Uncovering university students’ readiness through their assessment of workplace communication skills

Abstract

Employers in today’s competitive and challenging global world prefer employees who possess “soft skills” in addition to “hard skills” because they make an impact and create a good impression in the workplace. This study examined employment readiness of the University of Botswana (UB) students who took the Advanced Communication Skills (GEC 213) course in 2013. It also explored their perceptions on the importance of these skills. A triangulation approach was used involving a survey and interview to explore issues pertinent to the study questions. Ninety (90) students enrolled for the GEC 213 course completed a questionnaire and six (6) were interviewed face to face. The study found that the students regarded the skills taught in GEC 213 as very important and that more students should be enrolled in this course. The study suggests the infusion of these skills in other courses in the University, and that workshops should be conducted for all the other teaching staff on how to infuse communication and other soft skills in their courses. The study therefore recommends more research to get the views of employers regarding the readiness of the UB graduates for employment and for using soft skills. It also recommends a study comparing the perceptions of the employees with those of the University of Botswana students with regard to the students’ readiness for employment.