mohamad sattar rasul, norhayati yahaya, , ruhizan mohamad...

THE GRADUATES EMPLOYABILITY STATUS OF THE NATIONAL DUAL TRAINING SYSTEM

Mohamad Sattar Rasul, Norhayati Yahaya, , Ruhizan Mohamad Yasin

Faculty of Education, National University of Malaysia

Bangi, Selangor, 43600 Malaysia

Corresponding author: [email protected]

ABSTRACT To realize the vision of the economic transformation plan to achieve the status of a

high income nation by the year 2020, it is of utmost importance for the industry to get a supply of

skilled workers that are competent, proficient and responsive towards the swift transformations and

developments of technology. Hence, the National Dual Training System (NDTS) that was introduced

in the year 2005 plays a key role in producing skilled workers to meet the demands of the industry.

The study’s objective is to identify the employability level of NDTS graduates in the job market,

based on the perception of employers and the employees themselves. The main elements studied

include technical skills, job knowledge, attitude and social skills. The research applied the quantitative

and qualitative method. The respondents consisted of 315 employers and 372 NDTS graduates from

three key industrial sectors, Small Medium Enterprise (SME), Multinational Companies (MNC) and

Government-Linked Companies (GLC) in Malaysia. The data was collected through the distribution

of two (2) sets of questionnaire, which investigated the perception of employers and NDTS graduates.

To validate the reliability of the study instrument, a pilot study was carried out on 40 employers and

40 NDTC graduates, and the result showed a value of more than 0.6 of Cronbach Alpha (). In

general, the mean test results indicate that at 4.1036 (employers’ perception) and 4.3261 (employees’

perception), the attitude factor has the highest mean score compared to other factors of employability.

This shows that attitude plays an integral role in the aspect of employability of SLDN graduates, apart

from the other factors (technical knowledge, job knowledge, and social skills). The findings, based on

the level of perception illustrates that employers and workers have a very positive perception towards

factors that influence the employability of NDTS graduates in the industry based on the minimum

scores recorded.

Keywords Technical skills, work knowledge, employees’ attitude, social skills

mailto:[email protected]

INTRODUCTION

A skilled workforce is one important foundation in ensuring a smooth transformation and

development, which directly contributes towards a nation’s economic growth. In advanced,

developed nations like Japan, South Korea and German, skills training is a major contributor towards

the nations’ stellar economic success, as they are equipped with competent and competitive workers.

Therefore, Malaysia has taken drastic steps to implement the mission through the NDTS program in

the quest to produce skilled workers that could contribute towards the vision of achieving the status of

a developed nation. In 2005, the Department of Skills Development (JPK), Ministry of Human

Resources, was tasked with the responsibility to spearhead the programme. The concept of the system

involves a type of training that is held in two organizations – at the training centre, and the workplace,

that explains the ‘dual’ term used. Similar to other skills training concept, NDTS comprised of

practical and theoretical teaching and learning processes. The objective of the NDTS is to fortify the

nation’s training system in producing skilled and competent human resources that fulfil the

expectations of the industry.

Employability can be described as a quality that an individual has in accomplishing daily

tasks competently, and if the need arises, is capable of adjusting the tasks as required by changes

taking place within or outside the organization (Xiaoling & Long, 2011). For an individual,

employability encompasses the set of skills, knowledge, and attitude that are assets required by

prospective employers or current employers. Hillage & Pollard (1998) describe employability as one’s

ability to accomplish tasks, hold on to a job, and secure employment when needed. Quoting J. Willard

Marriot, Jr., the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Marriot International Inc. who says “To

succeed in today’s workplace, young people need more than basic reading and math skills. They need

substantial content knowledge and information technology skills; advanced thinking skills, flexibility

to adapt change; and interpersonal skills to succeed in multi-cultural, cross-functional teams”. This

outlines the notion that a worker does not just need job knowledge and skills, but social skills and

attitude are value-added skills necessary to succeed in the demanding workplace.

In the context of NDTS, employability is one of the components of skills and knowledge that

the trainees receive during training, both at the training centre and industry. However, based on

findings from a research conducted by JPK in 2010, it was found that there were a number of social

skills and social values that need to be incorporated into the training modules to enhance the

marketability of the graduates. The components of social skills and social values that an apprentice

with adept technical skills acquire, would allow him to retain his employment. In general,

employability skills would support a candidate’s capability to gain employment, and be self-sufficient,

especially in facing transitions at the workplace or even changes to one’s job scope as stipulated by

the labour market (Gonon et. al, 2010).

Since the time the study was carried out, until now, there had been no information or research

on the perception of employers on the employability level of NDTS graduates at the workplace.

Hence, the study was carried out to determine the status of NDTS graduates’ employability from the

perception of employers and the employees themselves, based on the four components – technical

skills, job knowledge, social skills, and attitude. The research is based on the evaluation of perception,

as it is a process that takes place internally, that aims to understand, interpret, and evaluate others that

are perceived based on his/her attitude, qualities or other internal circumstances that let others form

their viewpoint upon the person (Lindzey & Aronson, 1985). Meanwhile, the four components studied

were expected to enhance one’s employability in fulfilling the demands of the industry. The findings

of this study can be used as a point of reference by related agencies to reinforce the elements of

employability for NDTS graduates, increase their productivity and work quality, in line with the

prerequisites of employers and industry.

METHODOLOGY

The research applied the mixed method, using the qualitative and quantitative approaches through

semi-structured interviews and focused group discussion (FGD). The research involved two groups

of respondents – NDTS employers and employees, in the categories of HLCs, MNC and SME. The

sampling was cluster-based, as the Malaysian states were grouped into six (6) zones – northern zone,

southern zone, eastern zone, central zone, Sabah zone and Sarawak zone. The reliability for each item

of the questionnaire which used the Cronbach Alpha coefficients was tested based on the pilot study

carried out on 40 employers and employees that had similar attributes as the respondents used in the

actual study. The result of the pilot study all notched readings of the Cronbach Alpha value to be

above 0.6, meaning that it is within the range of high to very high reliability. The respondents were

randomly selected, based on records available at the JPK’s NDTS section. Researchers had decided

that the sample needed to be made up of 370 employees, and 291 employers, as the number was

sufficient to represent the total population of NDTS. To achieve the target, a total of 400 sets of

questionnaire were distributed to workers, while 350 sets of questionnaire were handed out to

employers, based on the ratio of the designated zone clusters. The raw data was then analyzed using

the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software, version 20.0 and NVivo version 9.0.

FINDINGS

Respondents’ Profile

Based on the qualitative study, from the 400 sets of questionnaire distributed in the 6 zones, the

response from NDTS workers is 93.0% (372 forms) while the response rate for employers is 90.0%,

or 315 forms were returned. The high percentage was achieved as the researchers collected the data

personally, hence face-to-face meetings were conducted with the respondents. The data collection

result is as shown in Table 1.0.

Table 1.0: Respondents’ Profile (Employers and Employees)

EMPLOYERS

EMPLOYEES

Frequency Percentage(%) Frequency Percentage (%)

Male 130 41.3

260 69.9

Female 185 58.7

112 30.1

TOTAL 315 100.0

372 100.0

Malay 176 55.9

234 62.9

Chinese 95 30.2

73 19.6

Indian 12 3.8

20 5.4

Others 32 10.2

45 12.1

TOTAL 315 100.0

372 100.0

Northern zone 41 13.0

70 18.8

Central Zone 123 39.0

201 54.0

Southern Zone 37 11.7

19 5.1

Eastern Zone 36 11.4

18 4.8

Sarawak Zone 45 14.3

23 6.2

Sabah Zone 33 10.5

41 11.0

TOTAL 315 100.0

372 100.0

SME 292 92.7

209 56.2

MNC 12 3.8

153 41.1

GLC 11 3.5

10 2.7

TOTAL 315 100.0

372 100.0 Source: Research Data 2012

Perception towards Employability

The analysis on employability comprised of four elements that are technical skills, job knowledge or

proficiency, attitude and social skills. The result analysis on the overall mean score, at 4.32302,

shows that the employers had a higher perception towards their employability compared to the

employers’ average mean score at 4.0740 (refer to Table 2.0). The following segment describes the

analyzed findings according to the construct and sub-construct in each element studied.

Table 2.0: Average Mean Score on Employability based on the Perception of NDTC

Employers and Employees

Statistics Average Mean Score– Employability

Employers’ Perception Employees’ Perception

N 313 370

Mean 4.0740 4.2302

Standard deviation .50382 .42521

Source: Research Data 2012

Technical Skills

To evaluate the level of technical skills of NDTS workers, eight sub-constructs were studied. The

average mean score of the employers’ perception on the technical skills of NDTS workers is 4.0796

(Table 3.0). On the other hand, the employees’ perception on the construct of technical skills shows

an average mean score of 4.2398. This shows that employers have a more positive outlook compared

to the employees.

Table 3.0: Average Mean Score of the Employees’ Technical Skills from the Perception of Employers

and Employees

Statistics Average Mean Score– Technical skills


N 313 369

Mean 4.0796 4.2398



The findings of the analysis on technical skills, based on the highest mean scores, indicates that most

NDTS employers for the sub-construct for the item NDTS workers ‘can handle work equipment’,

with 4.24 mean score value (Table 4.0). Employers also agree that the NDTS workers are capable of

adhering to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and apply their skills at the wokplace.

Table 4.0: Summary of Employers’s Perception towards NDTS Workers’ Technical Skills

based on Sub-constructs

Items assessed

based on Employers’

Perception

N

Percentage Level (%) Mean

Score

Standard

Deviation Strongly

Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree

Strongly

Agree

Can handle job equipment 313 0.0 1.3 5.4 61.3 31.9 4.24 .607

Can execute tasks according to

Standard Operating Procedures

(SOP)

313 0.0 1.6 6.7 61.0 30.7 4.21 .629

Can apply skills 313 0.0 1.9 5.4 66.1 26.5 4.17 .606

Has suitable skills 313 .3 1.0 8.6 61.3 28.8 4.17 .642

Can multi-task 313 .3 3.8 13.4 56.2 25.9 4.05 .791

Can execute tasks with minimal

supervision 313 0.0 3.2 9.3 67.1 20.4 4.05 .651

Can execute tasks without

training 311 .3 5.8 18.0 54.3 21.5 3.91 .806

Can execute tasks without extra

training 313 .6 6.4 19.2 55.9 17.9 3.84 .813


However, from the summary of the findings as illustrated in Table 5.0, the workers had their own

perception towards their skills, and most of them believed that their skills suited their current job, as

they could handle the tools competently and applied their skills appropriately.

Table 5.0: Summary of NDTS Graduates’ Perception towards

Their Technical Skills based on Sub-Construct

Items assessed

based on Employees’ Perception N

Percentage Level (%) Mean Score

Standard Deviation Strongly


Strongly

Agree

Can handle job equipment 368 .3 .5 4.1 55.4 39.7 4.34 .609

Can execute tasks according to

Standard Operating Procedures

(SOP) 368 .3 .3 5.2 54.6 39.7 4.33 .612

Can apply skills 368 0.0 0.0 5.2 58.4 36.4 4.31 .565

Has suitable skills 366 .3 .3 4.4 60.1 35.0 4.29 .587

Can multi-task 367 0.0 1.1 6.8 58.9 33.2 4.24 .622

Can execute tasks with minimal

supervision 368 0.0 2.7 8.2 60.1 29.1 4.15 .677

Can execute tasks without training 369 .5 4.6 13.0 56.4 25.5 4.02 .787

Can execute tasks without extra training

368 .3 .5 4.1 55.4 39.7 4.34 .609


To analyze the feedback based on the positive, neutral and negative scales, the analysis scale

was divided into three phases. The positive level was represented by scales 4 and 5 for Agree and

Strongly Agree, the neutral level was signified by scale 3, while the negative level was represented by

scales 1 and 2 for Strongly Disagree and Disagree. The overall summary will be further explained

according to the level of perception for each sub-construct based on every construct studied.

Based on the analysis of percentage (Table 6.0), 93.3% of employers had a strong positive

perception towards the sub-construct, ‘can handle work equipment’. The findings was validated

through the mean score analysis that shows the highest mean score value compared to other sub-

constructs. However, from the aspect of negative perception, 7.0% of the employers felt that the

NDTS graduates could not perform their tasks without extra training.

Table 6.0: Percentage of Employers’ Perception towards the NDTS Graduates’

Level of Technical Skills

Item Percentage Level (%)

Negative Neutral Positive

Can handle job equipment 1.3 5.4 93.3 Can execute tasks according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) 1.9 5.4 92.7 Can apply skills

1.6 6.7 91.7

Has suitable skills 1.3 8.6 90.1 Can multi-task 3.2 9.3 87.5 Can execute tasks with minimal supervision 4.2 13.4 82.1 Can execute tasks without training 6.1 18.0 75.9 Can execute tasks without extra training 7.0 19.2 73.8


In the analysis of percentage on the employees’ perception towards their technical skills, the

highest positive response was 95.1% for two sub-constructs, that are ‘suitable skill’ and ‘can perform

tasks according to SOP’. On the other hand, the response for the sub-construct ‘can perform tasks

without training’ recorded the highest negative perception percentage at 5.1%. The range of

percentage of the workers’ response according to their level of perception towards technical skills is

illustrated in Table 7.0.

Table 7.0: Percentage of NDTS Graduates’ Response towards their

Technical Skills according to Level of Perception



Can handle job equipment 0.8 4.1 95.1 Can execute tasks according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) 0.5 4.4 95.1 Can apply skills

0.0 5.2 94.8

Has suitable skills 0.5 5.2 94.3 Can multi-task 1.1 6.8 92.1 Can execute tasks with minimal supervision 2.7 8.2 89.1 Can execute tasks without training 5.1 13.0 81.8 Can execute tasks without extra training 0.8 4.1 95.1


Job Knowledge

The analysis of perception towards job knowledge was evaluated from 9 sub-constructs related to the

NDTS graduates’ knowledge at the workplace. Table 8.0 displays the result values of average mean

scores for the job knowledge construct, which is 4.0373 for employers and 4.1821 for employees.

Table 8.0: Average Mean Score for Employees’ Job Knowledge from the Perception of

NDTS Employers and Employees

Statistics Average Mean Score– Technical skills


N 313 369

Mean 4.0373 4.1921



The order of sub-construct shows that the highest mean score from employers’ response

engaged two sub-constructs, ‘understand instructions’ and ‘always become co-workers’ reference

point’.

Table 9.0: Mean Score Summary of Employers’ Perception towards

NDTS Employees’ Job Knowledge

Items assessed

Based on Employers’ Perception N


Score

Standard

Deviation Strongly


Strongly

Agree

Understand instructions 313 0.0 1.6 5.8 66.1 26.5 4.18 .597

Always become co-workers

reference point

313 0.0 4.2 11.5 56.5 27.8 4.08 .745

Always trying to improve

competency

313 .3 2.9 12.8 60.1 24.0 4.04 .715

Can plan tasks well 313 .3 3.5 11.8 60.4 24.0 4.04 .726

Can apply knowledge 313 .3 2.9 9.3 67.7 19.8 4.04 .659

Can think creatively 313 0.0 2.9 14.7 60.7 21.7 4.01 .693

Can think innovatively 313 0.0 2.9 15.3 60.4 21.4 4.00 .696

Can identify problems 313 .3 2.6 11.5 69.3 16.3 3.99 .640

Can make decisions 313 .3 4.2 16.3 58.5 20.8 3.95 .752


However, the NDTS graduates’ perception shows a positive viewpoint towards their knowledge on

the job (Table 10.0). The analysis illustrates that the sub-construct with the highest mean score value

according to the workers’ perception is ‘always trying to improve competency’, followed by

‘understand instructions well’ ‘can apply knowledge well’.

Table 10.0: Mean Score Summary of NDTS Graduates’ Perception towards Job Knowledge

Items assessed

Based on Employees’ Perception N


Score

Standard

Deviation

Strongly


Strongly

Agree

Always try to improve competency 369 0.0 .5 5.7 55.0 38.8 4.32 .604

Understand instructions well 368 0.0 .3 4.6 61.4 33.7 4.29 .560

Can apply knowledge 369 0.0 .3 4.9 65.9 29.0 4.24 .543

Can plan tasks well 369 0.0 .5 7.0 63.1 29.3 4.34 .584

Can give opinions when executing

tasks

369 0.0 .3 6.2 65.9 27.6 4.21 .554

Always become co-workers reference

point

369 .3 .8 11.1 55.8 32.0 4.18 .675

Can identify problems 368 0.0 .3 10.1 62.0 27.7 4.17 .600

Can innovate and improvise 369 0.0 .5 9.8 62.3 27.4 4.17 .605

Can solve problems within a short

time

369 0.0 1.9 22.0 55.6 20.6 3.95 .707

The respondents’ percentage analysis according to the level of perception in Table 11 shows

that 92.7% employers gave positive feedback (agree and strongly agree) towards the sub-construct

‘NDTS employees can understand work instructions’. However, 4.5% employers provided negative

feedback towards the workers’ capability in decision making (disagree and strongly disagree). The

result was compared based on the employers’ perception towards the NDTS graduates based on the

positive, neutral and negative perspectives.

Table 11.0: Percentage of Employers’ Response towards the Job Knowledge of NDTS Graduates according to

Level of Perception



Understand instructions 1.6 5.8 92.7

Can apply knowledge 3.2 9.3 87.5

Can identify problems 2.9 11.5 85.6

Always become co-workers reference point 4.2 11.5 84.3

Can plan tasks well 3.8 11.8 84.3

Always trying to improve competency 3.2 12.8 84.0

Can think creatively 2.9 14.7 82.4

Can think innovatively 2.9 15.3 81.8

Can make decisions 4.5 16.3 79.2

The feedback from NDTS employees (Table 12.0) highlights that 95.1% of the workers had a positive

perception towards the sub-construct ‘understand instructions well’. The result is consistent with the

employers’ feedback. However, 1.9% of the workers claimed that they find it impossible to solve

problems within a short time based on the negative perception value compared to other sub constructs.

This is also consistent with the findings from the employers’ perception towards the employees’

decision making skills.

Table 12.0: NDTS Graduates’ Percentage of Response on Job Knowledge

according to Level of Perception



Understand instructions 0.3 4.6 95.1

Can apply knowledge 0.3 4.9 94.9

Always try to improve competency 0.5 5.7 93.8

Can offer opinions when executing tasks 0.3 6.2 93.5

Can plan tasks well 0.5 7.0 92.4

Can innovate and improvise 0.5 9.8 89.7

Can identify problems 0.3 10.1 89.7

Always become co-workers reference point 1.1 11.1 87.8

Can solve problems within a short time 1.9 22.0 76.2

Employees’ Attitude

The workers’ attitude was assessed based on 15 sub-constructs (employees) and 9 sub-constructs

(employees), which are directly related to the attitude and conduct of an employee. The findings are

listed in Table 13.0 and Table 14.0. In tables 14.0 dan 15.0, the sub-constructs’ mean scores were

ordered according to the highest to lowest values, in order to identify the sub-construct with the most

positive perception from the NDTS employers and employees. From Table 13.0, it is distinguished

that the average mean score of the employers’ perception towards employees’ attitude is 4.1036,

while the average mean score for the employees’ perception is 4.3261.

Table 13.0: Average Mean Score on the Perception towards Employees’ Attitude

Statistics Average Mean Score– Attitude


N 313 369

Mean 4.1036 4.3261



The analyzed findings show that from the perception employers, the sub-construct ‘ready to

accept new things’ recorded the highest mean score at 4.24, followed by ‘follow employers’

instructions’ (4.50), ‘can easily adapt at the workplace’ and ‘work responsibly’.

Table 14.0: Summary of Employers’ Perception towards NDTS Employees’ Attitude

according to Sub-construct

Items assessed

based on Employers’

Perception

N


Score

Standard

Deviation

Strongly


Strongly

agree

Prepared to accept new things 313 .3 1.0 6.1 60.1 32.6 4.24 .632

Prepared to learn new things 313 0.0 1.6 5.4 62.3 30.7 4.22 .614 Follow employers’ instructions 313 .3 .6 6.1 63.9 29.1 4.21 .603

Can adapt well at the workplace 312 .3 1.9 4.5 63.5 29.8 4.21 .639

Confident in executing tasks 313 .6 1.3 6.7 61.7 29.7 4.19 .663 Committed towards the job 313 0.0 1.6 10.2 62.6 25.6 4.12 .639

Smart and attractive appearance 313 0.0 1.6 10.9 62.6 24.9 4.11 .641

Highly responsible 313 0.0 1.3 11.8 62.6 24.3 4.10 .635 Execute tasks on time 312 0.0 2.9 9.6 64.1 23.4 4.08 .664

Willing to work extra hours 311 .6 2.3 12.9 60.1 24.1 4.05 .719 Has strong integrity 313 .3 1.3 14.4 61.3 22.7 4.05 .671

Can motivate co-workers 313 0.0 2.9 14.7 57.5 24.9 4.04 .715

Can offer opinions confidently 313 .3 3.8 11.8 62.0 22.0 4.02 .723 Has leadership skills 313 .3 3.8 15.3 58.5 22.0 3.98 .747

Punctual 312 .6 2.6 14.7 63.1 18.9 3.97 .705 Source: Research Data 2012

Table 15.0: Summary of NDTS Employees’ Perception towards Their Attitude

according to Sub-construct

Items assessed N Percentage Level (%) Mean Standard

based on Employees’ Perception Strongly


Strongly

agree

Score

Deviation

Prepared to accept new things 368 0.0 .5 2.4 43.5 53.5 4.50 .577

Can adapt well at the workplace 369 0.0 0.0 4.3 50.1 45.5 4.41 .574

Highly responsible 369 0.0 0.0 3.3 53.1 43.6 4.40 .554

Follow employers’ instructions 369 0.0 0.0 3.5 52.8 43.6 4.40 .558

Punctual 369 0.0 .3 5.1 55.0 39.6 4.34 .587

Confident in executing tasks 369 .5 0.0 3.5 57.5 38.5 4.33 .599

Can motivate co-workers 369 0.0 .3 9.2 54.2 36.3 4.27 .630

Willing to work extra hours 369 .5 1.4 10.8 55.0 32.2 4.17 .711

Can be a team leader 369 0.0 1.9 13.3 56.9 27.9 4.11 .691


The findings from the employers’ perception show that the sub-construct ‘can easily adapt at

the workplace’ has the highest positive percentage at 93.3%, compared to other sub-constructs. As for

the negative perception, two sub-constructs, ‘leadership skills’ and ‘give opinions confidently’

recorded the highest percentage at 4.2% (Table 16.0).

Table 16.0: Employers’ Percentage of Response towards NDTS Employees’ Attitude




Can adapt well at the workplace 2.2 4.5 93.3 Prepared to accept new things 1.6 5.4 93.0

Follow employers’ instructions 1.0 6.1 93.0

Prepared to learn new things 1.3 6.1 92.7

Confident in executing tasks 1.9 6.7 91.4

Committed towards the job 1.6 10.2 88.2

Smart and attractive appearance 1.6 10.9 87.5

Execute tasks on time 2.9 9.6 87.5

Highly responsible 1.3 11.8 86.9

Willing to work extra hours 2.9 12.9 84.2

Has strong integrity 1.6 14.4 84.0

Can offer opinions confidently 4.2 11.8 84.0

Can motivate co-workers 2.9 14.7 82.4

Punctual 3.2 14.7 82.1

Has leadership skills 4.2 15.3 80.5


From the perception of NDTS graduates, it was found that the sub-construct ‘ready to learn

new things’ recorded the highest positive response percentage with 97.0%, which tallies with the

mean score result. However, the negative perception shows that both sub-constructs recorded the

highest response value compared to other sub-constructs, ‘willing to perform outstation duties during

office hours’ and ‘can be a team leader’, with a percentage of 1.9% (Table 17.0).

Table 17.0: Employees’ Percentage of Response towards Their Attitude




Prepared to learn new things 0.5 2.4 97.0

Highly responsible 0.0 3.3 96.7

Follow employers’ instructions 0.0 3.5 96.5

Confident in executing tasks 0.5 3.5 95.9 Can adapt well at the workplace 0.0 4.3 95.7

Punctual 0.3 5.1 94.6 Can motivate co-workers 0.3 9.2 90.5

Willing to work extra hours 1.9 10.8 87.3

Can be a team leader 1.9 13.3 84.8 Source: Research Data 2012

Social Skills

The assessment on the social skills construct was conducted using 5 sub-constructs for employees,

and 6 sub-constructs for employers. All the sub-constructs were aligned towards assessing the social

skills of the NDTS graduates from the employers and employees’ perception. The findings of the

mean analysis show that the average mean scores for the construct is 4.0756 from the employers’

perception, and 4.1699 from the employees’ perception (Table 18.0). This signifies that most NDTS

graduates have a strong perception towards their social skills.

Table 18.0: Average Mean Score of Employees’ Social Skills based on the Perception of


Statistics Average Mean Score– Social Skills


N 313 370

Mean 4.0756 4.1699



Based on Table 19.0, from the mean score values for each sub-construct of the social skills

construct, it was found that the employers were satisfied with the NDTS graduates’ skill, based from

the constructs ‘submit reports of task results to superiors’, ‘can discuss about job-related tasks’ and

‘understand feedback from superiors’.

Table 19.0: Mean Score Summary of Employers’ Perception towards

NDTS Employees’ Social Skills

Items assessed

based on Employers’ Perception n


Score

Standard

Deviation

Strongly


Strongly

agree

Can report results to superior 313 0.0 2.2 8.0 62.3 27.5 4.15 .650

Can discuss things related to work 313 0.0 1.3 10.5 62.0 26.2 4.13 .635

Can understand feedback from

superiors 313 0.0 1.6 8.0 68.1 22.4 4.11 .597


clients 313 0.0 1.9 10.5 62.9 24.6 4.10 .647

Can provide information 313 .3 2.6 16.0 59.1 22.0 4.00 .716

Can communicate well using ICT

facilities 313 1.0 2.9 18.5 54.6 23.0 3.96 .785


Meanwhile, from the perspective of NDTS graduates (Table 20.0), most respondents provided a

positive feedback towards the sub-constructs ‘can discuss about job-related tasks’, ‘understand

feedback from managing officers’ and ‘submit reports of results to superiors’.

Table 20.0: Mean Score Summary of NDTS Employees’ Perception towards

Their Social Skills

Items assessed

based on Employees’ Perception n


Score

Standard

Deviation

Strongly


Strongly

agree

Can discuss things related to work 369 .3 .3 5.7 58.0 35.8 4.29 .607


superiors 370 0.0 0.0 5.9 63.8 30.3 4.24 .551

Can report results to superior 370 0.0 1.1 7.0 59.7 32.2 4.23 .619

Can give clear instructions 370 0.0 .3 12.4 58.9 28.4 4.15 .629

Can communicate well using ICT

facilities 370 .5 1.4 24.9 50.3 23.0 3.94 .761


According to the percentage analysis of respondents’ level of perception for each sub-construct

measured (Table 21.0), it was determined that 90.42% of employers had a positive perception towards

the sub-construct ‘understand feedback from superiors’. However, 3.83% employers gave negative

perception towards the NDTS’ graduates’ communication skills using ICT facilities.

Table 21.0: Employers’ Percentage of Response towards NDTS Employees’ Social Skills


Item Percentage level (%)


Can understand feedback from superiors 1.60 7.99 90.42

Can report results to superior 2.24 7.99 89.78

Can discuss things related to work 1.28 10.54 88.18

Can understand feedback from clients 1.92 10.54 87.54

Can give clear instructions 2.88 15.97 81.15

Can communicate well using ICT facilities 3.83 18.53 77.64


Table 22.0 displays the analysis of percentage on the NDTS workers’ response, and it was found that

94.1% of them reacted positively towards their ability in understanding the feedback from their

superiors. The findings is consistent with the employers’ perception towards the same construct.

However, the workers had a negative perception towards their communication skills when using ICT

facilities.

Table 22.0: NDTS Employees’ Percentage of Response towards Their Social Skills


Item Percentage level (%)


Can understand feedback from superiors 0.0 5.9 94.1

Can discuss things related to work 0.5 5.7 93.8

Can report results to superior 1.1 7.0 91.9

Can give clear instructions 0.3 12.4 87.3

Can communicate well using ICT facilities 1.9 24.9 73.2 Source: Research Data 2012

Assessment of Perception according to Level

As stated in the objective, the NDTS employees’ level of employability in the industry would be

evaluated from the perception of the employers and employees themselves. In the study, each

construct was analysed thoroughly based on the average value of the mean score of responses

received from the employers and employees. The value of scale range used in the study was based on

the mean scale range as the following,

Mean Scale Range = Highest scale (maximum) – Lowest Scale (minimum)

(Formula 1.0) Bilangan Tahap

The result of the calculation for the maximum scale 5 and minimum scale 1 is as follows,

Mean scale range = 5 - 1

5

= 0.8

As the mean score value is up to four decimal point, the mean scale range used in the study is

0.7999. The calculated results are illustrated in table 23.0. Based on the valuation scale table, the

researcher will be able to better understand the perceptions of employers and employees of each of the

employability construct studied.

Table 23.0: Assessment Scale Table of Employers and Employees’ Perception

Level Mean range Perception ranking

5 4.2001 - 5.0000 Very Positive

4 3.4001 - 4.2000 Positive

3 2.6001 - 3.4000 Neutral

2 1.8001 - 2.6000 Negative

1 1.0001 - 1.8000 Very Negative (Source: Modified analysis from Ahmad (2011) & Chua (2006))

The analysis on the level of acceptance for employers and employees from the aspects of

employability and marketability is based on Table 23.0. The result of the analysis found that the level

of acceptance for employers and employees towards employability is at a very positive level with a

mean score value of 4.2907 for employers and 4.4270 for NDTS graduates (Refer to Table 24.0).

Table 24.0: Mean Score, Median and Mode Level of Employability from the Perception of


Statistics Average Mean Score – Employability


N 313 370

Mean 4.2907 4.4270


Median 4.0000 4.0000

Mode 4.0000 4.0000


The result of the respondents’ analyzed percentage based on the NDTS graduates’ status of

employability shows that the employees have a better positive perception than the employers. It was

found that 1.6% of employers had negative perception towards the employability aspects of the NDTS

workers. Further research should be carried out to identify elements that need to be improvised to

enhance the employability of NDTS workers in order to boost employers’ confidence in hiring NDTS

graduates in the future.

Table 25.0: Respondents’ Percentage Analysis based on Perception Level

Perception level Employers Employees

Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage

1 - - - -

2 5 1.6 - -

3 19 6.1 7 1.9

4 169 54.0 198 53.5

5 120 38.3 165 44.6

Total Number of

Respondents

313 100.0 370 100.0


CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION

The findings of the study show that on average, the status of employability for NDTS graduates from

the perception of employers and employees is at a very positive level. The mean value demonstrates

that the employees have a more positive perception on the status of employability compared to the

employers. This indicates that the graduates have a high rate of confidence level towards their ability

in nurturing their attitude, technical skills, knowledge and proper social skills at the workplace. The

findings signify that 38.3% of employers provide a very positive perception towards the NDTS

employees’ employability. Meanwhile, 44.6% of the NDTS graduates were recorded to have a very

positive perception towards their employability standing. It was also ascertained that the attitude

element notched the highest perception value compared to other elements (technical skills, job

knowledge and social skills) with a minimum score of 4.1036 (employers) and 4.3261 (employees).

The summary of each element studied is presented in the following segment.

Technical Skills

Technical skills is a major element in the implementation of the NDTS training program, in order to

produce more competent and competitive workers for the industry. Even though the perception of

employers towards the the technical skills of NDTS graduates only notched an average mean score of

4.0796, it is important to ensure that services rendered by the workers meet the targets of the company.

Findings show that 93.3% of employers responded positively towards the NDTS workers’

competency in handling equipment at the workplace. The perception is highly expected, as the

graduates were already exposed to the skills which they acquired while undergoing their industrial

training at a real workplace with actual equipment.

In fact, analysis shows that 95.1% of the employees responded positively in admitting that

their technical skills were suited to their responsibilities. Other than that, the workers also felt that

they could perform their tasks according to SOPs, as it was something they were used to doing since

their NDTS training days.

Job Knowledge

Based on the perception of employers, knowledge about job tasks and responsibilities are value-added

factors that can aid workers in performing their responsibilities better. The findings show that the

mean score value for the job knowledge construct is the lowest compared to other constructs. This is

due to the fact that employers believe that knowledge can be inculcated from time to time according

to the needs of the company.

In contrast, the workers’ perception indicates that their job knowledge is ranked third, with a

mean score value of 4.1921. The findings also show that both employers and employees had a

positive perception towards the NDTS graduates’ job competency, in responding to directives from

superiors. The levels of respondents also provided a positive perception towards workers; for

capabilities in applying their knowledge at the workplace. The perception could be caused by the

absence of major changes in their daily routine tasks. Apart from that, 93.8% of the employees claim

that they will invest their own efforts to improve their existing job competency.

Employees’ Attitude

In general, attitude refers to social values like teamwork, loyalty, collaboration, courage, diligence,

gratitude, honesty, fairness, caution, simplicity, patience, good conduct, punctuality, rationale, respect

and independence (Sail et al., 2008). The findings show that the attitude factor recorded the highest

mean value compared to other factors. This shows that employers and employees had high regards

towards the NDTC graduates’ positive attitude as required by the industry.

According to Kabul et al. (2009), among the valued traits that employers look for were

employees that were self-motivated, proactive, had high integrity, trusted, independent with minimal

supervision, emotionally stable, and could perform under duress. All these traits are important to

ensure that apart from their technical skills, the NDTS graduates have better employability status in

the job market. Based on feedback, 93.3% employers believed that NDTS graduates could effortlessly

dadapt to the workplace conditions. This could be caused by the similarities the graduates experienced

during the practical training and the actual working environment. Thus, the NDTS graduates

definitely had a better headstart compared to the ordinary Malaysian Skills Certificate graduates.

The mean score findings for each sub-construct indicate that the willingness of NDTS

graduates in learning something new is high when measured against other sub-construct. The findings

is supported by the feedback provided by enployees through the distributed questionnaire and FGD

carried out. The focus on a more specific job scope had prompted the workers’ interest into learning

things which differed from their daily routines.

Social Skills

Social skills are value-added elements included in skills training that could affect the social relations

among workers, employers, co-workers, and clients in the service sector. With fine social skills, an

employee could communicate proficiently either verbally or non-verbally, and able to solve problems

and work in teams without any problem.

For employers, social skills is important than job knowledge as it reflects how a person would

perform in an organization. The findings reveal that both employers and employers responded

positively towards the NDTS graduates’ ability to respond well to feedback from their superiors. This

signifies that the NDTS graduates had effective communication skills, as expected by employers.

However, there were still grouses from employers towards the decision-making skills of the

graduates which was rated as poor. This could be due to the lack of leadership skills that they

experienced during the practical training stints. Reviewing their SKM qualification, only 31.6% of the

respondents (Table 2.0) had Level 3 certification and above, while the remaining respondents had

Levels 1 and 2 certificates. Based on the qualification, only graduates with Level 3 could be appointed

as technicians or assistant engineers, that require them to have supervisory roles. For workers that are

offered a better position, like being ‘line leaders’, they might need some time to adjust to become

competent leaders with the capabilities to make decisions when problems crop up on the job.

CONCLUSION

The findings from the study allow the researchers to have a better understanding of the scenario

greeting the NDTS graduates in the industry in the aspects of employability. The study showed the

comparison between the perception of the employers and employees towards the NDTS workers’

employability standing. The overall outlook indicates that the NDTS employees had fulfilled the

requirements of the industry in the aspects of technical skills, job knowledge, attitude and social skills

based on the perception of employers and employees. The study also confirms that employers and

employees had very positive perception towards the elements of employability of NDTS graduates

based on the mean score that recorded points within the scale range of 4.2001 to 5.0000. Researchers

also discovered that there was no significant difference in the perception level between employers and

employees on the employability elements studied. The results also indicate that the workers’ attitude

recorded the best perception based on feedback from the respondents compared to other research

variables (technical skills, job knowledge and social skills). However, it was not determined how far

the elements influenced the employability standing of the NDTS graduates. It is recommended that

further research be carried out to compare the employability levels of SKM graduates on whether they

should enrol in regular training schemes or the NDTS program in the future. It is hoped that the

findings can become a guideline to the JPK and relevant agencies to better understand how the

implementation of NDTS program could improve skilled workers enhance their employability.

However, a few employability elements could be augmented and improvised to fortify the NDTS

graduates’ work quality in the industry.

mohamad sattar rasul, norhayati yahaya, , ruhizan mohamad...

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