Abstract:

The Malaysian media as well as recent research has been highlighting the deficiency of soft skills among undergraduates. The alarming unemployment rate among the graduates appears to be strongly linked to two factors: poor communication skills and acquisition of English. This paper unearths the unresolved issues with regard to the aforementioned factors. It also presents the perceptions and experiences of the lecturers and practicing engineers supervising the engineering students during their internship programme in the selected industries. Their views on students’ oral communication and challenges in the engineering communication environment are drawn from observations and interviews.

Three themes have been explored, namely: the different types of communication environments that exist in the government and private companies, controversies and challenges regarding the issue of English Language usage, and finally, students’ assessed strengths and weaknesses in giving presentations. The data suggest that although the engineering students are technically sound, they need to possess certain personal skills in order to market themselves. These skills, which are desirable skills in the construction and formation of an engineer, are constantly highlighted by Malaysian employers. These vital skills which are closely related to employability and workplace literacy need to be further polished in determining a graduate’s success or failure in the workplace.

Keywords:

Oral presentation, communication, engineering, industry.