THE INFLUENCE OF PANDEMIC OUTBREAK TOWARDS EMPLOYABILITY OF FRESH GRADUATES IN MALAYSIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

• Published in: Malaysian Construction Research Journal
• Main Author: Tharim A.H.A.; Saarani P.S.N.; Zaini S.A.M.; Wahi N.; Yasin M.N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Construction Research Institute of Malaysia 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85194580980&partnerID=40&md5=ce8750ba05c71e93634c698c9f3264bc

Employment helps the expansion of the world economy. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in declining construction activities while the job market became limited. For graduates to seize job opportunities, it is important to understand the effects of the pandemic on the job market. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the influence of pandemic outbreak on the employability of fresh graduates in the Malaysian construction industry. Hence, the objectives of this research are to identify factors influencing the demand for fresh graduates and to suggest strategies in enhancing employability among fresh graduates in the Malaysian construction industry during the pandemic outbreak. The research methodology applied in this research was a quantitative method using a questionnaire survey. Furthermore, the respondents in this study were consultant firms. Upon completing the data collection, the data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. There were 217 sets of questionnaires distributed and 159 responses were received at 73%. The result obtained from the research study indicated that the factors influencing the demand for fresh graduates are graduate attributes, expectations of employers, employability skills and external factors. Meanwhile, the strategies of employability showed soft skills set, graduates attributes, and curriculum design as strategies to charm employers. By incorporating practical learning, working with industry partners, improving employability skills, and adjusting to shifting hiring preferences from the epidemic age, universities may better prepare graduates for the construction industry. Further study is to suggest the study on this topic by interviewing employers for more precise results. © 2023, Construction Research Institute of Malaysia. All rights reserved.