Results speak for themselves: When high rates of your students find jobs in their area of study, you prove the value of your higher education programme.
While English is a core competence and very often essential for employability in STEM-related industries (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), as a skill, it naturally plays second-fiddle to subject components.
So, focusing on the transition from university to employment, our research team administered Linguaskill to students to investigate the impact English really has on their employability.
The outcomes were striking.
Linguaskill Impact Study: STEM Undergraduates in Malaysia
A number of impact evaluation studies demonstrate the positive impact that Linguaskill has had on learning and assessment at universities around the world.
One such study in Malaysia, funded by the Cambridge English research programme, shows how Linguaskill can offer graduating students an advantage in the jobs market and be seen as a bonus by potential employers.
The study focused on the impact of Linguaskill on STEM undergraduate students’ employability potential. It was conducted at Universiti Putra Malaysia, a public, leading-research university in Selangor, Malaysia – one of the largest in Malaysia, ranking no.2 in the country and no.132 in the QS World University Rankings 2021.
The team surveyed STEM students at the university, as well as a wide range of respondent profiles from companies in STEM industries, which operate internationally with English as a primary language.
Students motivated by employment opportunities with Linguaskill certification
The results from students were positive, with 82.8% agreeing or strongly agreeing that they feel motivated to apply for a job with the Linguaskill test certification. Many feel confident that the Linguaskill result will help them when applying for postgraduate studies, and that employers will be positively affected by the fact that they have taken the test.
The students were satisfied with Linguaskill’s accuracy, with over three quarters agreeing or strongly agreeing that the test is able to correctly measure their overall English language ability.
Students also praised the adaptive nature of the test and described it as “user friendly”. What’s more, 84.9% of students agree or strongly agree that they feel confident about Linguaskill because it is a test by Cambridge.
Confidence in Cambridge
This confidence in Cambridge was also reflected in the feedback from the employers, one of whom commented:
“The fact that the test is from Cambridge would give me some confidence in the test.”
The indication of quality assurance was also expressed by another respondent:
“I think [the] Linguaskill test report is reliable and valid for employers to indicate the potential of applicants because it covers almost all aspects of language proficiency.”
70% of employers would consider job applicants with Linguaskill
All employers that participated were involved in the selection process for new employees at their companies. Their roles ranged from making decisions on who to call for interviews, sitting on interview panels and sending recommendations to upper management, to being involved in the final selection process.
More than 70% agree or strongly agree that they would be inclined to offer an applicant a job at their companies due to the overall English proficiency level indicated by the Linguaskill test score.
Further answers confirmed that “proficiency in Linguaskill will be an added advantage” in the selection process, and that “the certification does increase the chances of hiring as the candidates would probably perform better in the interview.”