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CHAPTER 1
1.1 Introduction
term job performance and career advancement (Caballero & Walker, 2010). If a newly
graduate has an adequate or just a necessary preparedness for his/her work (e.g., being able
to recollect past lessons and concepts, and having a significant on-the job training
experience), he/she won’t deal with the overflow of information to be taken in and can
quickly settle in their workplace bearing a productive performance that will likely lead as
achievement and/or technical competence has been a key selection criterion in graduate
recruitment and selection. (Roth & Bobko, 2000). However, academic or technical ability
does not necessarily predict long term future capability. Nowadays, more importance is
being placed on graduates possessing a range of generic skills and attributes required across
all jobs. In particular, organizations are increasingly interested in the extent to which
graduate applicants possess the skills and attributes that make them “prepared” or “ready”
for success in today’s rapidly changing work environment (Caballero & Walker, 2010).
The success of the Philippine industry largely depends on the quality of education
and training. Universities need to reconsider their mission of preparing their students for
the profession in the light of changes in local and international industry; new knowledge
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and skills to adapt to changing job demands; and dealing with an increasingly competitive
international workforce.
of its graduates. It has the major role to play in the development of knowledge, skills, and
competencies among students. The institution has to provide a curriculum that will match
the need of the field at the local and international level. Every year, universities all over
the country turn over into the society a graduate ready to go out into the world. But are
they prepared to face life? Is the diploma enough to guarantee that they will find a stable
job?
In our country, one university stands out in the Province of Bulacan in providing
quality education and excellent graduates. The Bulacan State University (BulSU) is an
educational institution which provides quality and accessible education that produces
highly competent professionals. More than fifty examinations topnotch has been produced
http://www.finduniversity.ph/universities/bulacan-state-university/).
In the field of engineering, one of the courses offered in Bulacan State University
is the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering program. The said course is a broad field
of engineering that deals with the planning, construction, and maintenance of fixed
structures, or public works, as they are associated to earth, water, or development and their
mechanics, and fluid dynamics, depending on the specialty. The course includes a mix of
classroom learning, work in laboratories, and fieldwork in which students gain work
In the present time there has been an approved proposal of the “Build, Build, Build”
Program in the Philippines, it is the highest budget allocation for infrastructure in our
expected to be 8 to 9 trillion pesos from 2017 to 2022. It is said that the ‘Build, Build,
Build’ Program will pave the way to the gradual increase of the economy, providing
thousands of jobs and cutting the economic losses due to traffic congestion caused mainly
by poor road infrastructures. There shall be lots of opportunities for civil engineers to
become successful in their career, and in order to be an eminent civil engineer efficiently;
one has to focus on their foundation of learning. These acquired knowledge should be
adequate for civil engineering students to become nationally and globally prepared for the
modern advancement of building technology. But using those knowledge the right way has
to be the main point in a working environment, it’s not enough knowing something, it’s
Therefore it’s only timely and relevant for the pursuit of this research study for the
reason that the researchers, as aspiring civil engineers, have assessed if the civil
engineering graduates from Bulacan State University are prepared to meet the challenges
of a globalized world and seek to determine the graduates’ proficiency in their workplace
environment. This study will be of vital help for the future building generations to come.
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It can serve as a guide on what field in civil engineering they would like to work on or
simply a glimpse into their own future if they pursue civil engineering. The researchers
aim to provide necessary curriculum improvement for the betterment of BulSU’s learning
experience.
The primary research question to be posed is: “How prepared are the civil engineering
graduates for employment on their desired job career related to civil engineering? As
perceived by the BulSU civil engineering graduates themselves and by their employers.”
1. What is the profile of the BulSU civil engineer respondents? In terms of the
a. Age
b. Sex
c. Year Graduated
e. Trainings/seminars attended
d. Category of employment/position
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a. Category of company
b. Years of service
c. Projects accomplished
d. On-going project
4. What are the firms’ minimum requirements for the new civil engineering
5. How do the immediate supervisors rate the job preparedness of the new civil
6. How do the civil engineering employees rate their work preparedness according
perceptions of the immediate supervisor and the newly hired BulSU civil
8. From the point of view of the supervisors and newly hired BulSU civil engineer,
what problems did the newly employed civil engineering graduates encountered
The study aimed to find out the work preparedness of newly employed Bulacan
State University - Civil Engineering Graduates under 5 academic years from 2008-2009,
2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 for employment and implications for
curricular improvement.
The study, specifically, was supported by tracing the graduates' personal profile,
determining their current activities, their current job title, the level of employment,
unemployment and underemployment, their employer or institution working at, and job
satisfaction.
The study also aimed to assess the employers and institutions about the problems
encountered/experienced by the civil engineering graduates, and determine the skills and
competencies they require in the labor market. The researchers have provided an action
plan/suggestions backed up by the data and attestation from the BulSU Civil Engineering
graduates for the improvement of BS CE program and the employment rate of graduates.
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study will be significant to the management as the result of the study could be utilized in
engineering graduates that the university provides. This can be served as a guide for the
other majors of engineering in creating their assessment and might help broaden the
To the Faculty. This study will help the professors to improve their teaching strategies,
plan activities that stay up to date in order to meet the demands in the field and development
of personal and professional quality through faculty development trainings and seminars
that will help uplift the minds of the student to be competitive and excel in their study.
To the Alumni. The study will provide new idea to the alumni of Bulacan State University
specially the Civil Engineering graduates with regards to their employability readiness.
To the Parents. The study will make them aware of Civil Engineering Education’s status
through that they can give their full support to their children who are pursuing Civil
To the Students. The study will serve as their motivation to study harder in pursuing their
goals to become successful Civil Engineer and to make extra effort for their preparation
To the Future Researchers. This study will serve as reference to the researchers for their
future studies and as a guide for determining other educational variables to consider that
University Malolos Campus. The investigation was centered on their preparedness for
employment and on whether their acquired skills and competence during their period in
college were significant and relevant to their occupation upon employment. This study also
aimed to cover Bulacan State University Civil Engineering graduates whether working
abroad or in locally-based companies who graduated from years 2009 – 2013 only, to allow
engineering job-roles of fresh hires, as perceived by the employers. This study collected
the perception of employers on the current level/status of fresh civil engineering graduate
hires for the factors considered as important by them. The study also aspired to connect
with construction firms that supervises BulSU Civil Engineering graduates who are
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
This chapter contains articles based on various theories, literature, and studies, both
local and foreign, concerning the gaps between the practical analysis of work and the
standards of curriculum development. These reviews sought to capture the patterns in the
literature which helped in answering the research questions of this study and will be serving
as guideposts for the entire research. The reviews cited in this chapter were a basis of
attributes desired by employers hiring engineering graduates and the skills which
engineering graduates possess upon completing bachelor’s degree. This misalignment was
observed both on engineers holding bachelor’s degree and in Ph.D. students and graduates.
There are books and articles that the researchers utilized as tools in determining the
importance of employability skills a newly graduate must possess and for studying the
present topic which is “Work Preparedness of Newly Employed BulSU Civil Engineers in
unemployment rate of the country. In the book Youth Employment in the Philippines of
Canlas and Pardalis, it was stated that in 2006, college graduates posted an unemployment
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rate of 22.4 per cent, which means that one out of four finds themselves without work
despite having a college diploma. This was alarming because it indicated wastage or
underutilization of opportunities not only on individual college graduates but also in the
country’s economy. This book focused on the youth unemployment and their difficulty in
by D. W. Livingstone, there were two apparently contradictory social facts. First, there
were more highly educated people than ever before and their learning efforts continue to
grow rapidly. Secondly, there was mass unemployment and underemployment of capable
people. The author emphasized that inadequate education was not really the primary cause
of the education-job gaps because education systems can always be improved. The basic
According to the article in the City Press (16 June 2012) with a title “Young, jobless
and desperate – Degrees with no guarantees”, university degrees and diplomas no longer
hold the promise of jobs for young South Africans because hundreds and thousands of
graduates are battling to find work. Sharp says, as cited in this article, that university
qualifications were not the only qualities employers look for when recruiting. Though
university graduates are generally more employable than those non degree holders, most
graduates lack work experiences, practical knowledge and technical skills. This article
mainly wanted to view that job searching won’t be trouble-free even if you are a degree
holder.
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From the book of Sanches and Agpao entitled Contemporary Social Problems and
Issues, it was stated that educational levels and literacy rates of workers in the Philippines
were among the highest in Asia, but technical, manual and managerial are poorly developed
and in short supply. There was an over-abundance of college graduates that most especially
in Manila area were in the field of education, law and other professionals exceed in demand
to find employment appropriate to his educational training. In this book, there was a
realization that even college graduates were experiencing difficulty in their desired job
placement. They must be equipped with such trainings and programs in order to have an
Josh Bersin in his article entitled Growing Gap between What Business Needs and
What Education Provides, he said that we don't have a jobs crisis in the world, we have
a skills crisis. He said that there was a tremendous need for skills in the workforce, and
presents many gaps in the educational system's ability to drive these skills. The bottom line
in this book was that skills still matter even if the graduates are equipped with such
knowledge. Educational institutions should also focus and invest on training their students
for them to be prepared for the war of skills upon after graduation.
Florante Jr. Poso, “Level of Competence of Civil Engineers in the Philippines: Its
Prospects for Employment and Implications for curricular Improvement”. The study
provided two sets of questionnaire to gather the needed information for the study and utilize
frequency counts, percentages, multiple regression and z test to examine the data gathered.
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The majority of the respondents were male, young, Licensure Examination passer for Civil
engineer, working in line of civil engineering fields, attended more than 7 seminars/training
and have 7 years and above experience. The research shows that the gender, category and
attainment of the respondents play a significant role in their level of competence while the
Developing a Measure to Assess Work Readiness in College Graduates”. The study aimed
to determine the different quality and characteristics that forming work readiness and create
a scale to assess the readiness of the graduates. The study were divided in 2 phases, the
first phase was the attributes and characteristics of work readiness, they conducted
interview in 30 participant to know their perception regarding the graduate work readiness.
The other phase was development of work readiness scale. They surveyed 251 participants
and answered all the 180 item question regarding work readiness. After analyzing the
gathered data, they came up with ten broad categories indicative of work readiness
and resilience. The final four were also labelled personal characteristics, organizational
acumen, work competence and social intelligence for work readiness scale.
Martin et. al. “Engineering Graduates Perceptions of How Well They were
Prepared for Work in Industry”. The study showed that in the 16 participant that they
interviewed regarding their preparedness for work in industry, all of them felt that they
were well prepared. They perceived that their problem solving skills, formal
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communication skill, technical background and life-long learning skills were their strength
Makki et. al., “The Relationship between Work Readiness Skills, Career Self-
Framework”. The study aimed to establish a framework that will help the Malaysian
exploration. The literature they examined and analyzed revealed that the set of
employability skills does not satisfy the need of employers. They found out that Malaysian
graduate were lacking in confidence and positive attitudes. The propose framework can be
used as an assessment tool to evaluate the graduates employability skill level and enhance
their confidence. That framework will also serve as a guide for better design of higher
self-learning methods to become more competent and be ahead to others. They conducted
interviews with 15 chemical, civil, mechanical and electrical engineer to ask about their
way on bridging the gap between education and engineering practice. The study found
that engineering education was insufficient in providing practical skills for engineering
students. In line with this, the study provided guideline and training to strengthen their
2.4 Assumptions
the group were led to the following assumptions regarding the current status of the
graduates.
First, majority of the graduates are currently employed in the companies related to
Second, most of the graduates had their first job placement months after graduation
and the major problem they usually encounter on their job was their lack of experience.
Lastly, most of the employed graduates are satisfied with the job benefits and
Variables will be used to help the researchers determine the different factors that
may or may not affect the employment preparedness of the BulSU civil engineering
graduates. Defining the variables were essential to avert uncertainty and to provide better
comprehension among readers and future researchers of this study, the following variables
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
DEFINITION
(Based on personal profile of BSCE
graduates)
Refers to the age of respondent when the
Age
study was conducted.
female.
Examination or not.
or abroad.
evaluation on them.
In many developed countries (Oladiran, 1999), it has been noticed that some aspects
of the engineering curriculum were not covered during their undergraduate studies. The
theoretical part is widely covered during their undergraduate study in different areas of the
major. One of the challenges this industry is facing is how to meet the international
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certain aspects of their lives. It is the responsibility of the school to facilitate students in
programs to bring about the match between the requirements of the employment world and
study. Schomburg (2007) warns that graduates might not always be ready to classify the
relationship between the knowledge acquired during the study and their professional lives.
However, the main purpose of this paper was for the researchers to analyze the
employment status of the graduates and determine what percentage of the graduates had
acquired their first job after they graduated and after passing the licensure examination,
etc. The approach that the researchers had to satisfy was to look on the graduates’ profiles
and to assess whether or not these profiles had fulfilled their assumptions so that whatever
results they could account for would be a good means of curriculum enhancement as well
as institutional development.
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Conceptual Framework
FEEDBACK
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In this chapter it was mentioned that managerial position in the field of civil
engineering are poorly developed in the Philippines. This can be related to a study
conducted that said leadership, practical preparation, and management skills were the
engineering graduates’ areas of weakness. It was because being a civil engineer manager
requires work experience, communication skills, critical thinking, multitasking, and human
relation skills or empathy towards other employees.
Most of the studies came up with the same issue that engineering education provide
insufficient practical skills for engineering students, hence the graduates’ lack of practical
knowledge and technical skills. Perhaps there can be adjustments that can be made in the
curriculum to aid the graduates bridge the gap between learning environment and their field
of work. It was suggested by Bersin (2012) to educational institutions that they should
focus and invest in training their students to hone their competence in their desired work.
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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the research methodology that has been adopted in the study.
It also described the research design that was chosen, the subject of the study, the
instruments used for data collection, the procedures that are followed to carry out the study,
data analysis scheme which include the application of statistical tool for treatment of data
yielded, and the criteria used to evaluate the gathered data. The study will utilize descriptive
research design.
(2018), it is a scientific method which involves observing and describing the behavior of a
subject without influencing it in any way. This study focused on the evaluation of work
preparedness of BulSU’s civil engineering graduates from year 2009 to 2013 as perceived
by the graduates and their employers. The research design was non-experimental,
quantitative, and descriptive. The graduates as well as their employers was considered as
respondents. Cross sectional survey was used and a questionnaire was provided that served
as an aid to request for the personal and job profile of the graduates.
The researchers contacted the graduates by getting the list of their names in the
registrar’s office and reaching out to them by the use of social media and/or meeting up
with those graduates who agreed that are nearby and in their spare time. Administering of
the questionnaire to each respondents was through online process (e.g. E-mail, and
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Facebook) and the said questionnaire was created using Google Forms. Respondents were
requested to complete the questionnaire within 2 weeks after receiving it and a follow up
reminder was sent through the respondents after a week to avoid overlook. Any data
Only selected companies was chosen because of the short time frame. Evaluation
forms for the company in assessing the graduates were also provided by the researchers.
However, if the company chooses to use their own evaluation form and permits the
researchers to keep hold of it, they can freely do so added with the evaluation form given
by the researchers for the sake of uniformity in data gathering and data analysis.
The respondents of the study were BS Civil Engineering graduates from school
year 2009 to 2013. The names of the graduates were collected from the Alumni’s Office
and Registrar’s Office. The study aimed to use the total population of the graduates. The
researchers used a questionnaire as the main instrument in the study. The questionnaire
was composed of questions regarding the respondent’s profile, job placement, work-
The respondents was informed about the purposes of the study and were invited to
participate in the survey with the assurance that the data they provided in the survey are
being treated with utmost confidentiality and shall solely be used for the purpose of this
study. The questionnaires were administered by the researchers through online survey
and directly to the respondents. The study aimed to achieve 100 percent of retrieval
rating.
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tabulation and frequency tables. Similarly, four points Likert Scale with responses Very
Good (VG), Good (G), Poor (P), Very Poor (VP) and Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A),
Disagree (D), Strongly Disagree (SD) to measure the quality and adequacy of the Bachelor
of Science in Civil Engineering Program offered in Bulacan State University and another
Very Relevant (VR), Relevant (R), Slightly Relevant (SR) and Not Relevant (NR) was
used to collect the responses of the graduates about the relevancy of the Civil Engineering
Curriculum to the actual world of work. Lastly, Very Highly (VH), Highly (H), Fairly (F),
Poorly (P) was used to determine the work preparedness of the graduates relative to some
areas of their jobs. These information were analyzed to calculate means and standard
deviation considering the weight of the points from 1 - 4. In the quantitative data analysis,
Likert Scale
Sampling Technique
A stratified sampling was used in this study. By using sampling technique for the
selection of representatives. The total number of BS civil engineering students from each
batch to get the proportionate sampling. The researchers created a total sample by selecting
the appropriate proportion of the participants from batch of graduates. It was important that
Slovin’s Formula
𝑁
n=
1 + 𝑁𝑒 2
n = sample size
N = given population size
e = margin of error
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The data were collected by the use of instruments that was developed for the
purpose of this study. The responses from 249 graduates and 18 employers were first
coded then entered into the multipurpose commercial statistical algorithm Minitab
version 16.
tabulation and frequency tables. Similarly , sets of four points Likert Scale with responses
“Very Good”, “Good”, “Poor”, “Very Poor” ; “Very relevant”, “Relevant”, “Not
and “Poorly”, “Fairly”, “Highly”, “Very Highly” were used to collect the responses of
graduates about the quality and relevancy of the BS Civil Engineering Program that they
In the quantitative data analysis, tools like frequencies, percent, and mean
comparison were basically used. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the level of
analytical tools, two-sample t-test and two-proportion test were also considered as per the
nature of data and necessity of analysis. Using the Minitab software, the P-value can be
p-value is greater than the significance level, the decision is to fail to reject the null
hypothesis. If the p-value is less than or equal to the significance level, the decision is to
REFERENCES
Thirdedition 1997, New Galaxy Lithographic Arts and Printing Press, p.196
Martin, R., Maytham, R., Case, J., & Fraser, D., (2005) Engineering graduates’
perceptions of how well they were prepared for work in industry, European Journal of
Canlas, M. E. L., & Maria Cristina, R. (2009). Youth employment in the Philippines.
Geneva: ILO.
Caballero, C., Walker, A., & Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M. (2011). The Work Readiness Scale
Young, jobless and desperate – Degrees with no guarantees. (2012, June 16). In City
Press/Young-jobless-and-desperate-Degrees-with-no-guarantees-20150429
Bersin, J. (2012, December 10). Growing Gap Between What Business Needs and What
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2012/12/10/growing-gap-between-what-
business-needs-and-what-education-provides/#6b44fcb1614d
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Makki, B. I., Salleh, R., Memon, M. A., & Harun, H., (2015). The Relationship between
Work Readiness Skills, Career Self-Efficacy and Career Exploration among Engineering
and Technology
Poso, J. (2017), Level of Competence of Civil Engineers in the Philippines: Its Projects
Warsame, A. F., (2017). The Gap between Engineering Education and Postgraduate
Democracy? Routledge.