Employability of Southwestern Institute of Business and Technology (sibtech) Graduates

EMPLOYABILITY OF SOUTHWESTERN INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY (SIBTECH) GRADUATES

Joann G. Carandang

With the belief that formal education is highly instrumental and necessary in improving the production capacity of a nation, the researcher conducted this study to describe how Southwestern Institute of Business and Technology (SIBTECH), as a higher educational institution, responds to meet its role of producing globally competitive individuals.

The study employed the survey method through a formulated questionnaire. Data were collected from a total population of forty-seven (47) respondents who are the first batch of SIBTECH graduates in four major disciplines of Customs Administration, Business Administration, Information Technology and Hotel and Restaurant Management during 2009-2010. One hundred percent (100%) of the questionnaires were retrieved providing complete employment histories and profiles of each respondent. Data were treated in-depth with the use of descriptive statistics to describe the employment rate through the frequency and mean method. The chi-square tool of inferential statistics was used to test the hypotheses.

The study revealed that majority of SIBTECH's first batch of graduates are employed in jobs related to their skills, thus, showing a high employment status. This study also showed that regardless of the earned degree, SIBTECH graduates are employed in jobs analogous with their skills, indicating that there is no significant relationship between the earned degree and SIBTECH graduates' employability, from which a conclusion was drawn that the degree programs offered by the institution are relevant.

The study concluded that in terms of major disciplines, the graduates of BSHRM have the best potential for highest initial earnings. Majority of the respondents are satisfied with their present jobs, have jobs suitable to their courses and are utilizing the acquired skills in their employment, and it did not take them long to acquire their jobs.

As the study also exhibited that the most popular method for SIBTECH's employment was "referral by the school", it means that SIBTECH is functional in its advocacy of providing employment assistance for its graduates which is in consonance with the Commission on Higher Education's (CHED) employability agenda.

Another correlational finding from the study showed that the high employment rate of SIBTECH's first batch of graduates is not brought about by scholastic performance which implies that there is no significant relationship between the graduates' scholastic performance and employability.

It is concluded in this study that SIBTECH has become instrumental in the lives of its graduates because of its high employability rates. The school was able to address the challenge for the higher education sector