The relationship between English proficiency and employability of university graduates

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to estimate the additional value of English proficiency to the
opportunity in getting a job of graduates. The data used for this study comes from survey
data. The target population of this study is Chiang Mai University graduate. Simple random
sampling is the method we implement in data collecting. We then rely on online
questionnaires as a tool for collecting data, which take place between December 2023 to
February 2024. Among 150 samples, we demonstrate descriptive statistics in demographic,
socio-economic, language skill, and attitudinal data. For inferential statistics, we estimated
values by using Simple Linear Regression with Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). This method
allows us to estimate the effect of English proficiency, which is indicated from TOEIC
scores, toward the opportunity in getting a job, which is indicated from time spent in
searching for a job. The results from regression analysis point out that an individual will
spend about 4.93 weeks less searching for a job if they gain an additional 100 TOEIC scores,
statistically significant at 0.01 level. The results confirm that English proficiency generate
positive effect to the opportunity in getting a job, leading to national policy in educational
development that emphasizes on English skill improvement of Thai students.