STUDENT AND EMPLOYER PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF

ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS

________________

A Project

Presented

to the faculty of

California State University, Chico

________________

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Science

in

Agricultural Education

________________

by

Clarissa Rowley

Spring 2014

STUDENT AND EMPLOYER PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF

ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS

A Project

by

Clarissa Rowley

Spring 2014

APPROVED BY THE DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES

AND VICE PROVOST FOR RESEARCH:

_________________________________________

Eun K. Park, Ph.D.

APPROVED BY THE GRADUATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE:

________________________________ ___________________________________

Mollie Aschenbrener, Ph.D. Mollie Aschenbrener, Ph.D., Chair

Graduate Coordinator

_____________________________________

Michael Spiess, Ed.D.

_____________________________________

Brad Dodson, Ph.D

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

List of Tables……………………………………………………………….……………………………………….…. vi List of Figures……………………………………………………………….……………………………………….…. vi Abstract………………….……………………..……………………………………………...………..……………… vii CHAPTER

I. Introduction……………………………………………………………………..…………….…..… 1 Purpose of the Project…………………………………………………….…………… 1 Scope of the Project……………………………………….……………….…………… 2 Significance of the Project……………………………………………….…………… 3 Limitations of the Project…….…………………………………………….………… 4 Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………….………… 6

II. Review of Literature………………………………………………………..………..………… 7

Identifying Employability Skills……………………………………….…………… 7 Employer Desire for Employability Skills…..…………………….…………… 9 Employability Skill Development in the Classroom………….…………… 11

III. Methodology……………………………………………………………………………….……….. 18

IV. Results and Discussion…………………………………………………………………..……… 20

Results…………………………………….……………………………………………..…… 20 Discussion……………………………………………………….……………………..…… 23

V. Conclusions and Recommendations…………………..…….….…………….………... 25

Summary….……………….…………………………………….……………..…….…… 25 Conclusions……………….…………………………………….………………….…..… 25 Recommendations ……………….…………………………………………….……… 27

iv

PAGE

References……………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 29

Appendices

A. Survey Instrument…………………………………………………………………..………... 35 B. Employer Letter……………………………………………………………………..…….…... 36 C. Employer Thank You Letter…………………………………………………………..…… 37

v

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE PAGE

1. Table 1 Summated Survey Results for Importance of Employability Skills, as Perceived by Students…………………………………….. 21

2. Table 2 Summated Survey Results for Importance of Employability Skills, as Perceived by Employers………………………………………. 22

vi

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE PAGE

1. List of Employability Skills Included Within Each Skill Set………………………….. 9

vii

ABSTRACT

STUDENT AND EMPLOYER PERCEPTIONS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF

ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS

By

Clarissa Rowley

Master of Science in Agricultural Education

California State University, Chico

Spring 2014

High school students may not be aware of the specific employability skills

needed in the workforce, and therefore may not be adequately prepared to enter the

workforce upon graduation. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived

importance of 30 employability skills as determined by agriculture-related employers

and high school agriculture students in Nevada County. Thirty skills were ranked using a

Likert type scale ranging from 0 (no importance) to 3 (most important). The goal was to

use the collected data to determine which employability skills should be taught within a

high school agriculture course in order to best prepare high school agriculture students

for the workplace. Employers ranked employability skills related to personal and social

behaviors of greatest importance. Students perceived employability skills related to

viii

time management and deadlines as most important. Both employers and high school

student ranked most of the employability skills as moderately important.

1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Purpose of the Project

High school students may not be aware of the specific employability skills

needed in the workforce, and therefore may not be adequately prepared to enter the

workforce upon graduation. High school students may be under constant pressure to

complete challenging courses and participate in extra-curricular activities because of the

enrollment demands of colleges and universities. Unfortunately, the focus given to

knowledge acquisition in academic courses may cause students to lack many ‘soft’ skills

necessary to be successful in the workforce. Skills such as problem solving, critical

thinking, working with others, and making impromptu presentations are often lost in

the monotony of academics (Zisner, 2003). Schools have focused attention on improved

instruction of basic skills and thinking skills, but not on addressing the issue of

employability skills (Hill & Petty, 1995). More specifically, agriculture instructors have

noticed many agriculture students are unaware of these ‘soft’ skills needed in the

workforce and that they have difficulty completing tasks in which these skill sets are

used. Secondary teachers must prepare students for life after they graduate, whether

college, military service, trade school, or a career will follow high school. Students need

2

to possess basic employability skills if they want to be successful in their chosen career

(Robinson, 2000). This project is significant because it will investigate the importance of

specific employability skills, as perceived by students and employers, in order to

incorporate those needed skills within the curriculum of a high school agriculture

course.

Scope of the Project

The project is focused specifically on Nevada County, a primarily rural

community with only two high schools: Nevada Union High School and Bear River High

School. Both schools have successful agriculture programs and offer an agriculture

communications course that focuses on leadership development and communication

skills of the students. The class is considered an agriculture elective and is open to

students at the sophomore, junior, and senior levels. Many students who take

agriculture courses at the high school level return to the community and become

involved within the agriculture industry as a career, hobby, or as part of local agriculture

support organizations. This project is designed to directly approach employers in

Nevada County to determine what they believe are the most important skills for entry-

level employees to possess. To better understand the skills necessary to best assist the

development of curriculum for an agriculture course at local high schools, the focus was

specified to agriculture-related businesses in Nevada County. For the project research,

high school agriculture communications students and agriculture-related employers in

Nevada County completed a survey on their perception of the importance of thirty

3

employability skills. The survey instrument was adapted from an existing, longer

instrument (Robinson, 2006). In the survey, participants were asked to rank the skills

according to importance in their place of business for an entry-level employee or, in the

case of the students, which skills they believed to be most important as an entry-level

employee. The goal of this project is to compare the results of the employer and student

surveys to identify discrepancies. If there are significant discrepancies, curriculum within

the agriculture communications course will be created in order to develop desired skills

so students are better prepared to enter the workforce. Current curriculum designed to

cultivate soft skills of students will be reinforced to continue to develop the

employability skill set of high school agriculture students.

Significance of the Project

The need to improve the employability skill set of high school students has

been a constant concern of educators. Students are expected to develop their “hard”

technical skills as well as the “soft” people skills necessary to be successful in the

workplace (Shivpuri & Kim, 2004). Secondary educators have difficulties preparing

graduates with these “soft” skills because of the strong focus on academic learning and

success. The “hard” technical skills are job specific and best taught by industry

professionals on the job. Employers are usually willing to provide the specialized, job-

specific training necessary for their employees (Robinson, 2000). However, many work

environments require work that goes beyond the step-by-step task performance to

perform tasks such as problem solving, thinking creatively to solve problems, and

4

working effectively with coworkers (Overtoom, 2000). The development of these “soft”

skills is needed by all high school graduates and can be effectively incorporated into high

school curriculum (Hill & Petty, 1995). These skills allow high school students to

differentiate themselves and offer a wider skill set to their employers. While many

attempts have been made to identify the employability skills students need to enter the

workforce, few studies have looked specifically at agriculture employers and high school

agriculture students. There is a need to recognize which employability skills are sought

by agriculture employers in the industry.

This project is designed to assess the need for “soft” skill development by

directly approaching the agriculture-related employers to determine what they believe

are the most important skills for entry-level employees to possess. Whether students

are preparing for college or a career, employability skills are easily transferrable

throughout the students’ professional experiences. Part of the role as an educator is to

ensure that students are prepared for these experiences. This research project will be

significant for both agriculture programs in Nevada County as it will provide the

agriculture instructors a better perspective of industry needs from future employees

and how students can be better prepared to enter the workforce.

Limitations of the Project

Challenges to the project are most notably time and amount of agriculture-

related employers. In 2012, Nevada County ranked 54th out of 58 counties in the state of

California for agriculture production, with a total production value of $18,173,000

5

(“California Agricultural Statistics,” 2013). Although Nevada County is a heavily rural

community, the top commodities in the area are cattle, wine grapes, and pasture. The

diversity of agriculture-related businesses in the county is very limited. Time was also a

limiting factor because of the conflict between school duty hours and the operating

hours of most of the employers in the county. Another limitation was that this survey is

limited to students enrolled in the agriculture communications courses at Bear River

High School and Nevada Union High School, and results cannot be generalized beyond

this population.

6

Definitions of Terms

Employability Skills

A set of broad skills that are regarded by employers as very important; basic

skills necessary for getting, keeping, and doing well on a job (Wibrow, 2001; Robinson

2000).

Soft Skills

Interpersonal qualities and personal attributes such as communication,

responsibility, social skills, positive attitude, flexibility, teamwork, and work ethic

(Robles, 2012).

Hard Skills

Technical expertise and knowledge needed for a job (Robles, 2012)

7

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Identifying Employability Skills

Employability skills enable individuals to prove their value to an organization

and act as a key to job survival (Overtoom, 2000). Substantial research has been

conducted on the importance of soft skills in the workforce. Many of the studies

addressed high school and college graduates and share similar findings. One study found

that 75% of long-term job success depends on people skills, while only 25% is

dependent upon technical knowledge (Klaus, 2010). As industries change, employers

seek employees who are adaptable and have skills beyond technical knowledge

(Wibrow, 2011; Deloza, 2013). Other studies report that employers rate soft skills as

number one in importance for entry-level success on the job (Wilhelm, 2004; Burton,

Chavez & Kokaska, 1987). Soft skills are a mandatory requirement to ensure long-term

employment and a satisfactory career (Coscia, 2013). As today’s workplace comprises of

a wide variety of cultures, generations, and nationalities, the need for employees who

can efficiently work with others has never been greater (Jackson, 2013). Employers need

reliable, responsible workers who have the employability skills that help them fit into

and remain in the work environment (Robinson, 2000). In terms of qualities needed

today, self-motivation, discipline, and effective communication skills were most

8

recommended by employers, followed by learning agility, self-awareness and

adaptability (Van Velsor & Wright, 2013). Robles (2012) identified the top 10 soft skills

perceived as the most important by industry executives. These skills include integrity,

communication, courtesy, responsibility, social skills, positive attitude, professionalism,

flexibility, teamwork, and work ethic (Robles, 2012). Another study reported that

employers desired workers to be competent n four areas: managing self;

communicating; managing people and tasks; and mobilizing innovation and change

(Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann, 2002). The qualities respondents listed as important for 10

years from now include adaptability, versatility, effective communication, learning

agility and self-motivation and discipline (Van Velsor & Wright, 2013).

Employability skills, while categorized in different ways, are generally divided

into three skill sets: basic academic skills; higher-order thinking skills; and personal

qualities (Robinson, 2000). The three skills sets can be broken down into more detailed

skills sets (See Figure 1). Team working and communication are consistently identified as

among the most highly desired skills by employers (Jackson, 2013). It is difficult to utilize

employees effectively who lack personal skills, as they are necessary for viewing their

role as part of a team and aide in the willingness to work within the culture of a group

(Robinson, 2000). These skills combine to compile an essential skill inventory in work-

ready graduates, regardless of their plans after graduation.

9

Figure 1: List of Employability Skills Included Within Each Skill Set

Adapted From: Robinson, 2000

Employer Desire for Employability Skills

Technical skills, or hard skills, were historically the only skills necessary for

career employment. However technical skills are not enough to maintain employment in

today’s workplace (Robles, 2012). Two of the greatest concerns expressed by employers

included acquiring and training good workers (Robinson, 2000). Because soft skills are

important for productive performance in today’s workplace, there is an extreme

emphasis placed on the development of soft skills (Robles, 2012; Slusher, Robinson &

Edwards, 2010). Although employers can train employees for specific skills related to

the job, many of the soft, employability skills must be acquired at another time.

Employers are willing to train the specialized, job-specific training necessary, but require

workers to continuously develop skills beyond those required for a specific job

(Overtoom, 2000; Robinson, 2000). Certain types of employability skills are considerably

Personal Qualities

Responsible Self

Confidence Self Control Social Skills Honesty Integrity Adaptability Flexibility Team Work

Punctual and Efficient

Higher Order Thinking Skills

Learning Reasoning Thinking

Creatively Decision Making Problem Solving

Basic Academic Skills

Reading Writing Science Math Oral

Comminication Listening

10

more likely to be acquired in some settings than in others (Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann,

2002). Changing economies and rapid technology advancement have redesigned today’s

workplace into an innovative work environment, or a high-performance workplace

(Overtoom, 2000). This environment requires a behavior towards work that goes

beyond the step-by-step task performance. This lack of preparedness is not just within

one industry or one region, but it has been documented across all regions of the country

and across numerous industries and job vocations (Buhler, 2012). The research

concludes that while university graduates have good technical or specific skills, they

frequently lack general employability skills (Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann, 2002).

The skills that employers typically indicate they seek are not the same as the

skills that students believe employers desire (Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann, 2002). Employers

seek workers who can communicate, demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviors,

responsibility, adaptability, and people who can work with others (McLaughlin, 1995).

For many entry-level jobs open to high school graduates, employers emphasize “good

work attitudes” rather than specific job-relevant skills (Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann, 2002).

“Employers place a high value on employees who work well as team members, who

respect the gender, cultural and ethnic differences among colleagues, who arrive at

work on time, who have good work habits and take pride in their work” (DeLeon, 1998,

p. 19). Communication skills is an area in which entry-level employees do best, although

some have difficulty following the intent of oral instructions and using appropriate

vocabulary and grammar (Ascher, 1988). With interpersonal skills, workers have the

11

most difficulty asking for clarification and accepting constructive criticism (Ascher,

1988). Often employees exhibit the contradictory problem of not taking sufficient

initiative at the same time as inappropriately assuming responsibility (Ascher, 1988).

High school graduates should enter the workplace with the academic and vocational

skills that afford employment and sustain their longevity as “productive members in

today’s complex work environment” (DeLeon, 1998, p. 2). “The message is clear:

technical skills are simply no longer sufficient for success in the workplace” (Buhler,

2012, p. 24).

Employability Skill Development in the Classroom

Although there is a widespread drive to develop employability skills of

students, there are still gaps between graduate workplace performance and employer

expectations (Jackson, 2013; Buhler, 2012). Many students leave education without the

requisite skills to succeed in the adult work world (Zisner, 2003). Many young people are

deficient in employability skills, mainly because schools do not sufficiently emphasize

such skills and students lack awareness of the skills needed in the work world (Krahn,

Lowe & Lehmann, 2002). In more recent years, high schools report students are having

more difficulty surviving professionally after they graduate, regardless of whether they

go to a college or directly into a career. Zinser (2003) found that high schools are doing a

poor job of developing the career and employability skills of the students, therefore

hindering their success in the adult work world. A majority of high school students leave

school without a solid base of academic and employability skills that will enable them to

12

succeed in a career or in college (Overtoom, 2000). Employers focus on personal traits

and social skills, qualities that the Committee of Economic Development has termed

part of the “invisible curriculum” of schools (Ascher, 1988). Higher-order cognitive

abilities, like analyzing and problem solving, are considered important outcomes of

participation in the secondary and postsecondary education systems, but little progress

has been made in developing valid, reliable measures of these abilities (Krahn, Lowe &

Lehmann, 2002). Employability skills cannot just be taught within classroom walls.

“When schools tolerate absenteeism, truancy, tardiness, sloppy work, and misbehavior,

they are not helping students establish necessary work habits” (Ascher, 1988, p. 3).

Employers across the developed economies advocate that education providers help

prepare graduates for the workplace (Jackson, 2013). There is a widespread need for

students to gather employability skills in order to differentiate themselves from others

when entering the job market.

Employers recommend that secondary and postsecondary education

programs be revamped to better prepare students with the requisite skills for an ever-

changing workplace (Krahn, Lowe & Lehmann, 2002). In the past, learning employability

skills in the classroom was primarily associated with vocational courses and was not

seen as important in more academic-based instruction (McLarty, 1995). In recent years,

vocational programs have transitioned into Career Technical Education (CTE) programs,

comprised of several industry-related pathways include agriculture. For the last several

decades, more than 90 % of public high school graduates have earned at least some CTE

13

credits in high school (“Postsecondary and labor,” 2011). Many students choose to

enroll in CTE programs because of the connection to their future career aspirations

(Slusher, Robinson & Edwards, 2010). There are currently 313 agriculture programs in

high schools across the state California with 71, 156 students enrolled ("California

agricultural education," 2013). Data published by the U.S. Department of Education

(2011) reported that of students taking courses related to the Agriculture CTE pathway,

38.3% enrolled in a post-secondary institution within the first two years after graduating

from high school, and 75% of students were working full time within the first two years

after high school graduation. The data also reported that 16.4% of the students who had

taken agriculture courses in high school were majoring in something related to

agriculture at the post-secondary level or were currently employed within a sector of

the agriculture industry (“Postsecondary and labor,” 2011). Several studies have

examined career technical education (CTE) and its role in the employment of graduates

(Coscia, 2013; Robinson, 2006; Slusher, Robinson & Edwards, 2010). Conroy (1998)

suggested that CTE courses be “integrated into the total education program in order to

provide a broad-based exposure to the world of work through experiential learning”

(p.9). Unfortunately, high school CTE courses have been relegated to “elective” status

and, as a result, have been “pushed out of the school” (Deloza, 2013, p. 9). Schools are

doing students a disservice by not offering opportunities, like CTE, to arm them with

practical skills that translate into well-paying jobs (Deloza, 2013). As demand for a high-

skill workforce has increased, reforms have focused on changing high school CTE from

14

an alternative to the college preparatory curriculum to an educational pathway for all

students that connects high schools, colleges, and the workforce (“Postsecondary and

labor,” 2011). Taking a more practical, real-world approach to career preparation seems

to be the step towards which many educators are moving (Deloza, 2013).

The need to improve the employability skills of the workforce has been an

issue across all phase of education and steps have been taken to define and address key

skill areas needed for improvement, specifically at the secondary level (Slusher,

Robinson & Edwards, 2010). In 1991, the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving

Necessary Skills (SCANS) report was initiated to define the skills needed by high school

graduates in the workforce. The focus of the report was to determine how high schools

could best mirror the industry “in an effort to make the transition from school-to-work

less difficult for secondary school graduates” (Secretary’s Commission, 1991, p. 3). A

related document from SCANS (1991), titled “Learning a Living,” suggested the best way

to ensure students have acquired employability skills is for teachers to teach “in

context” by linking the skills needed in industry to specific objectives within the

curriculum (Secretary’s Commission, 1991). Educators are beginning to see the need of

employability skill development in the classroom and have created the Common Core

State Standards (CCSS) with the hopes that it will develop the soft skills of students. One

of the goals of the CCSS was to break down the gap between academics and career

education (Deloza, 2013). The CCSS mission statement declares “the standards are

designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills

15

that our young people need for success in college and careers” (Deloza, 2013, p. 8).

Hopefully, with the implementation of Common Core State Standards, teachers may be

able to incorporate more employability skills, with emphasis on critical thinking, into the

existing curriculum.

Employability skills can be taught in both school and employment settings

(Robinson, 2000). After consulting a panel of experts regarding employability skills in

secondary agriculture education, Slusher (2010) recommended that secondary

agricultural education instructors integrate non-technical employability skills into

existing curriculum whenever appropriate to increase human capital holding value

related to the entry-level employment of high school graduates. There are three

important issues to consider when analyzing methods of teaching employability skills,

including: how well they are understood by teachers; the impact this has on students;

and whether there is a role for employers (Wibrow, 2011). In order for students to learn

and develop those skills, teachers must first understand those skills so that they can

best implement them into the classroom (Zinser, 2003). A knowledge and understanding

of employability skills is not complete without knowing how to assess employability

skills (“Assessing employability skills,” 1997). Interpersonal skills should be the

foundation which curriculum is developed and delivered in the classroom, which

presents a challenge to educators and curriculum developers (DeLeon, 1998). The skills

must be teachable in a school setting in order for teacher to develop those skills within

the students (McLarty, 1995). It is important to get student to start thinking about

16

careers at an early age, while also having an honest discussions about viable career

options (DeLoza, 2013). Student perceptions and “buy-in” to employability skill

development is also an important factor in soft skill development. Students must have a

clear understanding of the value of the presented material and appreciate the

importance of those skills in enhancing their employment prospects (Jackson, 2013).

Skills cannot be taught in the traditional modes of textbooks and lectures, but can only

be learned in the context of ‘doing’ (DeLeon, 1998). When possible, classrooms should

replicate the features of real work settings and teachers should set and communicate

high expectations and hold students responsible for their behavior (Robinson, 2000).

Attention to assignments that build learning agility and adaptability, and ensuring young

people are exposed to multicultural and collaborative work tasks as part of, or as a

supplement to, their normal job assignments can aide in developing needed soft skills

(Van Velsor & Wright, 2013). Working together in the classroom will give students

opportunities to enhance their ability to cross boundaries, learn from differences and

increase their openness to the views and needs of others (Van Velsor & Wright, 2013).

One way to assist in the development of employability skills in the classroom

is to have teachers partner with business to improve the preparedness of the workforce

(Buhler, 2012). While business can provide insights into the required sill sets, they can

also provide opportunities for students to get practical experience in the form of

internships, job shadowing programs, guest speaker spots, involvement in student

organizations, and advisory boards (Buhler, 2012). While schools should certainly

17

continue to develop higher order academic skills in all students, they should also ensure

that students learn all the basic social and academic skills needed for an entry-level job

(Ascher, 1988). “Without the voice of business, education may continue to prepare

students with an outdated (and ineffective) skill set” (Buhler, 2012, p. 24).

18

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

The design of this study was survey research in which data was collected

from groups of people by way of questionnaires. The population for this study included

high school agriculture students in the agriculture communications course at Bear River

High School and Nevada Union High School, and agriculture-related employers in

Nevada County. Agriculture communications was selected because it is an agriculture

elective course for upperclassmen that focuses on the development of leadership,

public speaking, career development, activity planning, and agriculture industry

knowledge. The course easily lends itself to the incorporation of employability skill

development. Employers were chosen based on the agriculture aspect of their business

and being located in Nevada County. Nevada County is primarily a rural community and

many individuals who attend high school in the county will return to work and raise

families. Because of the strong influence of local employers within the community, it

was important to include the input of those businesses when determining the

importance of employability skills among high school students.

A survey (See Appendix A) was developed by the researcher to assess the

perceived importance of thirty employability skills. The survey instrument was adapted

19

from an existing, longer instrument used in a similar study (Robinson, 2006).

The survey used in this research consisted of measuring the self-perceived importance

of 30 employability skills on a five-point response scale. The response choices were: 0 –

no importance, 1 – minor importance, 2 – moderate importance, 3 – major importance,

N/A – not applicable. The importance ratings were analyzed using a Likert scale. The

mean scores, standard deviations, and range of the responses were calculated for each

employability skills for the student and employer responses, respectively.

Twenty-five assessments were delivered to employers with sixteen

completed and returned for a response rate of 64% (n=16). Employer surveys were

hand-delivered with a stamped envelope addressed to the researcher. This allowed

participants the opportunity to complete the survey assessment at their own discretion.

Forty total high school students completed surveys; 18 from the Ag Communications

course at Bear River High School, and 22 from the agriculture communications class at

Nevada Union High School (n=40). Student instruments were conducted during class.

20

CHAPTER IV

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Results

When examining the student survey results (see Table 1), two skills were

ranked the highest in terms of importance: using time efficiently (M=2.8) and meeting

deadlines (M=2.85). In the employer survey results (See Table 2), the highest ranking

skills were establishing good rapport with co-workers (M=2.9375) and maintaining a

positive attitude (M=2.9375).

When comparing the student results to the employee results, there were

eight skills whose mean scores differed more than 0.40. For three of those skills,

students ranked them higher than employers. These skills were: Sharing ideas verbally

to groups (M=2.275), making effective business presentations (M=2.35), and evaluating

long-term effects of decisions (M=2.275). For the remaining five skills, employers ranked

higher in importance than the students: Monitoring progress against the plan

(M=2.0625), managing several tasks at once (M=2.25), working well with other

employees (M=2.875), establishing rapport with co-workers (M=2.9375), maintaining a

positive attitude (M=2.9375) (See Table 2). Other employability skills that were surveyed

had mean scores that were very consistent, meaning that the given rankings among the

survey completers were very similar.

21

Discussion

When examining the data, it is clear how similarly ranked many of the skills

appeared to be when comparing the average ranking of each skill between the students

(See Table 1) and employers (See Table 2). It was interesting to see how the student and

employer rankings differed. Students, for the most part, have a very good idea as to the

importance of certain skills in the workforce. There were some skills that students rated

as more important than the employers, including making effective business

presentations (M = 2.35) and sharing ideas verbally to groups (M = 2.28). Overall,

students ranked using time efficiently (M = 2.8) and meeting deadlines (M = 2.85) as the

two top skills. Conveniently, these are skills that they need and heavily use while in high

school in order to meet assignment deadlines and balance busy schedules, such as

sports practices and work shifts. For employers, their top ranking skills were related to

having a positive attitude and working with others. Again, these are skills that the

students can develop as they continue throughout high school and can be enhanced

with effective curriculum. It is interesting to note that when comparing the top rated

skills between students and employers, students perceived time management was most

important, whereas employers felt that personal relations were more important based

on the overall perceived importance rankings.

Many of the employer rankings differed, which may have depended on the

specific industry sector that the employer was representing. For example, certain skills

22

at a welding fabrication shop would be more important than at a farm credit office.

When developing the skills used in the survey, skills were chosen based on their

applicability to most agriculture industry sectors in Nevada County. But the

discrepancies in some of the rankings are most likely due to different job environments

and skills needed in the respective agriculture career industry sectors.

23

Table 1: Summated Survey Results for Importance of Employability Skills, as Perceived by Students (n = 40)

Skill M SD Range

Identifying Problems 2.50 0.59 1 - 3 Solving Problems 2.67 0.52 1 - 3 Contributing to group problem solving 2.05 0.63 1 - 3 Monitoring progress against the plan 1.62 0.80 1 - 3 Setting problems 2.50 0.67 0 - 3 Using time efficiently 2.80 0.40 2 - 3 Managing/overseeing several tasks at once 1.82 0.63 0 - 3 Meeting deadlines 2.85 0.36 2 - 3 Taking Reasonable job-related risks 1.90 0.74 0 - 3 Identifying alternative ways to meet objectives 2.05 0.63 0 - 3 Communicating information one-to-one 2.27 0.84 0 - 3 Sharing ideas verbally to groups 2.27 0.71 1 - 3 Making effective business presentations 2.35 0.69 0 - 3 Making impromptu presentations 1.62 0.89 0 - 3 Using proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation 2.10 0.87 0 - 3 Listening carefully 2.67 0.52 1 – 3 Working well with other employees 2.47 0.59 1 – 3 Establishing good rapport with co-workers 2.15 0.76 0 – 3 Adapting to changing situations 2.47 0.59 1 – 3 Modifying to enhance productivity 2.45 0.59 1 – 3 Keeping up-to-date with trends related to your company’s success 1.92 0.99 0 – 3 Combining relevant information form a number of sources 2.05 0.71 0 – 3 Keeping up-to-date on developments in the field 2.17 0.81 0 – 3 Responding positively to constructive criticism 2.40 0.70 1 – 3 Maintaining a positive attitude 2.50 0.71 0 – 3 Functioning well in stressful situations 2.72 0.45 2 – 3 Ability to work independently 2.47 0.71 0 – 3 Evaluating long-term effects of decisions 2.27 0.67 1 – 3 Making decisions in a sort time period 2.30 0.56 1 – 3

Establishing critical events to be completed 2.35 0.74 0 – 3 Note: Scale: 0 = no importance, 1 = minor importance, 2 = moderate importance, 3 = major importance, N/A = not applicable.

24

Table 2: Summated Survey Results for Importance of Employability Skills, as Perceived by

Employers (n = 16)

Skill M SD Range

Identifying Problems 2.65 0.50 2 – 3 Solving Problems 2.56 0.62 1 – 3 Contributing to group problem solving 2.31 0.79 1 – 3 Monitoring progress against the plan 2.06 0.77 0 – 3 Setting problems 2.62 0.88 0 – 3 Using time efficiently 2.75 0.57 1 – 3 Managing/overseeing several tasks at once 2.25 0.85 0 – 3 Meeting deadlines 2.68 0.60 1 – 3 Taking Reasonable job-related risks 1.81 0.83 0 – 3 Identifying alternative ways to meet objectives 2.12 0.95 0 – 3 Communicating information one-to-one 2.50 0.95 0 – 3 Sharing ideas verbally to groups 1.75 0.77 1 – 3 Making effective business presentations 1.37 1.02 0 – 3 Making impromptu presentations 1.25 0.93 0 – 3 Using proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation 2.37 0.95 0 – 3 Listening carefully 2.62 0.50 2 – 3 Working well with other employees 2.87 0.34 2 – 3 Establishing good rapport with co-workers 2.93 0.25 2 – 3 Adapting to changing situations 2.81 0.40 2 – 3 Modifying to enhance productivity 2.56 0.62 1 – 3 Keeping up-to-date with trends related to your company’s success 2.00 1.03 0 – 3 Combining relevant information form a number of sources 1.87 0.88 0 – 3 Keeping up-to-date on developments in the field 1.87 1.08 0 – 3 Responding positively to constructive criticism 2.68 0.60 1 – 3 Maintaining a positive attitude 2.93 0.25 2 – 3 Functioning well in stressful situations 2.75 0.57 1 – 3 Ability to work independently 2.62 0.80 0 – 3 Evaluating long-term effects of decisions 1.87 0.80 0 – 3 Making decisions in a sort time period 2.12 0.88 0 – 3 Establishing critical events to be completed 2.06 0.92 0 – 3

Note: Scale: 0 = no importance, 1 = minor importance, 2 = moderate importance, 3 = major importance, N/A = not applicable.

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

The study was conducted to assess the perceptions of the importance of

entry-level employability skills needed in the workforce and consisted of a survey

instrument. The study sought to determine high school students’ perceptions of the

importance of the employability skills and determine agriculture-related employers’

perceptions of the importance of the employability skills. According to students and

employers, all 30 skills were deemed at least moderately important for success in the

workplace. Students perceived the most important skills to consist of time management

and functioning well in stressful situations, while the least important skills pertained to

making impromptu presentations and monitoring progress against the plan. Of the 30

skills, employers perceived maintaining a positive attitude and establishing good rapport

with co-workers as the most important, while making impromptu presentations was one

of the least important skills needed.

Conclusions

The survey assessment results successfully provided information to assist

agriculture educators determine employment skills to be taught within class that would

26

meet the local agriculture-industry expectations. Based on the collected data,

employers deemed skills related to personal attitude and professional relations as the

most importance. Unfortunately, the survey only collected data on what the students

felt was most important, not their actual level of proficiency in those selected skills.

Regardless, all of the skills would benefit the students in their future endeavors and

could easily be incorporated into the agriculture communications curriculum.

For example, the use of group projects and assignments will allow students

to develop their ability to work as a team and share ideas in a group-setting. Students

that are provided with inquiry-based assignments and assessments can develop their

problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Accomplishing projects during class time

allows students to learn how to use their time efficiently in order to meet deadlines.

Teachers may also set clear expectations for their students in order to successfully

develop their skills while in the classroom. The skills used in the survey could easily be

incorporated throughout high school classes, therefore providing the most

opportunities to improve skills so they will be successful when they enter the workforce.

Within an agriculture course, educators have the opportunity to develop both technical

skills and soft skills of the students. Students who possess both skills sets will be better

prepared for a career, and will be able to differentiate themselves from others in order

to be more preferred employees because of their advanced soft skill development. In an

ag communications course, employability skill development could be easily be

implemented within the agriculture careers unit, agriculture issues unit, public speaking

27

unit, and leadership development units. Within these units, activities and projects lend

themselves to utilize soft skills including working with a team, being able to manage

time and deadlines and deadlines, and maintaining a positive and productive attitude.

Employability skill development could be easily put into practice in the classroom.

Recommendations

If possible, the results would have benefitted if more employers would have

responded to the survey. With more employer responses, the results may have shown

more significance with more data from those surveys. Unfortunately, due to the

minimal agriculture-related employers in Nevada County, the investigation was

somewhat land-locked. It would be interesting to determine if differences would be

observed given a broader survey area that was expanded outside of Nevada County.

Additionally, difference may differ in a county with a wider range of agriculture. Results

may differ in the San Joaquin Valley or the South Coast area of California. It would also

be interesting to conduct a similar study, but divide the results based on the agriculture

industry sector, such as surveying ag mechanics-related businesses and ag mechanics

students. The importance of certain employability skills may differ depending on the

necessary skill set needed within a specific industry sector. The implementation of

Common Core Standards greatly lends itself to the development of employability skills

in the classroom, so it would be beneficial to assess which employability skills are most

necessary for the workforce so as to better prepare agriculture students across the state

of California.

28

The results collected from this study successfully identified skills most

important in the workforce. Agricultural educators in Nevada Union county can use the

results to illustrate the importance of employability skill development when discussing

methods to best prepare students future endeavors. Incorporating employability skill

development into the curriculum, students will be better able to demonstrate the skills

most desired by employers.

REFERENCES

30

REFERENCES

Ascher, C. (1988). High school graduates in entry level jobs: What do employers

want? ERIC Digest, 1-6. doi: ED293972

Buhler, P. (2012). The skills gap: How organizations can respond effectively. National

Research Bureau, 23-26.

Burton, L., Chavez, J., & Kokaska, C. (1987). Employability skills: A survey of employers'

opinions. Journal of Rehabilitation, 71-74.

California Agricultural Education Statistics. (2013). Retrieved from

http://www.calaged.org/content/statistics

California Department of Food and Agriculture, Office of Public Affairs. (2013). California

agricultural statistics review

Conroy, C. A. (1998). Influence of gender and program of enrollment on adolescents‘

and teens‘ occupational and educational aspirations [Electronic version]. Journal

of Vocational Education Research, 14(2), 1–12.

Coscia, S. (2013, October). Balancing technical and soft skills. Contractor Magazine, 42-

43.

De Leon, J. (1998). High school graduate employment trends and the skills graduates

need to enter Texas manufacturing industries. Journal of Vocational and Technical

Education, 15(1),

31

Deloza, L. (2013). Is career readiness a neglected standard? Reading Today, 8-10.

Hill , R. B., & Petty, G. C. (1995). A new look at selected employability skills: A factor

analysis of the occupational work ethic. Journal of Vocational Education

Research, 20(4), 59-73.

Iowa Department of Education, Division of Community Colleges and Workforce

Preparation (1997).Assessing employability skills (ED 406 523)

Jackson, D. (2013). Student perceptions of the importance of employability skill

provision in business undergraduate programs. Journal of Education for

Business, 88(5), 271-279.

Klaus, P. (2010). Communication breakdown. California Job Journal, 28, 1-9.

Krahn, H., Lowe, G., & Lehmann, W. (2002). Acquisition of employability skills by high

school students. University of Toronto Press, 28(2), 275-296.

McLarty, Joyce and Saterfiel, Thomas (2003) “Assessing Employabilty Skills” ERIC Digest,

EDO-CG-95-21

McLaughlin, M. A. (1995). Employability skills profile: What are employers looking

for? ERIC Digest, 95(44),

Overtoom, C. (2000). Employability skills: An update. ERIC Digest, (220),

Robinson, J. (2000). What are employability skills? Alabama Cooperative Extension

System: The Workplace, 1(3), 1-3.

32

Robinson, J. S. (2006). Graduates' and employers' perceptions of entry-level

employability skills needed by agriculture, food and natural resources graduates.

(Doctoral dissertation).

Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today’s

workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453-465.

Secretary‘s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (1991). What work requires of

schools: A SCANS report for America 2000. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

Labor, 1991.

Shivpuri, S. & Kim, B. (2004). Do employers and colleges see eye-to-eye? National

Association of Colleges and Employers, 37-44.

Slusher, W., Robinson, J., & Edwards, M. (2010). Animal science experts. Journal of

Career and Technical Education, 25(1), 1-20.

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics

(2011). Postsecondary and labor force transitions among public high school career

and technical education participants (NCES 2011-234).

Van Velsor, E., & Wright, J. (2013). What do next-generation leaders look like? Chief

Learning Officer, 44-46.

Wibrow, B. Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations, National

Centre for Vocational Education Research. (2011).Employability skills at a glance.

33

Wilhelm, W. J. (2004). Determinants of moral reasoning: Academic factors, gender,

richness of life experiences, and religious preferences. Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 46,

105-121.

Zinser, Richard, (2003) "Developing career and employability skills: a US case study",

Education + Training, Vol. 45 Iss: 7, pp.402 – 410

APPENDICES

35

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: Survey Instrument

36

APPENDIX B. Employer Letter

September 3, 2013

Dear Nevada County Employer,

The purpose of this letter is to invite you to participate in an important study to

assess the employability skills that Nevada Union High School students need to possess

to be successful in the workforce. You have been selected to participate in this study as it

focuses specifically on agriculture students and employers in Nevada County.

Your participation in this study in completely voluntary; however I would

appreciate you taking a few moments to complete the enclosed questionnaire and return

it in the pre-addressed stamped envelope that has been provided. While you are not

obligated to participate in this study, your responses are very important as we consider

modifying curriculum to address the needs of our current and future students. The

findings from this study will be used to enhance the curriculum taught in the high school

agriculture departments in an effort to better prepare tomorrow’s graduates for

employment.

Please take a few moments to complete the survey and return it no later than

Friday, October 4th. Should you have any questions concerning this letter and/or study,

please do not hesitate to contact me via email at crowley@njuhsd.com.

Thank you for your assistance and participation in this study! I look forward to

receiving your response!

Respectfully,

Clarissa Rowley

Agriculture Department

Nevada Union High School

37

APPENDIX C: Employer Thank You Letter

October 25, 2013

Dear Employer,

Thank you for participating in the Employability Skills study by responding to a

questionnaire that you received. I truly appreciate the time taken to evaluate a wide range of

skills that you deem most important for our agriculture graduates in the workforce. The goal is

to fully understand the needs of our students to prepare them for their future careers. The

results of this study will be extremely useful in modifying the curriculum used in the agriculture

classes at both high schools in Nevada County. We will examine the results to enhance the

curriculum taught in the high school agriculture departments in an effort to better prepare

tomorrow’s graduates for employment.

As a relatively new member of this community, I am always humbled by the tremendous

amount of community support that surrounds the students at the high school, especially the

agriculture program. Once again I thank you for your assistance and participation in the study

as well as your interest in the academic preparation of high school graduates in the agriculture

program.

Respectfully,

Clarissa Rowley

Agriculture Department

Nevada Union High School