skill set, acquiring practical experience, increasing adaptability and resilience, embracing lifelong learning, and improving communication skills. Challenges included mismatches between academic learning and industry demands, limited industry exposure, soft skill deficiency, inadequate assessment, insufficient university-industry cooperation, and students’ low motivation, for which corresponding strategies were proposed. This study provides valuable insights into enhancing the employability of “3+1” graduates, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive education aligned with industry needs.
Keywords: Employment skills, higher education, “3+1” programs, stakeholders, China.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding: No funding was received for this research. Article History:Received: 16 March 2024. Revised: 05 June 2024. Accepted: 06 June 2024. First published: 07 June 2024. Copyright: © 2024 by the author/s. License: License Aesthetix Media Services, India. Distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Published by: Aesthetix Media Services, India Citation: Wang, W. & Hussin, M. & Majid, M. Z. A. (2024). Employment Skills Revisited: A Qualitative Exploration of Multi-Stakeholder Perspective in China’s “3+1” Higher Education Context. Rupkatha Journal 16:2. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v16n2.14g |