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© Proceedings of the Ruhuna Quality Assurance Sessions 2021 (RUQAS 2021)
st
21 September 2021

RP3

Perception of Employers on Quality Assurance in University Education in Sri Lanka

M.G.T. Lakmali*, D.M.M. Sandeepani, P.N.M.M. Wijerathna and G.C. Samaraweera

Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana,
Kamburupitiya

* Corresponding author: thushlakmali95@gmail.com

Abstract

The worldwide growing attention on quality assurance in higher education induces universities to

restructure their institutional objectives and programs to cater to the demands of the stakeholders.

Employers are keen on the quality of higher education to recruit good quality graduates. However, it
seems that the incompatibility in the employers’ expectations and the quality of graduates, the graduate

unemployment has become a severe problem in Sri Lanka during the last few decades. Therefore, the
objective of the present study is to identify the employers’ expectations on knowledge, attitudes, and

skills of graduates while examining the employers' perception in developing a quality assurance
system in higher education in Sri Lanka. A Google form-based questionnaire was prepared to collect

primary data. The pre-tested questionnaire was sent to the employers who are recruiting (n=30) as well

as not recruiting (n=30) graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, using the
snowball sampling technique. Descriptive statistical tools and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test occupied

as the main statistical tools for the data analysis. Concerning the performance and skills of hired
graduates, 52% of the employers were satisfied with the job related knowledge that graduates possess.

Moreover, 30% were strongly satisfied with the skills of the graduates employed in their respective
companies while 26% were satisfied with the skills of the graduates. However, regarding performance

level, only 33% of employers were satisfied with the existing performance level while 40% were

satisfied with the accuracy/precision of the work. Wilcoxon Sign Rank Test results revealed that
employers are dissatisfied regarding the current quality assurance system giving insights of improving

an effective improved quality assurance system (Test value=1.795; P =0.0173). Based on the responses

of the companies not employing graduates attached to the faculty, lack of practical experience (27%),
lack of interview facing skills (17%) and better performance of graduates from other universities

(13%) were the main reasons highlighted by the respondents. Among all respondents (n=30), the
majority (60%) mentioned the quality of higher education as developing innovative and independent

thinkers, having a knowledgeable and up to date staff, good links to industry, good university facilities,
library, career guidance, and maintaining quality teaching materials and methods of teaching. The

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