The employability mapping of UIC Business graduates: A reflection of program effectiveness

Abstract

The ultimate goal of an academic institution is to produce competent graduates who can contribute to the development of the society. The competence of graduates is manifested in their employability particularly to their field of expertise. Thus, this employability mapping has been conceptualized to track business graduates of the University of the Immaculate Conception (UIC) in the different industries in Davao City; document their characteristics in two perspectives – from the graduates themselves and from the employers. The survey included 101 UIC graduates who were traced through snowball sampling. Data were from the key informant interviews with a Human Resource Officer from a private company, another were confirmed with from a government agency. Findings showed that 78% of the respondents have been employed within six months after graduation and the top four industries of employment include Banking, Academe, Retail and Government. The top four skills of respondents considered as relevant in their first job are public speaking, computer literacy, communication skills and customer relations. Based on the gathered data, they have attributed their employability to the UIC education in these aspects –effective curriculum and training, prestige of the university, values and discipline. The characteristics evident to UIC graduates are competence, dependability, trustworthiness, God-centeredness, dedication, and sociability. Keywords: Education, business graduates, employability, tracer study, quality education, UIC, Davao City, Philippines.