Abstract:
Enhancing graduate employability skills is considered as an important task within the Sri
Lankan University community. In order to enhance competitive advantage for graduate
employment, students need to develop employability skills in addition to the acquisition
of subject-specific knowledge. Employability skills include cognitive skills, subjectspecific
skills and key skills. The labour market needs and the employers’ requirements
for skills from graduates are changing. Undergraduate students should be aware of the
labour market needs and future employability skills requirement from the labour market.
This study was conducted with the objectives of identifying the final year
undergraduates’ perspective on the nature of their employment situation after graduation
and identifying undergraduates’ understanding and competencies on employability skills.
Data for the study were gathered from the selected sample of final year undergraduates
from Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Faculty
of Social Sciences at the University of Kelaniya through a survey using a structured
questionnaire. Survey questions were designed to obtain information on skill needs of
sample respondents based on the employability skills identified from the literature
review.
Findings reveal that the majority of final year undergraduates were expected to select
future employment in a government sector and employment expectations are different
from one study programme to another. Perspectives on competencies on employability
skills showed differences among study programmes. Undergraduates also show lack of
knowledge on skill needs of the labour market. This study concluded that graduates
should improve their understanding on requirement of the skill needs of the labour
market and enhance their employability skills in order to add competitive advantage for
graduate employment.
