SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE RELATION BETWEEN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION AND THE LABOR MARKET

This study discusses the perceptions that male and female university students in the fields of commerce, education, and engineering in Oman have of the relation between their university education and the labor market. It examines the level of confidence students have in the value of their university education on the labor market; their evaluation of program curriculum in relation to future careers; and their level of optimism about their future careers. The study used a questionnaire which was distributed to 346 senior university students.
The findings of this study indicate that a major motivation for attending higher education among the participants is their perception that it would improve their chances to obtain better and more secure employment in the future. The participants also reported confidence that their university education would play a significant role in providing them with suitable future careers. However, they were not satisfied with their program curricula and did not think these prepared them effectively for future careers.
In addition, the study highlights statistically significant differences among the participant responses in terms of gender, and academic major. The motivation to obtain a career after attending higher education was more prominent among female students. The study indicated that the field of study has a small impact on students’ perceptions of the relation between university education and the labor market.