Title: Exploring employers' perceptions on public universities' quality and graduate employability in Malaysia

Authors: Amal Ahmad Almasri; Noor Azman Ali; Amer Hamzah Jantan

Addresses: School of Business and Economics, University Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia ' School of Business and Economics, University Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia ' City University Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Abstract: This study was conducted to explore the employers' perceptions of the relationship between the quality of public universities and graduate employability. This study adopted a qualitative research design by using a semi- structural interview with ten employers. The findings indicate the determinants of university quality, including university outcomes, reputation, academic program and curriculum, infrastructure and support facilities, academic staff, and training as influential factors on graduate employability. In addition, employers commented that graduate employability could be influenced by top management commitment, especially when they seek to communicate with stakeholders to determine the workplace's needs to improve their graduate employability. Whilst, employers consider admission requirements of public universities are not based on academic excellence, but on the quantity of students. Therefore, this study recommends that the higher authorities in public universities and employers need to strengthen the associations between them and activate partnerships for all parties' benefit. As well, public universities need to pay more attention to the determinants of quality, which contribute to enhancing graduate employability.

Keywords: quality assurance; public university; employability; employers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKL.2024.140824

International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 2024 Vol.17 No.5, pp.484 - 510

Accepted: 05 Nov 2022
Published online: 03 Sep 2024 *

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