RESEARCH PAPER
A Survey of Tertiary Education
Graduates’ Competences and
Skills in the Workplace
Ancillia Louis
9/15/2011
Sir Arthur Lewis Community College,
Division of Teacher Education and Educational Administration
St. Lucia
Abstract
This study is conducted at a time when two major issues are being discussed; the role and relevance of tertiary
education and the needs of the workplace. Both issues have come into sharp focus because they have significant impact on people and country. One of the goals of tertiary education is to prepare individuals for the
workplace by equipping them with not only Occupation Specific Knowledge (OSK), but also with Generic
Skills and Competences (GSCs) that are relevant for functioning in any workplace. It is hypothesized therefore
that individuals who have attained tertiary education will be equipped with these GSCs and that the latter will
be demonstrated in the workplace.
It is within this context that this research was conducted. The research is preliminary and the objective was to
investigate whether employees who are graduates of tertiary education demonstrate generic competences and
skills that are required in the workplace.
The sample was purposively selected and the investigation was conducted within nine (9) Public and Private
Sector Organizations in St. Lucia that employ graduates of tertiary education. The sample comprised thirty
eight (38) individuals who held managerial and supervisory positions within those organizations, and who by
virtue of their position could make an assessment of the skills and competences that the graduates demonstrated
in the workplace. The assessment was made of more than two hundred and seventy three (273) employees.
The research instrument was a rating scale that required respondents to rate their level of agreement with
whether the subjects under study demonstrated the specified behaviours/competences and skills. Measures of
central tendency were used to analyze the data.
The findings of the study revealed the following:




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None of the descriptors for GSCs received a modal score of 5 to indicate strong agreement.
There was agreement that the employees demonstrated most of the competences related to the following:
Interpersonal Interaction; Lifelong Learning Entrepreneurship and Teamwork.
Employees were deficient in the generic skills of Communication skills, critical thinking skills and problem solving which are valuable to any workplace.
A comparison between the GSCs demonstrated by employees from the public sector compared to the
private sector revealed a similar pattern; in both sectors while there were varying levels of agreement,
there was agreement that employees demonstrated most of the GCs
Employees from both sectors were deficient in problem solving, critical thinking and Communication
skills.
Based on the findings the recommendation is for formulating clear policies to guide curriculum development in
tertiary institutions to ensure that these curricula are aligned to the needs of the workplace.
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Acknowledgements
I wish to thank sincerely Dr. Stephen Louis, Managing Director of Business Tech Research Inc. and Ms Valerie
Louis of the Office of the Prime Minister for assisting me and encouraging me throughout the duration of this
research. Without their input I could not complete the task.
I also gratefully acknowledge the contribution of my colleagues at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in St.
Lucia and respondents from the Public and Private Sector Organizations who assisted me by completing questionnaires and in being subjects of the research.
Ancillia Louis
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Table of Contents
Page
Abstract..........................................................................................................................2
Acknowledgements........................................................................................................3
Introduction – The Relevance of Tertiary Education.....................................................5
SECTION 1
Tertiary Education for the Workplace................................................................5
The Caribbean Context.......................................................................................8
SECTION 2. Needs of The Modern Workplace............................................................9
The St. Lucia Context...................................................................................... 11
SECTION 3
Research Design................................................................................................13
Sampling............................................................................................................13
Scoring and Analysis Procedures......................................................................13
SECTION 4
Data Presentation and Analysis
Research Question 1.......................................................................................................15
Summary of Findings.....................................................................................................17
Research Question 2.......................................................................................................19
Summary of Findings.....................................................................................................22
Research Question 3.......................................................................................................24
Summary of Findings.....................................................................................................31
SECTION 5
Conclusion......................................................................................................................33
Recommendations..........................................................................................................34
Delimitations...................................................................................................................34
Limitations......................................................................................................................35
References......................................................................................................................35
Appendix........................................................................................................................37
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Theme: BENEFITS OF ALIGNING CURRICULA TO THE NEEDS OF THE WORKPLACE
Introduction
The Relevance of Tertiary Education
Whitman (2003) cites an OECD definition which states that tertiary education is the “level or stage of studies
beyond secondary education that is undertaken in formal tertiary education institutions but also in a wide variety
of other settings...”
“Tertiary education ... means the third stage of education which builds on secondary education. It is seen as
voluntary in nature, androgogical and student-centred in orientation; catering to the intellectual, social and occupational needs of young and older adult learners, while preparing them to function as productive and adaptive
citizens in a global environment.” Roberts (2003)
Based on these definitions and within the context of this paper, the terms tertiary education and higher education are used interchangeably.
As the United Nations ‘Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014),’ approaches an end,
this year 2011 is the most pertinent time to address issues relevant to tertiary and higher education. This time
allows policy makers and those with interest to continue to engage in discourse on the subject, to review progress and to make crucial decisions before the end of the decade.
This decade has not been without challenges; UNESCO’s concept for the decade was to seek to integrate the
principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning, in order
to address the social, economic, cultural and environmental problems we face in the 21st century. But for many
Caribbean people it is not certain whether this education is accessible to all; how relevant the curricula is; as
well as how sustainable it is.
To this end, the World Bank has identified the seven most promising directions for the development/evolution
of tertiary education. Of that list, the third is ‘improving the quality and relevance of tertiary education.’ This
relevance may best be measured by its ability to adequately equip workers with workplace skills.
SECTION 1: Tertiary Education for the Workplace
In its Annual Report of 1991, the Maryland State Council on Vocational and Technical Education, made a call
to establish closer ties of the school curriculum to the needs of the work place. The report stated that “the state
would work at its economic peril if it simply pretended that a liberal arts college degree is the answer for all
students. It recommended rather establishing tests of skills that are related to workplace success and to completely overhaul public education.
Fallows, and Steven, (2000) support this idea noted that the current economic situation has rendered an academic degree with mere knowledge of an academic subject insufficient for the workplace. The authors propose that
students should be taught skills that will enhance their employability in the workplace. They advocated the
teaching of employability skills such as:
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Retrieval and handling of information
Communication and presentation
Planning and problem solving
Social development and interaction
Vaatstra & De Vries (2007) concur and indicated further that higher education should provide students with not
only occupation – specific competences but generic competences as well to enable them to maintain their position in an ever-changing professional environment. They believe that acquisition of the latter competences depend in part on the extent to which they were stimulated during instruction.
They rationalized that as graduate’s face the continuous changes that occur in the labour market, their generic
competencies are less subject to changes than occupation-specific competences. It means therefore that the former are very sustaining for the success of any working environment.
They cite (Eraut 1994; Everwijn 1999) who identify generic competences as knowledge, skills, and attitudes
that can be used successfully in different working situations and professional contexts. Examples of these competences are in their view,
 cross-disciplinary thinking,
 planning
 co-ordinating and organising
 problem solving ability
 analytic competences
 learning ability
 working independently
 working in a team.
Effective tertiary or higher education has the capacity to develop these competences.
What makes competences an essential aspect of education? The authors cite (Eysenck 1990) and (Scho¨n
1987), who indicate that reflective competences include the
 knowledge,
 attitude
 skills that show that a person has an understanding of his thoughts and actions; reflective competences
according to them, are therefore a type of metacognitive competences that show that students are aware
of and have an understanding of their own learning process and are able to monitor and control this process.
The authors further cited (Evers et al. 1998; Heijke et al. 2003; Van Loo and De Grip 2003), who agree that it is
the generic and reflective competences in particular that benefit graduates in the long term and that render them
employable. These skills and competencies can pass the relevance test as they are transferable to different environments (emphasis mine). Most working environments require these skills and competences. Graduates
should be capable of applying these skills in whatever environment they find themselves. The authors further
cited (Evers et al. 1998; and Mentkowski and Associates 2000) who recommend that the education system
should provide students with those generic competences in order to perform properly at the workplace or at any
workplace. (emphasis mine)
The authors note that some reflective behaviours in students are manifested as regularly evaluating themselves
and asking themselves questions about their behaviour and performance as ‘what did I do wrong’, ‘what went
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very well’ and ‘how can I improve my behaviour and performance’. It is those shills and attributes that really
make graduates employable.
Researching on education quality in Malaysia, Abdullah (2009) noted that as the country adapted to the changing times providing quality education to the citizens was critical. This was necessary to improve productivity in
the country and to provide for industries, skilled workers of the highest calibre. They advocated the need for
higher education institutions to teach practical skills that were required by industry.
In their research to determine whether a gap existed between the tertiary level curriculum and the skills required
by the industries, they found for example, that the basic quantitative skills taught in the undergraduate curricula
were sufficient to meet that need. But they also found that there were other intellectual skills such as:


communication and
problem solving
that are greatly valued by industry, but which the graduates did not have. If these skills had been taught the
level of employability of the graduates would have been greatly enhanced and this could have enhanced productivity.
Gannaway (2010) reviewed the present status of the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Australia. The author noted that although this degree has been the longest established degree programme in the Australian Higher Education system; its relevance and value to contemporary Australian society and economy are frequently called into
question by students, prospective employers and university administration.
The author notes that unlike a medical or education graduate, an arts graduate has no direct link to a particular career. This did not appear to be congruent with the emphasis that recent governments seem to place on higher education; that of preparing graduates for employability and job readiness. In this regard the author cited many agencies
who advocated that the new focus for the BA degree should be vocational skills.
Funding regimes arguably were designed to generate a work-ready graduate workforce.
In a study conducted to investigate the impact of globalization on higher education in Hong Kong, Yan Yan
Lam (2010) found that although the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI& SD) had the longest records of developing design education, they implemented dramatic changes in design education at tertiary and higher education levels to respond to the impact of globalization. They began to offer diverse programmes to meet the needs
of global creative industries which had expanded as a result; and as such they redesigned curricula to provide a
new, integrated and multidisciplinary approach to Design education.
Seethamraju (2008) like Vastra and Devries (2007) found that universities in Australia were generally criticized
as he notes, for lagging behind businesses in the adoption of new technologies and systems in general, and information technologies, (IT) in particular. A gap existed between theory taught at the universities and the practise in the work place. On that basis, he notes, university graduates were considered to be both unsuitable for
and also unable to adapt to the modern workplace.
The situation described provoked the writer to ask critical questions of the business schools; questions such as
‘Do universities prepare graduates with the necessary integrated view of business? Do they offer a multidisciplinary perspective?’ These are both critical for the success of students in modern business organisations today.
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‘Are they preparing graduates who are ready for the new workplace that is process-oriented and requires an integrated view of business, rather than functional compartmentalised orientation?
This point is supported by Stone (2010), in her article on ‘Moving Interprofessional Learning forward through
Formal Assessment. ’ Stone supports the view that graduates who finish tertiary education with the full complement
of skills and knowledge required for their designated profession are not ‘work-ready’ unless (emphasis mine) they also
acquire:
 interpersonal skills
 collaborative practice
 team-working capabilities.
Stone (2010) contends that these latter skills and competences are essential to the workplace to the extent that
health workers are unable to contribute to organisational culture in a positive way unless they too attain these capabilities.
She provides supporting evidence to illustrate that these capabilities have been shown to improve health care in terms of
patient safety, worker satisfaction and health service efficiency.
Higher education programs need to prepare their graduates for the practical challenges they can
expect to face upon entering the workforce. Venables and Tan (2009) noted that students themselves view
their further studies as part of a transition process from school to work; as a result they are increasingly making
pragmatic demands on the education institution for changes in the traditional curriculum to make it more relevant to work.
The authors cite Griffiths, 2001; Krause, Hartley, James &McInnis, 2005 who surmised that these demands
have influenced shifts in higher education programmes from primarily disciplinary knowledge to now encompass more work related skills. In support of this the authors cited the case of Australia, where
“graduates’ rankings of program relevance to employability outcomes are one of the key indicators for deciding
government funding to universities.
Therefore, it is in the interest of universities to actively promote the development of generic and work-related skills
in their graduates and to document such information.
The author recommends that enhancing these skills and capabilities can be supported by a combination of workforce initiatives and tertiary education policy that can be used to specify the capabilities or generic skills necessary for
 effective teamwork and
 collaborative practice.
The Caribbean Context
Awareness of the importance of tertiary education in providing the human capital for the workplace is fully evident in the Caribbean. The College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT) has declared one important step for Trinidad and Tobago if the country is to achieve Vision 2020. “...
the private sector and tertiary level institutions (TLIs) must synergise their efforts to create a new class of bold,
 critical-thinking
 technologically advanced entrepreneurs, capable of matching wits with the best anywhere in the world.
While being committed to achieving this goal, they recognized the existence of challenges in tertiary education.
To address this, the president of COSTAATT explained that the Ministry of Science, Technology and Tertiary
Education had published a Green Paper which identifies five key areas of focus for improvement in the tertiary
education system. One of these key areas related to:
 reforming curricula to address innovation
 entrepreneurship
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
problem-solving and
critical thinking skills.
In Puerto Rico the Eduk Group which is a conglomerate of educational institutions, report that their main focus
is on offering top-quality careers that respond to market needs; this results in a high level of employability in
the country. In a newspaper article written by Nigaglioni (2008) president of EduK Group he emphasized the
importance of education in preparing workers for the economy. He reported that the organization focuses on
creating curricula with special emphasis on theory and practice, and this is an effective strategy that prepares
students to face the real job demands the economy defines.”
In summary, the relevance of tertiary education programmes is determined by its ability to teach the various
competences and skills that have been identified.
SECTION 2: The Needs of the Modern Workplace.
Milhauser and Rahschulte (2010), Abaidoo and Wachniak (2007) refer to the workplace as a global workplace, a globalized job market and a globalized workplace that is becoming increasingly accessible. The latter
authors define the globalized workplace as follows:
‘The globalized workplace can be defined as one that predominantly operates with
demographically diverse and spatially diffused actors, including collaborating workers and customers
with different national and cultural backgrounds. It is also one whose operations are greatly mediated by
informational technology, including the rapidly evolving array of social software.’
They believe that globalization has created this new workplace and as it emerges it demands the new skill set
that has been identified earlier. Now and in the foreseeable future, tertiary and higher education will continue to
be the provider of such skills for the workplace.
The Report of the Maryland State Council on Tech/Voc Education strongly advocated that whatever changes
occurred in the American workplace had to be supported by corresponding changes in education. The report
recommended that as technology advanced in the workplace it had to be “matched by a corresponding increase
in the
 skills and knowledge of workers and their
 ability to solve problems.
Abaidoo and Wachniak (2007), cite Karoly and Panis (2004), who note that The European Task Force Employment Report (2003), Neubert and Gibson (2004) all advocate the need for a combination of workplace
skills such as
 interpersonal skills
 communication skills
 life - long learning
 interaction skills
in addition to the specific job related technical competences, to function effectively in the new workplace.
They cited Erskine and Spalter –Roth (2006) who indicated that the National Science Foundation reported the
need for “soft or relational skills in an increasingly, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and global job market.”
Yan Lam (2010) cited earlier indicated that the report on education reform in Hong Kong recommended the nation should reform education to develop in the citizens the following skills:
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 high level of language proficiency that would allow for effective communication of ideas
 sharing of knowledge;
 IT skills;
 critical and lateral thinking skills,
 teamwork, as well as the
 capacity to pursue lifelong learning.
The author noted that all these skills were required if the country had to meet the demands of the burgeoning
global creative industries.
In a knowledge based economy skill development, creativity and problem solving skills can no longer be sidelined nor can they be taught or learnt incidentally. It is within the tertiary and higher education curricula that
are most poised to teach these skills.
The needs of the workplace have been clearly identified; workers who possess a skills and competences that
make them functional and employable and productive. It is a combination of occupation specific knowledge
and skills (OSKS) that refer to: mainly:
 academic knowledge related to the specific occupation
 technical competence related to the academic knowledge required for the specific occupation
 generic skills and competences (GSCs).
The latter, Generic Skills and Competences (GSCs) represent the traits and abilities that allow a worker to function effectively in any organization by practising skills and competences that would contribute to the success of
the organization. GSCs may likewise be demonstrated in the ability of workers to take initiatives to solve problems or make decisions where necessary. They engender in workers a desire to be entrepreneurs even in the
workplace; to be creative for the good of both themselves and the organization. Effective communication skills
and critical thinking skills are also emphasized as well the need to demonstrate good interpersonal skills within
GSCs.
The changing nature of the workplace requires workers who can adapt to this change by seeking out and engaging in opportunities for lifelong learning. This will be accompanied by workers’ openness to change and an acceptance of innovation. A technology dominated workplace increasingly demands problem solving skills, creative thinking and critical thinking skills. These skills should be emphasized in instruction at the tertiary/higher
education institutions as part of preparation for the workplace. Teamwork is an effective strategy for improving productivity in the workplace and addressing competition. Teamwork builds on other traits such as cooperation, tolerance, sharing of ideas, respect and diligence in approaching tasks, among others.
Traditionally, OSKSs alone may have been adequate for the workplace. Presently this requirement is inadequate; results of research increasingly emphasize the need for workers to be equipped with GSCs. It is a combination of the two that may produce a ‘well rounded worker’ who can participate in the growth of the organization and the wider society. As providers of education for the workplace tertiary education institutions are
charged with the responsibility of meeting those needs.
Figure 1. synthesises the needs of the workplace as described.
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Occupation specific:
Knowledge (OSK)
Technical competences
Competences
Needs /demands of
The Modern Workplace for
Employability and
Productivity
Generic competencies: Teamwork, interpersonal relations,
entrepreneurial skills,
life- long learning
Generic skills:
Critical thinking, problem solving, communicating, creative thinking, decision making
Figure 1: Mapping the needs of the workplace.
(Created by the author for the purposes of this paper)
Milhauser and Raschulte (2010) express concern that inability to meet these work place demands will present a
challenge for companies in taking advantage of global trading in International Business (IB). Currently the authors are of the view that higher education does not satisfy this demand.
They report results from an exploratory needs assessment of a sample of leaders of global Fortune 500 companies. The findings revealed that a gap existed between the topics that were being taught in IB and the skills
needed in the workplace of international businesses. The authors concluded that the IB curriculum did not meet
these needs. Based on this finding they recommended that any innovations or changes that are to be made in
tertiary education must be done in the context of the needs of the workplace. They further suggest with supporting
evidence that universities work with global industry leaders to develop effective curriculum that, when executed properly,
will develop the
 knowledge
 skills
 abilities of students entering the global workplace.
The St. Lucia Context
Over the years tertiary education in St. Lucia has been provided by a number of institutions both local and foreign based, that conferred degrees and certificates in a wide range of disciplines. The country depended on the
recipients of these qualifications to provide human capital necessary for developing the economy. At that time
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therefore, an academic degree /occupation specific knowledge as has been described earlier in this document
was considered ideal and deemed sufficient for the workplace. The issue of the need for workers to be
equipped with GSCs was not a major discussion point.
The establishment of Sir Arthur Lewis Community College expanded further opportunities for tertiary education. Employers looked to the College in addition to the other institutions to supply workers for industry. A
number of other tertiary education institutions offering programmes via different modalities have since then also
provided additional opportunities for tertiary education. This education should prepare a labour force with
more employability skills.
Perhaps no one had envisaged that globalization would have so revolutionized industry that the needs of the
workplace would then come into sharp focus; that the generic competences and skills would have assumed
equal importance with the OSK. Managing and surviving competition in business presently demands a new calibre of worker who in addition to possessing OSK must also possess GSCs. Industry now more than ever relies
on workers who can use technology efficiently, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, and
display interpersonal skills, all which are crucial for success in business.
For small countries like St. Lucia whose only resources available for development are human resources, the
challenge is even greater, and the need for workers to be equipped with GSCs is even more crucial.
The 2010 Population and Housing Census reported that about 11.2 % of the population had been educated at the
tertiary and higher education levels. One implication of this is that the workplace will depend on those individuals who are employed to demonstrate GSCs, as a means of enhancing productivity in the organization.
The curriculum of tertiary education should among its goals, prepare workers for the labour force. It is in designing the curriculum that the skills and competences required in the workplace should be included; not incidentally but deliberately. This process will enhance the relevance of tertiary education as it equips graduates
with workplace requirements.
It is important therefore to investigate whether employees who are graduates of tertiary education institutions
demonstrate GSCs in their workplace.
The findings of this investigation may provide a springboard for further discussions on the relevance of the curricula in tertiary and higher education in meeting the needs of the workplace.
The objective of the research is to investigate whether employees who have received tertiary education demonstrate the GSCs in the workplace.
Based on this objective this paper seeks to answer the following research questions:
Research Questions
1. Which GCs do employees who are graduates of tertiary institutions demonstrate in the workplace?
2. Which GS do the employees demonstrate in the workplace?
3. What comparisons can be made between the GSCs demonstrated by employees in the private sector organizations and the public sector organizations?
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SECTION 3: Research Design
This study is a survey in which managerial and supervisory personnel within the organizations selected, will be
asked to make an assessment of employees who are graduates of tertiary institutions and express their level of
agreement with whether the employees demonstrate the GSCs in the workplace. The design is cross sectional
as it focuses on organizations that employ a large number of tertiary education graduates.
Sampling
Sampling Type: Purposive Sampling was used to select organizations that the researcher knew employed graduates of tertiary education.
Sample Size: Thirty eight (38) respondents representing eight (9) Public and Private Sector organizations
formed the sample; these individuals held supervisory and managerial positions in their various organizations,
and as such were in a position to make an assessment of the employees under survey to determine whether the
latter demonstrated the skills and competences in question. The assessment was made of more than two hundred and seventy three (273) employees who were all identified as graduates of tertiary education institutions.
The exact number is not known as eight (8) respondents failed to record on the instrument, the number of employees they were assessing.
Research Instrument
One Likert scale consisting of two major sections was used to gather data. Section one comprised twenty (20)
positive descriptors/behaviours/statements that the literature identifies as manifestations of Generic Competences that are needed in the workplace and that have been recommended by different authors as an important component of tertiary /higher education.
Section two comprised nineteen (19) descriptors identified in the literature that are examples of Generic Skills.
Respondents were required to rate their level of agreement or disagreement to each statement as in the following instructions:
On a scale of 1 – 5, where 5 represents Strongly Agree and 1 represents Strongly Disagree, rate the level of your
agreement with whether employees in your organization who are graduates of tertiary education, demonstrate
the GSCs listed.
The instrument was put through three phases of pilot testing.
See the Appendix A for the complete research instrument)
Scoring and Analysis Procedures
The data scoring procedures were as follows:
 The descriptors were grouped into the following sub categories as derived from the literature review:
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Generic Competencies
Entrepreneurship
Interpersonal interaction
Teamwork
Lifelong learning
Generic Skills
Communication
Problem solving
Creative thinking
Critical thinking
Figure 2: Sub-Categories

The values on the Likert Scale were: 5 – strongly agree
4 - agree
3 – cannot agree with any measure of confidence
2 –disagree
1 – strongly disagree



The modal scores were obtained for each descriptor to determine the most popular level of agreement
for each descriptor.
The data obtained were represented in tables.

To present comparative data between public and private sector responses, the following procedure
was employed.
From the previously analyzed questionnaires a sample was taken to represent
assessment data of fifty (50) employees from each sector.
To analyze the data obtained, the outer categories of the Likert scale were collapsed to produce
these resulting categories on the scale:
5, 4, - agreement
3 – cannot agree with any level of confidence
2, 1, - disagreement.
Percentages were calculated for each category and the data were presented
on bar graphs.


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SECTION 4: Data Presentation and Analysis
Research Question 1: What GCs that respondents agree are demonstrated in the
workplace by employees who are graduates of tertiary education?
Sub Category 1a: – Entrepreneurship
Items DESCRIPTORS
3
Desire to learn job
thoroughly
7
enthusiasm
11
interest in clients
14
Spend extra time on
tasks
15
Willingly accept
tasks
Modal scores
4
4
4
4
3
Table 1a: Modal responses
Majority of respondents agreed that except for item 15, employees demonstrated all
behaviours 3, 7, 11 and 14 that reflect competence in Entrepreneurship and are all important needs
of the workplace. In support of this the literature cites COSTAATT (2010) as indicating that
Entrepreneurship is one key area of focus for improvement in the tertiary education system in
Trinidad and Tobago. The focus may be similar for tertiary education in other locations.
Respondents could not agree with any degree of confidence that employees willingly accepted tasks
that were not part of their regular duties, item 15.
This may be because employees are not aware of the importance of being competent in these behaviours.
Sub Category 2a– Interpersonal Interaction
Items
DESCRIPTORS
5.
Accept correction from co workers
6.
Disagree courteously
8.
respect authority
9.
pleasant to co workers
10.
respect colleagues
12.
tolerance of persons with different
ideas
16.
participation in non work activities
MODE
3
4
4
4
4
3
4
Table 2a: Modal responses
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Majority of respondents agreed that employees demonstrated competence in all descriptors
except items 5 and 12. They respected authority, disagreed courteously, they participated in non
work activities of the organization. This is an indication that employees are generally aware of
and demonstrate the interpersonal relations that are required for the workplace; their education
may have exposed them to instruction in these areas. Respondents could not ascertain that
Item 5 ‘employees accepted correction from co – workers, nor ‘demonstrated tolerance for
different ideas’ (item 12). It may be that employees do not have confidence in their colleagues.
It is also logical to assume that employees who do not accept correction from co-workers would
also not be tolerant of differing ideas.
Sub Category 3a: Lifelong Learning
ITEMS
4.
13.
17.
18.
19.
DESCRIPTORS
develop professionally
accept criticism
seek advice
try new ideas
lifelong learning
MODE
4
4
4
4
4
Table 3a: Modal responses
Majority of respondents agreed that employees demonstrated all the behaviours associated with
lifelong learning, a possible indication that they are aware of and have been exposed to instruction
in that area. Lifelong learning is one of the major needs of the workplace as identified by
Abaidoo and Wachniak (2007), Yan Lam (2010). Employees who demonstrate such competence
will contribute positively to the organization. The data also indicate that while it was not very
evident that the employees accepted correction from co workers possibly due to a lack of
confidence in them, they did accept criticism from authority and also sought advice from
those who could assist. This supports item 8 in Interpersonal Interaction, that employees
respected authority.
Sub Category 4a: Teamwork
ITEMS
1.
DESCRIPTORS
Sharing ideas
2.
Interest in success
3.
interest in goals
20.
work as team member in
completion of tasks
MODE
3
4
4
4
16
Table 4a: Modal responses
Majority of respondents agreed that employees demonstrated competence in all the teamwork
descriptors except item 1 sharing ideas; this is a good indicator that employees under survey may
have been exposed to education in these competences. They could not ascertain with any
confidence that employees were competent in sharing ideas that could further assist in team
building in the organization. Yan Lam (2010)
Stone (2010) supports the view that graduates who finish tertiary education with the full complement
of skills and knowledge required for their designated profession are not ‘work-ready’ unless
(emphasis mine) they also acquire skills such as collaborative practice (sharing of ideas) and
team-working capabilities. While the graduate employees did not share ideas, they demonstrated
team working capabilities possibly because team work was required in the workplace.
Data Summary and Findings
Research Question 1: Which GCs do employees who are graduates of tertiary institutions
demonstrate in the workplace?
From the data gathered there were no modal scores representing strongly agree for demonstration
of the descriptors presented; an indication that respondents may not have been impressed with the
level at which or consistency with which the graduate employees demonstrated the generic
competences under study, in the workplace. However graduates demonstrated the following
generic competences:
Entrepreneurship: Respondents agreed that the employees demonstrated competence in
their ‘desire to learn their job’, ‘showing enthusiasm’ and ‘showing interest in clients,’
‘willingness to spend extra time completing tasks’ Vaatstra & De Vries (2007) believe that
acquisition of generic competences depends in part on the extent to which they were stimulated
during instruction. It can be assumed therefore that the graduate employees had some exposure
to developing this competency during their education. The literature also cites COSTAATT (2010)
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as indicating that Entrepreneurship is one key area of focus for improvement in the tertiary
education system in Trinidad and Tobago. The focus may be similar for tertiary institutions
in other locations.
Interpersonal Interactions: The data showed that employees demonstrated competence in
some forms of interpersonal interactions such as ‘disagreeing courteously’, ‘respecting authority’,
‘being pleasant to co – workers,’ ‘respecting colleagues’ and ‘participating in non work
activities of the organization.’ These competences are necessary for the proper functioning
of any workplace. Fallows, and Steven, (2000) described interpersonal interactions as
employability skills. They noted that the current economic situation has rendered an academic
degree with mere knowledge of an academic subject insufficient for the workplace.
They propose that students should be taught skills that will enhance their employability in
the workplace. They advocated the teaching of employability skills such as social development
and interaction that will improve employees’ competence.
Respondents however could not agree with confidence that employees accepted correction
from co workers; neither did they demonstrate tolerance for persons with differing ideas.
It is logical to assume that employees who do not accept correction would not likely
tolerate persons with differing ideas.
Lifelong Learning
Respondents agreed that employees demonstrated all the competences associated with life long
learning. Employees ‘accepted criticism from authority’ and they demonstrated ‘willingness to
seek advice from those who can assist them’. This supports sub category 2a, item 8 in which
respondents agreed that employees respected authority. Employees also showed a willingness
to both ‘develop themselves professionally, (item 4) and engage in lifelong learning (item 19).
One can conclude therefore that since they respected their colleagues, (Sub category 2 a, item 10),
their non acceptance of correction from their colleagues (Sub category 2 a – item 5) meant a lack of
confidence in the latter.
The importance of lifelong is emphasized byYan Lam(2010) cited earlier, who indicated that tthe
report on education reform in Hong Kong recommended the nation should reform educattion to
18
develop in the citizens the capacity to pursue lifelong learning; “this would allow them to take
advantage of the burgeoning creative industries.”
Teamwork
Respondents agreed that employees demonstrated capabilities in teamwork except item 1 ‘sharing
ideas on ways they have to improve the organization’. They showed interest in both the success
of the organization (item 2) and in the goals of the organization, (item 3); and worked as team
member in the completion of tasks (item 20). Gafa, Fenech, Scerri & Price (2005) underscore the
importance of team work. They cite Duthie (1999) as stating that teams allow those working in
them to use their diverse knowledge, skills and experience to contribute to collective decision-making
and problem solving in order to achieve desired outcomes.
While employees may work as a team, they may not feel confident to share ideas, or they may not
feel they have any ideas to share on ways of improving the organization. (item 1).
The absence of a modal score of five (5) for any descriptor is an indication that there is not
widespread or frequent demonstration of these competences in the workplace.
Research Question 2: What Generic Skills do employees demonstrate in the workplace?
Sub category 1 b - Communication
ITEMS
DESCRIPTORS
2
Communicate their ideas to authority
4
Using language that clearly express ideas
13 Clearly communicate ideas to others
18 Ability to make a presentation
Mode
3
3
3
3
Table 1 b:Modal scores
19
The data reveal from the modal score of 3, that majority of respondents could not ascertain that
employees demonstrated any of the relevant communication skills. Effective communication is
important in any workplace as it is a prerequisite for problem solving. Fallows and Steven (2000)
identify communication and presentation as essential workplace skills. Larkin and Larkin (1994)
note three important facts about communication are that employees should be able to communicate directly
to supervisors, use face-to-face communication, and communicate relative performance of the local work
area. The data presented did not support that employees demonstrated those skills.
Sub Category 2b: Problem Solving
ITEMS DESCRIPTORS
7.
Diagnose problems
8.
Perseverance for solutions
Offering suggestions for solu3.
tions
Willing to change ineffective
5.
practices
Willing to learn new strategies to
6.
improve their performance
15.
Accepting new ideas from others3
MODE
3
3
3
3
4
3
Table 2b: Modal scores
Apart from item 6, ‘willing to learn new strategies to improve their performance’, respondents
could not agree with confidence that employees demonstrated any of the other relevant problem
solving skills such as; being able to diagnose problems in the workplace, item 7, perseverance in
trying to find solutions to problems, item 8, offering suggestions for solutions, item3, accepting
new ideas or suggestions from others to improve their performance. The response for item 6
supports item 18 on table 3 a, in which respondents agreed that employees were willing to try
new ideas. Item 15 support The inability of employees to communicate effectively in table 1 – b
above is an indication of poor communication skills.
.
Sub Category 3b: Creative Thinking
ITEMS
9.
11.
13.
17.
DESCRIPTORS
offering ideas to increase productivity in the organization
Welcoming /embracing innovation in the workplace
Taking initiative to start things in the workplace
Using technology to enhance efficiency in their work
MODE
3
4
3
4
20
Table 3 b – Modal scores
Majority of respondents agreed to items 11 and 17 respectively. Since there is agreement tha
t employees welcome innovation in the workplace, (11) then they would quite likely use new
technology that accompanies the innovation, to enhance efficiency in their work, (item 17).
Non use of technology may render the workplace non functional. This again supports the
previous response that they are willing to try new ideas. Respondents could not indicate with
certainty that employees demonstrated items 9 and 13. There was no clear agreement that
employees offered ideas to increase productivity in the organization, (item 9), nor did they take
initiative to start things in the workplace; probably because they lack the ability or confidence to
do so as supported by item 1 table 4 a.
Sub Category 4b: Critical Thinking
ITEMS
10.
12.
16.
19.
DESCRIPTORS
Continually evaluating their performance
Readily accepting challenging tasks
Completing tasks independently
Making sound decisions
Mode
3
3
4
3
Table 4 b: Modal scores
Majority of respondents agreed that the subjects demonstrated their ability to complete tasks
independently, which is an essential workplace skill. This supports sub - category 4 a, item 20,
where majority of respondents agreed that employees could work as a team member. This means
that employees demonstrated both working independently and working as a team member when
necessary.
They however could not agree with confidence that employees demonstrated any of the other generic
critical thinking skills, such as continually evaluating their performance in the workplace, making
21
sound decisions, or accepting challenging tasks. This response pattern supports the interrelatedness
of the generic skills; that deficiency in one critical thinking skill reflects in the other related skills.
The data reveal that employees did not readily engage in continually evaluating their performance,
item 10. Likewise respondents could not agree definitively that the employees practised sound
decision making item 19. Employees who are not able to continually evaluate their performance,
will unlikely be capable of sound decision making.
Data Summary and Findings
Research Question 2: What generic skills do employees who are graduates of tertiary education
demonstrate in the workplace?
Communication: Majority of respondents could not agree with confidence that the graduate
employees demonstrated any of the communication skills being investigated. Communication
is a core skill that facilitates many other skills; it can be assumed that inability to communicate
effectively will negatively impact their capacities to demonstrate other workplace skills which
may affect productivity in the workplace. There is much support for this assumption.
Among the many generic skills that are recommended in education reform in Hong Kong,
Yan Lam (2010) cited earlier indicated that the reform should develop in citizens a high level of
language proficiency that would allow for effective communication of ideas.
Researching on education quality in Malaysia, Abdullah (2009) found that while tertiary education
graduates had the basic quantitative skills taught in the undergraduate curricula, they lacked skills
such as problem solving and communication that are
greatly valued by Industry. Abdullah notes that if these skills had been taught, the level of employability
of the graduates would have been greatly enhanced and this could have enhanced productivity.
Problem solving: Data obtained indicate that similar to communication, graduate employees
did not demonstrate any of the problem solving skills being assessed. As has been noted
communication skills and problem solving are closely linked so it is not surprising that the subjects
would also not demonstrate problem solving skills. The importance of generic skills in the
workplace has been recognized and emphasized. The Ministry of Science, Technology and
22
Tertiary Education in Trinidad has
published a Green Paper which identifies five key areas of focus for improvement in the tertiary
education system. Two of these key areas are related to:
 problem-solving and
 critical thinking skills.
Creative thinking: The use of technology has revolutionized the work place as innovations that
address this technology are implemented. Majority of respondents agreed that employees
welcomed this innovation and used the technology in their work. This is important to the workplace.
Yan Lam (2010) reported that IT skills should be an important component of education reform.
He indicated that these skills were especially important if the country had to“ meet the demands
of the burgeoning global creative industries.”
Majority of respondents however could not ascertain that employees offered suggestions and
ideas to enhance productivity, item 9. This supports the response to item 1 sub-category 4 a to
which respondents could not agree definitively, that employees shared ideas, item 1. Venables
and Tan (2009) advocate collaborative practice such as sharing ideas, among workers to enhance
productivity. Respondents could further not agree definitively that employees took initiatives to
start things in the workplace, item 13.
Critical Thinking: Respondents could not agree with confidence that the subjects demonstrated
skill in any of the other aspects of critical thinking except in item completing tasks independently.
Critical thinking skills are all essential workplace skills. Self evaluation of one’s performance
is an important workplace skill. Vaastra and DeVries (2007) cited earlier note that during their
education, students who regularly evaluate themselves and ask themselves questions about their
behaviour and performance engage in self – reflection. They advocate that it is those skills and
attributes that really make graduates employable.
Although respondents agreed in Sub category 1 a, that employees demonstrated entrepreneurship,
their critical thinking capacity could not be ascertained.
The absence of a modal score of five for any of the generic skills is a clear indicator that
demonstration of these workplace skills
is not outstanding.
23
Research Question 3: What comparisons can be made between the GSCs demonstrated in the
private sector organizations and the public sector organizations?
Generic Competences
Figure 3a: Entrepreneurial competences of employees
The data reveal that all respondents (100%) agreed that private sector employees demonstrated
competence in the ‘desire to learn the job thoroughly’ compared to 80% agreement from the
public sector. 75% of private sector respondents agreed that employees willingly accepted tasks
that are not part of their regular duties compared with only 45% public sector agreement. There
was 75% agreement of both groups showing interest in clients or customers. Overall, there were
slightly higher levels of agreement from the private sector.
Both groups demonstrated interest in clients/customers.
24
Figure 4 a: Interpersonal Interaction of employees
There was agreement with varying levels, that both categories of employees demonstrated most
of the competences except ‘tolerance for persons with differing ideas’ (25%).
There was a high level of agreement from both groups to ‘respect for authority; 87% from the
public sector, compared to 75% from the private sector. More employees (75%) from the private
sector participated in non work activities of the organization compared with 25% in the public sector.
Private sector employees showed greater acceptance of correction (75%) from their co workers
compared with 50% from the public sector. The latter could be an indication of lack of
confidence in their colleagues.
25
Figure 5 a: Lifelong learning competences of employees
.
Respondents from both sectors agreed that employees demonstrated most of the five competences
under investigation; ‘develop themselves professionally’; accepted criticism from authority’
‘sought advice from those who could assist them’ ,’were willing to try new ideas’ and
‘demonstrated other ‘lifelong learning competences’
For the public sector 63% compared to 75% in the private sector agreed that employees
accepted criticism from authority; while 75% of responses indicate that employees demonstrated
willingness to try new ideas, only 25% agreed in the public sector.
26
Figure 6 a: Teamwork competences of employees
There was an equal level of agreement (75%) to both categories of employees ‘working as team
members in the completion of tasks’, this showed the team spirit in both workplaces. There was
more agreement to’ sharing of ideas’ among employees in the private sector, 75% compared to
60% in the public sector. 60% of public sector respondents compared to 50% from the private
sector agreed that employees demonstrated ‘interest in the success of the organization’, and there
was equal agreement, 50% to showing interest in the goals of the organization.
27
Figure 7 b: Communication Skills of employees
Employees experienced dificulty with communication as seen with an overall a low level of
agreement from both sectors to the demonstration of all the communication skills. Only 60%
of respondents in the public sector and 50% in the private sector agreed that employees ‘use clear
language to express their ideas’, and only 50% from either group could ‘communicate their ideas
to authority’. Employees further could not make a presentation as represented by 60% no
confidence in the public sector and 50% disagreement from the private sector.
28
Figure 8b: Problem solving skills of employees
The data reveal a low level of agreement from both groups with evidence of demonstration of
problem solving skills; but there was slightly higher agreement from the private sector. For example
while 50% of the private sector agreed that employees ‘took time to diagnose problems affecting
the workplace’ and ‘also demonstrated’ perseverance in finding solutions to a problem’, 88% from
the public sector could not agree with confidence to either of the behaviours. 50% from both
groups agreed that ‘employees were willing to change ineffective practices’ and ‘learn new
strategies to improve their performance’.
29
Figure 8 b: Creative thinking skills of employees
In both sectors creative thinking was mostly demonstrated through using technology. In the
public sector, 60% agreed that employees ‘used technology to enhance their efficiency in the
workplace’ compared with 50% in the private sector. The differences may be reflective of more
widespread use of computers or more availability in the public sector. Comparatively, Another
important demonstration of creative thinking is taking initiatives; 75% of both categories could
not agree with confidence that employees ‘took initiatives to start things in the workplace.’
For both sectors overall, the data show low levels of agreement that employees demonstrated
creativity.
30
Figure 9b: Critical thinking skills of employees
There was agreement that both categories of respondents could ‘complete assigned tasks
independently’, 88% - public sector, 75 % private sector. This is an indication that employees
could use some related thinking skills; however ‘regularly self-evaluating one’s performance’
as well as ‘making sound decisions are essential workplace skills which employees in neither
sector demonstrated’. Only 12% of public sector respondents and 25% of private sector
respondents agreed that employees demonstrated these skills.
There was equal agreement to acceptance of challenging tasks, 50%.
Research Question 3: What comparisons can be made between the GSCs demonstrated in the
private sector organizations and the public sector organizations?
Data Summary and Findings
Generic Competences
Entrepreneurship
There was a greater demonstration of a desire on the part of employees in the private sector to
learn the job more than those in the public sector. This was also evident as private sector
employees more willingly accepted tasks that were not part of their regular duties as well as
demonstrated more willingness to spend extra time on tasks.
Both groups demonstrated equal interest in clients and customers.
Interpersonal Interaction
There was agreement that both groups demonstrated some competence in interpersonal interaction.
They were pleasant to co workers and respected their colleagues. Both groups demonstrated
respect for authority but the level of agreement was greater in the public sector. They both
participated in non work activities but the level of agreement was higher for the private sector.
Although both groups showed a lack of tolerance for persons with different ideas, employees
in the private sector more willingly accepted correction from co workers.
Lifelong Learning
Although both groups of respondents demonstrated most of the competences, private sector
31
employees demonstrated more evidence of eagerness to try new ideas as well as accepted criticism
from authority.
Teamwork
There was equal agreement that both groups of employees worked as team members in the
completion of tasks, and that they both sought advice from persons who could assist them. There
was a higher level of agreement that employees from the private sector shared ideas on ways they
have to improve the organization. There was equal agreement to employees showing interest in
the goals of the organization, but a higher level of agreement to public sector employees showing
interest in the success of the organization.
Generic Skills
Communication
Employees from both sectors experienced dificulty with communication skills. There was a
moderate level of agreement that employees in the public sector could use language that can
clearly express their ideas as well as a moderate level of agreement that while employees in the
private sector could communicate their ideas to others and to authority.
Problem Solving
The data reveal a low level of agreement from both groups with demonstration of problem solving
skills; employees in the public sector could not diagnose problems in the workplace or persevere
at finding solutions to problems, while there was only 50% agreement that these skills were
demonstrated in the workplace in the private sector. There was also moderate agreement that
employees were willing to change ineffective practices and learn new strategies to improve their
performance.
Creative Thinking
For both groups there was agreement on using technology to enhance efficiency in their work;
but there was a higher level of agreement for the public sector. This could be because of greater
availability of computers in the former. There no evidence of
employees taking initiative to start things in the workplace. In the private sector 50% of employees
welcomed innovation in the workplace, compared to only 37% in the public sector.
Critical Thinking
There was a very low level of agreement that either group of employees demonstrated their ability
to regularly evaluate their performance or to make sound decisions.There was moderate agreement
to the groups accepting challenging tasks, but both groups were able to complete assigned tasks
independently.
Conclusion: The literature clearly advocates that the demands/needs of the workplace are for a new
calibre of employees who do not only possess occupation specific knowledge, but equally important can
demonstrate GSCs in the workplace. This may determine the future success of organizations as well as
that of employees..
The research revealed overall, that employees being surveyed demonstrated many of the generic
32
competences, but respondents could not agree with any confidence that employees demonstrated the
generic skills. Since tertiary education should prepare employees for the workplace
it can be assumed that employees were exposed to the generic competences during their
tertiary education. Likewise their exposure to instruction in the generic skills may have
been minimal.
A comparison of the data from the public and private sectors revealed a similar pattern of demonstration
but with varying levels of agreement. Both groups demonstrated teamwork, had respect for authority,
and for their colleagues. However both groups failed to show tolerance for persons with differing ideas.
Private sector employees more willingly accepted criticism from authority and were more willing to share their
ideas on improving the organization than public sector employees.
In support of the importance of generic competences Vaastra and De Vries (2000) rationalized that as
graduates face the continuous changes that occur in the labour market, their generic competencies are
less subject to changes than occupation-specific competences. It means therefore that the former are
very sustaining for the success of any working environment.
There was less agreement about the demonstration of generic skills by employees in both public and
private sector. They both failed to demonstrate most of the communication skills, problem solving skills,
creative thinking and critical thinking skills.
The findings of this study bring to sharp focus the needs of the workplace and the extent to which
those needs are met. At the tertiary level which prepares workers for the workplace GSCs should
be part of instruction. The findings further suggest that decisions regarding the content of a
tertiary education curriculum can no longer be the privilege of the provider.
It can best be determined
by a process of consultation with the providers of employment being major partners. This would
be an attempt to align the curriculum to the needs of the workplace to ensure that graduates
of tertiary institutions develop greater functionality in the workplace.
Recommendations:

There is the need for clear written policies on the process of designing curricula for tertiary
education to ensure that the needs of the workplace are met.
The polices must stipulate how the process will be conducted and who the participants should be.
To ensure that the content of curricula are aligned to the needs of the workplace, participants should
represent both private and public sector organizations.
For example in designing curricula for the new Sir Arthur Lewis University College, it is
33
recommended that consultations involving employers from public and private sector organizations
are held to decide on the content of the curricula.

Instruction in Generic Competences and Skills too often are left as incidental learning during
Instruction; they must be taught directly initially until learners have conceptualized the GSCs.
It is recommended that the GSCs be presented as independent courses of instruction or as clearly
articulated components of new and existing programmes. This will ensure that learners
understand the relevance of these GSCs and can demonstrate them to enhance overall productivity.
Delimitations
This investigation was concerned with only employees who are graduates of tertiary education
and it is not intended to make comparisons with employees who are not graduates of tertiary
institutions.
Limitations: Gathering data from Private Sector organizations was very tedious as in some instances
they were not responsive to providing information.
The actual number of employees against whom the assessments were made could not be ascertained
as eight respondents did not indicate the numbers of employees whom they were assessing.
34
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36
APPENDIX
A survey of tertiary education graduates’ skills and competences in
the workplace.
Dear Respondent,
The modern workplace demands more than Occupation Specific
Knowledge (OSK); it also needs employees to demonstrate generic
skills and competences (GSCs) that can enhance productivity.
One of the main goals of tertiary education is to prepare persons to
enter this workplace and as such this level should teach the GSCs in
addition to OSK.
The purpose of this phase of my research therefore is to investigate
whether employees who are graduates of tertiary institutions
demonstrate GSCs in the workplace.
On a scale of 1 – 5, where 5 represents Strongly Agree and 1 represents Strongly Disagree, rate the level of your agreement with
whether the graduate employees in your organization demonstrate the GSCs.
Kindly place a check mark (x) in the box that expresses the level
of your agreement.
I will present the findings of this study at the Annual Conference of
The Association of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions (ACTI) in Grenada.
Kindly note that your identity is not required.
I am indeed grateful for your participation.
Ancillia Louis
Senior Lecturer,
Sir Arthur Lewis Community College
37
Number of employees in the department you head -------Number of them who are tertiary education graduates --------Generic competences
5
4
3
3
1
Rate your level of agreement
with whether graduates of
tertiary education in your
organization demonstrate the
38
following competences:
1.Sharing ideas they have on
ways to improve the organization
2.Showing interest in the success of the organization
3Showing a desire to learn
their job thoroughly
4Showing a willingness to
develop themselves professionally
5Willingly accept correction
from co-workers
6Disagreeing with others,
c7ourteously
7 Approaching their tasks
with enthusiasm
8Demonstrating respect for
authority
9Being pleasant with co workers
10Demonstrating respect for
colleagues
11Showing interest in clients/customers
12. Displaying tolerance for
persons with different ideas
13.Accepting criticism from
authority
14.Willing to spend extra time
to complete tasks
15Willingly accept tasks that
not part of their regular duties
16. Participating in non work
activities in the organization
17. Seeking advice from those
who can assist them
18.Are eager to try new ideas
19. Showing a desire to engage
in lifelong learning
20.Working as team member
in the completion of tasks
5
4
3
2
1
GENERIC SKILLS:
Rate your level of your agreement
with whether graduates employed
39
in your organization demonstrate
these skills:
1. Showing interest in the
goals of the organization
2. Communicating their
ideas about the organization to authority
3. Offering suggestions for
solutions to problems in
the organization
4. Using language that can
clearly express their ideas
5. Willing to change their
practices that are ineffective
6. Willing to learn new
strategies to improve
their performance
7. Taking time to diagnose
problems affecting the
workplace
8. Perseverance in trying to
find solutions to a problem
9. Offering ideas to
increase productivity in
the organization
10. Continually evaluating
their performance in the
workplace
11.Welcoming/embracing
innovation in the workplace
12. Readily accepting challenging tasks
13. Taking initiative to start
things in the workplace.
13. Ability to clearly communicate their ideas
others
15. Accepting new ideas or
suggestions from others.
16.Completing assigned tasks
independently
17. Using technology to enhance efficiency in their work
18. Ability to make a presentation to a group
19.Ability to make sound
decisions
40
41
42
43
44