The influence of interpersonal skills on graduates employability from the perspectives of the undergraduates of UiTM Selangor, Malaysia / Noor Alya Dzulkifli

Malaysian main issue is the issue of employability especially among graduates. The unemployment rate of bachelor graduates is high and has been closely linked to the problem of inadequate knowledge, skills and attitudes of graduates in an applied technology and technical work for labour market requirements in the industrial sector with a 27.9% unemployment rate compared respective groups as reported in the data source obtained from the Ministry of Higher Education and Bank Negara Malaysia estimates. Each student needs to activate their knowledge as a worker in training with various skills to help them find a job after graduated. Graduates must be prepared for all challenges and industrial demand of skilled workers in technologies knowledge that is related to employability skills. As a matter of fact, individuals who are educated, equipped with good personal features as well as interpersonal skills can significantly influence the job market needs. This study focuses in determining the relationship between the interpersonal skills that are communication skills, soft skills and work readiness with graduates’ employability from the perspectives of the undergraduates of UiTM Selangor by using Pearson Correlation analysis. Moreover, this study also focused on determining which among the factors is the most influential factor affecting the graduates’ employability by using multiple regression analysis. A total of 357 respondents were involved throughout this study that is among the undergraduates of UiTM Selangor. Therefore, from the findings obtained, it indicates that from the perspectives of the undergraduates on their employability skills from UiTM Selangor, it was found that communication skills and soft skills is important but have low influence on their employability skills while work readiness is important and have high influence on their employability skills. Meanwhile, it is revealed that the graduates’ employability from the perspectives of the undergraduates from UiTM Selangor are mostly affected by soft skills.