Readiness to Enter the Workforce: Perceptions of Graphic Design Students Against Market Demands

Studies have revealed that employers of newly hired graphic design graduates are not well prepared. Interestingly, this triggers further research to discover insight to the workforce readiness gap among graphic design students. This present study then sought to explore the perceptions of graphic design students in their quest to enter the workforce in their demand of the market. To that end, an online survey questionnaire was designed and administered to 102 graphic design students enrolled in the final year of their undergraduate degree programme. The study revealed that there are deficits of professional competencies in the area of coding, responsive design and prototyping tools. Meanwhile, graphic design students assessed their creativity, handling deadline and project management competencies as the high. The findings of this study are useful for improving the education and employability of graphic designers as they provide a consistent language to pertinent stakeholders about the requirements for new entrants to the graphic design industry.