COM4006: Soft Skills in Computing Graduates - Literature Review

This literature review examines the importance of soft skills for computing graduates, drawing on five different research articles. The review covers industry expectations, skills gaps, and the impact of work placements on graduate employment. The articles explore various aspects of soft skills, including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities, and their relevance to success in the IT sector. Research methods employed in the reviewed studies include surveys, interviews, and statistical analysis. The review highlights the need for educational institutions to focus on developing soft skills in students to enhance their employability and meet the demands of the modern workforce. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and past papers for students.

SOFT SKILLS FOR
COMPUTING
GRADUATES

Table of Contents
Entry 1: Industry expectations of soft skills in IT graduates: A regional survey............................1
Reference in Harvard format..................................................................................................1
Intended audience...................................................................................................................1
Main content and arguments presented in the work...............................................................1
The research methods employed............................................................................................1
The author’s conclusions........................................................................................................1
Entry 2: Graduate Employability, ‘Soft Skills’ Versus ‘Hard’........................................................1
Business Knowledge: A European Study.......................................................................................1
Reference in Harvard format..................................................................................................1
Intended audience...................................................................................................................1
Main content and arguments presented in the work...............................................................1
The research methods employed............................................................................................2
The author’s conclusions........................................................................................................2
Entry 3: ICT Labor Market Needs: The Gap in Secondary School Graduate Soft Skills as a
Challenge for the Educational System.............................................................................................2
Reference in Harvard format..................................................................................................2
Intended audience...................................................................................................................2
Main content and arguments presented in the work...............................................................2
The research methods employed............................................................................................2
The author’s conclusions........................................................................................................2
Entry 4: A Hybrid Model to Profile and Evaluate Soft Skills of Computing Graduates for
Employment.....................................................................................................................................2
Reference in Harvard format..................................................................................................2
Intended audience...................................................................................................................3
Main content and arguments presented in the work...............................................................3
The research methods employed............................................................................................3

The author’s conclusions........................................................................................................3
Entry 5: The impact of work placement on graduate employment in computing: Outcomes from a
UK-based study................................................................................................................................3
Reference in Harvard format..................................................................................................3
Intended audience...................................................................................................................3
Main content and arguments presented in the work...............................................................3
The research methods employed............................................................................................3
The author’s conclusions........................................................................................................3

Entry 1: Industry expectations of soft skills in IT graduates: A regional survey
Reference in Harvard format
Stevens, M. and Norman, R., 2016, February. Industry expectations of soft skills in IT graduates:
a regional survey. In Proceedings of the Australasian Computer Science Week
Multiconference (pp. 1-9).
Intended audience
Interviewed 26 industry participants having 2 to 50 years of industry experience.
Main content and arguments presented in the work
Technology is developing with new requirements of skills apart from technical skills that
is soft skills now a days. Job advertisement, government and tertiary sector perception are
presented in the work.
The research methods employed
Grounded theory, IT job advertisements data, interviews and focus groups are used as a
research methodology
The author’s conclusions
Industry leaders are looking for some innovative ideas in operating the advanced
technology with proper soft skills in a person.
Entry 2: Graduate Employability, ‘Soft Skills’ Versus ‘Hard’
Business Knowledge: A European Study
Reference in Harvard format
Andrews, J. and Higson, H., 2008. Graduate employability,‘soft skills’ versus ‘hard’business
knowledge: A European study. Higher education in Europe, 33(4), pp.411-422.
Intended audience
50 people were interviewed across all four countries, thirty business graduates and twenty
employers.
Main content and arguments presented in the work
Slovenia, Austria, Romania and UK are analysed in higher educational needs of soft
skills for technical background.
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The research methods employed
Semi-structured interview techniques and questionnaire
The author’s conclusions
Business specific issues requires hard business-related knowledge and skills.
Interpersonal Competencies requires soft business-related skills.
Entry 3: ICT Labor Market Needs: The Gap in Secondary School Graduate
Soft Skills as a Challenge for the Educational System
Reference in Harvard format
Czainska, K., 2021. ICT Labor Market Needs: The Gap in Secondary School Graduate Soft
Skills as a Challenge for the Educational System. Human Resource Management/Zarzadzanie
Zasobami Ludzkimi.
Intended audience
Random participants from IT industry are hired with good experience in technology
Main content and arguments presented in the work
Challenges are presented of the soft skills in the students who are studying in higher
education. Professional career growth in ICT sector is also displays with a skill gap.
The research methods employed
Desk–research, Individual In–depth Interview (IDI) and Computer Assisted Web
Interview (CAWI) methods.
The author’s conclusions
Identification of the competency skill gap is performed in the secondary school students
in order to develop the catalogue of soft competencies.
Entry 4: A Hybrid Model to Profile and Evaluate Soft Skills of Computing
Graduates for Employment
Reference in Harvard format
Ramalingam, H., Usmani, R.S.A., Pillai, T.R. and Hashem, I.A.T., A Hybrid Model to Profile
and Evaluate Soft Skills of Computing Graduates for Employment.
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Intended audience
Graduates, Academic Supervisors and Industry Supervisors
Main content and arguments presented in the work
Hybrid model is used in order to assess the soft skills and its taxonomy along with the od
assessment technology and machine learning algorithm.
The research methods employed
Descriptive research is undertaken and individual interviews are conducted with each
graduate.
The author’s conclusions
Comparative analysis is conducted of skills input in terms of pre employment to current
employment and then to the post employment using hybrid model.
Entry 5: The impact of work placement on graduate employment in
computing: Outcomes from a UK-based study
Reference in Harvard format
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, C.F. and Webster, G., 2018. The Impact of Work Placement
on Graduate Employment in Computing: Outcomes from a UK-Based Study. International
Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 19(4), pp.359-369.
Intended audience
109 graduate participants
Main content and arguments presented in the work
Work placement impact is presented on the graduate employment in the field of
computing and results are also discussed using primary research.
The research methods employed
Survey: 95 respondents and interviews: 14 participants
The author’s conclusions
Relationship between the graduate employment and the skills along with the salary has
found out which has enhanced their work placement in computing.
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