J. Glob. Bus. Trade Vol. 10 No. 2 (November 2014), 1-15 1 ISSN 1946-5130 Journal of Global Business and Trade www.iagbt.com Perceptions of UP Los Banes Agribusiness Management Graduates on Their Job Preparedness Jewel Joanna S. Cabardoa and Jeanette Angeline B. Madambab a Department of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship, College of Economics and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines b Department of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship, College of Economics and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines Received 5 August 2014 Revised 20 September 2014 Accepted 16 October 2014 ABSTRACT This study primarily assessed the Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management (BSABM) degree program of UP Los Baños (UPLB) through its graduates’ perceptions of their readiness on the job front. Specifically, the study focused on ascertaining the career paths taken by the graduates after attaining their degrees, identifying which subjects/skills the graduates perceived as having contributed to their job preparedness, determining the factors affecting the graduates’ perception of their job readiness and recommending changes for the improvement of the BSABM curriculum based on suggestions obtained from the respondents. Data collection was done through a survey of 150 BSABM alumni selected through purposive sampling. Results from descriptive data analysis indicated that career paths, demographic characteristics, parameters pertaining to college life and job satisfaction indicated the respondents’ preparedness for their jobs. Perceived gaps in their training by the graduates were recognized to suggest changes for the improvement of the BSABM curriculum. Keywords: agribusiness, curriculum, job, management, perceptions, preparedness Ⅰ. Introduction1 can be viewed as an improvement of human resources as preparation for foreign competition here and abroad It is widely touted that human capital is a nation’s but also as an investment in human capital and part of wealth. Likewise, a country’s agribusiness sector is expanding the infrastructure of the economy. only as good as the human resources which manage it. Human capital development through various forms Thus the job preparedness of a country’s human of schooling and training aims to address the compe- resources hinges on how well educational and training titiveness of local professionals in light of a liberalized institutions match their programs with government and environment with accompanying social costs. The loss industry requirements. of educated manpower through brain drain, one of the Tullao (2000) considers readiness of professionals social ills brought by overseas employment, may not to compete internationally from various perspectives. It be fully compensated through foreign exchange remittance flows into the economy. The problem of ⓒ 2014 International Academy of Global Business and Trade. brain drain and the exodus of manpower to overseas All rights reserved. 2 Perceptions of UP Los Baños Agribusiness Management Graduates on Their Job Preparedness employment, however, are the result of the educational Out of the 300 released questionnaires, only 150 system’s inability to create domestic demand for respondents became willing participants in the study. educated manpower. Retention of an educated One of the limitations of the study is the respondent’s manpower supply in the country shall reap the benefits willingness to participate and cooperate in the survey of investment in human capital. (Tullao, 2000). as a lot have chosen to withhold the information being A recent labor market study, “Project Jobs Fit: The required in the questionnaire. Data analysis was made Dole 2020 Vision”, conducted by the Philippine through the use of descriptive data analysis. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Fraser (2003) defines job preparedness as the level predicts that agribusiness will emerge as a key at which an individual perceives he/she was equipped employment generator (KEG) in the next five to ten for the present job by his/her job training. Fraser came years since the agribusiness sector boasts a number of up with a list of variables that could be considered for “hard to fill in demand posts.” The recent develop- job preparedness. For the purposes of this paper, we ments in the Philippine agribusiness sector triggered shall delimit our interest to the relevant issues from the investor interest in the industry, which opens up BSABM graduates of the Department of Agribusiness employment opportunities in Philippine agribusiness Management (DAM), College of Economics and (Bureau of Local Employment, 2009). With bright Management (CEM), UPLB. These variables include: prospects in the agribusiness sector, particularly as a. Demographic characteristics of the respondents KEG, it is imperative to ensure that the human b. Career classification resource complement is more than ready and equipped c. Student performance using actual grades ob- for the challenges in the sector. Thus, this study is tained being pursued to determine how the students of the d. Skills/training developed during the under grad- Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management uate program (BSABM) can gauge their readiness on the job front as e. Participation in extra-curricular activities a BSABM graduate. f. Perceived gaps in the curriculum The study’s main objective was to primarily assess g. Suggestions made by alumni to improve the the BSABM degree program of UP Los Baños (UPLB) curriculum with respect to their job through its graduates’ perceptions of their readiness on h. Job satisfaction based on employment status, the job front. Specifically, the study (1) ascertained the career type and retirement option for the current career paths taken by the graduates after attaining their job position degrees; (2) identified the subjects/skills the graduates The four point Likert-type scale (highly, modera- perceived as having contributed to their job prepare- tely, slightly, not at all related) was used for selection dness, (3) determined the factors affecting the graduates’ of their perceptions of job preparedness. Employment perception of their job readiness, and (4) recommended outcomes considered included the time taken to get a changes for the improvement of the BSABM job, job status (temporary or permanent), area of curriculum based on suggestions obtained from the specialization (business or some other field), and job respondents. satisfaction. Confidentiality was assured and anony- mity was enabled by assigning numbers to the questionnaires before processing. Questions requiring Ⅱ. Methodology open-ended statements or comments cover the follow- ing topics: Data collection was done through survey question- a. Choice of course/degree naires sent either via email or personal delivery to 300 b. Participation in extra-curricular activities BSABM alumni selected through purposive sampling. J. Glob. Bus. Trade Vol. 10 No. 2 (November 2014), 1-15 3 c. Reasons for the kind of performance exemp- ture universities. General skills include communi- lified in subjects under the BSABM cation, management and computer while the technical curriculum skills are extension and training, horticulture, agro- d. Dream job or career nomy, animal science, food technology and agricul- e. Degree of importance of courses taken under the tural economics. The study at hand attempts to capture BSABM curriculum the perceived skills and training that the BSABM f. Level of job preparedness of graduates from the degree was able to provide them so categorizing as courses taken during college such was found to be unnecessary. g. Suggestions on curricular changes or impr- The graduates were also asked to select two ovements responses on a five-point scale and these pertain to the Vreyens and Shaker (2005) adopted two categories level of importance of the courses/subjects taken under of skills in his survey: general skills and technical skills. the BSABM degree, which then translates to its effect These disciplines are the major areas of study currently on the level of job preparedness for the BSABM found in the approved national curriculum in agricul- graduate. Table 1. Level of Importance of the Courses/Subjects Taken under the BSABM Degree and Effect on the Level of Job Preparedness for the BSABM Graduate Level of Importance Level of Preparedness 1. Not applicable for the job 6. Not prepared 2. Not important 7. Somewhat prepared 3. Somewhat important 8. Prepared 4. Important 9. Very prepared 5. Very important 10. Prepared In a study by Beachboard and Beachboard (2010), be academically productive are internship/practicum, they constructed the study variables which were further community service, formal learning community, and classified into independent, dependent and control conducting research with a faculty member. For variables. Participation in multiple enrichment active- purposes of this study, the following variables were ties were combined into a single variable (ENRICH) employed as shown in Table 2. while student participation in activities considered to Table 2. Independent, Dependent and Control Variables Used in the Study Independent Variable(s) Information needs* Dependent Variable(s) Job preparation Control Variable(s) Enrichment (Extra-curricular) activities Demographic (age, gender) Note: Information needs – is determined by the level of importance of a particular subject/course as perceived by the respondent in relation to his/her BSABM degree. The conceptual framework