Fitting BSc Maritime Studies graduates into commodity trading industry

Abstract

Commodity trading is a strategy of investment where goods that are classified as commodities are bought and sold in an established market. This is a complex industry that requires participants to have a vast spectrum of knowledge and experience.

The objective of this project is to discuss how to fit BSc(Maritime Studies) graduates into the commodity trading industry. Among all the factors that would affect the employment of fresh graduates, personality, academic background and industrial experience are most important and were chosen for further study. Surveys were conducted with the undergraduate students. Interviews were conducted with Maritime Studies graduates working in the commodity trading industry and potential employers from the same industry. The surveys and interviews served to identify the gaps in perspectives between the students and the employers.

This report looks at the academic aspects and focuses on three dimensions, namely, the general knowledge, skills and competence. The curriculum arrangement of the BSc(MS) program was compared against other three curriculums offered by other tertiary institutions. The current level of readiness of the MS graduates to join the commodity trading industry was assessed. And recommendations were made with taking those curriculums as a reference. The other two factors are tackled by my other group members; personal characteristics by Liu Jiayun and the industrial experience by Lan Li.

Finally, recommendations are made on how to improve the effectiveness of the MS curriculum.