International Journal of E-ISSN: 2635-3040; P-ISSN: 2659-1561

Recent Innovations in Academic Research Homepage: https://www.ijriar.com/

Open Access, Peer Reviewed, Abstracted and Indexed Journal Volume-6, Issue-7, July-2022: 16-30

Research Article

A Tracer Study on the Employability and Curriculum Relevance

among BatStateU Graduates 2014-2018
1Joel B. Bacay, MAEd and 2Realiza M. Mame, Ph.D.
1&2
Batangas State University, Philippines
1
Email: [email protected]; 2Email: [email protected]

Received: June 30, 2022 Accepted: July 14, 2022 Published: July 21, 2022

Abstract: Batangas State University (BatStateU) Tracer study aimed to determine whether the
graduates from 2014 to 2018 are employable, the academic curriculum and the competencies are
relevant to them, and investigate satisfaction in their present job. The adapted questionnaire from the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) tracer study was the main instrument used. The 4,805
graduates participated in the study, comprising 14.18% of the total graduates with a 1 percent margin
of error at a 95% confidence level. The results indicated that graduates of BatStateU are employable
as the majority of them landed their first job within a year after graduation. Most of the graduates are
working as permanent status in local companies with income less than 20,000. Almost all
respondents claimed their course/degree and the curriculum they had in college were both relevant to
the first job.
The acquired skills by the graduates in the university on communication, critical thinking, and
problem-solving are found useful-competencies in their first job. Most of them have one to two jobs
after graduation, affiliated with local non-government institutions of at least 150 employees. Around
half of the graduates do not intend to stay in their present jobs considering their salaries and career
growth.
Keywords: Graduate Tracer, Curriculum Relevance, Competencies, Employability.

Introduction
One of the critical responsibilities of universities is to prepare young people for entering the labor
market. The universities’ relevance of program and employability of graduates are posing an
increasing challenge, particularly given two sets of statistics: enrollment and youth unemployment
rates (UNESCO, 2012). Every year the educational institutions are producing graduates who are
unemployed or underemployed. This is a strong indication that education cannot produce sufficient
quantity and the right quality of human resources needed for national development. It also appears
that there is a very marked disparity between what the school systems are tuning out and what the
economy can use at the moment and what it will use for future growth.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as one of the objectives in the Strategic Plan for
2011 to 2016 lay the foundation for a more efficient and effective system in delivering quality public
higher education services and for a more flexible regulatory framework for private higher education
provision. This will help produce highly competent and competitive graduates. Hence, Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs) are encouraged by CHED to offer programs that are in demand and
responsive to the needs of industry both local and international.

Meanwhile, the unprecedented change for Philippine education is shaped by aggressive reform
measures from within, with the full implementation of the new K to 12 system in 2016, and rapidly

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advancing movements from without, as the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015. The five-year
period between 2016 and 2021, often referred to as the K to 12 transition, presents significant
challenges not just to the basic education sector, but causes a ripple effect on other sectors as well. It
is also a once-in-a-generation window of opportunity for the reform of country’s entire education
landscape (CHED, 2021).

In January 2019, the unemployment rate in the Philippines was estimated at 5.2%. The Philippine
Statistics Authority (2019) revealed that the total unemployed for age group ranging from 15 to 24
years comprised of 43.7%, while the age group of 25 to 34, 30.6%. Considering the educational
attainment, 20.9% of the unemployed were college graduates, 8.2% were college undergraduates,
and 28.2% have completed junior high school. Graduates of junior high school include those high
school graduates in the old curriculum.

One of the project components of aligning HEI programs with national development goals is the Job-
skills Matching Program. Included in the project is the periodic conduct of graduate tracer studies.
The Commission will utilize the results to put up an Annual Higher Education Advisory for parents
and students. This will contain information such as the most demanded jobs, highest hiring (starting
rate) and the types of schools most desired by employers. This will also provide information about
state colleges and universities as the basis for budgetary priorities where normative funding is
applied. With this research, CHED would be able to formulate package assistance programs to
develop and/or enhance higher education programs that would promote the country’s global
competitiveness.

Batangas State University (BatStateU) is the only state university located in Batangas, it plays a very
important role in the upliftment of employment, and thus helps the government. BatStateU, like all
other universities, aspires for the effective performance of its students. It is true to its vision of being
a center of higher learning committed to the promotion of wisdom, excellence, human dignity, and
national pride in the Filipino (Abrea, 2004).

BatStateU has spelled out its mission: The University plays an increasingly significant role in
educating the youth to become professionals imbued with ideals of a true Filipino who stands
prominently in the community of nations. It commits to develop productive citizens by providing the
highest standard of instruction, research, extension service and production through value-laden
learning experiences, community partnerships and internationalization initiatives. Toward this end,
the University intensifies its educative process through instruction, research, extension, and
production in the context of service excellence and virtue (Abrea, 2004).

At a local policy level, this will help track down tertiary graduates who can help the HEIs like
BatStateU to be more strategic in developing their curricula as well as on deciding on program
offerings, staffing patterns, and faculty development. It may also be used to measure the
effectiveness and responsiveness of identifying a cluster of courses/subjects that the graduates found
most useful in their workplaces. Therefore, the Research Department of this university aims to
institutionalize the conduct of this research on Graduate Tracer.

BatStateU is a multi-campus system composed of eleven campuses strategically located at prime

cities in Batangas province. The province is one of the developing areas in Calamba, Laguna,
Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon (CALABARZON) region which caters to a great number of industrial
parks or zones. BatStateU is well recognized in the region in terms of producing high caliber, high-
quality graduates in the areas of science, engineering, technology, business, education, tourism,
health services, and communication arts. Each year from 2014 to 2018, an average of 6,777
graduates in different campuses of the whole system. The current administration had seen the rise of
graduates from 2014 to 2018 by an average of 5%.

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The employability of graduates is an important gauge of the effectiveness of the institutional systems
and policies. Likewise, it can be used to evaluate the relevance of academic inputs to the study
programs such as curriculum, course design, learning facilities, student skills and behavior, and
graduate attributes from the points of view of both the alumni themselves and their employers.
Alumni studies can be used to close the gap and create active synergies between the educational
providers and the industries (employers) or the labor market. Most importantly, empirical evidence
can be utilized for a continuous program and institutional improvements. Schomburg (2003) cited
that a tracer study sometimes called as “alumni survey” or “follow-up survey” should enable the
institution of higher education to get information to indicate possible deficits in a given educational
program and to serve as basis for future planning activities.

According to Ismail and Mohammed (2015) “In the 21st century, employability skill is the most
required skill besides technical knowledge in an attempt to compete for employment and sustain job
at the industrial global market”. The schools have to provide the training that meets the standards
employers set for their workforce. Industries may have different standards, but they always have a
set of characteristics they expect for their applicants to possess that would boost institutional
objectives. Whether employers seek graduates whose skills are, either, related or not aligned to their
field of specialization, they will always look for their standards.

Statement of the Problems/Objectives

This study aims to determine the status of Batangas State University’s graduates concerning their
employment.
1) To determine the profile of the graduates;
2) To identify the graduates' reasons for taking the course and pursuing other tertiary level
qualification or advanced studies;
3) To assess the employability of the graduates;
4) To identify the graduates' source of information about their first job;
5) To determine the relevance of the graduate’s course, curriculum, and competencies acquired
from the University; and
6) To assess the graduates’ satisfaction in their present job.

Conceptual Framework
The phenomena of employment and unemployment are taken into consideration to determine the
employability of graduates from Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). Some of the factors in the
assessment of college education include a type of college education, age, sex, civil status, spouse’s
education, employment and income, parent’s education, and own early education. The recruitment
method and the waiting period are the phenomena of employment being considered. There are
factors that can affect graduates’ decisions to accept in the work sector such as type of occupation,
income, satisfaction, and relevance of training.

On the other hand, the phenomena of unemployment include some of the reasons such as no job
openings, college and type of education, personal connections, and unsatisfactory offers. In assessing
these factors, a direct focus may be given in the aspect which can lessen the gap between the pursuit
of higher education and the employment opportunities that this can offer. Also, a mismatch between
the degree obtained and the prestige of the institution to job requirements. Academic offerings and
proper training to prepare graduates in the world of employment can be assessed.

The main objective of colleges and universities is to facilitate students' transition from the academe
to the world of work. This shows how effective school programs are for no reason why students may
be delayed in looking for employment after graduation.

The labor market and the government policies on employment can be assessed upon meeting the
needs of both employers and employees (Commission of Higher Education). If sufficient data are
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presented and included, then all possible factors that may affect employment and/or unemployment,
rates of college graduates of not being able to find a job may be reduced. Incentives and assistance
may be given to those who belong to the lower-income, employment, and education groups. Students
may also be given proper guidance on how to find the jobs that may best suit their degree and
capability. Focusing on each factor that may affect these phenomena can help increase the
productivity in which the country can benefit in the end. Hence, the framework attempts to exhaust
all possible areas that can affect the employability of the graduates (Angeles, 2009).

Figure 1 illustrates the connection from input to output through the process. The variables written in
the first box comprise the profile of the respondents. These variables include age, sex, civil status,
year graduated, and other qualifications: industry trainings or apprenticeships and advanced studies.
The second box contains the status of employment and curriculum relevance as the dependent
variable. The arrow indicates that there is a strong relationship between and among the independent
variables and the dependent variable. This conceptual framework provides the direction in the
attainment of the objectives of the study and find out if data gathered held true to the graduates of
BatStateU.

Profile Variables

1. Sex
2. Age Status of Employment
3. Civil Status and
4. Year Graduated Curriculum Relevance
5. Other
Qualifications:
industry trainings or
apprenticeships and
advanced studies

Figure 1. Conceptual Paradigm

The employment status was acquired by the process of data analysis such as questionnaires, surveys,
and interviews. The responses were delivered through electronic mails and personal interviews. After
gathering the needed data using the processes the output was proposed which are to conduct a
seminar that will promote participants among the students of Batangas State University. Several
recommendations such as trainings, seminars, and orientations are cited to determine the
effectiveness of the curriculum in the university.

Methodology
BatStateU 2014–2018 Graduate Tracer Study covers graduates who completed their studies from
December 2014 to September 2018. The target respondents comprised graduates from bachelor’s
degree of any program which exclude those with certificate diploma, post-graduate diploma,
professional, masters-degree and doctoral degree.

This study covered the graduate respondent assessment in the contribution of the acquired values and
skills from the university to their present job. The responses gathered from the BatStateU graduates
were sought whether the acquired skills and competencies catered to their present employment
status.

A descriptive method of research was considered, utilizing quantitative approach to obtain the
necessary information of the respondents and to quantify data to generalize results from a sample to
the population of interest. The researchers used an online instrument where the contents are patterned
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to the CHED tracer study questionnaire. A non-probability sampling was employed to generate the
respondents of the study. The study was limited to the responses of the graduates from 2014 to 2018
only. The respondents were required to answer all the items included in the survey questionnaire.

The Graduate Tracer study may track down tertiary graduates who can help the Higher Education
Institutions like Batangas State University to be more strategic in developing their curricula as well
as in deciding the program offerings, the staffing patterns, and the faculty development. It may also
be used to measure the effectiveness and/or responsiveness in identifying cluster of courses/subjects
that the graduates found most useful in their workplaces.

The feedback from the graduates relative to the issues in teaching and learning will be vital for the
decision-maker in the university’s planning. The determining factors linked to student performance,
curriculum design, and improvement in services provided by Batangas State University.

In the study, a descriptive research design was used. Calderon (2006) emphasized that descriptive
research is a purposive process of gathering, analyzing, classifying and tabulating data about the
prevailing conditions, practices, beliefs, process, trends, and cause and effect relationships, thereby
making adequate and accurate interpretations about such data with or without the aid of a statistical
method.

This study was used a non-probability sampling to determine the respondents. In this sampling
design, the researcher selects the respondents who were conveniently available. The respondents of
the study were 4,805 out of 33,887 graduates from 2014 to 2018 with 1 percent margin of error at
95% confidence level. This comprised the retrieval rate of 14.18 percent of the total graduates.

A survey questionnaire was the main instrument of the study. This questionnaire consists of six parts
such as general information, graduates’ reason for taking the course and pursuing other tertiary level
qualifications, employability information, graduates’ source of information about their job, relevance
of the curriculum and competencies acquired, and their satisfaction in their present job. Other
information of the graduates which include names, addresses, and contact numbers were obtained
from the University Registrar. The alumni coordinators, the faculty researchers, and the student
researchers administered personally the questionnaire by sending emails to the graduate-respondents.

The data collected were classified, tabulated, and coded for analysis. The following statistical tools
were employed in interpreting the data that were obtained from the survey. Percentage was used to
analyze the profile and employability of the respondents.

On the other hand, mode was used to determine the degree of perception of the graduate respondents
in the usefulness and relevance of their educational background to their employment status. Rank
was used to arrange in a series of ascending or descending order of importance.

Results and Discussions

The tabular representations below discuss the results from the data collected through survey using
the generally accepted statistical tools and principles. The study attempted to investigate the
employment status of BatStateU graduates from 2014 to 2018.

1. Profile of the graduates AY 2014–2018

Table 1 shows that out of 4805 respondents, 65.02 percent are female while 34.98 percent are male.
Furthermore, 47.45 percent of the respondents are 23 to 25 years old and 88.82 percent of them were
single during the time of the study. The respondents are primarily composed of graduates of batch
2018 (26.99%), 2017 (22.98%) and 2016 (18.29%). Majority (95.47%) of the graduates have not
pursued any advance studies.

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Table 1. Profile of the Graduates AY 2014–2018
Profile variables Frequency Percentage
Sex
Male 1681 34.98
Female 3124 65.02
Age
20-22 1915 39.85
23-25 2280 47.45
26 and above 610 12.70
Civil status
Single 4268 88.82
Married 478 9.95
Separated 38 0.79
Widowed 21 0.44
Year graduated
2014 758 15.78
2015 767 15.96
2016 879 18.29
2017 1104 22.98
2018 1297 26.99
Other qualifications
Industry trainings or 152 3.16
apprenticeships
Advance studies:
With Masters’ unit 49 1.02
With Masters’ degree 17 0.35
No advance studies 4587 95.47

Findings revealed that majority of the respondents have not pursued any advance studies since
graduation. Considering that they are young adults, they are more oriented to forming intimate
relationships with other people (McLeod, 2018) than investing in their careers.

2. Graduates’ reasons for taking the course and pursuing other tertiary level qualification or
advance studies

Table 2. Reasons of the Graduates for Taking the Course

Reasons for Taking the Course or Frequency Percentage Rank
Pursuing the Degree
Good grades in the subject matter 619 12.88 8
Peer influence 1045 21.75 2
Strong passion for the profession 1125 23.41 1
Status or prestige of profession 762 15.86 6
Prospect of career advancement 954 19.85 3
Prospect of attractive compensation 458 9.53 12
Influence of parents 649 13.51 7
Inspired by role model 822 17.11 5
Prospect for immediate 866 18.02 4
employment/relevance/adaptability
Availability of course offering in chosen 554 11.53 10
institution
Affordability for family 612 12.74 9
No particular choice/no better idea 460 9.57 11
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It can be gleaned in Table 2 that out of 4805 respondents, 23.41 percent have strong passion for the
profession; 21.75 percent took up their program because of peer influence; 19.85 percent viewed
pursuing their programs as an avenue for career advancement; 18.02% prospect for immediate
employment/relevance/adaptability.

However, only 9.53 percent of the respondents claimed that they took their course because of
prospect of attractive compensation.

Table 3. Reasons of the Graduates in Pursuing Advance Studies (n = 565)

Reasons in Pursuing the Frequency Percentage Rank
Advance Studies
For Promotion 203 35.93 3
For Professional development 362 64.07 1
No response 271 47.96 2

About 362 of the respondents have pursued advance studies for professional development. Table 3
reveals that 35.93 percent of them pursued advance studies for promotion. Many students engage in
graduate studies as they have passion for learning and discovery while others are looking to change
career paths or better place themselves for advancement opportunities (Universities Canada, 2019).

3. Assessment on the employability of the graduates

Table 4. Graduates who are Currently Employed

Responses Frequency Percentage
Yes 4220 87.83
No 527 10.97
No Response 58 1.20
Total 4805 100.00

Table 4 shows that 87.83 percent of the respondents are currently employed while 10.97 percent are
not engaged in any job. Majority of the respondents are currently employed and belong to around six
percent of the total employed persons who are professionals in Region IV-A CALABARZON
(Philippine Statistical Authority [PSA], 2018).

Moreover, the employment rate of 87.83 percent is comparable with that of the country in 2017,
which is 94.3 percent (Bersales, 2018). This implies that the graduates are employable or have
developed the capacity to obtain work.

Table 5. Reasons why graduates are currently unemployed

Reasons Frequency Percentage Rank
Advanced or further studies 52 9.87 6
Lack of job experience 89 16.88 5
Did not look for a job 135 25.62 3
Family concerns 140 26.57 2
No job opportunity 100 18.98 4
Health Related Reasons 37 7.02 7
No Response 156 29.60 1

About 156 out of 527 respondents without response are currently not working. Table 5 reveals that
the top two reasons of being not employed are family concerns (26.57%) and their decision not to
find a job (25.62%). Though not employed, these individuals who leave the workforce for family
concerns are not considered unemployed because they are no longer look for work (Amadeo, 2019).
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3.1 Waiting time for the first job

Table 6. Period it took to get the first job

Duration Frequency Percentage
Less than one month 1475 30.70
2-5 months 1781 37.07
6-12 months 1025 21.33
More than one year 276 5.74
Never been employed 170 3.54
No Response 78 1.62
Total 4805 100.00

It can be gleaned from Table 6 that most of the respondents or 37.07 percent waited for 2 to 5
months after graduation for their first employment, 30.70 percent were employed less than one
month and 21.33 percent for 6 to 12 months.

Many of the respondents got their first job in less than 6 months after graduation. This corresponds to
the time that the graduates spend in reviewing for and taking the licensure examination in order to be
registered allied health professionals.

3.2 Number of jobs since graduation

Table 7. Number of Jobs since Graduation

Number of Jobs Frequency Percentage
0 79 1.87
1 1826 43.27
2 1320 31.28
3 553 13.10
4 210 4.98
5 232 5.50
Total 4220 100.00

Table 7 shows that 43.27 percent of the 4220 respondents had only one job since graduation, 30.50
percent had two jobs, 13.10 percent were employed thrice, 4.98 percent had four jobs while another
1.87 percent had never been employed since graduation. Many of the graduates were employed twice
after graduation. This suggests that they have changed their first job.

3.3 Graduates Employment Status

Table 8 depicts that out of 4220 respondents, 61.87 percent are working as permanent and 16.80
percent as contractual employees.

Table 8. Graduates’ Employment Status

Profile Variables Frequency Percentage
Permanent 2611 61.87
Temporary 442 10.47
Self- employed 127 3.01
Casual 185 4.38
Contractual 709 16.80
Job order 143 3.39
No Response 3 0.07
Total 4220 100.00

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3.4 Gross monthly income

Table 9. Graduates’ Gross Monthly Income

Monthly Income Frequency Percentage
Less than 20,000 2323 55.05
20,000-29,999 1202 28.40
30,000-39,999 257 6.09
40,000-49,999 73 1.73
50,000 and above 75 1.78
No Response 290 6.87
Total 4220 100.00

Table 9 reveals that 55.05 percent of the employed respondents have a gross monthly income of less
than Php20,000. According to Giron (2018), most jobs are done to make a living. The latest
minimum wage rates in the Philippines as of October 2017 for employees in the National Capital
Region (NCR) is ranging from Php293.00 to Php512.00 or having an average monthly income of
Php12,337.50. Meanwhile, the minimum wage rates where employees received in Region IVA is
ranging from Php293.00 to Php378.50 or having an average monthly income of Php8,393.75. More
so, the Department of Labor and Employment (n.d.) revealed that the entry-level of other employees
like registered nurses is ranging from Php8,000.00 to Php13,500.00 monthly while dietitians receive
Php10,000.00 to Php16,000.00 per month.

3.5 Nature of work (Type of Work Organization)

Table 10. Graduates’ Nature of Work

Nature of Work Frequency Percentage
Government 521 12.35
Non-government 3620 85.78
No Response 79 1.87
Total 4220 100.00

Table 10 depicts that out of 4220 employed respondents, 85.78 percent are currently working in non-
government or private organizations while 12.35 percent are affiliated with government institutions.
Majority of the respondents are employed in the private sector. This is parallel with what Bersales
(2018) noted that half of the workers in the country are in private establishments.

3.6 Place of work

Table 11. Graduates’ Place of Work

Place of Work Frequency Percentage
Local 3947 93.53
Abroad 195 4.62
No Response 78 1.85
Total 4220 100.00

It can be gleaned from Table 11 that 95.53 percent of the respondents are currently working in the
Philippines while 4.62 percent are working abroad. Almost all of the respondents are employed
locally. Previous findings revealed that most of the respondents graduated in 2016 and landed on
their first job within a year. Working abroad usually requires two to three years of work experience;
hence, the respondents may not have enough experience yet, may still be processing their application
or they prefer to work in the country.

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3.7 Number of employees in the present job

Table 12. Number of Employees in the Present Job

Number of Employees Frequency Percentage
Less than 50 1061 25.14
50–99 859 20.36
100–149 679 16.09
150 and above 1621 38.41
Total 4220 100.00

In Table 12 with 4220 respondents who are currently employed, 38.41 percent work in institutions
with at least 150 employees; 25.14 percent work with less than 50 employees; 20.36 percent are
employed in institutions with 50 to 99 employees; and 16.09 percent work in institutions with 100 to
149 employees. Majority of the respondents are working in institutions with at least 150 employees.

3.8 Length of service in each job

Table 13. Length of Service in Each Job

Duration First Job Second Job Third Job Fourth Job Present Job
1-6 months 567 203 93 35 1063
7-12 months 381 493 65 19 724
13-18 months 204 112 104 11 601
19-24 months 207 49 48 23 372
25 months and 306 90 34 16 634
above

Table 13 revealed that 567 stayed in their first job for one to six months. Likewise, 493 respondents
remained in their second job for seven to twelve months. On the other hand, 104 respondents
engaged in their third job for more than a year. Similarly, 35 of the respondents claimed of staying
on their fourth job. During the time of the study, 1063 of the respondents are employed in their
present job between one to six months.

Findings revealed that around five in ten respondents stayed in their first and second job for no more
than six months and stay in their succeeding jobs for more than a year. This may be attributed to the
fact that in the Philippines, an employment contract is valid for less than six months. After this
period, the employee can stay, leave or be terminated. Results also show that the respondents stay in
their succeeding jobs for more than a year, which can be related to the previous finding that many of
the respondents are permanently employed at present.

3.9 Position/designation in each job

Table 14 depicts that 49 (89.1%) of the respondents are rank and file employees in their first job. At
present, 77.6 percent of the employed respondents are rank and file. Majority of the respondents do
not assume leadership positions in their respective institutions yet. It could be linked to the previous
result that most of the respondents stayed in their first two jobs for no more than six months while
75.5 of the respondents are employed in their present job for less than two years.

Table 14. Position in Each Job

Position First Job Second Job Third Job Fourth Job Present Job
Rank and File 1181 586 180 50 1942
Managerial 74 39 17 4 531
Supervisory 66 121 107 29 157
Others 253 118 49 15 222

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This indicates that majority of the respondents are considered novice or advanced beginners in their
workplaces for it takes about two to three years for an employee to be competent enough to carry out
managerial or supervisory roles (Benner, 2001; Berman et al., 2016).

4. Graduates’ source of information about their first job

Table 15. Graduates’ Source of Information about their First Job

Source of Information Frequency Percentage Rank
Response to an advertisement 278 6.59 7
Walk-in applicant 1319 31.26 1
Recommendation 560 13.27 3
Vacancy notice 435 10.31 5
Employment service 125 2.96 8
Internal promotion 93 2.20 9.5
Arranged by school placement 93 2.20 9.5
Family business 35 0.83 12
Information from friends 538 12.75 4
Internet 1117 26.47 2
Job fair 325 7.70 6
Others 87 2.06 11

It can be gleaned from Table 15 that the respondents got employed in their first job as walk-in
applicants (31.26%), by recommendation (13.27%) and through information from friends (12.75%).
Many respondents personally applied for their first job.

5. Relevance of the graduates’ course, curriculum and competencies acquired from the
university on their first job.
In Table 16, about 1456 from the total graduates of 1574 who were employed in less than a month
and landed on their first job after graduation. It depicts that 92.50 percent claimed that on the
relevance of the course/degree to their first job.

Table 16. Relevance of Course / Degree to Graduates’ First Job

Responses Frequency Percentage
Yes 1456 92.50
No 118 7.50
Total 1574 100.00

Table 17 shows that 1456 out of 4220 respondents employed claimed that the curriculum in college
is relevant to their first job. Employability of its graduates is important for higher education
institutions as it reflects the quality of education received by the students, which can help the
institution maintain its competitiveness in the global market (University of Edinburgh, 2016).

Table 17. Relevance of the Curriculum they had in College to Graduates’ First Job
Responses Frequency Percentage
Yes 1456 92.50
No 118 7.50

Table 18 reveals that from the competencies acquired in the university, the most useful to the
respondents’ first were communication skills, critical thinking skills, and problem-solving skills.
These skills were indeed crucial to carry out various roles in the job where the respondents are
working.

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Table 18. Competencies acquired from the University useful to their first job
Competencies Acquired Modal Value
Communication Skills 1
Human Relation Skills 4
Entrepreneurial Skills 5
Information Technology Skills 6
Problem Solving Skills 3
Critical Thinking Skills 2

Table 18 reveals that from the competencies acquired in the university, the most useful to the
respondents’ first were communication skills, critical thinking skills, and problem-solving skills.

These skills were indeed crucial to carry out various roles in the job where the respondents are
working.

6. Assessment on the graduates’ satisfaction in the present job in terms of intention to stay,
reasons for staying and reasons for changing their jobs

Table 19. Graduates Intent to Stay in the Present Job

Intentions and Reasons Frequency Percentage
Yes 3112 73.74
No 1086 25.74
No Response 22 0.52
Total 4220 100.00

As observed in Table 19, out of 4220 graduates who are currently employed, 25.74 percent do not
intend to stay in their present job.

Table 20. Graduates’ Reasons for Staying in the Present Job

Reasons Frequency Percentage Rank
Salaries and wages 1898 44.98 1
Related to special skill 886 20.99 4
Proximity to residence 405 9.60 5
Family influences 272 6.45 6
Career challenge 955 22.63 3
Related to course of study 1052 24.93 2
Peer influence 201 4.76 7

Based on the previous table, Table 20 illuminates the respondents’ reasons for staying in their
present job. The respondents considered salaries and wages with 44.98 percent as the main reason for
staying in their present job.

The respondents are satisfied and fulfilled with the salaries and wages they received during the
conduct of survey. This is supported by Aziri (2011) that the financial compensation the employees
received has a great impact on staying and satisfaction on their present job.

Likewise, Kaliski (2007) considered job satisfaction as the key ingredient leading to recognition,
income, promotion, and achievement of other goals to a feeling of fulfillment.

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Table 21. Graduates’ Reasons for Changing the Present Job
Reasons Frequency Percentage Rank
Salaries and wages 1038 24.60 1
Related to special skill 214 5.07 4
Proximity to residence 139 3.29 6
Family influences 153 3.63 5
Career challenge 572 13.55 2
Related to course of study 251 5.95 3
Peer influence 108 2.56 7

Table 21, on the other hand, shows that the respondents intend to change their present jobs primarily
considering their salaries and wages. It was previously noted that majority of the respondents earn
less than Php 20,000 per month. Adrian (2018) noted that employees like nurses in the country are
faced with an extremely low salary with minimal benefits that push qualified candidates away.

Conclusions
Majority of the graduates are females, 23 to 25 years old, single and belonged to Batch 2018.
Almost all of the graduates have not pursued any advance studies yet; for the few who did, it was
mainly for professional development. Strong passion for the profession, peer influence and prospect
of career advancement were the top three reasons why the respondents pursued their programs.

The graduates of Batangas State University are employable as majority of them landed on their first
job within a year after graduation. The majority are working as permanent status with income that is
less than 20,000 and working in local companies. As walk-in applicants, they got employed in rank-
and-file positions in which they stayed for one to six months. Almost all respondents claimed that
their course/degree and the curriculum they had in college were both relevant to their first job.

Furthermore, communication skills, critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills acquired from
the university were found to be the most useful competencies in their first job. Most of them have
one to two jobs after graduation. They are mostly affiliated with local non-government institutions
with at least 150 employees. Around half of them do not intend to stay in their present job,
considering their salaries and career growth.

Recommendations
Based on the findings of this study, it is hereby recommended the following recommendations.

1) The graduates should consider pursuing advanced studies for professional development and
promotion in their workplace.
2) A career orientation may be conducted for the graduating students to help them get their first job
in which they will intend to stay.
3) The university should continue developing the skills relevant to the graduates’ job.
4) A study on job satisfaction and/or job performance of the graduates should be conducted.
5) Develop programs that will strengthen the competencies of the graduates to catch up with the
ASEAN Integration.

Conflicts of interest
There is no conflict of interest of any kind.

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Citation: Joel B. Bacay and Realiza M. Mame. 2022. A Tracer Study on the Employability and
Curriculum Relevance among BatStateU Graduates 2014-2018. International Journal of Recent
Innovations in Academic Research, 6(7): 16-30.
Copyright: ©2022 Joel B. Bacay and Realiza M. Mame. This is an open-access article distributed
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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