Assessing University Graduates’ Skills from the Perspectives of Different Managerial Levels

Abstract

Developing students’ skills and knowledge is the priority of tertiary educational institutions to ensure their graduates meet the requirements of the workplace. The aim of the study is to assess the skills and knowledge of marketing and information technology graduates from the University of Finance and Economics (UFE), Mongolia from the employer’s perspective. Employers from business sectors, more specifically, top-level managers participated in the study. Graduates’ soft skills, IT and language skills, research and analysis skills as well as professional knowledge were evaluated through a questionnaire.  The result of this study showed that students’ professional knowledge and skills are assessed differently. Employers of large corporations are fully satisfied with graduates’ communication skills, adaptability, and teamwork skills while employers of medium sized-enterprises are satisfied with critical thinking, time management, and decision making. Overall, directors, founders, and executives are satisfied with UFE graduates which indicates the skills of graduates are above average proving the effectiveness of our programs but clarifies our future considerations to better outcomes and satisfaction.