Chemical Education Journal (CEJ), Vol. 10, No. 2 /Registration No. 10-16/Received May 20, 2008.
URL = http://chem.sci.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp/cejrnlE.html

Innovative Careers for Chemistry Graduates: A Malaysian Perspective on Graduate Employability

Ai-Hwa Quek

E-Mail: quekahum.edu.my

Abstract
Careers have become less clearly defined within a discipline with increasing changes at the workplace. More specifically, in a changing workplace, entry into a profession does not necessarily ensure an employee the conventional promotions through seniority in his or her chosen career. Presently, in the labour market, in Malaysia, as in other countries, employers demand that prospective employees including chemistry graduates must have the most appropriate skills to secure jobs and to retain their jobs so as to enable themselves to advance in their careers. This also highlights 'innovative' careers, which refer to new work roles that are not found in standard careers for chemistry graduates but contribute to improve their employability. The study addresses the issues of innovative careers as complementing the normal careers of chemists. These careers increase the opportunities for chemistry graduates to get employment in spite of the changes in work and the changing workplace. With globalization, it is recognized that maintaining competitiveness in labour productivity and improving employability of graduates pose powerful challenges to Malaysia and other countries. In response to this need, this case study attempts to find out the priority of career choices of chemistry graduates and to survey the skills that are important in improving their employability. Data were collected using the survey method on a purposive sample of chemistry graduate employees (n = 30). Findings indicate that most of these graduates have a limited range of knowledge of innovative careers in chemistry. Four factors accounting for 59 per cent of the total variance were extracted pertaining to skills important for improving employability of these graduates. Notwithstanding their limited range of knowledge of innovative careers, they were able to indicate the skills needed to improve their employability. In this regard, more research is needed in Malaysia so that graduates could be better served by tertiary education and training that is adapted to lifelong employability.

Body of the paper

• Introduction
• Conceptual Framework
• Career and Employability in Malaysian Context
• Aims of the Study
• Methodology
• Instrumentation
• Results
• Discussion and Conclusion
• References