Effective Communication Skills; the Missing Link in Enhancing Employability of STEM Graduates

1. Effective Communication Skills; the Missing Link in Enhancing Employability of STEM Graduates By Sindiso Zhou & Nhlanhla Landa 2nd National Science and Mathematics Education Conference: Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); 20 – 22 August 2014, Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE • Introduction and Background • Objectives • Definitions • Employability Framework • Conclusions and recommendations

3. Introduction and background • The single most critical problem facing STEM graduates in the world today is that of securing and retaining employment • Employability extends beyond securing a job, into performance and retention of that job (Knight and York, 2002) • Another problem is finding useful graduates who add value, develop and grow in STEM fields

4. Introduction cont... • STEM subjects are abstract by nature • Facilitation of transfer and implementation of scientific, technological, and mathematical knowledge in industry demands deliberate, rigorous and continuous practice in effective communication skills • Transferring course material (study) into personal and professional development of our students is vital yet problematic • Employability concerns itself with individuals’ ability to find, retain, and be successful in chosen employment (not directly taught in the curriculum)

5. OBJECTIVES • Define employability • Describe effective communication skills • Link employability (industry requirements) with effective communication skills • Outline job seeking and job retention skills

6. CRITICAL QUESTIONS • Is our curriculum responding to the job market? • If so, is this link between curriculum and career paths explicit to the learner? • Are our teaching methods moulding an employable individual? • When we release graduates into the labour market, are they career ready? • Do our students understand the value of Higher Education beyond immediate subject area? • Are learning outcomes explicitly linked to employability?

7. DEFINING EMPLOYABILITY • Soft/qualitative skills • Workforce/career readiness skills • Core skills necessary for success in the workplace • forces of attraction in industry (what makes you tick as an engineer, doctor, technician, computer programmer)

8. KEY SKILLS IN STEM CAREERS There are three broad skills; • Applied knowledge • academic/course knowledge as applicable to real life situations • practical application of theory gained in HE • Effective Communication Skills • Effective Communication Skills such as proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking • Interpersonal interaction • Workplace skills • Critical Analysis and evaluation • Information Literacy and ICT knowledge

9. KEY COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR STEM CAREERS • Cognitive skills Involve: • being able to identify, analyze and solve problems from a body of information and from organizational relationship trends • Being able to assess data and draw logical conclusions

10. KEY COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR STEM CAREERS cont. 2. Communication and ICT; Involve: • Teamwork • Conflict resolution • Interpersonal sensitivity • Information handling skills • Presentation skills • Self management • Time management

11. KEY COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR STEM CAREERS cont. 3. Practical and professional skills – using experience to understand: • organizational culture, • organizational policies • organizational processes

12. EMPLOYABILITY FRAMEWORK • Enhancing employability involves developing skills through curriculum – revisiting the curriculum to link learning outcomes with employability. - Is attention necessarily drawn to the employability qualities that our courses develop? • Beyond that, employability also involves giving students a language to communicate effectively and successfully with their employers about their skills, knowledge and career potential.

13. EMPLOYABILITY FRAMEWORK cont. • While different STEM qualifications are the requirement to get a job, the workplace is a communication network in which; - there is less theory and more practice - abstract material should be concretized - there is interaction with real people and real problems • to survive the above, one needs effective communication skills to bridge the gap between theory and practice

14. JOB SEEKING EXPERTISE • Searching for vacancies online and offline • Completing application forms • drafting covering letters and Curriculum Vitae/Resume in response to vacancies • Preparing for interviews • Interview etiquette

15. JOB RETENTION SKILLS To sustain employability (staying and succeeding in a job) involves more than being qualified – it involves several communication skills; • Presentation skills • Conflict resolution skills • Report writing skills • Persuasive engagement/Team work • Cultural consciousness/sensitivity • Time management and Self management • All the above constitute effective communication skills

16. CONCLUSIONS • Our curriculum, from secondary to tertiary education, is largely silent about employability issues, yet it should consciously integrate employability as a critical component so as to avoid unemployable graduates • Effective communication skills are taught in passing yet they should be a compulsory component from entry to exit point in teaching and learning institutions

17. RECOMMENDATIONS • Programme audit – to check; - What employability skills are developed through course material? - How are the learning outcomes of your programme linked to employability skills? • HEIs should come up with checklists for course development teams and programme committees to link learning objectives and outcomes with employability potential of graduates. • Communication skills courses should not be limited to basic communication but extend to include communication for specific occupational purposes.

18. THANK YOU SIYABONGA TATENDA