ESP Online Course as a Means of Enhancing Graduate Students Employability Opportunities – Case of Sumy State University

Abstract

Along with providing plentiful job market opportunities, the ongoing growth of various technologies in a wide range of fields is currently creating a high level of graduates competitiveness. The issue of employability, which is the crucial concern of higher education institutions, is getting vital these days among employers, educators, researchers, and future professionals. This study aims to determine the mechanisms through which an ESP distance course can facilitate employability enhancement with graduate students. Although the idea of implementing distance learning in the professional training is not new, coherent research on how to make online tasks more enriching for future professional activity and thus resulting in enhanced employability has not been proposed so far. A survey conducted within the framework of the study reveals a correlation between critical thinking skills tasks as part of an ESP course and growing professional competence as an integrated component of employability. The data obtained have been verified by statistical analysis. Another investment in the employability field has been made through suggestions on how to design online tasks properly.