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1.1 INTRODUCTION
In today`s scenario oI higher education, placement is the buzz word. Every college
and institution tries to maximize their placement ratio. During the last decade, the
opportunities Ior graduates in various sectors have increased tremendously, especially Ior
engineering students. Institutions organize on-campus and oII-campus placement and job
Iair by pooling students Irom various institutions, wherein companies recruit students in
large number. However there are many graduates who are not able to get through the
recruitment process and jobs.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Technical education plays a vital role in human resource development oI the
country by creating skilled manpower, enhancing industrial productivity and improving
the quality oI liIe. South India is known Ior its quality education in India. The
Manchester oI south, Coimbatore is emerging as an education hub with three
Universities aIIiliating more than 200 colleges. Even though the corporate requirement
is huge, they do not hire all the aspirants, they analyze the prospective candidates Ior
certain skills and abilities. This raises the Iollowing questions:
1. Why all the aspirants are not able to get the oIIers even though they come
under the same educational system?
2. What are the diIIerent types oI skills expected by the companies Irom the
prospective employers?
3. Is it possible to Iormulate strategies based on assessment oI skills set oI
students Ior enhancing their employability?
To answer these questions is the purpose oI this research.
1.3 OB1ECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Overall objective oI the study is to assess the skill set oI engineering students
and Iormulate strategies to enhance their employment rate. SpeciIic objectives are;
1. to identiIy the skills expected by corporates Irom the prospective
employees;
2. to assess the employability level oI the job seeking engineering graduates;
3. to Iind out the skill deIiciency iI any, oI engineering students; and
4. to Iormulate eIIective strategies to remove the deIiciencies so as to improve the
recruitment rate oI engineering students.
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1.4 HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
The above objectives require the Iollowing hypotheses to be empirically tested.
1. The scores obtained in aptitude skills do not signiIicantly diIIer based on the
personal proIile oI the respondents.
2. The scores obtained in aptitude skill do not signiIicantly diIIer based on the
socio economic proIile oI the respondents.
The statistical research hypotheses are given in the analysis and interpretation
chapter.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study tries to identiIy the Iactors that determine the employability quotient
oI an individual who is aspiring Ior a job and also identiIies the Iactors inIluencing the
level oI employability. The study, though conducted among the engineering colleges in
Coimbatore district aIIiliated to Anna University, Coimbatore, the results derived out oI
the study shall help the education institutions in general to take appropriate steps to
enhance the employability levels oI students, which may increase the recruitment rate.
1.6 METHODOLOGY
This research has its Iocus on assessment oI skills set oI engineering students in
Coimbatore district. The study tries to compare the existing level oI skills possessed by
students and the industry expectation Irom the prospective graduates.
1.6.1 PILOT STUDY
AIter construction oI the schedule with wide coverage oI data on personal and
employability level, the schedule was pretested with 30 respondents not included in the
sample. Item analysis was conducted and the Interview schedule was standardized.
A reliability test was carried out to check the consistency oI data.
1.6.2 PRIMARY DATA
The study is based on primary data collected Irom Iinal year engineering students
pursuing their under graduate study in Coimbatore. The data relating to personal, socio
economic status oI the respondents, academic details, employability quotient expected
by the recruiters Irom the prospective recruits are collected.
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1.6.3 UNIVERSE
Anna University oI Technology, Coimbatore regulates the engineering colleges,
in nine districts. There are 55 engineering colleges in Coimbatore district and more than
15,000 students are studying in under graduate and post graduate courses in them. As the
study was conIined to the Iinal year under graduate engineering students, colleges which
have completed a minimum oI three years oI educational service are only taken Ior the
study. Based on this criterion there were 22 colleges where the data could be collected
where the total numbers oI respondents pursuing the chosen six Iield oI study are 9720
and thus they constitute the universe oI the study.
1.6.4 SAMPLING SIZE
Proportionate stratiIied simple random sampling method was used. By making a
balance between the limited time available Ior a part time researcher on the one hand
and the requirement oI a number oI observations Ior a rigorous statistical inIerential
analysis on the other hand, it was decided to select a sample oI 486 out oI 22 colleges in
the universe. The study was conIined to six particular Iields oI specialization. The Iields
are Computer Science Engineering (CSE),Civil Engineering (Civil),Electronics
Communication Engineering (ECE), Electrical and Electrical Engineering (EEE),
InIormation Technology (IT),Mechanical Engineering (Mech)
1.6.5 SELECTION OF SAMPLE
The sample was distributed among sample colleges and disciplines in proportion
to the number oI students through proportionate random sampling method. The
Interview schedule was issued to 486 sample respondents proportionately distributed
among the Iield oI study. Collected Interview schedules were studied Ior consistency
and 36 sample respondents were removed Ior inconsistency and Ior non completion oI
test during stipulated period. Einally the sample size has been reduced to 450.
1.6.7 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
Two interview schedules have been administered to collect the data pertaining to
study. Mailed questionnaire method was used to collect the data relating to various skills
expected by the corporate Irom the prospective candidates. On the basis oI the various skills
expected by the corporate, various components were incorporated and a personal interview
schedule was designed to be distributed to the prospective candidates. The researcher has
approached all the 22 colleges chosen Ior the study as per the criteria to collect the data.
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Interview schedule method has been used to collect the data relating to skill set oI students.
An examination environment was created where the researcher took the role oI invigilator
and the respondents were asked to respond to the questions in the interview schedule.
1.7 FRAMEWORK OF ANALYSIS
The core oI the study has been to identiIy the skill set oI engineering students.
The data collected Ior the study have been analyzed using appropriate statistical tools,
with reIerence to speciIic objectives oI the study. Summary Statistics, t test, Analysis oI
Variance (ANOVA), Correlation Analysis, Multiple Regression Analysis, Kendall`s Co-
eIIicient oI Concordance are used to analyse the data. Suitable statistical hypotheses
have been Iramed to supplement the results oI the study and all the tests have been
carried out at 5 level oI signiIicance.
1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Even though utmost care was taken by the researcher to overcome errors, omissions
and bias in data, the researcher experienced certain limitations during various stages oI the
research. Eollowing are the important limitations oI the study:-
1. The study is conducted by taking twenty two engineering colleges in Coimbatore
district oI Tamilnadu and it cannot be generalized Ior other areas.
2. Even though there are several Iactors which inIluence employability quotient oI
the students, only selective Iactors have been considered.
3. Though the respondents are assured that the response given by them will be kept
strictly conIidential, there is a possibility oI respondent`s bias, this is due to some
reservation on the part oI the respondents. While care is taken to minimize it with
several cross checks, it might not be totally eliminated.
1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
This thesis is organized into Iive chapters as Iollows:
CHAPTER- I: INTRODUCTION AND DESIGN OE THE STUDY
CHAPTER- II: REVIEW OE LITERATURE
CHAPTER- III: EMPLOYABILITY AN OVERVIEW
CHAPTER- IV: ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
CHAPTER- V: SUMMARY OE EINDINGS AND CONCLUSION