Initiatives by HEIs to improve graduate

quality & employability

EAEC14-15 April 2015

Evelyn Garwe

• The Problem• Historical overview• What makes a graduate

employable?• Initiatives to enhance GE Curricula Entrepreneurship &

technopreneurship WRL

Presentation Outline

• “Too many graduates but where are the jobs?” Daily Nation” (12 Oct 2014)• “Job crisis - graduates turn to vending”

dailynews (5 Nov 2013)• “

Kenya: 75 Percent of Graduates Still Remain Unemployed” All africa.com (13 Aug 2013)• “Nigeria's 80% Graduate Unemployment”

allAfrica.com (23 Sept 2013)• “We have an unemployment crisis in

Namibia, yet the government employs Zimbabweans?” Linkeldin• “Uganda's unemployed graduates held

back by skills gap ...” theguardian.com (16 Jan 2014)

Headlines

• Economic downturn, massification, internationalisation & commercialisation of HE have fuelled competitiveness in the labour market for graduates • Many countries are facing serious

problems of graduate unemployment• HE sectors under immense pressure to

produce employable graduates• Debate - how best to achieve this goal• Experience from Zimbabwe will share

the top 3 ways to address this problem

The problem

Competitiveness has been a fact of life since the beginning of humankind For a boy to prove himself suitable to become a man or a husband he had to show bravery, strength or prowess e.g. by killing a lionIn order to recruit the best candidates employers concentrated on specific key attributes e.g. height- police, weight - boxers, beauty- air hostesses

Historical overveiw

• Undergraduate training was viewed only as a Launchpad to show potential. Employers then subjected recruits to intensive & focused in-service training• Employers focused on the graduates’

ability to perform• More emphasis given to higher academic

qualifications at the expense of one’s expertise, aptitudes or attributes necessary to perform tasks (Credentialism)

Historical overveiw

• In this paper, a graduate refers to a holder of a bachelor’s or higher degree from a HEI• GE is an aspect of quality of HE, which

relates to the benefit & usefulness of a programme for career & work tasks• It comprises of the attributes, skills &

knowledge that makes graduates more likely to gain employment & be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community & the economy.”

Definitions?

Keeping as a constant factors such state of economy & quantity of graduates vs available jobs: •Employability is improved by: Graduates’ possession of both technical & employability skills•Thus it is imperative for HEIs to inculcate into graduates deep intellectual capabilities & practical skills

What m

akes a graduate employable?

• Cognitive skills - higher level intellectual or academic skills (e.g. interpreting, analysing, intuition, researching, problem solving, IT skills)

• Key skills - personal skills & qualities which are generic to a range of both academic & employment settings (e.g. enterprise, criticality, teamwork, communication, planning & organising, ethical & social responsibility)

• Career Management skills - skills required to manage career development (e.g. self analysis, networking, adaptation, flexibility, risk taking, self reliance & reflection)

• Enterprising Attitudes - personal qualities to spot opportunities & have the skills to act on them as well as life long learning.

Graduate Em

ployability Skills

HEIs should explicitly take account of their learners' future employment needs by:•Developing students intellectually, personally, morally & professionally •developing curricula & offering courses relevant to the needs of the economy & society & that are responsive to employer requirements•using appropriate teaching & learning methods with educational impact •provide learners with information & guidance to help them in career decision making & initial job search

HEIs role in G

E

• Prepare graduates better for employment by developing in them general (‘soft’) & specific skills.

• Support students in developing a set of ethical standards that will guide their personal & professional decision-making abilities as they enter the workforce.

• Prepare students to accept responsibility for their actions, not only in the business world, but also in professional education progs & in the practice of their chosen profession.

HEIs role in G

E

• The HE sector expanded from 1 university with an enrolment of 2240 in 1980 to 15 universities with a total enrolment of 85000 in 2014.

• A study by Al-Samarrai & Bennell revealed that in 2003, all graduates were absorbed in their relevant fields of study.

• Currently the growing numbers of graduates are chasing declining job opportunities in the formal market.

• Some graduates migrate to other countries where they take up employment or embark on further studies.

GE in Zimbabw

e

• Insufficient economic growth & demand for graduates.

• Some graduates want formal jobs, & are opting for voluntary unemployment.

• Too many graduates & with qualifications that are not in demand.

• Graduates lack work experience & the technical & employability skills demanded by the labour market.

Causes of unemploym

ent

• Appropriate curricula • Entrepreneurship &

technopreneurship• Work-related learning• Advisory Boards• Employer engagement

Initiatives for enhancing GE

• introducing new innovative degree progs which address the gaps that exist in the labour market. • final approval of these progs is done

by ZIMCHE, the QA body that is responsible for overseeing QA & shape & size in HE. • graduates from these new, unique &

relevant progs are quickly absorbed into the labour market.

Appropriate Curricula

• done through:incorporating these aspects in courses introducing special modules or introducing separate programmes.• These interventions, helped to shape the

minds of the graduates from just expecting to be employed to willingness to become self employed & to create employment.

• However, the success of these initiatives hinge on govt policies & funding support.

Entrepreneurship & technopreneurship

• All HEIs include an assessed component of WRL for periods up to a year in their curricula.

• WRL was designed to reduce the gap between theory & practice & assist graduates in the transition to the workplace.

• WRL includes: Internships/work placements/industrial

attachment learning through work experience/ experiential

Learning (P/time or voluntary) learning by utilising work-based scenarios & simulations in various forms.

Work-related Learning (W

RL)

• provide students with learning opportunities to integrate theory & practice.

• positively influences a graduate’s chances of getting a graduate-level job as most graduates get employed by the companies where they were attached during WRL.

• students see value: gain experience, develop technical skills, employability skills & build self-confidence.

• Get some ideas for future career choice

Pros of WRL

• A good experience of work can help them understand more quickly what skills they need & how to apply their learning as well as inspiring students to raise their level of academic achievement.

• Credits towards a student’s degree from participation in WRL signal the importance placed on the employability skills.

• Break into the industry / make contacts• Earn money

Pros of WRL

• Self presentation • Taking responsibility• Communication • Writing skills• Confidence• Presentation skills• Time management • Teamwork • Research• Organisation• Maturity

Skills/attributes from

WRL

The increasing number of students requiring placements, leads to some students delaying completion of their studies because the programme regulations do not allow students to proceed with studies before successfully completing at least 8 months of work attachment & passing the assessment

Cons of WRL

• Departments have Abs &/or partnerships consisting of industry, consulting firms & other relevant stakeholders. • These partnerships & ABs ensure that

the curriculum for every degree prog is current & relevant to industry. • They also allow departments to tap into

the collective experience of industry practitioners & leaders, which, in turn, gives students knowledge & employability skills

Advisory Boards (ABs)

This is done to broaden students’ understanding through:•Fostering & developing professional networks (e.g. through use of alumni, employer fora & partnership)•Engaging employers in the curriculum (e.g. through membership of programme development teams, validation panels & curriculum review)•Developing the knowledge of employers of the work of students & staff (e.g. project work, open days & knowledge transfer activities - RIE)

Employer engagem

ent

1. Discipline Expertise: •knowledge in their field 2. Professionalism:•is work-ready & employable •is enterprising & entrepreneurial•has academic & professional integrity3. Global Citizenship:•understands of global issues •Understands issues of sustainability•Aware of their place in a globalised economy

Attributes of ZIM

Graduates

4. Communication & Teamwork:•effective communicator & presenter able to interact & network •independent thinker & team worker5. Reflective & Critical Learner:•perform inquiry-based learning & critical analysis •problem solver & creator of opportunities6. Lifelong Learning:•technologically, digitally & information literate•Fit into a range of life experiences & facilitate life-long learning & success

Attributes of ZIM

Graduates

• The paper has presented various responses by HEIs in an effort to enhance GE, embracing academic initiatives & university-industry linkages.

CON

CLUSIO

N