DEVELOPING SOFT SKILLS IN MALAYSIAN POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS: PERSPECTIVES OF EMPLOYERS AND STUDENTS

Attributes such as leadership, communication, problem solving, time management and teamwork, also known as soft skills, have become critical for entrance into today’s job market. Employers are seeking employees with ability to integrate their technical knowledge with soft skills. Therefore, higher institutions need to play a vital role in integrating soft skills into the curriculum. This paper reports employers’ and students’ perceptions of soft skills competencies assessed after polytechnic students had undergone industrial attachment in various companies. Respondents consist of employers and students from the northern region of Malaysia in Kedah, Perlis, Penang. Soft skills elements studied are mainly related to skills elements in the ITSS module. Participants consisted of 107 employers and 359 students who answered a survey with a 6-point Likert scale. Overall, employers are satisfied with students’ soft skills competency. Time management is found to be an area where improvements are needed most. The skills relating to teamwork, communication, learning and interpersonal skills are identified as need of improvement as well. It is also suggested that more emphasis should be placed on skills like decision making, problem solving and leadership due to an increasing demand by employers.