Preparation of higher education school graduates for working place : opinions of employers

Straipsnyje nagrinėjamas darbdavių požiūris į aukštųjų mokyklų absolventų pasirengimą darbui. Tarp darbdavių ir studentų lūkesčių ir aukštosios mokyklos paskirties dažnai atsirandą atotrūkis, kuomet studijų metu neatliepiami realios darbo aplinkos poreikiai. Kokybinis tyrimas, kuriame dalyvavo darbdaviai, atstovaujantys įvairius veiklos sektorius, atskleidė, kokiais bruožais jų manymu turi pasižymėti absolventas, kad darbdavys vertintų jį kaip tinkamą būsimą darbuotoją. Praktiniai įgūdžiai, profesijos specifiškumo išmanymas, bendrosios kompetencijos, erudicija ir išprusimas darbdavių nuomone tampa esminiais kriterijais, vertinant absolventų pasirengimą sėkmingam darbo atlikimuiHigher education school graduates preparation for the workplace is a complex process and there is a constant gap between the expectations of students, employers and higher education institutions. Although many studies show that identity of the graduates that consist on the values, general skills and overall literacy is more important than the practical skills, employers requirements for their new employees are related to professional experience. Research questions: 1. What are the practical skills that influence the success of higher education school graduates in preparation for the workplace? 2. Which core competencies impact the adaptation of new employees in the workplace? 3. What are the characteristics that determine uniqueness of higher education school graduates in the world of work? Aim of the research is to identify and describe employers' views on the preparedness for the workplace of higher education schools graduates. The research involved eight employers - managers of an orthopaedic workshop, a beauty salon; general practice nurses, an administrator of a cardiology department; an administrator of a health care clinic; the head of a logistics company, and the owner of a security company. The study is qualitative descriptive, the data were collected by applying focus groups using focus group interviews, and the transcribed texts of focus group interviews were analysed using content analysis. The research results were structured around three main themes - the influence of practical professional skills on preparing graduates for the workplace, the role of the general competencies in the new employees practical activities and higher education school graduates uniqueness in the workplace.[...]Edukologijos tyrimų institutasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta