MMSU Graduate&#039; Employability Status and Potentials

Doreen  D. Domingo,

MMSU Graduate' Employability Status and Potentials

Discipline: Education

Abstract:

Through the years, the Mariano Marcos State University has become a comprehensive university by offering a number of science curricula. Since 1978, the university has awarded around 40,000 degrees, diplomas, and certificates; hence a study on the employability status and potentials of graduates is needed to have an anchor for curricular relevance. This survey determined the graduates’ demographic profile, formal and non -formal training programs attended after college and employment distribution. It also assessed the programs with the best potential for initial earning. Five hundred randomly-selected graduates served as respondents. They represented the different programs offered by the various academic units of the university. Some of them graduated with honors and hurdled professional board examinations. Almost a quarter of the employed finished teacher education. Majority of the graduates who were employed locally had starting salaries ranging from Php 5,000 to Php 10,000. However, graduates of nursing and engineering who were employed abroad received higher initial salaries than their locallyemployed counterparts. A big majority of the graduates were employed, while the others (8.8%) were not due to inadequate job opportunities. At least a quarter of those employed waited for less than a month to six months after graduation before they were hired. Moreover, majority considered their communication skills learned in college as the most useful in their jobs. The presence of landline phones among the graduates and their regional origin determined their employability. Additionally, academic factors, such as honors received, as well as professional examinations passed and ratings, were other determinants of graduates’ employability. Tracer studies for the various degree programs should be conducted and analyzed separately to obtain specific results. Likewise, an emphasis on graduates’ appropriate occupational positions and placements and reasons of unemployment should be considered.

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