Using conjoint analysis to estimate employers preferences for key competencies of master level Dutch graduates entering the public health field

This paper uses an experimental design to estimate preferences of employers for key competencies during the transition from initial education to the labor market. The study is restricted to employers of entry-level academic graduates entering public health organizations in the Netherlands. Given the changing and complex demands in public health, we study the relative importance of generic and field-specific competencies during the transition from education to the public health field. A self-explicated approach and a choice-based conjoint analysis were used to elicit preferences of employers for key competencies. The results show that employers value generic competencies relatively higher than field-specific competencies for master level graduates entering the public health field. The results are relevant for the adjustment of training in public health. Universities should continue to train master level graduates in public health with high-level cognitive skills. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.