The Effect of Foreign Language Competences and Student Mobilities on Graduates’ Employability in the European Labour Market

Foreign language competences belong to the employers’ essential requirements set for workforce. The enhancement of acquired competences and the acquisition of new ones form a part of higher education. In the paper employability of the graduates of the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences in the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra on the European labour market has been analysed. The graduates completed their study in the years 2007-2011. A questionnaire was used to survey 300 graduates by the 30th June 2011, out of which 103 responded. The Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences prepares professionals in the fields of biotechnology, food technology, applied biology, hygiene and food safety. Input data have been evaluated by the methods of analysis, synthesis and comparison. In relation to the mathematical-statistical methods used, the input data have been classified according to the qualitative and statistical characteristics and evaluated by the association tables and graphs. We have come to the conclusion that foreign language competences are actively used by 43% of the respondents in different sectors of national economy, and the dominant foreign language is English. Within half a year after graduation 74% of respondents who had taken part in student mobilities, and 48% of respondents who did not participate in them, found jobs on the labour market. The time of getting the first job is influenced not only by knowledge, working skills and other competencies but also by current job vacancies.