| Summary: | AbstractEmployers claim managerial skills are more important for community public health students than specialist subject knowledge. However, to date, there is no valid and reliable instrument to measure these skills. Furthermore, employers’ viewpoints are often not considered in developing such a measure. This study aimed to develop an instrument by considering employers’ perspectives in health agencies to define the required managerial skills new graduates should possess. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. A preliminary list of skills was developed based on the Delphi technique. The final list was then distributed to 410 employers who provided feedback. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was employed to analyze the responses. The employers identified 19 items that indicate four types of managerial skills students need to possess: (a) vision-grounded skill, (b) collaboration skill, (c) systems thinking skill, and (d) health promotion and disease prevention skill. Each skill has a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ranging from 0.87 to 0.94. The ability to collaborate is the most crucial skill. The limited but valid and reliable tool is relevant in the Thai context because a few instruments are already measuring “competency” or “leadership” skills of community public health professionals. Educators and employers should prepare new practitioners with the four managerial skills identified in the study to perform their jobs effectively.
|
|---|