The Expectation of Government Agencies in the Digital Era for the Competencies of Public Administration Graduates from Kanchanaburi Rajabhat University.

Abstract

          This study, titled “The Expectation of Government Agencies in the Digital Era for the Competencies of Public Administration Graduates from Kanchanaburi Rajabhat University,” aimed to examine the competency expectations of government agencies toward Public Administration graduates in the digital era, and to compare these expectations between regional and local government agencies. The population comprised 116 civil servants and employees from 29 regional and local government agencies in Kanchanaburi Province that hosted Public Administration students for professional internships during the 2023 academic year. The sample, selected through quota sampling, consisted of 96 respondents from 24 agencies. The research instrument was a questionnaire measuring five competency areas of Public Administration graduates. The Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) ranged from 0.67 to 1.00, and the overall reliability coefficient was 0.91. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test).

          The results indicated that both regional and local government agencies rated their expectations for graduate competencies at the highest level across all areas, especially in ethics and morality, and in interpersonal skills and responsibility. These findings emphasize the importance of behavioral competencies and teamwork in the workplace. Furthermore, no statistically significant differences (p > .05) were found between the expectations of regional and local agencies, including in digital competencies. This suggests that both agency types share aligned expectations regarding the competencies of Public Administration graduates, reflecting a common goal of organizational development in the digital era.