The Employment Status of Graduate Students : The Case of Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin

Abstract

The purposes of this study was to 1) investigate the state of working or the state of further education of the graduates, 2) analyze the graduates’ job satisfaction, and 3) examine personal qualities of the undergraduates for work force based on Human Capital and Career Development Theories. Primary data for the graduate survey were collected 476 graduates and 126 business enterprises between 2010 – 2013.The statistical analyses employed in this study were Multinomial Logistic Model and Explorer Factor Analysis. The results showed that 1) 90% of the graduate between 2010 – 2013 had jobs and 80% of them were satisfied with their jobs. Forty-one point eight percent of their jobs corresponded to the degree they held. Thirty-nine point five percent of their jobs partly corresponded and fourteen point three percent did not correspond. There was a statistical difference of the effect of the occupation of the household head on the graduates’ job satisfaction. There was a statistical difference of the graduate with different degree affecting different income but there was no statistical relationship between graduates’ job satisfaction and income. 2) the most important factors affecting the graduates’ job satisfaction were work skills, learning and teaching process. A double of learning and teaching components led to 1.68 % increasing opportunity of graduates’ job satisfaction when compared to those with job dissatisfaction. 3) On average, the business enterprises were most satisfied with graduates’ morality, ethics and work skills such as the graduates’ abilities to apply those skills learnt into their jobs. In addition, there was a highly satisfied result of graduates’ performance evaluation in both qualitative and quantitative index based on key performance indicator. Therefore, the curriculum should be revised and focus more on basic work skills of the undergraduate majors applicable to entrepreneurial opportunities consistent with the university’s philosophy.