This study examined the requirements of IT employers for university graduates on hard and soft skills, courses, and internships. The researchers examined important skills and tools in the labour market and attitudes toward various courses and internships. After conducting qualitative interviews with 10 employers in the IT field and thematic analysis, several key points were identified. Firstly, mathematical, fundamental, or deep knowledge of one programming language is more important to employers than basic skills in several programming languages. The importance of English language, algorithmisation, programming logic, and the logic of previously written programming code was also emphasised. Secondly, soft skills like communication, adaptation, teamwork, and time management are crucial, but employers also mentioned the importance of emotional intelligence, prioritising tasks, and desire to develop and learn. Thirdly, employers have a critical attitude towards courses and internships because there are many factors, such as direction, quality, content, and the type of final certification. The paper discusses the problems and opportunities of universities and students for successful training and employment, and the results will be useful in IT education.
AbelhaMFernandesSMesquitaD, et al. (2020) Graduate employability and competence development in higher education-A systematic literature review using PRISMA. Sustainability12(15): 5900.
2.
AlheadaryWG (2023) Controlling employability issues of computing science graduates through machine learning-based detection and identification. Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research13(3): 10888–10894.
3.
AllisonJ (2024) Defining the goals of computing education in higher education: What should universities aim to achieve?British Educational Research Association blog. Available at: https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/14614/.
4.
AsiriAGreasleyABocijP (2017) A review of the use of business simulation to enhance students’ employability (Wip). Summer Simulation Multiconference1–6. 39. Available at: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/3140065.3140104.
5.
AzmiIAGCheHRYusoff YusminiM (2018) The employability skills of Malaysian university students. International Journal of Modern Trends in Social Sciences1(3): 1–14. https://ijmtss.com/PDF/IJMTSS-2018-03-09-01.pdf (Accessed: December 23, 2024).
6.
BaertBSNeytBSiedlerT, et al. (2019) Student internships and employment opportunities after graduation: a field experiment. Behavioral & Experimental Economics eJournal83: 102141.
7.
BeckerGS (1962) Investment in human capital: a theoretical analysis. Journal of Political Economy70(5): 9–49.
8.
BeckerG (1964) Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, with Special Reference to Education. Columbia University Press.
BorghansLTer WeelBWeinbergB (2014) People skills and the labor-market outcomes of underrepresent groups. ILR Review67(2): 287–334. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/001979391406700202
13.
BowersDSSabinMRajRK, et al. (2022) Computing competencies: mapping CC2020 dispositions to SFIA responsibility characteristics. In: IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference, EDUCON, 2022-March, (pp. 428–437). IEEE.
14.
BrentJJKraskaPBHutchensJ (2024) Qualitative Interviewing. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
15.
ChistyakovaNSemenovaMSpitsinV, et al. (2015) Problems of educational processes development and labor market needs analysis in Russia. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences166: 309–316.
16.
ClarkeVBraunV (2017) Thematic analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology12(3): 297–298.
17.
CreswellJWPothCN (2025) Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Sage.
18.
de WeertE (2007) Graduate employment in Europe: the employers’ perspective. Higher Education Dynamics17: 225–246.
19.
DemissieMMHerutAHYimerBM, et al. (2021) Graduates’ Unemployment and Associated Factors in Ethiopia: Analysis of Higher Education Graduates’ Perspectives. Education Research International.
20.
DiCicco-BloomBCrabtreeBF (2006) The qualitative research interview. Medical Education40(4): 314–321.
DursunB (2023) A qualitative research technique: interview. The Journal of Interdisciplinary Educational Research7(14): 100–113.
23.
EnglishRHayesA (2022) Towards integrated graduate skills for UK computing science students. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series1–7. 8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1145/3555009.3555018.
24.
EnglishRMaguireJHayesA (2021) Improving computer science student graduate skills through assessment. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series38. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1145/3437914.3437979
25.
FugateMKinickiAJAshforthBE (2004) Employability: a psycho-social construct, its dimensions, and applications. Journal of Vocational Behavior65(1): 14–38.
26.
GelmanovaZSMazhitovaSK (2023) Soft skills: employment opportunities for graduates. Central Asian Economic Review6: 21–28.
27.
HassanSKaurPMuchiriM, et al. (2022) Unethical leadership: review, synthesis and directions for future research. Journal of Business Ethics 2022183(2): 511–550.
28.
HurrellSA (2016) Rethinking the soft skills deficit blame game: employers, skills withdrawal and the reporting of soft skills gaps. Human Relations69(3): 605–628.
KahirolMSNurISNorLSAzmi AL (2016) Generic skills of technical undergraduates and industrial employers perceptions in Malaysia. International Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research14(14): 907–919.
31.
KleinMWeissF (2011) Is forcing them worth the effort? Benefits of mandatory internships for graduates from diverse family backgrounds at labour market entry. Studies in Higher Education36: 969–987.
32.
KolbD (1984) Experiental Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1.
33.
KyngäsH (2020) Inductive content analysis. In: Kyngas H., Mikkonen K., Karriainen M. (eds). The Application of Content Analysis in Nursing Science Research13–21. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30199-6_2
34.
LavyI (2013) Soft skills - an important key for employability in the “Shift to a Service Driven Economy” era. International Journal of e-Education, e-Business, e-Management and e-Learning3(5): 416–420. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7763/IJEEEE.2013.V3.270
35.
LiuZ (2012) Quality evaluation of specialty employment for engineering education. Advanced Materials Research591–593: 2274–2277.
36.
McClellandDC (1973) Testing for competence rather than for intelligence. American Psychologist28(1): 1–14.
37.
MohammedFÖzdamlıF (2024) A systematic literature review of soft skills in information technology education. Behavioral Sciences14(10): 894. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14100894
38.
MontanteRKhanZ (2001) Specialized certification programs in computer science. In: Proceedings of the thirty-second SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE '01), (pp. 371–375). Association for Computing Machinery.
NadarajahJ (2021) Measuring the gap in employability skills among Malaysian graduates. International Journal of Modern Trends in Social Sciences4(15): 81–87.
41.
NaeemMOzuemWHowellK, et al. (2023) A step-by-step process of thematic analysis to develop a conceptual model in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods22: 16094069231205789.
42.
NgobeniTNekhavhambeMMaholeE (2024) Importance of internship programs as a strategy to impart experiential learning on graduate. International Journal of Social Science Research and Review7(9): 39–57.
43.
NishaMRajasekaranV (2018) Employability skills: a review (march 18, 2018). The IUP Journal of Soft SkillsV12(1): 29–37.
44.
NunleyJMPughARomeroN, et al. (2016) College major, internship experience, and employment opportunities: estimates from a résumé audit. Labour Economics38: 37–46.
45.
OllisG (2012) In search of practitioner perspectives on “good code”. 21th Annual Workshop of the Psychology of Programming Interest Group - PPIG 2012. UK: London Metropolitan University. Available at: https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/24670/.
46.
PenevaJIvanovS (2010) Beyond the regular university education in computing: the move towards blended learning. Information Technologies in Business. Varna, Bulgaria: Science and Economics, 454.
47.
PengJDengC (2022) Research on the relationship between college students’ employability and IT skills training based on mixed research methods. Frontiers in Psychology13: 1054134.
48.
PereraSBabatundeSOZhouL, et al. (2017) Competency mapping framework for regulating professionally oriented degree programmes in higher education. Studies in Higher Education42(12): 2316–2342.
49.
PrickettTCrickTDavenportJH, et al. (2024) Embedding technical, personal and professional competencies in computing degree programmes. Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE1: 346–352.
50.
RadfordAWRoblesJCatayloS, et al. (2014) The employer potential of MOOCs: a mixed-methods study of human resource professionals’ thinking on MOOCs. RTI International15(5): 1–25. Available at: https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v15i5.1842
51.
RahmanA (2024) Agile project management: analyzing the effectiveness of agile methodologies in it projects compared to traditional approaches. Academic Journal On Business Administration, Innovation & Sustainability4(04): 53–69.
52.
RamlanRNgahS (2015) Student perception on the importance of soft skills for education and employment PEOPLE. International Journal of Social Sciences1(1): 696–708.
53.
RazakMIMYusofAMSyazanaWN, et al. (2014) Factors influencing unemployment among graduates in Malaysia-An overview. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development5(11): 14128.
54.
RivasMJBakerRBEvansBJ (2020) Do MOOCs make you more marketable? An experimental analysis of the value of MOOCs relative to traditional credentials and experience. AERA Open6(4): 1–16.
55.
RömgensIScoupeRBeausaertS (2020) Unraveling the concept of employability, bringing together research on employability in higher education and the workplace. Studies in Higher Education45(12): 2588–2603.
56.
RosendaleJA (2016). Getting a job with a MOOC on your resume: an experimental analysis of hiring manager perceptions. Doctoral dissertation. The University of Utah.
57.
SadafRNaseerMZSherazA (2024) English linguistics in the nexus of economic growth and cultural evolution. Global Social Sciences ReviewiX(III): 100–112.
58.
SalvatoCCorbettaG (2023) Qualitative research interviewing in family firms. In: Keith BrighamH.PayneG. T. (eds). Field Guide to Family Business Research. 125–143.
59.
Sangaré-OumarMMQianSQiuY, et al. (2025) Evaluation of factors influencing university graduates’ unemployment in developing country: a multi-criteria decision-making perspective. Spectrum of operational research2(1): 151–160.
60.
SaniterNSchumannMSiedlerT (2018). The effects of student internships on.
61.
SharmaS (2024) The importance of English language fluency in digital business communication. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice30(4): 7545–7550. Available at: https://doi.org/10.53555/kuey.v30i4.2607
62.
ShormanSAl JuboriUSoltanM (2024) Employability skills in computer science, interior design, and graphic design. 2024 ASU International Conference in Emerging Technologies for Sustainability and Intelligent Systems, ICETSIS 2024. Manama, Bahrain: IEEE, 375–380.
63.
ShuppMRBloomfordC (2023) The graduate internship: opportunities to prepare for professional practice. About Campus27(6): 16–21.
64.
SkybaY (2023) Skills of the 21st century: adaptation of educational programs of the national higher education institutions. Problems of Education2(99): 72–88.
65.
SohelRAsmaA (2017) Factors influencing graduate employability. DIU Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship11(01): 1–18.
VerhaestDBaertS (2017) The effects of workplace learning in higher education on employment and match quality: is there an early-career trade-off?Empirical Economics55: 1229–1270.
68.
WeerasombatTPumipatyothinPNapathornC (2022) Understanding employability in changing labor market contexts: the case of an emerging market economy of Thailand. Sustainability14(16): 10436.
69.
WilliamsSDoddLJSteeleC, et al. (2016) A systematic review of current understandings of employability. Journal of Education and Work29(8): 877–901.
70.
YeongJKamCLyeE, et al. (2024) The impact of internships on Graduates’ Employability: employers’ insights. Singapore Labour Journal03(01): 101–112.
71.
YorkeMKnightPT (2004) Embedding employability into the curriculum: The impact of education 4.0. Learning and employability23(3): 676–688. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103241282121.
72.
ZakariaZNZAwangYNasirNEM, et al. (2024) Examining the nexus between internships and employability: a bibliometric perspective. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal11(9.2): 120–134.
